Apocalypse: Journey to Nevada (Part 4)
14:45"So, this... Felicia chick, do you know where she is?" asked a curious Sean, who was seated in the backseat of the casual looking Hummer which belonged to Seth. Seth, who was behind the wheels, had gotten somewhat distracted by Sean's question, realizing that he too, was curious about the actual identity of the brilliant Doctor Felicia. "Her whereabouts?" responded the young reporter in his strange dialect, arching an eyebrow at his companion's words, "Well, specifically, no. But I was acknowledged that she's currently working on a new antidote in one of her laboratories which is located in... Nevada, if I'm not mistaken. Yeah, Nevada." And the entire time Alexei was talking, Hailey kept swooning over him, completely mesmerized by his unusual accent. When snapped out of trance by her older twin, Hailey scowled, claiming that it wasn't everyday she would be able to listen to a good looking Russian youth talking fluently in English, yet slipping bits of his native tongue into his words. Anyway, Sean leaned back against the leather seat, tapping a flat button on his iPod to play his favorite song by his favorite band (Panic! At The Disco), 'Build God, Then We'll Talk.'
Francis, on the other hand, was shuddering at the sight of death which had taken over the landscape outside. The fifteen-year-old aftermath had been nothing but a living Hell to him; to them; to the entire world. He was hoping that by finding the one responsible for this mess, they would be able to restore civilization and restart their lives. He tapped Sean by his shoulder, alerting his younger cousin, who was engrossed by the song. Pulling his earphones out, Sean looked at his relative from over his shoulder, still trying to figure out why he would sit in the trunk and not in the backseat like everyone else. "What is it, dude?" asked youth in casualty, revealing a bit of his lack of seriousness. Speaking of which, his immaturity was the main reason as to why he had gotten kicked out from five different high schools and college. He would stay up until 5 a.m. just to beat a game he had started playing, whilst leaving homeworks, schoolworks and assignments incomplete. And this was also one of the reasons regarding Francis's nags. He was just too damn childish.
"Do you reckon that this Felicia lady is the cause of the whole plague thing? I mean, that's what Alexei said, right?" suggested the English-born college student, who had taken up Law as his core subject in college. He was getting to the best part of that subject too, but was unfortunately forced to stop, thanks to the sudden spread of the Mors virus. "Well, he didn't exactly say that. I mean, yeah, I do think she's the cause of this epidemic and all. But I don't know... we can be considered making false-accusations right now, which is strictly against my policy," replied his cousin with a shrug, shortly before he resumed to listening to music. Francis looked at the couple who was sitting across the wide space at the back of the Humvee, humming to himself. They eyed him back too, in return, while holding hands. "What?" murmured the slightly agitated Sheryl. "Nothing."
-x-
Eight hours had passed, and they've traveled as far as Wyoming from Minnesota. An exhausted Miles was behind the wheels, pumping the last few drops of petrol left in the worn out Hummer. Not long after, they reached a small, secluded town formerly known as Alpine, which used to hold a population as small as 197 heads. There, Miles stamped on the brake pedal, putting the vehicle and his legs to rest. "Alright guys, we're crashing in this place for tonight. It looks... empty, so it should be safe." Since they were all too tired to doubt, question and argue, they were all in favor of spending the rest of the night in Alpine. They didn't even bother leaving the Humvee; everyone fell asleep in their respective seats, restless.
An hour after everyone was unconscious, Shane, who found it difficult to force himself into slumber, exited the vehicle, alerting his fiancée. He sat on a pile of damp timber which laid by the Hummer, heaving a deep, depressing sigh. Just as he was about to depart from his current spot, a faint cracking noise made him jump, forcing him to freeze in place. He wanted to believe that it was nothing that could harm him, but his heart was pumping fear throughout his entire body. He knew that whatever it was that he was going to face, he couldn't afford to let his guard down. And as he told himself mutely of this, he thought of his beloved fiancée, Sheryl. After gathering as much courage as he could, he spun around, instantaneously scrambling onto his feet like a professional tango dancer.
Relief took over once he saw the face of his precious Sheryl, who stood before him in a defensive way, wearing a frightened expression on her face. Honestly, she thought he was going to lunge at her, killing her without second thoughts. Both youths heaved sighs of relief, glad to find out about each other. Shane even let out a light chuckle to lighten up the atmosphere, which drove the fear out of Sheryl's emerald eyes. He extended his arms in a way that he was welcoming her, and she obediently made her way over, like a beautiful snake being allured by an enchanting snake-charmer from the Middle East. As she rested herself on his lap, he trapped her in a loving embrace, locking their position in an instant. They gazed into each others' eyes for quite a long period of time, cherishing the moment for they might not be able to live it up in the near future. It didn't take long before Shane brought their lips together, engaging the both of them in a passionate kiss under the bright, starry night sky.
It was a shame that that moment had to end, though. Yes, it ended as soon as Sheryl's ears perked up, possibly at the sound of something which had driven suspicion into her mind. She pulled back from the kiss and the embrace, feeling her heart thumping at maximum speed. Someone, or something, was around and whatever it was, it didn't sound or seem too pleased.
-x-
"Sheryl, Shane! Get in here, quick! I heard something!" hissed a panicking Kamilia, who had her head poked out of the rolled-down windshield. Hearing a familiar voice coming from behind her, Sheryl settled down and looked at the exchange student from over her shoulder, cursing out loud out of relief, "God, you scared me!" With a word of apology, Kamilia beckoned the both of them, urging them to enter the Hummer as fast as they could. Shane, who was pulling his coat off, nodded in agreement and got off the logged wood. "Come on, let's go," he said calmly, draping his overcoat over his fiancée's shoulders. She pulled it across her chest, warming herself up for her gown was sleeveless. After the couple had taken about seven steps forward, something clasped Shane by his shoulder, jerking him back and away from Sheryl's side. "Wh-!?"
When Sheryl turned around to help him out, she was thrown aback to find out that the town's residents had gathered before them - or rather, around them - and were armed with sharp garden tools, classical shotguns and whatnot. Apparently, the small town of Alpine was one of the places which didn't get infected, but that didn't make the young people feel any better. In fact, it raised the level of fear which was building up from within each of them. The sudden stillness woke the others, who found it difficult to sleep in total silence. Looking through the other windshields, the other six Rogues and the junior reporter began to whisper among themselves, realizing that the situation they were caught in was beginning to feel somewhat... life-threatening.
"Intruders!" cried the one who was holding Shane by his shoulder, burying his claw-like fingers into the poor youth's shoulder, who winced in pain. "Capture these people - and then throw them into 'The Pit'!" he cried out again, ordering the other residents who began to inch closer to the small group of young adults. Sean, who was extremely close to wetting his pants, held Alexei's arm, in hopes of shielding himself from danger (which was obviously NOT working.) "The.. The 'Pit'? What are you guys... Wha-... What are you people talking about..?!" stammered Seth (he had exited the car prior to the unexpected occurrence of them being trapped) who seemed as if he was about to have a nervous breakdown. "The Pit, foolish city kid, is the ultimate punishment for intruders like you," replied an elderly woman who wore a sinister smirk on her dirtied face. "Let's not ask questions now, shall we? It would be more fun if you kids could see it with your own eyes," continued the woman, who broke into a fit of laughter, thus revealing her blackened teeth.
Sheryl turned away in disgust, tightening her grip on her fiancé's hand. Feeling his hand being squeezed like that, Shane felt the need to unleash the beast from within himself. Thinking that he had nothing to lose, he spun around in a flash, backhanding the old man right in the face. The change of expressions that was occurring in the old man's face made him even more nervous; he wasn't dealing with an armed old man anymore. He was dealing with an armed, pissed off old man.
They were all in deep shit.