Memories
I sifted through a box that looked like it had once been filled with clothes, I figured if I could move the things on top I might be able to find some that weren't ruined. A week ago I was driving my little Toyota Camry around town and now I'm not even sure where in town I am. Pushing soot onto the ground and realizing that the further down I went the warmer it got I gave up knowing the bottom was more than likely on fire. I hadn't seen anyone for days, to be honest I wasn't sure how long it had been because the soot falling from the sky had blocked out any light for a while. I had hidden myself in a small building and wished I had just stayed home but someone had to be looking for me, right? I wasn't the only one still alive.... the street seemed like it was lit on fire and I thought I knew where I was from the bridge ahead. I had been heading to pick my daughter up from the mall but didn't quite get there before the ground started to shake and vehicles started falling through the ground. I got out and ran but was I going the right direction?
I think that's my car... "It's still here!! ohhh thank God!!"
"Mom!?" my daughter got out of the car and ran to me. "I didn't know what else to do other than wait here after I found the car but not you." she squeezed me tight in her arms, tears falling onto my shoulder.
We got in the car and got caught up on where each other had been for a moment, she explained that there were still a bunch of people in the mall and told me how scared they all were. She was pretty sure it had been 3 days since everything started when she left to find me but she wasn't sure how long it had taken to get here or how long she had been at my car waiting.
We decided to take turns getting some sleep and I talked her into taking her rest first since I wasn't sure how long I was passed out in the building I had been in. I was pretty sure I had hit my head or something and I didn't want to get any sleep just yet. I sat there for a long time watching our surroundings and right before I almost dozed off with her....
I thought I had heard something and started to look around. The ash wasn't falling from the sky as heavy as it had been so I could see a bit further than when we had found each other. There were other vehicles abandoned on the other side of the large canyon in front of my car, I started to think maybe I should move away from the edge a bit and then right before I started the car a truck pulled up next to a vehicle that looked to have movement in it.
"Sammy...." I poked her arm, "look...." I was pointing across the canyon but soon would regret waking her up and telling her to watch with me.
Two figures got out of the truck with long dark cloaks on and gas masks over their faces, they knocked on the other vehicles window and then stepped back a little. Nothing happened for a moment, everything was extremely still...... and then one of the cloaked figures took out a long baton type thing and smashed the window! Next thing we knew the doors to the vehicle were opened and the figures were dragging three females towards the truck. I could hear them all yelling and screaming but couldn't quite tell what they were saying. We watched in horror knowing there was nothing we could do but watch and hope they would be alright, there was no way across the canyon from what we could see.
We both breathed in a breath and held it as if we would be caught also if we moved. We both knew there was no way deep down but the fear of the moment struck that no one could be reached to help us at the moment, I smacked the dash.... "I should have drove my truck! I'd have my cb and I could figure out what's going on. We could help them."
Then, one of the girls elbowed her capture in the gut, stomped on his foot and bit his hand all at once before running as fast as her feet could carry her. They hurried the other two into the truck and sped off to find her.
We decided to do the same by following the c***k through town and when we finally found a spot that wasn't separating us from where we wanted to go we also found a very scared and frantic young lady.
When she saw our vehicles she seemed like she was going to run at first but I flashed my lights and she came over to investigate. The moment she realized the vehicles had two females in it she got right in and asked us not to stop until we reached our destination.
I had decided that the best bridge to use to get home would have to be i80 to 280 since the highway bridge was always getting up keep done to it. I took my time which I wasn't use to but I didn't want to drive into a hole or another vehicle out of nowhere and visibility was maybe 100 feet which arrived fast when driving. Getting over the bridge didn't seem to be a problem but I was really confused about the exits being blocked off. I decided to go up the on ramp since the off ramp was blocked, I wasn't going to get out and move things after we just watched our guests friends get taken so easily. I was relieved that so far there wasn't anything in our way and I decided to take some back roads and check for damage.
"Mom? I think someone's behind us... Do you see it? they have their lights off..."
"Put your seat belts on lady's! I'm about to loose these tag alongs!!"
I told you I wasn't use to going slow well I wasn't joking and we were close enough to home that my husband was sure to hear me as I slapped that baby into 4th gear, then 5th and then slid it into the garage door that was waiting open for me. As I turned the car off the doors and gates were already being closed and there was no evidence of where we had disappeared to in sight for our new friends captureres to follow us.
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