Brink of Death
Chapter 5
A month has passed since we've taken shelter in the bunker. If the grid went down, we wouldn't know because the steel walls prevent the EMP. I'm not sure where all the wires and everything for the TV are, but I'm sure my dad has that all situated. We really only use it for Netflix, it's the only thing on that has like everything.
Since we got here, 13 people have arrived. For 30 year olds, my parents sure do maintain friends easily, unlike me. There's 2 little girls about Emily's age, one's 3 and the other is 4. I'm glad they're here, safe, and so Emily has someone to play with. 10 of us sleep in one room, and the other 11 sleep in the other, and we still have empty beds in case we decide to let anybody in.
My mom called me to the kitchen this morning after I woke up. We'd have lost all track of time, if it wasn't for being able to charge our phones. They didn't even have a purpose, besides if we wanted to watch old YouTube videos or look at old pictures.
"Your dad has planned a scavenge trip," Mom said when I opened the doors to the kitchen and sat on a stool. She was heating up noodles on the stove, and her friend Marcy was juicing apples at the table.
"What for?" I asked. I wouldn't admit that I was pretty terrified of leaving the bunker. Marcy grinned where she was sitting. I remembered her from a while back. She had magnificent, long, brown hair, but she cut it to her shoulders because she was afraid of walkers catching it.
"We're running out of food," Mom sighed. "Apparently we had 3 years worth for 4 people. But now we have 21 people and our stocks are short."
"Why do I have to go?" I argued. "Dad has plenty of his friends here, why don't they all go?"
"You're very fast, you'd be useful for a supply run." Mom took the pan off the stove, and grabbed a few plates. She scooped up the Asian noodles and served them. "They'll cover you. Go talk to him about it. And while you're out there, take these to Jake and Anthony." She scooted the plate of noodles to me.
Anthony was the son of one of Mom's friends. We hung out a few times, but not much. We went to a shooting range together and he was great at it. He had a mohawk, and even though it was short it was still badass.
Anthony and Jake checking the ammo supply, seeing how much there was.
"Here's your food," I said, entering the supply room.
"Thanks." Jake took his plate with a half-smile. He sat down on the wood floor and began eating. Anthony accepted his food and leaned against the wall to eat. Feeling awkward, I left without another word.
I walked into the bedroom, where Emily was trying to tell Dad all about her little barbie dolls and their lives. "So the supply run?" I muttered.
Dad stood up, telling Emily to go find Hannah and Violet. "We'll leave here soon, once the others wake up. David, Josh, Alice and Lauren are coming with us."
I knew that I couldn't get out of this, so I just nodded my acknowledgement and left to go watch Netflix.
~~~~
An hour later, the others were awake. I felt nauseated from anxiety and grabbed the ARX-160 that Dad handed me. I was a sniper type of person, but I've been taught how to handle all types of weapons.
Once everyone was set and ready to go, we said our goodbyes and left the bunker.
It'd been a month since I'd seen real sunlight, and I was blinded by it. There was no sound of cars on the highway. Just nature. A dog barked in the distance, and I wondered if Boss could hear it from down under.
"If we come across anything bad, we'll split into 4 people and surround whatever it is. Or run, whatever is necessary," Dad announced. He was wearing a Led Zeppelin shirt, the one that he said gave him good luck. We'd need it.
We piled David's truck. 4 were inside, and 4 in the back, including me.
"I heard you're good with snipers," Alice said. She'd pulled all of her black hair into a bun, so nothing would be caught in it. Her icy blue eyes reflected the sun like shining metal, and it intimidated me so I didn't want to speak. But I did.
"Yeah, the first gun I was taught to shoot," I responded.
She slung a .50 cal Barrett off her shoulder and gave it to me. "If anything gets close, shoot it."
I grinned happily. We drove through a mile of nothing but dirt and grass before we reached the highway, and it took 40 minutes to get to town. I had to hold back tears when we got to Weatherford. A month in the apocalypse had really taken a toll on my hometown. There was dead walker bodies laying in the streets and sidewalks. Groups of people marked their territory with spray paint.
"I hope all the stores aren't looted," Anthony said to himself.
"There's got to be something," Alice promised. "I'm not leaving with nothing."
"I'm not either," I said quietly, aiming down the sights of the sniper. I was angry, but I didn't know what for. A group of 3 walkers were following our truck, which we had to drive slow so the engine didn't rev loudly.
Just one shot to the head.
Since we got here, 13 people have arrived. For 30 year olds, my parents sure do maintain friends easily, unlike me. There's 2 little girls about Emily's age, one's 3 and the other is 4. I'm glad they're here, safe, and so Emily has someone to play with. 10 of us sleep in one room, and the other 11 sleep in the other, and we still have empty beds in case we decide to let anybody in.
My mom called me to the kitchen this morning after I woke up. We'd have lost all track of time, if it wasn't for being able to charge our phones. They didn't even have a purpose, besides if we wanted to watch old YouTube videos or look at old pictures.
"Your dad has planned a scavenge trip," Mom said when I opened the doors to the kitchen and sat on a stool. She was heating up noodles on the stove, and her friend Marcy was juicing apples at the table.
"What for?" I asked. I wouldn't admit that I was pretty terrified of leaving the bunker. Marcy grinned where she was sitting. I remembered her from a while back. She had magnificent, long, brown hair, but she cut it to her shoulders because she was afraid of walkers catching it.
"We're running out of food," Mom sighed. "Apparently we had 3 years worth for 4 people. But now we have 21 people and our stocks are short."
"Why do I have to go?" I argued. "Dad has plenty of his friends here, why don't they all go?"
"You're very fast, you'd be useful for a supply run." Mom took the pan off the stove, and grabbed a few plates. She scooped up the Asian noodles and served them. "They'll cover you. Go talk to him about it. And while you're out there, take these to Jake and Anthony." She scooted the plate of noodles to me.
Anthony was the son of one of Mom's friends. We hung out a few times, but not much. We went to a shooting range together and he was great at it. He had a mohawk, and even though it was short it was still badass.
Anthony and Jake checking the ammo supply, seeing how much there was.
"Here's your food," I said, entering the supply room.
"Thanks." Jake took his plate with a half-smile. He sat down on the wood floor and began eating. Anthony accepted his food and leaned against the wall to eat. Feeling awkward, I left without another word.
I walked into the bedroom, where Emily was trying to tell Dad all about her little barbie dolls and their lives. "So the supply run?" I muttered.
Dad stood up, telling Emily to go find Hannah and Violet. "We'll leave here soon, once the others wake up. David, Josh, Alice and Lauren are coming with us."
I knew that I couldn't get out of this, so I just nodded my acknowledgement and left to go watch Netflix.
~~~~
An hour later, the others were awake. I felt nauseated from anxiety and grabbed the ARX-160 that Dad handed me. I was a sniper type of person, but I've been taught how to handle all types of weapons.
Once everyone was set and ready to go, we said our goodbyes and left the bunker.
It'd been a month since I'd seen real sunlight, and I was blinded by it. There was no sound of cars on the highway. Just nature. A dog barked in the distance, and I wondered if Boss could hear it from down under.
"If we come across anything bad, we'll split into 4 people and surround whatever it is. Or run, whatever is necessary," Dad announced. He was wearing a Led Zeppelin shirt, the one that he said gave him good luck. We'd need it.
We piled David's truck. 4 were inside, and 4 in the back, including me.
"I heard you're good with snipers," Alice said. She'd pulled all of her black hair into a bun, so nothing would be caught in it. Her icy blue eyes reflected the sun like shining metal, and it intimidated me so I didn't want to speak. But I did.
"Yeah, the first gun I was taught to shoot," I responded.
She slung a .50 cal Barrett off her shoulder and gave it to me. "If anything gets close, shoot it."
I grinned happily. We drove through a mile of nothing but dirt and grass before we reached the highway, and it took 40 minutes to get to town. I had to hold back tears when we got to Weatherford. A month in the apocalypse had really taken a toll on my hometown. There was dead walker bodies laying in the streets and sidewalks. Groups of people marked their territory with spray paint.
"I hope all the stores aren't looted," Anthony said to himself.
"There's got to be something," Alice promised. "I'm not leaving with nothing."
"I'm not either," I said quietly, aiming down the sights of the sniper. I was angry, but I didn't know what for. A group of 3 walkers were following our truck, which we had to drive slow so the engine didn't rev loudly.
Just one shot to the head.