Before the Storm

I had finally gotten to the SUV and ripped the back door open, tossing the gas canisters into the back seat. I looked back once more and saw that Zack had actually thrown Madisen over his shoulder and was running with her like that to the car. I had begun hopping up and down slightly, anxiously ushering them to hurry up so that we could get in and leave.

I hurried over to the driver's side door and hopped into the seat right as Zack and Madisen arrived, clamoring into the backseat and slamming the door behind them right as the walkers threw themselves against the car, biting and clawing at the windows to try and get to us.

Zack threw me the car keys from his jeans pocket and I shoved them into the ignition, bringing the engine to a roar. The walkers were completely surrounding the SUV, their hands smacking against the hood and windshield. Their roaring and snarling was so loud that I could hear it clearly through the closed windows. I winced, wanting to cover my ears and drown out the bone chilling sound.

I put the car into drive and slammed my foot down onto the gas pedal, causing the rear tires to squeal loudly before we took off like a rocket down the straight away street. I was still breathing fast and I had a slight layer of sweat along my hair line, my tangled hair was plastered against my forehead and the sides of my face.

I looked up into the rear view mirror and saw Zack hugging Madisen close to him, breath heavy and his cheek rested up against the side of her head. Her face looked like she was in a lot of pain from her ankle.

"Are ya okay?" I asked, glancing back down to the road to make sure I was staying on the road.
"Oh yeah," She winced. "I've never been better."

"Do we have anything to wrap her ankle with?" Zack asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, there should be an ace bandage in the first aid kit." I responded.

The sky above was beginning to darken with thick clouds, and I knew that within the next hour or so it was going to start raining. I suppose it was a good thing that that didn't decide to happen while we were trying to get gas. That could have made everything that much more difficult, and one of us might have actually gotten killed.

Zack crawled his way over the back seat and towards the back of the SUV to grab the first aid kit out of one of our bags of supplies. He grabbed the ace bandage and slid back up towards Madisen. As I kept driving to who knows where, Zack worked on wrapping her ankle up.

"Do we have any pain meds in that kit?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Already grabbed some for ya." Zack quirked, shooting her a smile.

I found myself grinning at how cute they were together, and I was genuinely happy that they were together. I don't personally think that I would have been able to do that - Being in a relationship at all. Especially now, in this new world. It was hard enough getting myself in and out of situations without dying, but having to worry about someone else too? I'd rather pass. Plus, I can't help but feel like they'd be a distraction.

"We need to find somewhere else to stay." I mumbled to either one of them, whichever one decided to listen to me.

I heard Zack sigh from behind me and agree. I looked into the rear view mirror again and saw him run his fingers through his messy, dark brown hair in thought. After a few minutes of silence, he shrugged his shoulders and spoke up.

"We might just have to stay in the car tonight."

I pursed my lips together in a hard line and sighed as well. As much as I didn't want to, it was probably the better option. It would be better than trying to find a secure place, clearing it from any walkers and then hoping that it lasted us until the morning. At least with sleeping in the car we had an easier chance of getting out of a bind.

Rain drops began to fall one by one onto the windshield, pelting away as I drove down the now wet and slippery road. I glanced around at the front of the car and my eyes landed on the radio dial. I blinked a couple of times and reached out to push the radio on, even though I knew it was highly unlikely that I would hear anything, considering mostly all the radio stations had gone out weeks ago.

Sure enough, the first thing that sounded through the speakers was nothing but static. I turned the tuning dial back and forth, hoping with all my might that I would come across something. Anything.

"I don't know why you're botherin'." Madisen chimed.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know why, either. Just figured, it woudn't hurt."

I turned the dial to the left and was about to just turn it back off because the static was beginning to be too much for my ears to handle. Right as I took my hand off the dial, I heard a distorted and barely recognizable male voice.

My ears perked up and my eyes widened, as I'm sure Zack and Madisen's did as well. I heard Zack shift in the seat behind me and the next thing I knew, his face was right up close next to mine, staring intently at the radio. I turned the volume up in hopes of hearing the voice a little bit better in between the large bursts of static.

"... The C.D.C ... No cure ... Everyone will parish ... No hope ..."

My heart was thudding on the inside of my chest so hard that I could hear it up into my ears. I finally released a breath that I didn't even know I had been holding and looked over at Zack.

"How far away do you think this signal is comin' from?" I asked urgently, as if he would have the exact answer I was looking for.

"Anywhere within a twenty mile radius, I'd guess." He said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"He said somethin' about the C.D.C," Madisen began. "Do you think we should go there?"

"That would mean going back into the city." Zack said, stating the obvious.

"There might be people there. People who could help her." I said, referring to Madisen and her hurt ankle.

"It's not like it's broken," He said, looking back at her and looking down towards her ankle, which was now puffy and swollen. "All we need to do is keep her weight off it and keep it elevated."

I slowed down slightly and turned in my seat to look back at Madisen, wondering what her whole take on this was. She looked up at me with her big blue eyes and licked at her lips. "We don't have to go. It was just a thought."

"Are you sure?" I asked. In all honesty, I didn't really want to go to the C.D.C either. Going there would mean, just like Zack said, going back through Atlanta. If it were up to me, I'd never set a single toe back into that city. Even if things did get back to normal. If they got back to normal.

"Yeah, it's fine." She insisted.

I nodded my head, deciding that I probably shouldn't press the subject anymore than I already had. The rain was pouring down heavily now, creating thick sheets of water that ran down the windows of the SUV. It was getting pretty dark now, and we all just decided that it would probably be in our best interest if we pulled over on the side of the road to get some sleep. Today had been a busy day, after all.

I found a good spot that was slightly tucked away into the tree line and pulled over, bringing the car to a halt. With the engine quiet, there was nothing else to listen to aside from the rain hitting the roof of the car. The sound soothed me, and it was probably one of the few times I had had recently that allowed me to just sit back and relax. It wasn't the sound of teeth chomping towards me or angry snarles. It was peaceful, and I was going to enjoy it.

I leaned the driver's seat back a ways so that I was laying down and put my hands behind my head. The trees around us would hopefully give us enough cover from anybody passing by, and as long as we stayed quiet and kept inside the vehicle, we shouldn't attract any walkers, either.

Zack and Madisen were getting themselves situated in the back seats, and I just allowed my heavy eye lids to close, and let the sound of the falling rain lull me to an almost peaceful slumber.