Radioactive Chapter Three
Jessica fought off tears as she sat in the back of a church van on a packed Atlanta highway. Beside her was Nikki the only other person in her group who was left alive. Her mother,Penny, and Joe were all gone and she and Nikki wore their blood on them.
"Jessie?" Nikki asked as she looked at the blonde beside her. Jessica had been silent since they got in the van and she was afraid the girl had went into shock, though she wouldn't blame her if she had gone into shock. Nikki was sure if she had to kill her own niece she too would have went into shock.
Turning her head to look at Nikki, Jessica raised an eyebrow but remained silent. She was too afraid to talk right now. She was afraid if she opened her mouth that nothing would come out or what did come out wouldn't be illegible to be heard.
When Jessica looked at her, Nikki forced a smile, "Are you okay?" she asked knowing her question was stupid but she just wanted to make sure the girl was okay. If not then she'd try to be there for her as much as she could even if she was now worrying for the safety of both of her sons and her husband as well as the family she had in Florida.
"Am I supposed to be okay?" Jessica asked finally finding the courage and strength to talk. "My mom niece, and boyfriend are dead. They are dead and they are never coming back," Jessica frowned feeling the tears she had been fighting come down her cheek, her mind wandering to the events of the last few hours. The events that had lead to her sitting in the back of a church van with her sister-in-law.
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"Aunt Jessie," Penny spoke from the backseat where she was firmly in the middle between her grandma and aunt Nikki. "I have to use the bathroom," she piped up frowning. She had been told to use the bathroom before leaving but she hadn't done that. Something like that would normally get her in trouble with her parents.
Jessica made a face as she heard Penny. They had only been on the road for a few minutes and from what she had seen from those few minutes she could tell the streets were a mess. She had dodged two wrecks and almost came close to hitting some of those things. She wasn't sure if it was safe for Penny to use the bathroom right now.
"Can you hold it?" she asked as she looked into the rear-view mirror catching Penny's eye. "I am sure once we get on the Interstate things won't be so bad," she said though she knew that was a lie. If simple streets were this bad then she'd hate to see how the actual Interstate was.
Penny shook her head at her aunt's question. "I have to go now," she frowned more knowing if she didn't get to the bathroom that she'd have an accident.
Looking at her mom in the rear-view mirror Jessica hoped that she'd back her up. Make Penny see that they couldn't stop right now.
"Jessie baby maybe you should stop for her okay," Diana spoke as she locked eyes with her oldest daughter in the mirror. "I'll take her in and you guys can wait in the car. We won't be long I swear," she smiled trying to ease her daughters worries.
Jessica sighed when her mother tried to pressure her into stopping. "Fine," she relented as she nodded her head and put her eyes back on the road. "But if dad bitches at me when we all do meet up again I am going to lay the blame on you," she smiled knowing her mom knew she was just teasing her.
Going silent after speaking to her mother Jessica concentrated on finding a gas station or somewhere with a bathroom for her niece to use. Eventually she pulled into a station that looked to be relatively empty and she parked the car in one of the spaces near the door.
Getting out once the car was parked Diana took Penny's hand in her own once her granddaughter had gotten out as well. "We will be back as soon as possible," she told Jessica before shutting the door.
Jessica nodded her head watching as her mom and niece disappeared inside the store. While this place seemed empty she didn't want to waste too much time there in case those things showed up or in case people looking to loot the place showed up. It was in times like these Jessica reckoned people did dumb stuff like that. It wouldn't be until this was all under control that they maybe would get in trouble anyway.
After what seemed like forever Jessica chewed on her lip moving around impatiently, "I think I am going to inside and check on them," she said as she unbuckled before getting out of the car. "You two stay in the car," she said as she eyed both Nikki and Joe.
"We will stay safe babe," Joe grinned as he looked at Jessica. "You stay safe too."
"I will," Jessica smiled back at Joe before shutting the door and heading inside the gas station. She hated how eerily silent it was. "Mom?" she questioned as she began to walk towards where she saw a sign for the bathroom. "Mom it's me," she said again as she made it a bit closer to the bathroom her head looking down as she saw a pool of blood not far from the bathroom door which made her heartbeat get faster.
"Mom..." Jessica started but stopped as she reached the bathroom door. There in front of the floor was her mother laying dead. One of those dead things crouched over her. It had from the looks of things been there for awhile because the only thing she could make out of her mom was the clothes.
Shaking her head she felt tears come to her eyes as she reached for the gun in her pocket. Raising it she aimed it for the monster's head and pulled the trigger watching as it fell over on top of her mom. Once it had she went over and pushed it off bending down as she lifted what remained of her mom into her lap. This wasn't supposed to happen. Her mom wasn't supposed to die. No one in her family was supposed to die.
"A..aunt Jessie," Penny spoke her voice quivering as she did so. "G..grandma saved me," she said as she crawled out from where she was hiding behind a shelf not far from where her grandma layed. "That thing bit my arm," she frowned holding her arm out to her aunt. "I was leaving the bathroom and it came out of nowhere biting my arm but Grandma pushed me out of the way."
Jumping when she heard her niece speak up Jessica turned feeling sick at Penny's words. Jessica knew being bit wasn't a good thing. She had seen what happened to the man in the lobby who had been bit. "Of course grandma saved you," Jessica smiled as she reached out pulling her niece to her. "Grandma loves you that much," she smiled as she felt tears going down her cheeks now. She couldn't kill Penny in cold blood. She couldn't just kill someone who was still living.
"I didn't want her to get hurt," Penny sighed into her aunts neck as she closed her eyes.
"I know," Jessica told her nodding. "I know baby," she said as she held Penny even closer to her. It was only when she heard footsteps that she pulled away from Penny. Turning her head she saw Nikki coming down the aisle her white shirt had a bit of blood on it and that image made her feel worse than what she already did.
Nikki who was about to say something to Jessica came to a stop when she saw Jessica on the floor holding Penny to her. Beside Penny was a body. A body who from the clothing she knew was Diana's. Closing her eyes she shook her head knowing what she was going to tell Jessica would just make things worse.
"Some of those things came into the parking lot," Nikki began as she opened her eyes. "Joe and I had to get out of the car," she frowned knowing that they had too otherwise the dead would have swarmed and trapped them in. "We decided to use my shoes as weapons" she spoke still holding the high heeled shoe in her hand. "There was too many and Joe..he didn't make it."
Jessica who had let Nikki talk just closed her own eyes as the reality of her situation finally hit her. Her mother and her boyfriend were dead. Her niece was probably going to die as well. She had no reason other than making sure Nikki got to safety to be here anymore. The people she loved the most where slowly disappearing before her and now she was scared for the others who she had split up from. She was scared and she knew the realities of ever seeing them again where slim to none.
Frowning when she saw Jessica close her eyes Nikki walked closer bending down beside the blonde. It was when she did that she saw the bite on Penny's arm and swallowed hard.
Nothing more though was said between her and Jessica. They both just sat there in the floor with Penny. That sat there with her as she began to complain about not feeling well and they sat with her until she gave her final breath. It was then that Nikki stood up knowing what was coming next.
Turning her back to the scene she walked down the aisle jumping some as she heard the gun go off. Jessica had just put her niece down before she could become one of those things.
After shooting Penny, Jessica laid her beside her mom and then she stood up, walking to where she saw Nikki standing in the middle of the aisle. "We need to leave," she spoke her voice void of any emotions at the moment. She was just numb to the world.
Nodding Nikki followed Jessica outside trying to ignore the fact that she was now barefoot. When they walked past the rental car Nikki raised an eyebrow but she didn't question Jessica. She didn't say a word until they had reached a church where they had seen their first living human since the gas station. It was then that she grabbed out for Jessica's arm and pulled her to a stop as the man hollered out to them.
"You girls need a lift?" T-Dog asked as he opened the driver's side door of his church van. "I just got done running a few older people to refugee centers and well I can give you guys a lift if you need one?" he asked taking in their appearance. They both had blood on them but they didn't appear to be bit or showing symptoms of being bit.
"A lift would be nice," Nikki smiled nodding her head. "We had a car but well it's gone," she said knowing it was a lie but she wasn't sure how to tell him that Jessica had just left it or even explain why Jessica had left it because she wasn't sure of the why.
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Coming out of her thoughts Jessica looked away from Nikki her eyes landing on the man who had saved them. She had stayed silent during the ride but she had heard him talking to Nikki. She knew his name was Theodore but according to what he had told Nikki he preferred to be called T-Dog and beside T-Dog was a man who he had saved not long after picking her and Nikki up. A man who was named Glenn.
"I am going to check and see how far up this line goes," T-Dog spoke breaking the silence that had entered the van. "Maybe find out if there is any new information on this disease that is spreadin," he said before opening his door and slipping out of the van.
Watching him leave Jessica sighed. She knew she should be thankful that he had offered her and Nikki a ride and that she should be thankful that Nikki had accepted but she wasn't.
"You should have left me when I walked away from you," Jessica said as she looked at Nikki again. "You should have left me and found your own way to safety and out of this mess. If you had left me then I could be dead now and back with Joe."
Jessica fought off tears as she sat in the back of a church van on a packed Atlanta highway. Beside her was Nikki the only other person in her group who was left alive. Her mother,Penny, and Joe were all gone and she and Nikki wore their blood on them.
"Jessie?" Nikki asked as she looked at the blonde beside her. Jessica had been silent since they got in the van and she was afraid the girl had went into shock, though she wouldn't blame her if she had gone into shock. Nikki was sure if she had to kill her own niece she too would have went into shock.
Turning her head to look at Nikki, Jessica raised an eyebrow but remained silent. She was too afraid to talk right now. She was afraid if she opened her mouth that nothing would come out or what did come out wouldn't be illegible to be heard.
When Jessica looked at her, Nikki forced a smile, "Are you okay?" she asked knowing her question was stupid but she just wanted to make sure the girl was okay. If not then she'd try to be there for her as much as she could even if she was now worrying for the safety of both of her sons and her husband as well as the family she had in Florida.
"Am I supposed to be okay?" Jessica asked finally finding the courage and strength to talk. "My mom niece, and boyfriend are dead. They are dead and they are never coming back," Jessica frowned feeling the tears she had been fighting come down her cheek, her mind wandering to the events of the last few hours. The events that had lead to her sitting in the back of a church van with her sister-in-law.
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"Aunt Jessie," Penny spoke from the backseat where she was firmly in the middle between her grandma and aunt Nikki. "I have to use the bathroom," she piped up frowning. She had been told to use the bathroom before leaving but she hadn't done that. Something like that would normally get her in trouble with her parents.
Jessica made a face as she heard Penny. They had only been on the road for a few minutes and from what she had seen from those few minutes she could tell the streets were a mess. She had dodged two wrecks and almost came close to hitting some of those things. She wasn't sure if it was safe for Penny to use the bathroom right now.
"Can you hold it?" she asked as she looked into the rear-view mirror catching Penny's eye. "I am sure once we get on the Interstate things won't be so bad," she said though she knew that was a lie. If simple streets were this bad then she'd hate to see how the actual Interstate was.
Penny shook her head at her aunt's question. "I have to go now," she frowned more knowing if she didn't get to the bathroom that she'd have an accident.
Looking at her mom in the rear-view mirror Jessica hoped that she'd back her up. Make Penny see that they couldn't stop right now.
"Jessie baby maybe you should stop for her okay," Diana spoke as she locked eyes with her oldest daughter in the mirror. "I'll take her in and you guys can wait in the car. We won't be long I swear," she smiled trying to ease her daughters worries.
Jessica sighed when her mother tried to pressure her into stopping. "Fine," she relented as she nodded her head and put her eyes back on the road. "But if dad bitches at me when we all do meet up again I am going to lay the blame on you," she smiled knowing her mom knew she was just teasing her.
Going silent after speaking to her mother Jessica concentrated on finding a gas station or somewhere with a bathroom for her niece to use. Eventually she pulled into a station that looked to be relatively empty and she parked the car in one of the spaces near the door.
Getting out once the car was parked Diana took Penny's hand in her own once her granddaughter had gotten out as well. "We will be back as soon as possible," she told Jessica before shutting the door.
Jessica nodded her head watching as her mom and niece disappeared inside the store. While this place seemed empty she didn't want to waste too much time there in case those things showed up or in case people looking to loot the place showed up. It was in times like these Jessica reckoned people did dumb stuff like that. It wouldn't be until this was all under control that they maybe would get in trouble anyway.
After what seemed like forever Jessica chewed on her lip moving around impatiently, "I think I am going to inside and check on them," she said as she unbuckled before getting out of the car. "You two stay in the car," she said as she eyed both Nikki and Joe.
"We will stay safe babe," Joe grinned as he looked at Jessica. "You stay safe too."
"I will," Jessica smiled back at Joe before shutting the door and heading inside the gas station. She hated how eerily silent it was. "Mom?" she questioned as she began to walk towards where she saw a sign for the bathroom. "Mom it's me," she said again as she made it a bit closer to the bathroom her head looking down as she saw a pool of blood not far from the bathroom door which made her heartbeat get faster.
"Mom..." Jessica started but stopped as she reached the bathroom door. There in front of the floor was her mother laying dead. One of those dead things crouched over her. It had from the looks of things been there for awhile because the only thing she could make out of her mom was the clothes.
Shaking her head she felt tears come to her eyes as she reached for the gun in her pocket. Raising it she aimed it for the monster's head and pulled the trigger watching as it fell over on top of her mom. Once it had she went over and pushed it off bending down as she lifted what remained of her mom into her lap. This wasn't supposed to happen. Her mom wasn't supposed to die. No one in her family was supposed to die.
"A..aunt Jessie," Penny spoke her voice quivering as she did so. "G..grandma saved me," she said as she crawled out from where she was hiding behind a shelf not far from where her grandma layed. "That thing bit my arm," she frowned holding her arm out to her aunt. "I was leaving the bathroom and it came out of nowhere biting my arm but Grandma pushed me out of the way."
Jumping when she heard her niece speak up Jessica turned feeling sick at Penny's words. Jessica knew being bit wasn't a good thing. She had seen what happened to the man in the lobby who had been bit. "Of course grandma saved you," Jessica smiled as she reached out pulling her niece to her. "Grandma loves you that much," she smiled as she felt tears going down her cheeks now. She couldn't kill Penny in cold blood. She couldn't just kill someone who was still living.
"I didn't want her to get hurt," Penny sighed into her aunts neck as she closed her eyes.
"I know," Jessica told her nodding. "I know baby," she said as she held Penny even closer to her. It was only when she heard footsteps that she pulled away from Penny. Turning her head she saw Nikki coming down the aisle her white shirt had a bit of blood on it and that image made her feel worse than what she already did.
Nikki who was about to say something to Jessica came to a stop when she saw Jessica on the floor holding Penny to her. Beside Penny was a body. A body who from the clothing she knew was Diana's. Closing her eyes she shook her head knowing what she was going to tell Jessica would just make things worse.
"Some of those things came into the parking lot," Nikki began as she opened her eyes. "Joe and I had to get out of the car," she frowned knowing that they had too otherwise the dead would have swarmed and trapped them in. "We decided to use my shoes as weapons" she spoke still holding the high heeled shoe in her hand. "There was too many and Joe..he didn't make it."
Jessica who had let Nikki talk just closed her own eyes as the reality of her situation finally hit her. Her mother and her boyfriend were dead. Her niece was probably going to die as well. She had no reason other than making sure Nikki got to safety to be here anymore. The people she loved the most where slowly disappearing before her and now she was scared for the others who she had split up from. She was scared and she knew the realities of ever seeing them again where slim to none.
Frowning when she saw Jessica close her eyes Nikki walked closer bending down beside the blonde. It was when she did that she saw the bite on Penny's arm and swallowed hard.
Nothing more though was said between her and Jessica. They both just sat there in the floor with Penny. That sat there with her as she began to complain about not feeling well and they sat with her until she gave her final breath. It was then that Nikki stood up knowing what was coming next.
Turning her back to the scene she walked down the aisle jumping some as she heard the gun go off. Jessica had just put her niece down before she could become one of those things.
After shooting Penny, Jessica laid her beside her mom and then she stood up, walking to where she saw Nikki standing in the middle of the aisle. "We need to leave," she spoke her voice void of any emotions at the moment. She was just numb to the world.
Nodding Nikki followed Jessica outside trying to ignore the fact that she was now barefoot. When they walked past the rental car Nikki raised an eyebrow but she didn't question Jessica. She didn't say a word until they had reached a church where they had seen their first living human since the gas station. It was then that she grabbed out for Jessica's arm and pulled her to a stop as the man hollered out to them.
"You girls need a lift?" T-Dog asked as he opened the driver's side door of his church van. "I just got done running a few older people to refugee centers and well I can give you guys a lift if you need one?" he asked taking in their appearance. They both had blood on them but they didn't appear to be bit or showing symptoms of being bit.
"A lift would be nice," Nikki smiled nodding her head. "We had a car but well it's gone," she said knowing it was a lie but she wasn't sure how to tell him that Jessica had just left it or even explain why Jessica had left it because she wasn't sure of the why.
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Coming out of her thoughts Jessica looked away from Nikki her eyes landing on the man who had saved them. She had stayed silent during the ride but she had heard him talking to Nikki. She knew his name was Theodore but according to what he had told Nikki he preferred to be called T-Dog and beside T-Dog was a man who he had saved not long after picking her and Nikki up. A man who was named Glenn.
"I am going to check and see how far up this line goes," T-Dog spoke breaking the silence that had entered the van. "Maybe find out if there is any new information on this disease that is spreadin," he said before opening his door and slipping out of the van.
Watching him leave Jessica sighed. She knew she should be thankful that he had offered her and Nikki a ride and that she should be thankful that Nikki had accepted but she wasn't.
"You should have left me when I walked away from you," Jessica said as she looked at Nikki again. "You should have left me and found your own way to safety and out of this mess. If you had left me then I could be dead now and back with Joe."