The trees were a dark, moist green. The ground a beautiful chocolate brown and the clear blue sky, which peaked through the leaves overhead, made the scene even more perfect. Small pebbles hid beneath the ground, but a few peered through the sand. You could hear the soft crunch as you stepped on them. They made the ground seem wobbly, especially with the root of the trees appearing above ground, making the terrain difficult to walk on.
Carl contemplated his surroundings as they walked back to the bus. Colourful birds sang beautiful melodies with small pale, grey birds who chirped between songs. If the world wasn’t about to end, the moment would be serene.
Twigs snapped and leaves rustled and at every sound, Adam would swing around and survey their surroundings, just to be safe.
Carl, being oblivious to the danger, asked, “Hey, Charles what did you mean about Penny’s being in magazines?”
Charles huffed, which caused him to accidentally trip over a rock.
Carl suppressed his laughter.
“She used to show up at parties with celebrities and tycoons.At some point, she was all over the news because her dad had discovered oil on their land. After that, he made good investments which made them even richer.Her dad’s a billionaire. She’s been arrested a few times for drinking and driving, but daddy makes sure it’s all swept under the rug.”
“Wow.”
“She’s not all that you know. She’s a spoiled rich brat.”
“I wonder why she was on the bus.”
“Who the hell cares?” Charles was still mad about Penny punching him.
Adam ignored Carl and Charles and remained vigilant. After another hour of walking, they finally reached the bus. The bag was luckily still there, but the driver was gone; somehow he had escaped from his seatbelt.
Charles shuddered at the thought.
“Even though she may be spoiled, she’s hot.” Carl gave a sheepish grin, but Charles just glared.
“Looks aren’t everything.”
“That’s not what I said. I just said that she’s…”
Adam finally had had enough, “Shut up! We don’t want to be heard by those things, especially if the driver is around here. Now come on.We should stop by the gas station and get food.”
Long after it was dark, the trio arrived back at the cabin. Tim, being the goofball he was, ran out and jumped into Carl’s arms screeching, “My love, you’re back.”
Adam gave a snort of derision, but the rest of the group laughed; even Willow cracked a smile.
Adam dumped the bag full of food on the cabin floor and the rest quickly dived in.
“So what now?” Penny munched on a bag of chips and shouldered through the others to get some juice as well.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I want to go home. I want to see if my family is okay.” Tim shrugged and kept eating.
“Me too,” Penny murmured.
“So would I,” whispered Willow.
Carl, Charles and Adam exchanged looks. They didn’t know what to say or even how to phrase it…
Adam took a deep breath, “The TV at the gas station showed that a lot of towns and cities have fallen. There’s nothing left. Most of the people are dead.”
“What are you saying?” Penny’s voice quivered.
“I’m saying that the likelihood of your families surviving is non-existent.”
Tim threw his bag of chips to the side and screamed, “Like hell it is! You don’t know that! You don’t know our families! You don’t even know me!”
Adam stood and took a few tentative steps towards Tim, “Listen, Tim. Yesterday there were refugee camps all over the country. Today, they are all gone. There is no one left to save us.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because there was a radio in the shop and people were broadcasting it.”
“But if there are people, there might still be camps.”
“Those people who broadcastwere among the few survivors from the refugee camps.”
“It’s true, Tim.We were there when it was broadcast.” Carl came and stood next to Adam. They looked like a united front.
Tim’s shoulders slumped. His eyes drooped and a few tears leaked from the corner of his eye. “I can’t give up hope.”
Carl enveloped Tim in a hug, holding him tight. “We’re not asking you to, we’re just stating the reality. But we survived, so there is a chance your Mom survived too.
“Maybe we could go to the city and look around?”
Adam shook his head vigorously, “No way.” He couldn’t risk the lives of the group. They were probably the last of the human race.
Willow finally stood up and spoke her mind, “That’s not fair, Adam. They just want to know if their families are alive. Maybe we could talk about this?”
Adam gave her a sceptical look. Willow rolled her eyes, “Just think about it, before you make a decision.”
Willow’s voice sounded like a soft whisper in the wind. Her voice was barely heard, but her words made everyone listen.
Adam listened to reason and murmured, “Fine,” while also giving a small nod.
The group gave an audible sigh.
“Thank you.”
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