Apocolypse part 9
So just so you know, Jenny's friend Jordan wanted to be in the story, and I kid you not, he himself decided to be the crazy gas station attendant. Also I want all to know that up until a few minutes ago I had forgotten he was Indian. So what is the moral of this precursor? I am not racist, i swear! Now for the story. We've been on the road for about 2 hours now and I think we'll make it back into California in another 3 or 4. We have had some slight problems in terms of fuel. it seems that every time we get off the highway in search for fuel our search comes up empty handed. I'm not sure exactly where the gas has gone, but we need to find some quick. I'm bored out of my mind. We've been attempting to listen to what's left of the radio but all we get are the same three channels. Static, beeeeeeep, and some guy telling us that if we tune into channel 13 while eating a burrito Thursday night, we'll be saved. For some weird reason, I think I would prefer the emergency broadcasting system beep right now. It's extrememely hot and my head hurts. We've been following the GPS which is telling us that we've got approximately another 6 or so hours to go. Yippee (note the sarcasm). Jenny taps me and points to the left. There's another gas station, I guess we're gonna be pulling off the highway again. We pull up to the station and of course it's deserted like all the rest. The sign is dilapidated and there are actual tumbleweeds rolling around out side of it. There's a one of those trucks that carry gas off to one side of it and some old beat up looking red chevy next to that. In one word this place is a dump. Jenny pulls up to one of the pumps and stops the engine. She opens the door to the cab and reaches around to grab the gun from behind her seat. I immediately think of another scene in a horror movie when the victims stopped at a gas station. As soon as they stopped the car, they were assaulted by a horde of zombies, but luckily for the macho male hero, he had several loaded shot guns in the back of his truck. So while his female companion remained huddled in the car, he amazingly and bravely shot down all the zombies that crossed their path. Pity he was bitten by one in the melee. Hmm perhaps we should have grabbed shotguns. Jenny walks over to the pump and just squezzes the trigger on the nozzle just to see if anything would come out. A few drops fall onto the overbaked earth. "Well, it's worth a shot," Jenny says sliding the nozzle into the tank. "You want to hop out and see if you can find a couple of those gas cans lying around. It probably wouldn't hurt to stockup ont some gas seeing how easy it's been to find gas around here. I know they normally keep them inside the convenience store. You should probably check there first."
I start shimmying my way out of the car and feel myself catch on something. I continue to pull and can hear the sound of fabric ripping and feel the hot leather of the seat burn some part of my butt. "Great." I mutter. I walk up to the convience store, and see the automatic doors gaping open. One look inside tells me that this place has pretty much been looted, but that doesn't mean that there might not be a few gas cans lying around. As I walk further into the store, i think I can hear the radio. It's tuned to that station again. " . . . And in three days, the great aliens will come down from the sky and save all of us. Well those of us who are eating our burritos and watching channel 13 that is, because it is imperative that channel 13 be on because that's how they communicate with us." Funnily enough, it doesn't really sound like the radio. I creep up towards the counter, because that's where it sounds like the voice is coming from. Unfortunately, it's not until I'm about 4 feet away from it, that i realize, I'm not really armed with anything. Sigh, why couldn't I be smarter like Jenny. I look to my left and right and see one of those heavy duty flashlights and grab it. It'll work if it comes down to it. I creep slowly up to the counter and peer over the edge. What the hell? There's only a microphone, some hunk of electronical mess and some pillows. I dropped my flashlight down to my side and turn around. "Aaaaaahhhh!"
"Ahhhh!"
"Who are you?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Please don't kill me!"
"I have no money, but take whatever's left, just please don't kill me!"
"I just came for gas cans"
"They're over on the back wall, will you please put the flashlight down?"In my excitement I guess I had picked up the flashlight and was brandishing it almost like a sword.
"Oh, sorry. Um, so i guess I'm just gonna grab some gas cans and be on my way? Um . . ."
I look down at his dirty, grease and "who knows what else" stained, shirt which has his name tag attached to it ,
"Jordan. Nice to meet you." I slowly start to inch towards the gas cans.
"Nice to meet you too . . ."
"Brittney." i reply
"Ah Brittney, like Britney Spears.." He chuckles. I roll my eye.
"Oh, right, how rude of me, let me introduce you to the others."
"Others?" I echo back.
"Oh yeah, my other personalities. They get kind of get jealous when I meet new people and don't introduce them. In fact Nigel gets downright huffy and doesn't want to talk to me for days! Then there's Tex, the heathen, and Sophie . . .she's a real doll." I could do nothing but stare, open-mouthed at the Indian guy.
"Um, well, um that's good to know and I'm glad to have met everyone, but i think I should go back to my friend Jenny, who has been patiently waiting outside . . ."
"No I haven't, I came in 3 minutes ago to see what was taking you so long. Now that I have, I think it's time to go. It's nice to have met you, Jordan, but we gotta split. We've got places to get to." Jenny says grabbing my arm and a couple of gas cans.
"Oh no, no, no sugar. You just musn't go out there. It's just too dark and too dangerous for you, sweetums. Just, listen to old Auntie Sophie. Ever since the apocolypse happened everyone has just been so rude and full of lawlessness, what is an old lady to do? Why when I was growing up, my dady and I would sit on our veranda drinking lemonade and watching the little negro children play in the street . . .( oh great, she's from the south) . . and they were the sweetest and most polite little nappy-headed things I ever did see.."
I roll my eyes, "Well even so, we should be going now." I say a bit testily, eventhough the sight of a 20 something Indian male now turned into a dainty Southern belle should amuse me.
"Oh honey, just stay here awhile with old Auntie Sophie. There are the most ugly gangs that ride the highway at night. They attack everyone who dare to travel on it. I wouldn't want to see sweet little things like you two get hurt. Just set here awhile, you'll see. Old Auntie Sophie is always right. Anyone want some sweet tea?"
I start shimmying my way out of the car and feel myself catch on something. I continue to pull and can hear the sound of fabric ripping and feel the hot leather of the seat burn some part of my butt. "Great." I mutter. I walk up to the convience store, and see the automatic doors gaping open. One look inside tells me that this place has pretty much been looted, but that doesn't mean that there might not be a few gas cans lying around. As I walk further into the store, i think I can hear the radio. It's tuned to that station again. " . . . And in three days, the great aliens will come down from the sky and save all of us. Well those of us who are eating our burritos and watching channel 13 that is, because it is imperative that channel 13 be on because that's how they communicate with us." Funnily enough, it doesn't really sound like the radio. I creep up towards the counter, because that's where it sounds like the voice is coming from. Unfortunately, it's not until I'm about 4 feet away from it, that i realize, I'm not really armed with anything. Sigh, why couldn't I be smarter like Jenny. I look to my left and right and see one of those heavy duty flashlights and grab it. It'll work if it comes down to it. I creep slowly up to the counter and peer over the edge. What the hell? There's only a microphone, some hunk of electronical mess and some pillows. I dropped my flashlight down to my side and turn around. "Aaaaaahhhh!"
"Ahhhh!"
"Who are you?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Please don't kill me!"
"I have no money, but take whatever's left, just please don't kill me!"
"I just came for gas cans"
"They're over on the back wall, will you please put the flashlight down?"In my excitement I guess I had picked up the flashlight and was brandishing it almost like a sword.
"Oh, sorry. Um, so i guess I'm just gonna grab some gas cans and be on my way? Um . . ."
I look down at his dirty, grease and "who knows what else" stained, shirt which has his name tag attached to it ,
"Jordan. Nice to meet you." I slowly start to inch towards the gas cans.
"Nice to meet you too . . ."
"Brittney." i reply
"Ah Brittney, like Britney Spears.." He chuckles. I roll my eye.
"Oh, right, how rude of me, let me introduce you to the others."
"Others?" I echo back.
"Oh yeah, my other personalities. They get kind of get jealous when I meet new people and don't introduce them. In fact Nigel gets downright huffy and doesn't want to talk to me for days! Then there's Tex, the heathen, and Sophie . . .she's a real doll." I could do nothing but stare, open-mouthed at the Indian guy.
"Um, well, um that's good to know and I'm glad to have met everyone, but i think I should go back to my friend Jenny, who has been patiently waiting outside . . ."
"No I haven't, I came in 3 minutes ago to see what was taking you so long. Now that I have, I think it's time to go. It's nice to have met you, Jordan, but we gotta split. We've got places to get to." Jenny says grabbing my arm and a couple of gas cans.
"Oh no, no, no sugar. You just musn't go out there. It's just too dark and too dangerous for you, sweetums. Just, listen to old Auntie Sophie. Ever since the apocolypse happened everyone has just been so rude and full of lawlessness, what is an old lady to do? Why when I was growing up, my dady and I would sit on our veranda drinking lemonade and watching the little negro children play in the street . . .( oh great, she's from the south) . . and they were the sweetest and most polite little nappy-headed things I ever did see.."
I roll my eyes, "Well even so, we should be going now." I say a bit testily, eventhough the sight of a 20 something Indian male now turned into a dainty Southern belle should amuse me.
"Oh honey, just stay here awhile with old Auntie Sophie. There are the most ugly gangs that ride the highway at night. They attack everyone who dare to travel on it. I wouldn't want to see sweet little things like you two get hurt. Just set here awhile, you'll see. Old Auntie Sophie is always right. Anyone want some sweet tea?"