Judgment Day: Part 20

Very short entry today — what should have been included in Part 19.  There’s a section break after this so, in the interest of what little flow there is, I’ll keep the natural break and start the new chapter next week.

Plus, this is a break for you all, who have been reading 1500-2000 words a pop.

Also, I’m lazy.

——

He pulled the van onto the road, turned around and left his house and the naked body of the neighbor’s daughter to the rain, the weather, the grey day.  He picked his way back out to the main road and, from there, in whatever lanes were free of rush hour traffic, he headed north.  After some time, he reached the Interstate’s on ramp and paused, the wipers and the lights a strange sort of life to the dead rush hour, the lines of cars sitting lonely and the wide highway branching away, laden with traffic.  He looked at the highway as a dreamer, a traveler.  Enough was enough, just get out of the way of whatever was going on here.  Go climb under a rock.

Molly sat silently, watching him.  “How far is Sugarloaf, again?” She asked after a minute or so.

“About an hour.  Longer, with the rain and traffic.”  They would have to work their way up along the shoulder of the Interstate, or find a back route.  It could be a hard trip.

“It’s not going to be far enough, is it?”

He looked sideways at her, “I’m willing to bet nowhere will be far enough.  Shall we go?”

“And if your friends are…?”

He shrugged, “We’re batting a thousand when it comes to surviving the creatures.  Hopefully we’ll be able to spot trouble if it comes.  If things look sour, we’ll continue north and west, up to I-70, further still.  Find an old house somewhere.  Western Maryland can hide us.  The mountains can hide us.  I’m sure of that.”  He had traveled the old two lane roads that I-70 had replaced.  The Interstate ran parallel to the old Route 40, which was one of America’s first cross country highways, twisting through the mountains and forests.  There were countless places to hide along that road.  Enough to give him a glimmer of hope.  There was a whole world out there and enough shelter to hide two people forever.  Going to Sugarloaf Mountain was feeling more and more like a mistake, but he felt obligated to check it out.

He looked down at the road, took a breath, then inched the van down the ramp and into the main artery.