unpopular

            Eleven hours and forty-two-minute drive and they were on day five. 

            They lost mom in Popular Bluff.  She now rested under a tree on the side of the road.  There wasn't time for goodbyes.  Mel was on day three.  Aunt Sarah day one.

            The drive proved too much for her mom and now it was proving too much for her aunt and her sister.

            Julian and she took turns driving but things kept slowing them down.  They had to stop often to take care of Mel.  Not only was she not doing good, but she was scared as well.  She wanted her mom.

Finding gas was hard.  Most gas stations were empty.  The only way they'd been able to find enough was by stealing from other cars they've found along the way.

Seeing others along the way was welcoming.  The knowledge that others still lived was comforting.

            In Shreveport, they met up with an older couple who'd been without electricity for so long they hadn't known about the broadcast.  They joined them, had even stuck around when things had been really bad on mom but then the wife had shown signs of fever, so they had moved on.

            Chris and Dave, they met next.  They were only a few years older.  They knew about St. Louis but was on their way to meet up with some family in Kansas City.  The last thing they would do is run off to join a bunch of aliens.  If that was even what they were.  Jess was glad to see them go.

            When they needed sleep, they slept in the car on the side of the road.  Staying in a town was impossible.  There were graves everywhere but there were also bodies everywhere. 

            They found Hayley and Macie soon after leaving Louisiana.  Walking down the road.  Both wearing backpacks.

            The oldest had taken one look at Mel and Aunt Sarah and refused to get in.  Julian hadn't had the heart to leave them on their own.

            Jess had given him as long as it took for her to run and piss behind a bush for him to talk them into the van.

            The only thing that mattered to her now was saving her sister.

            She wasn't surprised to see them sitting in the minivan when she returned.

            Normally, she would have thrown a bitch fit that the little harlot was in her seat up front next to Julian, but the truth was, she spent more time in the back, taking care of her sister, anyway.

            The little girl, sitting in the seat next to her had curly red hair and big brown eyes.  She was a good bit smaller than Mel.  She was small, chubby, and adorable. 

            Unlike her ogre of a sister.  That one was tall, nearly as tall as Julian and thin.  Her hair was straight and just as red.  Her brown eyes were outlined in thick black eyeliner.

            "My name is Jess.  My sister is Mel.  She'll be up to playing in a few days."

            "Do you believe that nonsense about a cure?  I personally think they're just trying to round us up so they can slaughter the rest of us."

            Jess was pretty sure the other girl would be able to read the look she sent her.

            Julian was more than ready to have someone to talk to about all of this.  He realized days back that Jess would not talk about it.  She didn't care what they planned to do with them.  The alien freaks could save her sister then she'd figured out what the hell they wanted.

            "So, you don't believe they have a cure?"

            "Doubtful."

            "Do you believe they're aliens?"

            "Now that, I might believe.   That's just fucked up enough to be true."

            He nodded.  "We'll know soon enough.  We should be there sometime tomorrow."

            "And somebody there better have a cure or I'm killing someone."  Was Jess's contribution to the conversation.

            Hayley made a face at Julian.  "She's pleasant."

            "She is."  Was his only reply.

            "Well, we have only headed that way because I didn't know what else to do.  Sitting at home wasn't getting us anywhere.  We were already out of food.  Had seen no one in weeks.  Our car was a piece of shit.  Lost that a few miles back."

            "They have a cure.  They have to and I won't hear another word about it."  Jess smiled at the little girl hoping to reassure her.

            First, save Mel and Aunt Sarah.  If a fight with an alien army was next, then she'd deal with that when she got to it.  At least she'd have a real enemy then.

            Fucking aliens.  You have got to be kidding her.

            What was the world coming to?