THE GIGAS

pg. 3

The tilt of the car downward makes it difficult to reverse it out of the ditch. We are really stuck, like really, really stuck. I press the gas pedal down one last time in a last ditch effort to get out but the car only revved up.

I exit the car to confirm the worst. There was no way to save the car without some serious help. Regular AAA is probably not available right now with what's going on and apocalypse AAA isn't even a thing.

The suburbs were glowing bright orange around us. I look ahead to realize I see the large intersection that leads to the town. Eureka, we are almost out.

I scramble to get the kids together. Ruth made sure she still had Joseph's backpack. We form a link with our arms."Ok , we are going to need to cut through this forest. we need to hide, so don't say a word unless we see someone dangerous " My siblings nod, the fire mirrored in their eyes.

We make our way down the intersection carefully, hiding amongst the foliage.

It was the same scene as we got to town. Smoke, screams, and destruction.

We ran through different streets trying to look for anyone or any thing that can help us. 

Chunks of flesh lay everywhere Some cars were engulfed in flames, others were wide open but none of them were operational in one way or another.

Whatever had attacked the town  devoured and destroyed everything in its path. Traveling with children severely hindered the time and speed I need to find something safe. It would be easier for me to travel alone for a while. I had to reassure them that I would be back when I told them the reasoning and my plan.

Fast forward from the beginning of my flashback of me running and you know that things were pretty bad. I hid the kids in a storm drain, lifted the grate just enough to drag it to the side.

After running a couple of blocks and not finding anything. I was growing desperate. There was a run down shopping center that looked relatively untouched compared to the other surrounding streets.

I lurk around the parking lot noting the same thing, no goddamn keys. I get to a camper and see that the living area door is open.

I go inside cautiously, I haven't seen anyone so far alive since this whole thing started. Its dark interior can't be illuminated without the fires burning closely to the center.

The floor is slippery and stinks of meat. I fumble around for the key in the ignition. I almost cry with relief when I find it. Pocketing the key and closing the camper, remembering where it is so we can come back to it.

I book it back, swerving in and out of hiding spaces. Until I got to the storm grate. Looking inside the hole I see no one. I panic a little and whisper loudly
" Joseph, Junior, Ruth are you there?"

I hear some scuffling and see Joseph looking up in the dim light, he smiles at me and starts signing something quickly with his hands, finishing by waving Junior and Ruth over. I quickly help the kids up and out of the storm drain when they were all huddled together.

"Why didn't you come right away when I called you?" Whispering with annoyance. Ruth shrugged
" I didn't hear you but joseph did, he told us he thought he heard you so he came to investigate."

" lets go, I found something" we work our way to the run down shopping center. It was a little bit slower and more dangerous with all of us together.

Joseph kept plugging his ears, so sometimes he would not notice us moving on. So I ended up carrying him the rest of the way.

The parking lot was just as desolate as I had left it. I open the camper and shove the kids in the back. The vehicle sputtering  to life as I prepare to drive away from this fresh hell.

The interior light flashes before strengthening revealing the truth about what had happened to the previous occupants.

" Sit down and hold on!" I weave in and out the burning remains of traffic on the highway.

Choosing a long lone road going on for miles with no light in sight.