I should’ve found a better GPS. The internet has been shotty ever since this whole “end of the world” deal started, so I was forced to dig through car after car until I found an offline GPS. The only problem was this guy was the cheapest around. The map on the GPS repeatedly lagged, showing that damned rotating loading symbol.

My mind was fixated on slowly navigating through the heaps of cars blocking the road. We already spent three hours on the road, but if my GPS was correct (which I don’t think it is) it would take another three gruesome hours until we get out of Oregon. I could already feel my legs growing numb from sitting down for so long - my scratched-up leg causing only more problems the more I put pressure on the gas pedal.

“I hate to ask, but would you mind handing me some Tylenol in that glove compartment?” I asked, breaking the silence that was starting to build up.

“Hm?” Cleo quietly muttered out. Her eyes were nearly shut; I could tell she was having trouble staying awake. Couldn’t blame her. “Oh, Tylenol. Yeah, sure.”

I watched as she clicked open the glove compartment. On her left hand, I noticed something I didn’t see before. It was a small diamond engagement ring on her index finger. I watched as she fiddled around a little bit more, grumbling something to herself.

“Here.” She grabbed the tiny bottle of pills. She sat up straight, though when she looked through the window, her eyes widened. “Watch out!”

I slammed my foot against the pedal, twisting my head up. The car came to a screeching halt just ten yards away from a barrier of cars blocking the road. My throbbing heart raced in my chest as my hands grasped tightly against the wheel.

I reached for my sawed-off all while keeping my attention on the road. Cleo stepped out of the car, walking to the back while pointing her rifle towards the roadblock.

“Something’s fishy…” she muttered.

I stepped out too, standing still next to the door. I scanned the cars barricading the road. Nothing. No one. I pointed, waiting for anything to show itself.

“Well?” Cleo whispered to me.

“What?” I whispered in response.

“You gonna go check it out?”

“Fine, whatever. Just… Stay on the lookout.”

She adjusted her rifle on her shoulder, scanning the cars with her scope. I slowly stepped forward. My finger shakily hovered over the trigger, hand gripping the barrel. Silence. I looked back at Cleo. She gave me a thumbs up while still aiming at the cars. I continued side-stepping towards the cars.

“I think that’s far enough, buddy!”

A deep, gruff voice bombarded my ears. I froze completely in place as four people, armed with shotguns and rifles and wearing brightly colored bandanas popped up from behind the cars. I slowly backed away, turning to Cleo again only to see her now missing.

“Great!” I thought to myself. “Abandoned! What did I even expect?”

The gruff voice - who I assumed to be the leader - spoke again, this time I could tell it was coming from the man right in front of me. “You can stop right there, friend. You’ll be blown to smithereens before you’ve even had the chance to escape. Now, if you don’t mind, gun on the ground. Now.”

I begrudgingly raised my free hand into the air, kneeling and dropping my gun to the ground. The raiders stepped and sled over the hoods of the cars, still aiming their guns at me.

The man barked at one of the others, ordering “Go find the other!”

The one furthest to the left stepped forward and said, “Yessir.” He stepped past me and towards my ride.

“That’s a nice vehicle you got there. Let’s make this easier on the both of us, shall we? We’re taking that car of yours and everything in it.”

“I can’t find her!” shouted the raider in the back.

“Look harder then! She’s gotta be hiding in one of the other cars!” the leader shouted back.

The raiders turned their attention back to me. The one to the right of the leader loudly commanded, “Now! On your knees!”

One of them marched forwards, jabbing his foot into my shin. I yelped in pain as they forced me onto my knees. My busted leg burned with pain as it hit the ground. The leader aimed his shotgun at my head, sneering out “Any last words?”

His finger started squeezing down on the trigger, but before he could do so, the loud and booming sound of a gunshot echoed into the air. The leader stumbled backward, falling to the ground - a deep, bloody hole now in the center of his chest. Another gunshot followed in quick succession. Now, the raider on the left slumped to the ground. The last bandit aimed his rifle at me, but another gunshot rang into his air. His gun fell onto the ground as he yelled out a shrill scream of pain. Without hesitation, I rolled over to my sawed-off. My arm automatically aimed dead-center at the raider, firing two shots into him. He flew back into the air, landing on the car blockade.

I sat on the ground, breathing deeply in and out. I shakily stood up. I looked down at the shotgun of the now-dead leader. It was a Remington; pretty good shape too. “Seems like you don’t have an owner anymore…” I muttered to the inanimate shotgun laying on the ground. I kneeled down, picking it up and strapping my sawed-off to my side. “Looks like you're mine now...”

“What are you talking to…?”

“Guh!” That noise escaped from the depths of my lungs. I turned a full 180 to reveal Cleo, who somehow managed to sneak up right behind me. Again.

“So you didn’t leave?” I murmured.

“No, ‘course not. Why would I?” She walked to the corpses in the middle of the road. “Looked like you could use my help too,” she said with a chuckle.

“W-where’d you even managed to hide? And, what took you so long?”

“Under one of those cars,” she said, waving her hand blindly behind her, “and I had to deal with that other guy without attracting any attention.” She turned her attention back to me, wiping some more hair away from her green eyes. “We should head out before it gets dark.”

***************************

A few more hours passed. We spoke quite a bit through the ride, but I was mainly making sure we weren’t jumped by any more raiders. The radio was static most of the time, with some jazz and other music occasionally being played.

“How’d you learn to shoot like that?” I asked Cleo while driving the car. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one to go around shooting anyone I find, but that was pretty impressive.”

“I used to live on a farm in the middle-of-nowhere, Kansas. The farm had a huge rabbit problem; little bastards would always come around and eat everything in sight. Dad thought it would be a great opportunity to teach me how to use a rifle on those animals. And, well, I guess I caught on quick.”

“Guessing you decided to leave that life behind you and move to Washington?”

“Yep. As soon as I could. Realized quickly that living on a farm just wasn’t for me.”

An awkward minute and a half silence followed that last sentence. I drummed my fingers on the wheel. Looking at the clock built into the dashboard, I realized it was 4:30. Thanks to it being winter, the sun was already going down. I tapped on my crappy old GPS, waiting for the street view to slowly load up as I dragged the map forward. It showed that there was a motel right on the border of Oregon and Idaho.

“We should stop there for the rest of the day,” I said while pointing at the motel marker.

“Alright,” Cleo replied.

I could see through the corner of my eye that she was fiddling with her ring. I opened my mouth, wanting to ask her about it, but I then closed my jaw shut. “Probably not a good idea…” I thought to myself. My curiosity was killing me, begging me to just ask already, but a part of me forced me to stop.

“Well?” I heard Cleo say, snapping me out of my trance.

“Huh?” I asked.

“How long have you been in Oregon?”

“Since I got my first job right out of college. Used to live not so far away in Salem.”

“Any friends there?”

“Eh, some, work friends and such. Most of my friends were from high school and college. My older brother had three kids who used to come around and visit every once in a while.” I sighed. I didn’t like to think about my nephews or friends. Not after everything that’s happened.

“I hope your nephews are staying safe out there. Must be hard leaving them.”

I stayed silent, still focusing on the road ahead of me. We kept talking as the hours passed and darkness fell. Eventually, we neared the Oregon-Idaho border, and just in the distance, I could see what should be the motel. I didn’t know what I expected, but the place was run down. Wood was torn off the walls and nailed to the windows that weren’t already shattered. What was left of the paint that covered the motel was now peeling off as well.

I pulled into the driveway. Not much was around us, spare a few restaurants and other buildings that were just as run-downed. The moment I stepped foot out of my seat, pins, and needles shot up my legs. I grabbed onto the hood for support as I quickly stretched.

“Welp, this is it, I guess,” I said.

“Guess it’ll have to make do.”

We walked inside the small lobby, or what was left of it at least. The only thing left now was scattered paper, barely recognizable sofas that were torn to shreds, some paintings that now lie on the ground, and a small golden bell that was magically still intact.

I rang the bell, calling out, “Anyone here?” only to be left in silence.

“Tsk tsk,” Cleo replied, “I’mma have to leave a one-star review on Yelp for this bad customer service.”

We walked upstairs. The gold-outlined red rug that sat crookedly on the stairs was covered in mud and torn apart. On the walls next to us were deep claw marks. Those things ravaged this place.

“You think something is living here?” I asked.

“Whatever lived here is probably far gone by now. No people in sight, so I don’t think this place is a hotspot for ghouls. Animals won’t have anything to eat out here either.”

Eventually, we managed to find two still somewhat intact rooms. We each choose our separate rooms to sleep in. As I stepped in mine, I leaned my newly “earned” shotgun against the wall while throwing my bag on the ground next to the bed. I sat on the bed, which to no surprise was pretty hard and cold.

“So far so good on this trip…” I quietly said to myself.

I reached in my bag, trying to reach for a small lantern. Couldn’t find it. I picked the bag up, digging through it again. “Must’ve forgotten it in the car…” I muttered to no one.

I looked out of the curtains. It was dark outside. The massive moon now rising in the night sky. I looked down the road. Nothing in sight except for knocked-over trash cans and parked semi-trucks. “In and out,” I thought to myself, “grab it and turn around.”

I picked up my box of matches, opened the door, and snuck my way back downstairs. I made my way to the front doors, stopping right at the entrance. I place my hand on the door. With a deep breath, I pushed open the door. My eyesight focused on the car. My feet acted before my mind did, speed walking to the back car door. I opened it, leaning inside. On the floorboard, I found the lantern laying down. I picked it up. Stumbling for a match, I managed to light one aflame. I opened up the lantern, lighting the wick on fire. The small flame rapidly grew in size. I closed the lantern, jogging back into the motel. I pushed open the doors. While turning around to close it, I looked over to the two-story restaurant down the street. For some reason, I thought I could see a figure peering through the second-story window at me.

“Must be my imagination,” I said to myself, closing the doors.