The End Times Welcome Careful Drivers

Beyond the glass, Mina looked out onto a normal everyday town. A normal everyday town waking up to the worst make-up smeared, vomit tasting hangover of it’s life.

She was instantly reminded of a news report featuring a town in some far-away, war torn country. Battered and abandoned before some encroaching army. She remembered feeling shocked by how similar the town had looked to places she knew.

It hadn’t been a village filled with dirt poor, sack-wearing goat farmers. It had been a town filled with boring office jobs, where people picked up bread and soda from the convenience store on the way home, or picked their kids up from sports club.

Looking out that window Mina felt transported. But this wasn’t some far-away country. She couldn’t fool herself of that for a second.

Mina was looking down onto a central junction. There was a post-office on one corner and a gas station on another. She could see coffee houses, pet shops, liquor stores, law offices. She could also see broken windows, outdoor dining furniture strewn across the road, signs of looting, and panic, and fighting. She could see discarding weapons. Store bought and makeshift.

But she couldn’t see any people.

What the hell had happened here? What was going on? Mina had to think. What was the last thing she remembered?

The car.

She, Jonathan and Lucy had been in the car going to their Halloween cinema night. And there had been something on the radio. A news report. Infection, outbreak, The National Guard.

But after that how had she gone from there to here? And where was here?

Mina looked across to the gas station. Beneath the Shell branding, printed in block capitals, was the name Xebico.

Just then, movement caught her eye. Someone was coming out of the Gas Station via one of it’s smashed windows. They stepped carefully across the broken glass, a carrier bag hanging at their side. Once they reached the street they looked both ways — likely out of pure habit — before they started to cross.

As the figure got closer Mina could identify their face. It was Jonathan. Still dressing in the same leather pants and black vest as the last time she had seen him. However, he now appeared tired and bedraggled, making for a far more convincing Snake Plisskin.

Mina wanted the shout and bang on the window, but the fear of who else might hear gave her pause.

Fumbling with the catch, she was able to get window open.

“Jonathan!” She called out to him in something like whispering shout. But in the utter stillness of the town, it still instantly drew his attention.

He jerked and hunched his back, as if expecting an attack. His eyes searched out the source of the call and locked onto Mina’s face in the window. He didn’t reply, he just stared at her, wide-eyed.

“Jonathan! Help me.” She called again, and this seemed enough to jolt him into action. He dropped the bag he was holding and raced across the street in Mina’s direction.

Jonathan disappeared from view and Mina heard the sound of the front door bursting open. She was worried about who else he might encounter, but there was no sound of scuffling, only the sound of running boots on the stairs.

Mina turned as he burst into the room. He had acquired a weapon on his brief sprint through the house. A long pole with a loop on the end. He held out in front of him, clearly expected trouble.

“Oh, Jonathan. Thank God.” She made a move towards him, intending to hug him in relief. But he jerked backward towards the doorway, and brought the pole the bear at her.

Mina just stared at him in shock.

“Jonathan? What... what’s wrong with you?”

“Mina? Can you understand me? Do you know I’m saying?” He replied tersely.

“Yes, of course I can. But I don’t understand why...”

“Let me hear you talk. Quote a line from a film or something.” He said, interrupting her.

“Err...” Mina what utterly baffled. But Jonathan looked serious. She looked around the room for inspiration and saw the chain attached to the bed.

“I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time I’d rather not spend the rest of the winter tied to this fucking couch.” She quoted it in a confused monotone but it was apparently enough for Jonathan, who leaned back against the door frame and sighed in relief.

“Oh, thank god!”

“Jonathan, please tell me what the hell is going on before I have a nervous break-down.”

He looked at her, and Mina noticed he still had the pole aimed in her general direction.

“Mina, you were...” He seemed to chew over his words here. “...’sick’. Are sick. Both you and Lucy. I had to... restrain you both so you couldn’t hurt yourself. Or anyone else.”

Mina was quiet for a long time. “I... feel okay now.” She eventually said.

“Erm... look at your skin Mina.”

Mina looked down at her hands. She hadn’t noticed it before in the darkness of the room, but her skin looked grey, and she could see thin black veins running across the underside of her arms.