I woke with a jolt. My eyes swivel around as I get a grip on my vision. The sky is still dark but the sun is right behind the horizon. Mom sits right beside me in the drivers seat. She has one hand on the wheel and one on a can of coffee. Her face seems to have fallen over night out if exhaustion and deep purple bags cling to the skin under her eyes.
She looks at me and smiles.
"Mom do you need a break?" I ask gently.
"No honey. I'm fine." And with that we stopped talking. We passed forests of dense withered trees. You could see where the bombs hit. Huge craters laid every twenty feet or so. I know I wasn't alive for it but I can still play out every detail in my head. We passed the dead forest and down the rode there was an outline of a town in front o the rising sun. My head swung forward violently as the car quickly stopped. Mom turned to me.
" Honey. We have to walk from here." I nodded and instead she pulled the car into a ditch where a small cave hid. She pulled the car into the cave and got out. I pushed open my door and breathed in the smell of mold, chemicals, and sewage. Mom pops the trunk and pulls out two loaded pistols and hands them to me.
"Put them in your bag now." She ushered. I took the and hid them under my underwear. She then pulled out a pistol for herself and jammed it into her Jean waistband. She also grabbed a big set of throwing knifes. I caught a glance of the trunk before she could close it. All I saw was an organized weapons holders and a few large guns. Why would she have these?
She waved me over and pointed to the town. We made our way through the short prickly grass to the entrance. Mom pulled me behind her. A man stood there with a gray suit and a earpiece. He looked straight ahead of him and didn't move.
"State your business." He commanded.
" We are here to see Alga." Mom responded strongly.
"Ah. Susan. I has been a while yes? Oh. and that must be the mystical Kourtney." He directed his mischievous gaze towards me. He was a tall man with sharp features and large arms. My mom pushy me behind her and growls at the man.
" Don't talk to her. Vincent." She hissed. I wonder what he did. Vincent just chuckles and let's us by. We walk by and he smirks at my mom. What a creep. I feel the warmth of my moms hand in mine. I turn my head trying to take it all in. There are huge tents filling the town. They all consist of different colors, shapes, and sizes. Instead of walking into a tent my mom stops in front of a large silver dome. I run into my mom and my free hand collides with her back. A red curtain door separates us from what lies inside. Silently we enter, pushing the red curtain aside. Inside is a normal home. There is a small kitchen with a stove, fridge, and sink. The the left is a lonely door that probably lead to the bathroom. There was a loft above us and a living room ahead of us. In the corner sat a wrinkly man smoking a cigar with his eyes closed. Mom knocks on the wood.
"Alga we're here."
He slowly opens his eyes revealing bright white orbs. I suck in a small breath and urge myself to keep eye contact.