Chapter 59 We Were Here

The five hours that Roanie had said had gone to seven hours.
All the adrenaline that we all felt had already gone and the long hour of being inside the car with the scorching heat outside made us all feel like we were being baked inside an oven.
"I'm so sorry it's been so long since I visited that place. I didn't think it would take us seven hours to reach it," Roanie apologized as she squinted at a wide building we saw standing alone in the middle of a wide-open place. It made me suspicious because the place looked like it was not trustworthy, but we have no choice but to check on it and see whatever things we could find and use.
"I remember it has a gasoline station because the manager of that hotel still uses cars like this and that cars that are used for long travels in this place are run by gasoline so they have a lot of customers before," Roanie added as she tries to remember the last time she was in this place and to think that she's remembering her mother made me feel sorry for her.
"That's good then, Roanie. We have to take risks and check the area first. You all stay here while I and Jayson make sure that it's safe for all of us to stay."
"What?! But I can fight! You need someone to back you up in case there are more Creepers than you expect." Roanie complained as she poke her face again from the back, between me and Jayson's seat. Her face is so close to me that I moved away from her in surprise, feeling awkward.
I look at Jayson and he just shrugged at me, saying I should be the one to decide and I rolled my eyes at both of them. "Fine. You can go with us but stray too far, ok? You'll go with me."
"I hope you don't mind, Harriet but..." Roanie asked, so curious but she looks shy about it. "How old are you actually?"
Jayson automatically looked at me and burst into laughter, together with Timothy and Li. Mona just covered her face as she smiled at Roanie's question.
I looked at them, my eyes were wide, looking annoyed as I prop my elbow on the window and place my head on my chin, not talking anymore. I look sharply at the surroundings outside, as the car moves at a moderate speed. They all went silent as soon as they saw that I got offended by their laughter. And an uncomfortable atmosphere filled the inside of the car as Jayson cleared his throat, regretting that he laughed with the others.
"Why did you all laugh? I was just asking?" Roanie looked at Timothy and the others on the back but Timothy just pulled her from poking her head between me and Jayson's seat and they didn't speak again. I heard hissing sounds but I decided not to act on it though. I know it's irrational and childish that I got offended by them laughing about my height. I got used to people making fun of me because of it anyway but I don't know... maybe it's the heat that makes me feel too moody today.
Jayson glanced at me, making puppy eyes with an apologetic look on his face, regretting that he laughed with the others. But I refused to look back at him and he just sighs as he focuses himself on the road. Both his hands are on the steering wheel.
I'll just let myself get angry at this moment. Maybe it's the feeling that not at all times, they could laugh at me like that. I get offended too and I have to be transparent about my feelings so they would not do it again next time.
But minutes passed, my chest suddenly felt heavy with guilt but my pride acts against it, and it would be awkward to tell them I am not that upset anymore so I just wait for them to talk to me but each of them didn"t want to break the awkward silence that fell on all of us. So I just shut myself and wait until we get to the place that Roanie had mentioned.
Jayson slowed down as soon as we got near the place, trying his best not to make so much noise from the car. He parked slowly and quietly on the side of the road as we all looked out the window to see if Creepers were hanging around the driveway or the parking area of the motel. Jayson took his gun and so am I as we both step outside the car with Roanie. We put a suppressor on our weapon just so we won"t attract too much noise if we ever encounter any of the Creepers all around the motel.
"Are you feeling okay now? I"m sorry I laughed," Jayson whispered to me as he moved closer, Roanie walking behind us with her pistol. Her shy and scared face when I first saw her is now gone and changed into a confident hitman. She pulled her hair into a ponytail making her look a little sharp and could take whatever will bing in front of her.
I wonder if it"s her mother or her father who taught her to use a gun just like how my dad taught me to hunt and use different kinds of range weapons. I can"t imagine the pain when she remembers she had to end her mother"s suffering after it turned into a Creeper. I wish I could do something for her but my friends are just mood killers after laughing about my height.
"I"m fine. I"m sorry for acting like a child. I just... I hate people making fun of my height. It pisses me off." I said to Jayson as we walked away from the car, crouching with careful feet not to make a distracting sound.
We both peek from the wall that oversees the driveway in front of the motel. I got distracted when I saw an armored car, the kind that the banks use to protect the money they are transferring to the other bank. Even Jayson got his eyes on it as we silently moved in front of the motel, listening to any strange sound that would confirm that this place is also infested with Creepers.
But the driveway is clear and there is no sign of dead bodies anywhere. It seems like the people here had quickly evacuated when the alarm of the Scarlet Tundra invading this land reached them.
Jayson signaled me and Roanie to move forward and that the driveway is clear from danger. I looked at her and she nodded at me, ready for whatever may happen if we entered the facility.
The building is two-storied high and made of bricks. We went straight to the entrance and find the door open, thinking that the owner must be in a hurry to just let the doors open. They must be hurrying for the bunker and worried it might close without them so they just left all their possessions.
We quickly moved inside the lobby and area and just like the building where Roanie used to live, everything inside is in a great mess. Jayson proceeds to the corridors and Roanie and I followed him, making sure we"re both wary of any noise that we hear. As we stepped to check the rooms, Roanie was shaken when a huge rat suddenly appeared and ran between her feet. Good thing I was fast enough to cover her mouth with my hand and she look at me wide-eyed, terrified that she would almost scream from that damn rat.
"Oh god, that scared me to death," Roanie hissed as Jayson and I looked at her, worried if she really could keep up with how careful we needed to be.
She lifted her brows and mouthed sorry" to us and Jayson just put his finger on his lips, telling her to keep as silent as she could. I ignored the message though. I focused on his thin lips and my inner desire, wondering when the next time I could feel it on my lips.
"I think this area is clear," Jayson whispered to us. "I think it"s totally abandoned. But look at the walls." He pointed to the walls for us to check on them.
There are markings on them with names of random people written in a different medium. Some are crayons like some children had written on it and some were carved with knives saying We were here."
I saw the crayons on the floor, thinking about the small hands that held them as he or she, wrote their names on the wall. My heart suddenly felt heavy that it was so hard to breathe. I covered my mouth, fighting myself not to cry and Jayson reached for me to embrace me in his arms. I couldn"t stop remembering my father and little brother. If they are doing ok in that bunker they are staying.
"Let"s go get the others, Harriet," Jayson whispered and kissed my forehead.