Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

Gone

--

Day One:

Haylie laid down on the cold, lifeless floor, nothing to do. 'One hour,' her parents said. It wasn't that she was mad at them, it was just so boring. Her father promised to let her work with the car when he got back, so she's been anticipating their arrival. Were they doing this on purpose? Well, whatever the reason, 3 and a half hours was a bit much.
She sat up, looking through the edge of their dusty glass window. If they had lived somewhere in the city, the store would be right around the corner. But nooooooo, they had to live where the store was miles away. She really didn't understand why her parents saw in this house. It was always cold, the floors creaked, and it didn't seem very appealing. Once she was old enough though, the big lights and city life would be her destination. She would get a good auto-tech degree, work in a repair shop, and open up her own business. Yeah, right. What a dream land she lived in...
She heard a strange noise off in the distance, her father's car engine? It sounded like it, but another screeching noise overpowered it. She stood up and glanced out of the window, seeing her father's car swerving back and forth crazily. What was wrong? Were Mom and Pop arguing? She continued watching, slowly inching for the door, in case something was really wrong. Well, more than it seems now. The car practically slammed into the garage, and Mom and Pop ran to the door, frantically trying to find their key, before I open the door calmly.
"Dad, what's go-" I tried to say
"Nothing! Shush girl, and get your stuff ready. We're leaving soon." he said breathlessly.
If I had heard this a couple of days ago, it would be my dream come true! But it was just the tone of his voice...
I looked at Mom. She hadn't spoke, or even looked at me. Her cheeks were red and stained with tears. And, blood on her shirt! What was going on?!
"Mom! What's with that blood on your shirt? What happened in town?" I yelled.
Pop tried to look at me seriously, but the frightened look in his eyes toned down that part of his character.
"I... I'm not sure honey. Something.. terrible. The people there, they, they tried to attack your mother. I got 'em with my Swiss knife. But others... they were being... eaten..." he trailed off, obviously trying not to recall what he just saw.
Haylie stood there, trying to absorb all she heard. This was a.. a joke, right? No, he parents wouldn't go this far. They would be laughing now. But maybe, that was pomegranate juice on her Mom's blouse. And they made up this whole story...
Her mind finally accepted it.
Well, sort of.
Zombies?
No way.
Not even in Hell.
"HAYLIE!" her father yelled, "Get your stuff NOW. We're leaving." Her father ran upstairs with her mother, they wanted to get some stuff too.
"Alright.. I'll use my intelligence here... what should I bring.." she said out loud, so that the insanity that was growing in her brain wouldn't convulse.
She ran up to her room, and grabbed her biggest backpack.
"Well, it looks like I'll be moving sooner than I thought...." she said.
She packed away a few useful items, her pocket knife, a wrench, a lighter, a few photographs. Her mind needed packing too. She stood at the edge of her doorway, looking deep into her room. No matter how many times she said she wanted to leave, she realized it was harder than it seemed. All the memories her big, fragile house held, was what held her together in this empty forest. Unbelievably, tears fell down her cheeks. She rubbed them away hastily, there would be no way she would miss this house.
Or, that's what she wanted herself to think.
Haylie shut the door behind her, leaving a note on the floor that said, "Good bye, I love you." Simple enough, right?
She ran downstairs to the kitchen, filling her over sized bag with food that would last a long time. It's not like we're going grocery shopping anytime soon... she thought.
She ran upstairs to find her parents, sitting on their old, ratty bed, sobbing at pictures and drawing and such from their and her childhood. Haylie held back her tears, because they all had to get out of there, according to her Pop.
"They won't... fit with our...stuff" her Mom sniffled.
"Mom, put it in my bag. It'll fit. Get more food and tools." she calmly said.
They all stood up, running around and gathering positions.
Within that minute, they were all out of the door, shutting the door behind them for the very last time. She hadn't seen her mother cry so much till today.
The car started up fast, but the steering wheel locked for a second and her Dad panicked.
"Pop, calm down. Let go of the wheel and take your stick out of Park." she explained.
Her father still remained silent, but began driving fast down the road in the opposite direction from the town.
She knew it wasn't the right time to ask this, but she needed some answers,
"Dad? Why did we leave? Couldn't we have stayed there? We live pretty far from town..." she said.
"No... they.. would come for us.. .we wouldn't.. be.. safe." her Dad said in between his breaths.
Haylie looked out of the window, watching the trees fly faster than usual.
Where would they go?

~~~

Haylie stood up fast. What happened? Did I fall asleep? She asked herself, while her vision was coming back.
She looked around. All she could see was a blurry fire and smoke everywhere.
"Mom!? Dad?!" were the only things she could think to say, her brain was scrambling.
Her head felt light, but there was still pain that seemed burrowed inside of it. She lightly felt her head, and looked at her fingertips. The light from the fire provide a cascade of light bright enough to see almost everything within 10 feet. She could see blood on her hand. Lots of blood. Her back pack was still attached to her arm, so she reached around and opened up the part that had medical supplies in it. Luckily, her brain could still remember some things.
She patched up her head, and packed the stuff away.
She manage to make herself stand up, and a piece of scrap metal on the ground helped too. From what she saw, something had happened in the car, really bad. And it had knocked her out, so that's why she didn't wake up.
She walked about twenty feet, before her legs gave out. It wasn't because of she was tired, or hurt, it was what she saw.
He Dad was lying on his back on the ground, his leg contoured in an odd shape, but a smile on his face.
Her Mom, was laying down on her father's chest, holding both of his hands in a death grip. Tears started streaming down her face, she couldn't believe this. Almost a second ago, they were almost calmly driving down the road, and now...
She turned around, and picked up their back pack.
"Go... good bye... Mom.. Pop." she managed to choke out.
She headed the same way the car was headed before, she knew these woods well enough to know where she was going.
But really, she really didn't know where she was going....

TO BE CONTINUED.