CHAPTER 77: WAITING ON ACID RAIN.

The Citrus drizzle was already fading, after taking many lives with it. Some lucky few had been blessed to awaken their abilities but, they did not know what to do with them or even what they were. Those that had come across Sunshine’s guide knew to keep the secret of their awakening to themselves.

The sky was clearer, the rain was also becoming clearer and more like normal rain. Many people came out of hiding and started heading for their homes or what used to be their homes.

Others were already searching for shelter in safe places. For some, it was another day to loot supplies as they believed in the prophecies of Pastor Salem. From children to adults, the knowledge that acid rain was coming was spreading and everyone wanted to prepare as quickly as possible.

Nurse Cole and Fifi Quinn also came out of hiding, prepared to venture into the outside world again. Fifi did not think about going to search for her daughter, Cole did not consider looking for his fiancé. Both of them just wanted to get to safety as soon as possible.

After covering every part of their bodies, they ventured out in search of transportation, moving quickly. They found the car that she had been driving but half of it was missing. It was like something had made one clean cut through it.

"We need to find a car as soon as possible." She told Cole.

They had not been told what exact time the acid rain would be falling, and she was worried that it would meet them before they arrived at Westbrook.

"I suggest we run." Cole said.

Everyone was running, walking was no longer a good idea. So, they started running, pausing by every car they found, hoping to find one that still had keys in the ignition.

Fifi’s attention was caught by a group of people outside a building that were robbing an older woman of her supplies. "We should find food first." She paused and said to Cole.

He agreed. They had not eaten a thing since the meteors started falling.

Fifi rushed to the woman and took what was left of the food she had, a single loaf of bread. She snatched it and kicked the old woman. "I do not think that you will make it far in this apocalypse anyway." She said, unapologetically.

Cole stripped two jackets from people that had died in the citrus drizzle and some watches.

"Valuables too and cash." He reminded Fifi.

In addition to searching for a car, they turned into thieves along the way, robbing the dead and alive. Cole was the muscle, and Fifi did the snatching. Together, they made a wonderful team.

They soon found a car soon; it belonged to a family that was preparing to escape. Some of their supplies were in the back, along with a baby.

Fifi threw the baby out and Cole punched the father. They climbed into the car and drove out.

****

Devastation was not enough to describe Moon’s condition. She was torn, shocked, and had been catatonic for some hours. She had not cried or screamed after her father was forced out, she just hugged herself and sat in a corner, breathing in the blood of those that had been murdered by Salem’s men.

Rowena on the other hand, she had been crying for hours. Every once in a while, she would take breaks and sip some water. Then, she would cry again after moistening her threat.

Something in Rowena snapped and grasped Moon’s arms. "Why haven’t you cried for your father? Why didn’t you stop the pastor? Why did you bring us here?"

Moon shoved her mother away. "Mother shut up, I cannot think with you wailing on top of your lungs."

Denise let out a shaky sigh. "Moon the woman just lost her husband, I do not understand how you are so strong right now." She placed a hand to her head.

Rowena had asked all the questions she wanted to ask as well. Why had Moon brought them to this hell? Why did she insist on going against the pastor? If she behaved, they would be living with the VIPs, and Dustin Raine would be alive.

"Potty...I need potty." Cassius chimed in.

Moon screamed "Shut up, shut up, shut up! You are a burden, and you have been of no help since we left the Quinn manor. It should have been you out there and not my father now he is dead! Because of you." Moon’s voice was full of venom; she began to push Cassius outside.

He shoved her back and slapped her. She screamed like a crazed woman and leaped on him. "Die! You are useless go and die for me!"

Cassius pushed her back and left the room. He followed someone to the VIP area, looking back to make sure that Moon was not following him.

Moon was unable to follow because Denise was holding her back. Denise was now aware that Cassius was not a fool, and he had sneaked snacks to her once in a while. But he had told her not to share this secret with Moon.

Denise wanted to leave a way out for herself. If she could not depend on Moon, she would depend on Cassius. None of his potty trips were to the actual potty. Why Moon had not asked herself why he went to the potty at least ten times a day baffled her.

Denise let go of Moon. "You should calm down."

Moon cast Denise with a silencing glare. "I should have chosen you instead of Cassius perhaps my father would still be alive." She fell on her knees and began to weep.

Denise did not care. Moon had herself to blame. "I am going to find Cassius so that he does not cause trouble."

Rowena approached Moon now that they were alone and grabbed her shoulders. "You said that your father awakened right?"

Moon’s eyes widened. Indeed, her father had awakened in her last life. She did not know the details but when she reunited with her parents, her father was a superhuman.

"Yes, he did." She wiped away her tears. "We cannot lose hope yet. He leaped over the wall and escaped. It is possible that he is alive. When he returns, we will set Pastor Salem on fire."

****

Preparations for acid rain were going on at Fortress Four. The residents who had once doubted the power of the bubble now had no doubts of its abilities. They were enthusiastically applying gel and blowing more bubbles like their lives depended on it.

However tongues were wagging and worry was growing in some because of the man that had been whisked away to the medic bay. They had seen him exhibit strange behavior so some of them were worried for their safety and that of their children.

Philip was one of those that had complained about it the most and he was still complaining as he monitored the teenagers that were jogging in an allocated part of the field.

Major Elio’s wife Tia was also talking about it with some of the other parents rather than running, which they were supposed to be doing.

Out on the field, Nimo clapped her hands repeatedly. "Let us move people, we don’t have all day. The kids are running; the grownups should not fall behind." She signaled at them to keep running.

"What happened to the blockhead that drunk the yellow rain?" Helena a.k.a Mouthquake paused her feet and shouted out a question.

Other runners paused, wanting to hear answers, Nimo was an authority figure at the base which meant that she knew what was going on.

Helena Mouthquake, the self-assigned spokesperson of the residents continued to quiz her. "If that man is infected with something, doesn’t it make him dangerous to the rest of us? That is how zombie infections begin."

Murmurs vibrated in the runners; the stench of fear started to grow. This was an apocalypse after all. Even though information centers had said this was not a zombie kind of apocalypse, one could never know.

Even if it was not zombies. maybe it was another kind of illness.

"So, is it zombies or not?" Mouthquake shouted.