Kiaya looked back toward the closed gas station. “In there, probably.”
I frowned. “Too bad it’s closed.”
“Does it matter?”
My gaze snapped to her. “What do you mean?”
“Look, we’re facing a pretty dire situation if we don’t decide to take some risks and bend some rules. What did that doctor tell you? Eighty-five percent of the population is going to die, right?”
“Yeah,” I said, knowing what she was getting at but letting her go on.
“So, basically, everything is going to be closed from here on out. I mean, who’s going to bother opening the local grocery store when everyone they know and love is gone? Nobody. So, the way I see it, this is all fair game now.”
She had a point, but being the consummate rule-follower I was, I had a hard time swallowing the reality of it all.
“So, you think we should break in?” I asked just to clarify.
“I think we’d be stupid not to,” Kiaya said.
She was right again. Damn, this was going to be a tough world to get used to. Even tougher than I’d originally thought.
“Okay,” I said despite my uneasy insides.
Kiaya gave me a smile that said she knew I was having a difficult time with it but was grateful I was willing to step out of my comfort zone. Yet another thing that wasn’t easy for me. I was used to being comfortable, used to things being simple. Hardships were new to me, but I had a feeling I was going to have to get used to them. Thankfully, Kiaya seemed well-versed in the world of hardships.
“Let’s do this,” she said, sounding more chipper than I felt.
We headed for the building, Kiaya in the lead and me only a couple steps behind. She was eyeing the area as she went, and I knew she was looking for something to break the window with. The idea of smashing the glass and having it rain down on the ground, of someone hearing us and coming to see what we were doing, made the tension in me double. But it wasn’t just the thought of doing something that would have been considered vandalism only a few days ago. It was the warning Angus James has given me. I didn’t want to draw attention our way if we could avoid it. We weren’t prepared to defend ourselves, and while most of the people in this town were dead at this point, there were bound to be a few still around. If we could avoid them, it would be better.
Kiaya was still looking around when I headed for the door. It was a long shot, but before we did something that might get us in a situation we couldn’t control, we needed to explore every available option. Including checking to see if the front door was unlocked.
I didn’t expect anything to happen when I pulled on the handle, so when the door opened easily I nearly let out a shout of joy. Still holding onto it, I looked back at Kiaya, grinning from ear to ear.
“Holy shit,” she said. “I never in a million years would have expected the door to be unlocked.”
“I didn’t either, not really, but I figured it was worth a shot.”
“Wow,” was all she said as she headed my way.
The smell hit me before I’d taken a step inside. I coughed, turning my head as my stomach rolled. It was the stink of rot, of death and decay, and it was strong enough to make my eyes water.
“Oh, my God,” Kiaya said, pausing at my side.
She covered her nose but looked a hell of a lot more in control of her body than I was. My stomach was convulsing, my mouth had filled with saliva, and I could feel my throat beginning to spasm. I was dangerously close to puking, but since it wouldn’t do a damn thing to improve the smell in the building, I did my best to swallow it down.
“You okay?” Kiaya asked.
I nodded, three quick bobs of my head that only made the nausea intensify.
“Take a moment,” she said. “If you can’t do it, you can wait outside while I look around.”
“Okay,” I managed to get out but didn’t attempt another word.
Kiaya kept her hand over her nose as she headed inside, her gaze moving around as she went, while I stayed at the door, trying to get my stomach to obey me and hold on to its contents. I watched her progress from my position as the nausea slowly eased. She headed first to the back before moving up a nearby aisle, stopping in the middle to look at something on the shelves. By then I was more in control of myself and a hell of a lot more certain that I wasn’t going to barf all over the place. Turning my head away from the store, I sucked in a couple deep breaths of clean air before biting the bullet and heading inside after Kiaya.
Hearing my footsteps, she looked my way. “You okay?”
“Just okay,” I said, careful not to breathe through my nose. Not that it helped that much. I could practically taste the rot.
Kiaya nodded to the refrigerators at the back of the store. “They’re still cold. We must have been right, and the power just went out.”
Which meant we were definitely going to get back to the motel to find it without electricity. Damn.
“At least we can have cold drinks for a little longer,” I said, trying to grab on to the positive despite how bleak everything looked.
“Yeah,” she muttered as she turned back to focus on what she was doing.
There were two five-gallon gas cans at her feet, and she had a reusable bag slung over her shoulder. Already it was bulging with items she’d tossed inside. I followed her example and grabbed a couple bags off a nearby display, then started moving up and down the aisles so I could fill them. Each item I dropped into the bags made us a little more prepared for the future, but that didn’t mean knowing I was going to walk out of here without paying didn’t bother me. I’d never shoplifted a thing in my life. I’d had friends who’d gone through phases, and I supposed a lot of other kids did as well, but not me. I’d been too afraid I’d get caught, too scared to disappoint my parents to risk it. This wasn’t even close to the same thing, but I still found myself looking over my shoulder as if expecting the store’s employees or even the cops to swoop in and stop me.
No one did, of course, and I went about my task uninterrupted. The place was stocked with pretty much any junk food you could want, but I stuck mostly to the things that had more substance. Nuts, beef jerky, protein bars, and even peanut butter crackers. After filling one entire bag with food, I set it by the front door and went to the back with another one, this time grabbing bottled water and Gatorade. I paused after filling the bag and grabbed a huge bottle of SmartWater off the shelf, untwisting the cap and gulping it down. Just like Kiaya had said, it was still cold and incredibly refreshing after being out in the hot sun for hours, and I was half tempted to pour it over my head. Since I didn’t want to waste it, I resisted the urge.
I was still drinking when my gaze landed on a pair of feet. They were just visible behind the counter, and from their position, it was obvious the owner was on the ground, lying on his or her back. The knowledge that this was the source of the smell had my stomach convulsing all over again, and I had to turn away.
Kiaya saw me. “What is it?”
“Behind the counter,” I said, nodding in that direction. “A body.”
She sighed, but it wasn’t irritation. More like resignation. “We’re going to have to get used to seeing them, I think.”
“I know,” I said, wanting to defend my weak stomach and squeamishness. “But it’s going to take some time.”
“I know,” she repeated.
Knowing the body was there gave me a renewed sense of purpose, so I carried the now full bag to the door and set it next to the other one before grabbing a third. This one I filled with all the first aid items the store had, which wasn’t much, but more than we’d had before. Then I grabbed some medicine, mainly pain relievers like Tylenol, some sunblock—just in case I found myself in this position again—and finally some hygiene products. My gaze landed on a package of baby wipes, and with a sigh, I tossed them in. No electricity eventually meant no water, which would result in no showers. Like it or not, we were going to have to find other ways to stay clean.
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With the third bag full, I turned to Kiaya. “You good?”
“Yeah.” She had two full bags slung over her shoulders and a gas can in each hand when she headed my way. The sight of all the supplies made some of my unease melt away. We’d managed to get a few things, at least. That was something.
I’d just stopped in front of my own bags and was getting ready to scoop them up when something scraped against the floor in the back of the store. Frowning, I looked around but didn’t see anything.
Kiaya stopped next to me. “What’s wrong?”
“I thought I heard something,” I said.
She followed my gaze, but when nothing moved, shook her head. “There’s nothing here that can move but us.”
“Yeah,” I said, but the hair on the back of my neck stood up, and for a reason I couldn’t explain, that horror movie feeling returned.
Wanting to get the hell out of there, I scooped up my bags and headed for the door.
The second I set foot outside, I sucked in a deep breath, filling my lungs until I thought they would burst before letting it out. Behind me, Kiaya did the same, although less dramatically than I had, and I turned to face her. Our eyes met, and for a reason I couldn’t comprehend, we both burst out laughing.
“That was the grossest thing ever,” I said through uncontrollable giggles.
Her smile widened. “I can’t disagree. Hopefully, it’s a while before we come face to face with another dead body.”
“Seriously,” I muttered.
I looked down the street, already calculating how long it was going to take to get back to the motel. Just thinking about the walk made my body hurt. The sun was getting low in the sky, but I was guessing we had a good hour and a half of daylight left. Enough to get us back, but literally just enough. It would be dark soon after.
“We should get going,” I said. “It’s getting late, and I want to be back before the sun sets.”
“Yeah,” Kiaya replied, sighing like she was dreading the walk as much as I was. After we’d started walking, she said, “I can’t wait to take a shower.”
I snorted. “Forget taking a shower. I’m just going to strip down and jump in the pool.”
A swimsuit hadn’t been one of the many things I’d packed before leaving campus, but with as deserted as the world now felt and as hot as I was, I didn’t give a shit if I had to jump in naked. I needed a good swim.
“You can’t be serious,” she said with a laugh.
“It’s not like anyone is around to see me.”
“True,” she said, and looked away as she shook her head. “I think I’ll stick to the shower.”
“Suit yourself,” I replied with an unconcerned shrug.
8
By the time the motel came into view, my calves were aching, and I’d been transformed into a giant ball of sweat. Even worse was the way the straps dug into my shoulders. The bag with the bottled water and Gatorade felt like it contained a boulder. We would need it, but I was seriously regretting getting so much.
The shimmering water of the pool came into view, and I wanted to take off running, but instead I headed toward the room with Kiaya. She had to set a gas can down to get the door unlocked, but once she had, I practically threw my bags into the room.
“You’re serious about the pool?” she asked, lifting an eyebrow.
“Dead serious,” I said then cringed when I thought about the bodies currently surrounding me.
Kiaya stepped into the dark room, pulling out her phone and hitting the button to turn the flashlight on. “Well, enjoy yourself. I’m going to rinse off in an actual shower.”
I only waved over my shoulder before heading off.
Every inch of my exposed skin was tender from hours in the sun, and my clothes were clinging to my body. In the distance, the horizon was pink. The air would soon cool off, but at the moment, the heat of the day was hanging on, and all I could think about was diving into the pool.
I pushed the gate open, and it clanged through the silence when it slammed shut behind me. My gaze was focused on the water, registering nothing else as I stopped beside the pool. I only thought about it for a second before kicking my shoes off. My shorts were next. They dropped to the ground, and I kicked them aside as I peeled my tank top off and dropped it as well. Standing in nothing but my bra and underwear, I let out a deep sigh. Already, I was cooler, but I’d feel even better when I jumped in.
I was just about to take the plunge when a male voice said, “I’m guessing you came up empty-handed.”
Yelping, I threw myself into the pool.
The cool water that engulfed me was more refreshing than I could have imagined, and I pulled myself deeper, wanting to avoid resurfacing. I knew who I’d find sitting there once I did, and while I didn’t care that I’d stripped down in front of him—my underwear wasn’t much different from my swimsuit—I wasn’t looking forward to seeing that a smug I-told-you-so expression on his face.
I stayed under until my lungs burned then kicked my legs, resurfacing with a gasp.
“I thought I was going to have to dive in and save you.” He stood at the side of the pool now, watching me with a slightly amused expression on his face.
“Believe me, there will never be a time when I need your help,” I snapped.
What was it with muscle-bound men that made them think all women were damsels in distress who needed saving?
“You never know what’s going to happen,” he said, lowering himself to the side of the pool so his bare feet were hanging in the water. “You could find yourself in need of a big, strong man yet.”
Ugh.
“I know exactly what’s going to happen,” I said, treading water as I glared up at him. “I’m going to find a way to get out of here, and then I’ll never see you again.”
He grinned, which lit up his blue eyes and deepened the dimple in his right cheek. “An optimist. I like it.”
“A realist,” I snapped. “And the reality of the situation is that I have to get home, so I’m going to do whatever it takes to make that happen.”
His smile faded, and genuine sympathy flashed in his eyes. “I’m sorry you’re stuck.”
“I’m not the only one,” I muttered, unwilling to accept his apology.
“True.” He blew out a long breath, his focus moving from me to the distant horizon, darker now than it had been just a few minutes ago when I’d dragged myself to the pool.
He still wasn’t looking at me when he said, “Where’s home for you?”
“Ohio,” I said with a sigh. “Dayton area.”
“Really?” His gaze snapped back to me, and he shook his head. “Small world.”
“Why?” I kicked my legs harder, working to keep my head above water. “Where are you from?”
“West Chester.”
It wasn’t far from me, an hour south on Interstate 75. That was all.
“It is a small world,” I agreed.
The guy watched me as I treaded water, his expression slightly amused but curious as well. There was something about him that bugged me, although I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, and the look he was giving me had the hair on my scalp prickling.
Wanting to focus on anything but him, I leaned back, allowing my body to float on the surface of the pool with my arms out at my sides so I could stare up. The horizon may have still had some light, but the sky above me was black and the stars had begun to appear, twinkling down as if winking at me.
“What’s your name?” he asked as I floated.
“Rowan,” I said, for some reason not even hesitating.
“I’m Devon,” he replied, and I glanced his way to find his eyes still on me. “What has you stuck so far from home during the apocalypse?”
The word apocalypse slammed into me, almost like a punch, and I flailed from the shock of it. I hadn’t thought about it in those terms before, but he was right. This was the apocalypse, wasn’t it? A virus sweeping the country and killing most of the population was
the very definition of apocalyptic.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, the small smile that had been on his lips disappearing completely.
I righted myself, once again treading water, and swallowed. “I hadn’t thought about it that way until now. About this being the apocalypse, I mean. I guess I was still too focused on getting home to look at the big picture.”
“Sorry,” Devon said, and he sounded sincere.
“Forget it.” I shook my head, more to shake the tears and desperation away than anything else. “To answer your question, I was away at college. The University of Phoenix.”
“And you got stuck,” he said.
“And I got stuck,” I repeated. “My parents wanted me to stay where I was because they thought it was safer. I listened to them, like I always do, but only at first. Eventually, I decided I had to make my own decision, so I got a physical and the papers I needed, then found people to travel with. Which was how I ended up here.”
“Let me guess,” Devon said, “you were on the road and someone got sick, so you had to stop.”
“How’d you know?” I asked even though I’d already guessed.
I’d seen the ambulance removing the bodies. Had seen Devon sitting outside the room with an expression of devastation on his face.
“The same thing happened to me,” he said. “Hell, the same thing probably happened to everyone who stopped here.”
“True,” I whispered.
He let out a deep breath, and it sounded like he was trying to keep himself calm. Silence followed, and I wasn’t sure if he was going to say anything else. I didn’t have anything else to say. It wasn’t like I was going to share any personal details—or at least any more than I already had—with this stranger.
Then, out of nowhere, Devon started talking.
“I was on a trip with some buddies from high school. A bachelor party getaway.” He shook his head like he couldn’t believe it was all gone. “A group of us went rock climbing and camping in New Mexico, the Sandia Mountains. We were there when this thing started and travel got cut off. A few of the guys got permission to travel and left right away. They had families to get back to, but the rest of us weren’t really worried about it. We figured getting stuck on vacation was just good luck. So we camped, we climbed, did some white water rafting. We waited for it to blow over.”
Far Series (Book 1): Far From Home Page 10