Part 1: The Runaway

  Chapter 4: New Start

  Waking up, DD stared at the ceiling of the back of her car, the last of the fabric clinging to the creases and joining of its metal parts. Feeling her pillow now, it felt strange, soft in some places but hard in others, like… bone. She jolted up like a child being chastised in school.

  “You’re finally awake.” He smirked. “I didn’t want to move and wake you.” DD was having an internal crisis but maintaining her composure for the moment.

  “Thanks, I guess.” She said.

  “Random timing but, do you want to help Scott and I on a water run?”

  “Uh, sure. I have nothing better to do.” DD shrugged, she was restarting her life again after all.

  “Can we take your car back to town then?” Trent asked,

  “Yeah let me change.” DD stepped out of the car and walked around to the hatch, releasing it. The hatch creaked open, stopping about three quarters of the way up, and allowing her to access the boxes of clothes, junk, and her laptop stored there. Pulling out a handful of clothes, DD looked over her shoulder as the hatch creaked shut once more. Trent was staring out into the desert, which would soon start throwing mirages from the baking heat. Her fear of showing skin around people was beginning to peak, but she continued anyways, sliding her pants and boxers down and kicking them off. Picking up a white pair of boxers, she slid them onto herself, followed by a pair of gray pants which had long since started looking worn. Next came her tank-top, and after looking at her bra for a moment, she decided it was good for another day. Why had she fallen asleep with the bra on though? After pulling on an orange t-shirt she reopened the car and threw deposited the dirty clothes to the back. With just one outfit left clean now, DD needed to do laundry.

  “Good colors.” Trent said.

  “Yeah, let’s get our solar stuff on and go.”

  “Yes Ma’am.” He joked. DD grabbed her socks and shoes from the back seat to begin putting them on and smiled. She hadn’t thought about that stupid scar on her foot in a while. She and Scott used to get in so much trouble. Next came her mask, then goggles, hood and cloak. Trent gave a thumbs up from in his suit and took the passenger seat in the car. DD pushed open the garage door, the heat of the sun hitting her instantly. Getting in the car and turning the key, the vehicle hummed to life and the blue lights of the radio came on.

  “Where did you get this thing anyway?” Trent asked.

  “I happened upon it while I lived in Reno. It’s really old.”

  “I gathered that, there’s so many patches on this car.”

  “I think it’s pre-flu.” DD noted, having long assumed this fact.

  “Okay that’s really old. Damn.”

  “Someone definitely converted it to solar, it wasn’t this way originally, and almost none of the electronics work.”

  “Still if it’s pre-flu, that was about two centuries ago.”

  “I doubt whoever designed this thing expected it’d be around in good old 2231!” The two laughed as the car droned forward.

  Soon the two were pulling through Winchester, where DD crawled to a stop near the broken traffic light.

  “Why are you stopping?” Trent asked.

  “You always stop at broken traffic lights.”

  “You’re fucking with me right?” She made him wait a few seconds before responding.

  “Of course I’m fucking with you.” She began laughing as the car accelerated past the 7Eleven where Tess waved to the duo from the door. Soon they turned and pulled up to the school. DD locked the car and they walked in, making their way to the radio station.

  “We were worried about you two.” Scott noted as they walked in, now wearing a red jacket.

  “Sorry, it got late while we were talking.” Trent noted. “She’s coming with us on the water run though.”

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  “Oh nice!” Scott offered DD a fist bump, which she gladly took. Aina walked into the room from the soundproof room and up to DD.

  “I’m sorry.” She said. “I’m still mad at you for leaving but, I should’ve been more mature about it.”

  “It’s okay, I kind of freaked out too. We can have a legitimate sit-down later.”

  “Aina, they’re both coming on the water run.” Scott added.

  “Oh thank god. I hate having to pick up your slack alone.”

  “Hey! I do a lot.” Scott crossed his arms.

  “You do a lot of something.” Aina crossed her arms.

  “Yeah, driving!” He scoffed.

  “Fine fine, I bet DD can out drive you though.”

  “Well sure in her car, the truck is slow as balls Aina.”

  “I think you are overestimating my hunk of metal also.” DD said, holding up a finger to interrupt.

  “Wait. Is your car here?” Scott asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Oh hell yeah let’s look at it.” Scott ran out of the room before DD could think. DD, Trent, and Aina caught up with him by the door, where he was gearing up.

  “Why do you have a flu mask DD?” Scott was holding the object in his hand, which was kind of gross actually, That thing was constantly filtering her spit and breath.

  “It’s a huge problem in Seattle. I sure as hell wasn’t dying from it.”

  “I should’ve figured. Two centuries and that illness hasn’t vanished.” He finally threw the mask to its owner.

  Everyone finished pulling their clothes on and Scott ran ahead to the car, inspecting it like an artist looks at fine art.

  “Well you were right.” He noted.

  “About what?” DD asked, perplexed.

  “It’s a piece of shit.” Scott laughed.

  “Yeah, but it’s mine.”

  “There’s a lot of stuff around from before the flu still, because it’s not made anymore, but old cars seem unlikely. Most cars from the early 2000s fell apart in about ten years.”

  “Are you some kind of car genius now?” DD joked.

  “I fancy myself one. I have a garage full of car stuff I’ve gathered.”

  “He’s never gotten one to start, he can barely maintain the truck.” Trent said, and Scott gave him a dirty look for bursting his bubble.

  “To be fair, I don’t think there’s many original parts on this thing, it’s all patchwork metal and mismatched pieces.” DD looked at the car; it didn’t really have any form of symmetry.

  “It was clearly someone’s project before you had it.” Scott suggested.

  “That I agree with. The only changes I made was putting sound equipment in.” She’d put new speakers and a head unit into the car, as well as adding a sub-woofer.

  “May I look?” DD threw Scott the key to the car, and he began opening doors and the hatch. The air was filled with many ‘ooo’ and ‘aah’ sounds from Scott before he poked his head out of the hatch.

  “It looks like your work alright.” He asserted.

  “How?”

  “It’s half-assed.” He joked.

  “That’s mean, and I didn’t have all the right tools okay?”

  “Also I found something else.” Scott was smiling.

  “What?”

  “I bet this is really cute on you!” He’d produced the top half of a racy black bustier set that had been buried under her boxes. DD entered a full sprint and grabbed the garment and threw it back in her car.

  “Who goes through someone else's clothes!?”

  “It was just a joke DD-”

  “Don’t ‘it was just a joke me’! That’s really embarrassing! That’s harassment!” Her voice was cracking a bit as she pointed her finger aggressively. She was blushing heavily under her protective gear as well, and was glad no one could see that.

  “Okay, sorry.”

  “You better be.” She crossed her arms and began pouting.

  “Seriously, why do you have stripper clothes though?” Scott wondered, his friend had never cared much for femininity.

  “I wanted to feel cute. In private!” She slammed the hatch of the car shut. “Let’s go get some fucking water!” She yelled to everyone.

  “We should bring both cars.” Trent suggested. Everyone shot him dubious looks. “Redundancy, numbers, less of a chance we die?” He shrugged. The others looked at each other before nodding in agreement.

  “I’ll go with Scott in the truck.” Aina said.

  “I’ll ride with DD in the car then. Do you have the gun Scott?”

  “Of course!” Scott yelled back without looking.

  “Do you guys still use the Tonopah cutoff?” DD asked to which Scott nodded. “Have you ever actually been there?”

  “Tonopah? No. I doubt any of us have, except maybe Trent” Scott shrugged.

  “Let’s go then.”

  “Why? It’s longer.” Scott wondered.

  “There’s a haunted clown themed motel next to a cemetery.” DD said.

  “You make a fair argument.”

  “Really, you want to go to the Clown Motel?” Trent asked.

  “Yes, I do.” DD said.

  “It’s supposed to be a rundown.” Trent tried to reason with her.

  “Yes, but it sounds funny, and we’re not in a hurry.”

  “Fine.” Trent slumped into the car.

  “Clown Motel!” DD yelled at Scott.

  “Hell Yeah!” Scott yelled back. Everyone ran to their cars and Scott began taking off first, very slowly.

  “Is that truck really that slow?” DD asked Trent, who she was now alone with.

  “Yes, unfortunately. Solar power does not make for great acceleration on something that size.”

  “Makes sense.” The two sat for a second. “Unrelated question, did you see that piece of clothing Scott grabbed from my car earlier?”

  “Yes, It looks cute.” Trent noted. DD immediately felt heat rushing to her cheeks again.

  “Okay well let’s agree to NEVER talk about it again.” DD said very fast.

  “Okay, no need to be weird about it.”

  “Just, don’t mention it.” God that was embarrassing. DD was considering using the garment as kindling now. She’d only worn it once anyway, just to see how she’d looked in it. Scott finally got moving and she began to follow. Tonopah wasn’t far, about half an hour just a bit west of north, give or take. And Nevada always took.

  To Be Continued