It’s less than three weeks until PODs releases and I thought it was time for another teaser…
We packed up what was salvageable in the camp. The tents were ripped and unusable and most of the water was gone, running like mini-rivers across the ground.
“What now?”
“We walk to the next town and see if there’s a Wal-Mart or sporting goods store that hasn’t been looted so we can get some supplies,” David said.
I stood in the small clearing and looked around. Everyone was packing up their supplies in hiker backpacks. Tin pots and cups clanged as people tied them to their packs. Fabric rustled as it slid into the canvas bags.
“Why do we walk?” I asked no one in particular.
“Huh?” A small girl shrugged on a pack twice the size she was. It was weird being around people so much younger than me–most people in the compound had been around my age, with the exception of some of the military and medical people.
“Why are we walking to the next town?”
She looked at me like I’d lost my mind, and then rolled her eyes. “Because we can’t fly.”
“I meant, why don’t you use cars? There must be plenty around.”
“No gas,” Devlin answered. “The pumps need electricity to work. When we find a car, we use it until the gas runs out. Then we ditch it.” He grinned. “That’s when the walking comes in.”
“Funny.”
“We’ll be able to pick up a car when we get to town,” David said.
“And then someone hotwires it. Who’s that mastermind?” David and Devlin both grinned. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”
When the camp was packed up, we began the long, arduous trek to the next town. Many members of the camp sumbled and tripped on the broken asphalt, their heavy packs making them unstable.
I shielded my eyes from the grit and grime our feet kicked up. As the hours passed, everyone’s faces became streaked with dirt. Our hair filled with dust and pieces of leaves.
The evening sun was starting to dim when we saw buildings in the distance. Everyone let out a sigh of relief. We found a small motel and settled into the rooms, excited at the possibility of warm beds–a huge step up, even without working electricity or heat, from our makeshift tents.
Happy Reading!
I'm an award-winning YA and NA author... but, really? I'm the wife of an amazing man, mom of four awesome kids, a reader of words, and writer of stories. I love candles and books, think garden gnomes are creepy and M&Ms are the perfect food (especially peanut butter). I live and write in Texas, but was raised in Flint, Michigan and will always think of the Great Lakes state as home.
Latest posts by Michelle (see all)
Sharing is caring...
Leave a Reply