The Long Way To Reno

by Mix, Michelle

Nearly forty-five minutes later, we were standing on the Sparks Boulevard overpass, overlooking I-80, with the Legends shopping center to our left. There were so many abandoned vehicles on the overpass, on the on and off ramps that it was almost as if every living being had been sucked right out of their car. Some of them were smashed, overturned, like someone had played bumper cars with all of them. Others were just abandoned, doors left open, seats jammed with hastily packed junk. Trucks with trailers took up a lot of room. One of them was lying on its side on the exit ramp, jack-knifed between cement walls.

  It was dark, and there was an uneasiness to the entire area that left us all jumpy. The silence was immense, save for some gunfire in the distance that didn't sound so safe. We crossed the overpass and was almost near the Taco Bell within the Legends mall area when I decided to speak up.

  "I want to go that way," I said, pointing towards the center of Reno. I looked at Harley, because, for some reason, the others were looking to him for guidance. It was a little weird. My next question was more cautious. "Why aren't we going that way?"

  "I think…with the state of things, the way the city was hit, that pretty much the…the aliens," he stuttered over this word, obviously unable to accept things as they happened, "are done with it. The soldiers patrolling the area won't look there for any more stragglers. It might be safest."

  I gave him a skeptical look before looking back over the mangled mess. It wasn't even a freeway, anymore. It was a route of devastation and ruin. It was as if someone massive had just – it actually looked like footprints, to be honest. I squinted, trying to see if this was a sure thing. Those giant mechas had to have done this.

  "Why are we going along with what she says?" Nate then asked, giving me an expression of disgust. "Remember what happened the last time?"

  "We were headed that way in the first place," Emmy interjected, before either I or Harley could speak up. "You came along for the ride. If you want to go somewhere different, then you're free to go."

  I couldn't help but look at her with appreciation.

  "I thought we were a group!"

  "We are! Before we met you, we already had a destination in mind!"

  "I live in Cold Springs, so…it's along the way," Harley said, a little low.

  Nate looked at him and Alex for help, seeing as he wasn't convincing the females that his cause was greater than mine. "I can't go – I can't do this on my own, you guys. I can't just – I need to go that way."

  He pointed towards the north end of Reno, which was I-80 straight through the center of the city. I started to feel a little guilty because my way would mean Emmy and Harley had to leave their path by some miles.

  "Then come with us as far as we go," Harley said, easing himself to sit on the cold ground. He grimaced as he did so, and I frowned down at him, eyeing the knee he began rubbing with both hands. Emmy crouched down next to him with a concerned expression while Alex surveyed the wreckage of the freeway, not participating in anything.

  "But I need someone to go with me!"

  "Sorry, buddy, but our plans take us in the opposite direction."

  "You guys can't just leave me – it's all your fault!" Nate then accused, pointing at me. "It's real obvious why you're getting all the consideration, you who - !"

  "Cut it out. We were headed for that destination before we even met you," Harley snapped at him. "After everything that's happened so far, I don't think we're going to make any big decisions following people we meet. It seems that every one of them is trying to kill us, anyway."

  "I'm cool hanging with you guys," Alex said, turning to look at us. He gave a gesture out at the city behind us. "Look at this place…I bet the valley was hit hard – I don't think any of my family made it. I don't think I'm even gonna try. What's the point?"

  "We're going to Harley's dad's place," Emmy told him shyly. "He's armed and dangerous, I hear. I mean, c'mon – if Harley's this, then think about where his dad's coming from."

  "I'm way excited," Alex agreed, and I was bewildered to the expressions of approval from the teens as they looked at Harley. Meanwhile, the scrawny dork looked awkward at their praise. Nate gave a curse, hands on his hips. "I'm pretty much thinking we'll live together, forever, with this guy."

  Emmy blushed.

  Ever the protective parent, Harley gave Alex a suspicious look. Alex was quick to wave his hands around, saying hastily, "I mean, not like - ! I'm not in it for that, I'm just - !"

  "It isn't fair," Nate insisted. "I can't do this on my own! I just want to get to Trevor - !"

  "It's not like we're making you go with us," I said. "We're going that way. If it's faster for you, go back to McCarren."

  "As far as I'm concerned, anything you say or do is irrelevant to me," he said haughtily.

  "Unfortunately, she's right," Harley said bitterly. "I'm sorry, things are…chaotic. After everything that's happened thus far, I can't find any other reason to deviate from the path we've already planned on taking."

  God, he sounded like such a dork. But Nate glared at him and Harley looked uncomfortable because it was obvious he wasn't used to being in charge – but everyone kept looking to him for direction, and he couldn't snake out of it. Alex crouched down next to the wall, looking up at the snow that fell gently – while it hit the ground, it wasn't sticking as badly as it was in Patrick. I noticed him and Emmy sneaking looks at each other.

  I adjusted my messenger bag. "Well, shall we continue?"

  "WE should take a break," Alex spoke up, looking at me. "I think his knee's hurt."

  "No, it's fine – " Harley started to say when Emmy said firmly, "We need to find a place to stay, Edith. He might've twisted it when Tom stuffed him into the trunk."

  I gave an impatient frown at him while the teenagers stared at me, waiting for me to argue. It looked like everyone was going to jump on me for wanting to move on, so I clenched my teeth. I just wanted to go home – I could see it – I was in the city, I just wanted to go home - !

  But at the same time, since we were in Sparks, it would be easy for these guys to just find a place to squat in while Harley rested his leg, or whatever. My throat tightened at spending more time away from my parents. I figured I could just leave these guys – it should be that hard to get home!

  BUT - !

  "Okay, okay," I said with a tight grimace. "Look, Legends is right there. It's a huge place. And there's apartments, too. We can find supplies."

  I figured I could ditch them when they were settled in Scheel's. I wasn't about to be deterred from my path. I caught the relieved expression on Harley's face, and felt a tiny stab in my chest. I'm not sure if it was from guilt or my own wretched selfishness screaming impatiently at them, but it made me wince. I guess he was more hurt than I wanted to accept, and we'd walked a good distance for the injury to grow worse.

  Emmy gave me a cheery smile while Nate grumbled, walking away from us. I thought he was going to leave us, but he just walked out from behind the UPS Delivery truck we were sitting behind. I was going to follow him because I wanted to see what sort of an obstacle course we were going to take when Emmy asked Harley to show her his knee. Alex said something I didn't catch – I was watching Nate because his head jerked around so quickly that my heart skipped a beat.

  Not even a moment later, Nate was crumbling to his knees, and this pulpy noise caused us all to jump. My eyes widened as I realized what had happened, looking down with a dazed expression as what was left of his brains spilled out right next to Alex. The three on the ground scrambled for cover, and I was frozen because I had just processed what had happened to Nate – I turned in reaction, automatically looking for the shooter when another bullet pinged noisily off the truck's grill.

  THEN I ducked with a shriek, hands over my head. Bullets showered the area, and I scrambled to cram myself against the truck's wheel, watching as Harley pushed Emmy underneath a sedan. Alex rolled flat on the concrete and covered his head with both hands. Harley reached for him, and time froze at that m
oment – seeing him react instantly to protect these two kids, of no relation to him, made something snap in me.

  He single handedly hauled Alex off the pavement and pushed him next to Emmy – from a standing point, they were hidden. He went for his gun, and he winced for a brief moment as he bumped that knee – I knew at that point it was up to me to step up. I felt intense fear and anxiety hit me, nearly knocking the breath from me. I knew I had to do something – I knew it was my turn to help people, especially him.

  I figured since Nate was hit from the side, the shooter was coming from the ramp nearby – I didn't have much time to think about what I was doing as I saw Harley getting to his feet. I scrambled to mine, and just ran for the Legends mall. I figured, in the back of my mind, that if I could get the attention of the shooter, they wouldn't see Harley and the kids. They'd see me, and maybe he could, like, shoot them because they were focused on me – it made sense in my mind.

  Bullets hit the cars I ran past – I shrieked and hollered, covering my head with my hands, and ran like these dudes were right behind me. It felt like all my hairs were standing on end as glass shattered, and I felt shards of stuff hit me from all sides. They were hitting the concrete guardrail, and I could hear them shouting directions to each other on intercepting me. The crack of gunfire told me they had assault weapons, and this continuous release of firepower had my mind snapping to visions of Modern Warfare, Call of Duty moments – they wanted to freaking kill me - !

  I ran without looking back and hunched my shoulders because I knew if I made myself a small target, they couldn't hit me that quick.

  I heard gunfire coming from behind me, and the soldiers' startled shouts. I chanced a look, tripping ungracefully over some decorative flowerbush. But once I righted myself, sputtering out dirt and snow, I saw that Harley was shooting each guy that was caught in his sights. One by one, under the crack of that rifle, a soldier fell.

  There had been four of them, and as Harley searched for any signs of more, I spit and coughed out the debris I'd inhaled, rising slowly from the wet ground. As I wiped my face, struggling to catch my breath, Harley coaxed the kids out from their hiding spot and hurried them in my direction.

  "Goddamn you!" I heard him shout angrily. I had to admit, in my rattled mind, that his angry shout sounded a little…well, hot. Like a man. I had to look twice just to make sure this was the same guy that I'd left the warehouse with.

  I tried to look indignant, but he cursed up a storm as he hobbled up to us, pausing briefly to look through the dead guys' pockets, packs, for valuables. It gave Emmy enough time to squeal and hug me tightly.

  "You're so awesome," she whispered. "They didn't even look our way when you took off!"

  "Just like I planned," I coughed, but Alex was giving me a look that told me otherwise. I spit the last of the dirt out as Harley caught up to us, glaring at me as he reloaded what looked to be a beautiful Spaz 12.

  "Quit running off like that!" he snapped.

  "You're welcome," I said sweetly. "Dear."

  "I can't even take you seriously when you look like that," he muttered, striding ahead. I wiped my face once more, finding that more dirt was caked around my cheeks and mouth, and I grumbled about it. Once I realized we were still headed towards Scheels, I looked back at the mangled freeway, giving a low sigh of frustration.

  "Well, at least we don't have to hear Nate whine, anymore," I muttered, Alex snorting before we received the look of fury from the guy with the hunting rifle. Alex blamed me for it with an expression of consternation, but I didn't care. I was totally right – they were all thinking it.

  : :

  I should have figured, with the way the Ferris Wheel sat in the mangled freeway, that the insides weren't as intact as we thought. But I was wrong. It looked as if something massive had just piled the very insides of the building into this weird, huge mound that was tucked inside the center. It pushed outward into the shopping area with a mangled, worm-like appearance. At first I wondered if it were a garden of some sort, the way the mounds were set.

  Then I realized I didn't want to know what was planted underfoot.

  I turned and examined my messy reflection in what was left of the tinted windows that had once been entrance doors. The other three ventured into what space was available to them, gaping at the damage. I was embarrassed by my appearance, frantically wiping dirt from my forehead, chin and mouth.

  "I don't think we should be here," Emmy muttered, reaching out to Harley's pack and hiding behind him. "It feels weird in here."

  "Like…almost like there's electricity running closeby," Harley murmured. "Like a transformer."

  "A robot?" Alex asked curiously, causing me to whip around, thinking about the mechas I'd seen.

  "No. I guess it's the base where electricity is sorted and – "

  "Oh. Duh."

  "Look at my hair!" Emmy exclaimed as I walked over to join them. Her blond hair was pulling upward, as if she were touching one of those electric ball-things. As I grew closer to them, I definitely felt the effect – it was a freaky charge of power in the air, making my skin tingly and my ears ring. I blinked, looking for the source of the energy.

  "I think we should go," Harley then said slowly. "There might be some downed power lines in the area. If we can't see it, we might get fried accidently."

  "Good idea," Emmy said hastily, heading back towards the doors. Alex hurried forward, towards what looked to be a bunch of clothes. He cheered once he saw that it was a black hooded sweater with that Jordan guy on the front. Harley waited for him to pull it on while I caught sight of a black, glittery light coming from behind some support beams. I thought it was one of the massive fish that had swum in the tanks near the registers that Scheels boasted – I tried not to feel sorry for something that probably didn't have a brain.

  We began walking towards the Sparks Marina, the stench of smoke making me cringe. The kids hurried on ahead, looking through cars that had been parked in the lot – most of them were uplifted and scattered about, almost like something massive had picked them up and tossed them towards the freeway. As a result, there were things lying on the snowy concrete – purses, clothes, sports items, cellphones. People. I tried not to look at the dead people, their rigid bodies looking like bloated mannequins with stiff limbs splayed about and gruesome injuries staining the snow.

  “That thing was huge,” Harley muttered, jaw tensing. “Back at the warehouse? I don’t see why they needed anything else to finish us off if those were tearing the city up.”

  “Gundams are weapons of war,” I said. “This is war, right?”

  He gave me a confused look, then decided he didn’t want to know what a Gundam was. “Not if one side didn’t even have a chance!’

  “Psh, sure we do. Look at us, now, Hurl. We’re living. And this is America, undoubtedly, we’ll round up the troops and kick ass,’ I said with confidence. I reached into my messenger bag, withdrawing my compact and chapstick. I took a few moments of applying before putting things back with a confident pat over the straps. “It’s only a matter of time, actually.”

  He snorted and rolled his eyes, adjusting his pack.

  “In all the games I’ve played, there’s a hero out there, waiting to save us. Everything has a hero – we just need to make it until then.”

  He gave the sky a look that made me feel insulted. The one that was then directed at me made feel small, and I immediately felt like an idiot. I hated that feeling. So I scowled.

  “I’ve never met someone so delusional,” Harley said, sounding incredulous. “Honestly, you’re like – the outside is one presentation, but now that you’ve opened your mouth, you’re this…sometimes, I feel like just walking away from it. Y’know?”

  I grit my teeth. For some reason, I felt hurt, but at the same time, I convinced myself not to take this guy’s words to heart. He should be thankful I even gave him a chance. All guys like him wanted a girl like me – otherwise, why were Asians in such popular demand?
r />   “I might be an idiot, but who’s the idiot that made it this far?”

  “With our help!”

  I grit my teeth again because…he was right. Then I was angry because I couldn’t even come up with a comeback to that, and I glared at my feet. I just wanted to go home. I wanted to go home to mom and dad and feel like I was somebody, again. I wanted to feel comfortable knowing that people wanted me around, and patiently dealt with my ‘stupidity’ in a way that didn’t make me feel so crappy.

  “It’s a little sad,” Harley interrupted my pity-party, glancing at me, “that you got this far thinking that you’re valuable for your physical attributes, when everyone’s focused on survival. Honestly, there’s no depth to you. Your personality sucks. You’re shallow, vain, and obviously delusional, if you think we’ll make it out the way that you described. You can’t kill zombies with lipstick or cute clothes, Edith! Our future is uncertain! Any of us could get killed at any moment, and what are you going to do, then?”