"Chessie?" I say half asleep.
"Hmm?"
"What song was playing on your phone when I walked back into our hotel room?"
"The Ice Is Getting Thinner."
"Can we listen to it?"
"Sure." I get up to see Chessie going through her bag, and everyone else is up and helping organize the meshbags. She grabs her phone. "Then do you wanna call our home and whatever?" I nod. I'm a light sleeper so I'm surprised I didn't wake up when they did. I hear some moans outside the door and shiver. Chessie puts on the song. Can't say I don't like it. But it sounds sad. It fits that drawing perfectly. The song quickly ends and we all do our respective phone calls. I call my mom. She doesn't answer. Then I call my dad. He doesn't answer. Tears start slipping down my face. I don't have anyone else. I place my phone in my bag and listen in on Chessie's yelling. "You mean I have to find a way to drive there? Really? You know how bad I am with directions. It doesn't matter if I can fight if my group never has! I'm a horrible teacher. I don't care that I taught him! Fine! I hope you will feel guilty when I'm dead!" Chessie angrily shoves her phone back in the backpack. Jesse only has Percie left and vis-versa. Austin had his brother and no one else will answer him. I don't think anyone has tried to contact friends. It's also kind of weird how no one has called us, we have had to call them. But in my mind that means one of a couple things. They must be in danger if they can't even use their phone. Or they are... Dead. This doesn't feel real. Or I just want it to not be real. "So how does everyone feel about taking a road trip?" Chessie breaks the silence. She continues speaking. "I'm heading to a place called Hannible, it's maybe a little more than a half an hour away from where we are?" Right now we are currently in the outskirts of Syracuse, New York. I don't respond.
"It depends? How many of us will there be? We can't bring any more people than are in this room unless they have their own vehicle. Not everyone would fit in my cab. Chessie sighs.
"No one else than the the people in this room." Percie nods. He shares a look with Jesse, who also nods.
"We are in."
"Okay we have me, Percie, Jesse, and Mae. How about you Austin?" I'm a little shocked that I'm not even asked. I let it go.
"Umm I guess I'm in. No where else to go." All of us look away uncomfortably. Chessie seems unfazed.
"We can pretty much leave whenever. Mae and I am packed." I don't even bother to nod in confirmation.
"I think we should leave in about an hour." Percie says. Chessie nods. Everyone starts getting ready. Chessie and I put our gear on.
"Where's your spunk kid?" Chessie whispers.
"Hmm?"
"That fight you had at the hotel? It's gone now. You are being so passive. You aren't proving my first impression of you wrong." With that Chessie walks over to Austin and I hear her checking in with him. I think about what Chessie said. She's kinda right. I sigh and shrug my backpack on, making sure my weapons are easy to grab. I don't bother covering my waist belt with a long shirt, and either does Chessie. "Everyone ready?" Chessie asks. Everyone confirms as we quickly escape the building, no one sparing us a glance. Which surprises me.
"Why isn't anyone saying anything to us? Or giving us weird looks?" Jesse gives me a look that says 'she speaks' all over it.
"Cause desperate times require desperate measures." Austin replies quietly. I digest his critic words. Austin seems only like a shell of something that must was. I guess having a family member die does that to you. I stop thinking about that as we climb into the taxi without incident. Jesse is in the front seat with his dad. I'm stuck in the middle this time. I notice Chessie staring out of the window with a stern expression. Austin is staring out the window with a distant expression. My hands itch to draw. I suddenly remember that I packed my notebook and some other supply's. I almost happily grab my back pack and find them. I start drawing, becoming instantly content. Then I hear a scream. My eyes snap open just in time to see a lady being bit by a corpse. The corpse naws on her arm as she continues screaming. I cover my ears and curl up. The car swerves away, leaving the horrid sight behind us. Chessie's expression has turned blank. Austin looks haunted. I don't feel like drawing anymore. I remember the zombie I saw with Chessie. I wonder what happened with it. I repress the urge to shudder as I put my drawing supplies back into my bag. I wrap my arms around myself and stare straight ahead. Thankfully, there's still signal and everything (Chessie couldn't have made a phone call with out it) so the GPS is still working. Jesse plugs in the address Chessie tells him. I find it odd that no one questions where we are going. For all we know, Chessie could be leading us to a zombie cult that wants to sacrifice us to the undead. I laugh. Jesse looks at me like I'm crazy. I have a feeling I'm going to continue receiving odd looks from him. I sigh. I stare straight ahead again. Austin looks really sad and distant. I grab his hand and squeeze. He looks surprised but gives me a hesitant smile. I give him a shy smile of my own. I grab Chessie's hand who looks even more surprised than Austin. She tilts her head to the side, contemplating something. Then she gives me a big toothy smile and squeezes my hand back. I smile, not as big as Chessie but a smile all the same. We all return to our stares. When I look back, Austin still has a ghost of a smile, and Chessie looks like she's thinking about something. To be honest I don't know what my expression looks like. I just feel a little numb.