Capítulo 8: Our Journey (2)

High suspension, check! High speed, check! Perfect condition, check! And the key? Where did he hide it? Three weeks ago, my neighbor bought this monster car. He brags at me and gets cocky in front of me that he has become a rich and successful guy like me.

Success depends on the individual who looks at it. Somebody might say that a successful person comes from their family support. Somebody might say that if you get a professor title you are a successful person... And for me, living in peace without thinking about work and money is what a successful person means.

Someday, surely it will come true. That was what I thought before this nuclear suddenly hit our country. Not stopping that, I thought our relationship was normal and lively. But, surprisingly she holds a grudge against me.

Sigh* I thought it same with a business relationship is foolish of me. And now, I am confused how to apologize to her. Where am I wrong? Enough for this thought. I can't concentrate on searching for this car key.

After searching for an hour full of tiredness...

Found it! Why didn't he use a key chain if he really brags about it to me? Near the key, there is a letter.

Oh, so this is why... He didn't pay it yet. It's still in the installment period. The mindset itself is already wrong. You should focus on your business dude rather than brag about it in front of me.

I put the key inside the keyhole. In the baggage, there is some gasoline installed already. What a nice monster car... It's free so I need to compliment it more. You can't usually see monster cars around the street nowadays.

The machine started and as I thought... It's hard to drive! Sorry for your house, I hit it a bit. It's already ruined though. Being lonely like this... It's not quite right. It's my dream that this world becomes more quiet. So many people envy me. Even what I called best friend... Ironically, he is the most kind and envious person at the same time to me.

Slowly...

I try it bit by bit. I started to get the feeling. Hmm... Let's try it on the street. Whoa... This car really smooth and didn't make my lower body part hurt on the seat. The weakness is this car didn't have a roof on the seat. It will put us in danger if there is some monster attack.

In the basement, Stephanie looks daydreaming while our daughter tries to cherish her. She didn't tell Lily about our problem, right? If yes, she is irresponsible being an adult. Because all adult problems are not their children's obligation. If they choose to tell their kid for teaching purposes then I will not object to it but... Thinking about something other than their creativity make children's brain dull. Also, their decision-making will not improve because they should think about their parent condition.

I touch the horn. She notices it but, she averts her eyes to look at me. Nevermind...

After pulling the key car, I walk to them.

"W-welcome..." Said her nervous while hugging Lily.

I crouch and look at Lily.

"We will move today honey~" Said me while smiling at her.

"Make up!" Said her while pointing her finger at me.

Really... Should I say it? I am not wrong. Why should I take the first thing to say sorry? But, get scolded by kids, my daughter is not what I want.

I smiled and looked at Stephanie's eyes. Even if this is not genuinely inside my mind, I should do it for my daughter's sake.

"I am sorry for before... I should not say like that." Said Stephanie the first one who said sorry to me.

Now, I can genuinely say to her. "I am too, I was as bad as your husband."

"You happy now Lily?" Said my wife after looking at Lily.

"Yes, I am happy." Said her while smiling at Stephanie.

I pat her head and go into the desk packing up all of the things we should.

"Ah! Let me help you." Said Stephanie.

"Don't worry... This is what men always do. Take Lily on the car first." Said me collecting the food and putting it inside the gun boxes.

"Ah! We didn't have a tent." Said her remembering while carrying Lily in her hand.

"We will go to my company storage first. There are some of them." Said me.

To tighten our workers' bond, we usually go on holiday together. They can bring their family too, that's why my company bought some tents to support this activity. I mean, my profit is really huge that I didn't know how to spend it. My wife is an independent person, surely I will surely use it for her while Lily is still a baby but because Lily has to school, Stephanie works again.

She didn't want to spend my money too much. Sure, she will take some for our daily life.

After packing all of the necessary things, we go on our journey to...

"Where we will go?" Asked me to my wife.

"How about Niagara you mention about? It's a lovely place to die." Said her with a gentle smile.

No, no, no... Don't think like that. How is that to be where we will end?

"You should not smile while saying that dark words." It made me wonder why she thought about it like that.

She keeps quiet... I know because our daughter can hear it now. Without any nonsense talking... We are going to the Niagara Waterfall.

After a while...

My wife looked around and was kind amazed of at it. "So, this is our country now." Said her while feeling amazed.

"Yeah, you will see terrifying things after a few days. I promise it." Said me while remembering that flamingo with mini head.

"Dad! What is that?" Said her while pointing somewhere we can't see.

I stop my car and watch carefully. What was she looking at? Oh!

"That's a flamingo, Lily." Said me while looking at the pink blurred standing on the ruined building.

"Huh? Flamingo? Where?" Asked Stephanie looks confused.

I touch her shoulder with my body and look at her.

"Has our daughter had supervision?" Whispered me to my wife.

She looked at me. "I don't know either." Said her while shaking her head.

"Dad! It's flying!" Said her exaggerating the moment it flew.

"Wow, that's big." Said my wife focussing her eyes on the pink blurry image on the sky.

It's still blurry for us when we look at it. We didn't have time for this. I start the engine and drive this car slowly. Even with the high suspension, there is no way this car can drive on this cracked street.

Let's see if this car has any music.

Oh, looks like my neighbor like imagine a dragon. But, this is all the cover version. I think he likes the lyric but like the singer who covers this song.

Boom!!!

Reflex, I step on the brake. The lightning... Even without any sign of a cloudy sky, the is clear so why there is a flash of lightning suddenly appear? Is it logic?

I hope there is nothing like the dog Mutants from before.

"Dad! There is someone there!" Said her while pointing to the building that was stepped by the mutant flamingo.

Huh? There is still a person in this world?

I start the engine and go to that building. There is still one person who still survives. The more people the higher the chance we survive.

"Are we helping them?" Asked my wife noticing the change of direction.

"Obviously!"

"But! We didn't have any space if there were a bunch of them!!" Said her hesitating about my decision.

That's logic. That's for sure our chance to survive gets higher but the food needed for us is higher too. If the scavengers are less than the survivor, that makes... No, I should help them first!!

"We will, if that's too much for us, we will just leave them." Said me convincing my wife.

"Dad... Are you not helping her?" Asked my daughter with a sad-looking face.

That's hit our hearts. Are we too cruel? That's logical thinking but I know that children wouldn't accept it.

"D-Don't worry honey~ We will help her." Said my wife while looking at Lily.

... Her? Is it a woman?

Change the direction to the building where that woman stands.

"Hey Lily, could you say all of that person do now?" Said me gently to my daughter.

My wife noticed my sign and asked Lily to say it out loud.

While driving, she told me what the woman did.

"She ran in the hallway."

"Ah! She goes down with stairs."

"She gets out of the building but there are some... black things woofing at her."

Black things? Is it dog mutant?

"She goes back."

"I can't see her now."

At the maximum speed, I ignore the building debris and just step on it. It makes my wife jump at the seat but it's fine... She is a bit shocked but it is covered with an anxious feeling.

"How about now honey?" Asked my wife getting more anxious.

"Her hand... It's big." Said her with a surprised face.

Huh?