"A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat determination and hard work."
Still...silent.
The usual sounds and sights of the ever busy world Vince had known were now distant, and almost nonexistent, memories, lost in the aftermath of the virus he had only just recently learned about. He knew of the bug going around, but when the correctional facility was placed on lock down, everyone was cut off from the vein of information that would spell out how serious the situation had become. He wasn't prepared for the world he had stepped out into less than a week ago, no one could have been prepared for this. Overnight, it seemed, the world had gone silent. Silent, and still, as calm as the four graves before him, now piled mounds due to the snow over the past few days.
Vince had dug the graves himself after arriving at his mother and step-father's house. His mother...he had known she had become sick and had more than just a feeling that she had passed on. Haley was next to her, they did everything together and it was no real surprise when he found out she had gotten sick as well. Her visits to the correctional facility had dwindled and then ceased shortly before the lock down. Courtney filled the void as she began to show signs as well, too stubborn to abandon his family and go to the doctor to get herself looked at. But at the same time, smarter than Vincent to realize the hospitals were worse off than dying in the comfort of a home. The fourth grave was a curiosity, a man leaning dead against the fence in his parent's back-yard, snow up to his chest. It was too hard to say what killed him, but Vincent couldn't leave him there.
Noticing his hands had begun to turn a wicked shade of purple, Vince pushed himself from the ground to stand and walk to the house. The acrid smell of death still present in the air, it was no wonder he had chosen to stay in the shed over the passed day or so. He pulled up the thick scarf he had wrapped about his neck and covered his nose and mouth. He may have survived the virus, but that wasn't the only one present in the world, and he had overstayed his welcome. It was time he moved on.
Reaching into the thick coat pocket, he pulled the scrap of paper from his pocket with the address scribbled on it.
1170 W. 31St St.
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Apartment 12
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Apartment 12
It was Jamie's address for her school dorm. The letter he had found inside the house had been from her a few months before this had all started. His youngest sister had contracted the virus first out of their entire family. She had survived though. Courtney had told him that some people were naturally immune to viruses, so maybe his family would be lucky. The graves bounced into his mind once again as he remembered the words. Shaking his head to dispel the thoughts, he grabbed his stuff and headed toward the door. California was a long way, and he'd never get there by wishing things were different.
A look outside nearly made him second guess the trip, or at least delay it. Snow was still coming down, even if not as vehemently as the clouds suggested it would, and everything was layered with ice and sleet. His step-father's car was gone, where he had no idea. Hopefully the man had finally driven himself off the side of a cliff, or into a wall at least. Courtney's car was still in the driveway, but the little Accord was pointless in this weather, even if its battery wasn't as dead as the rest of the world. "What I wouldn't do for a helicopter right about now....." He said aloud, a bit amused at the thought. He had never flown a helicopter, but he had jumped from enough of them to watch the pilots and get the general gist of things. How hard could it be?
Even with the absence of any living creature that he was aware of, Vince still moved as if he was under constant observation, his military training pounding discipline into his every movement. It may have seemed a little silly to anyone who could see him considering the lack of anything at all left in his path, yet he would be justified if anyone could actually see him. Regardless, he needed supplies if he was to make the trip. The majority of everything would be improvised as he went, but one thing was needed before he set out.
The convenience store wasn't in the greatest shape, but that was unsurprising considering the state of things at the moment in the world. Looters had obviously been there at some point, but everything was still once more in his vision. Even still, he made a thorough check of the perimeter while being obscured from sight by the snow. Doubtful of there being anything of real use, he was still hopeful as he made his way to the door that he might find something edible to stock up on.
The glass on the door was already broken, as were most of the windows, and the place was in shambles. Slowly pulling the door open, he made one last check behind him as he prepared to walk in. At that moment, due to the ice and preexisting cracks in the glass, accelerated by the motion of the door, a large portion of the remaining glass came loose and tumbled to the hard floor beneath. The shattering was earsplitting in the dead silence of the world, even with the damper the weather provided. Cursing under his breath, he did the only thing he could do and moved into the store, knowing there was little reason to take the sound into concern, but instinctively letting his eyes and ears do their thing as he waited a moment to see what the sound might draw.