Chapter 17: Heading Out
Am I certain I want to take my family in there?
As I gazed at the scene of destruction ahead, doubt crept in. I began to question whether staying out of the city was a better choice than entering that chaotic mess.
Since the car was descending downhill, I didn't want to stop until we reached level ground, even though the thought crossed my mind. Stopping didn't mean I wanted to turn back, as that entailed another much risk in the unknown. However, the location ahead didn't appear safe either.
Moreover, I realised that we needed supplies. While I couldn't deny that this notion was heavily influenced by post-apocalyptic books, the world had become eerily similar to those fictional tales.
It was probably now filled with zombies, monsters, humans with powers, and who knew what else remained unencountered.
There was no way I could believe that David and I were the only ones with powers. The idea simply didn't seem plausible.
I really needed to find supplies for my family and myself, and currently, the only way to do that was to enter the city. While I wished to keep my loved ones out of harm's way, remaining outside the city didn't guarantee safety. There was nothing preventing danger from finding us.
With so much to consider and a lack of knowledge, I found myself wavering in indecision.
As the car slowly descended, I scrutinised my surroundings more closely.
Mangled cars were strewn all around, some appearing to have exploded, others flipped upside down, and most had crashed into something. However, that wasn't my main focus.
The road I was currently descending looked strikingly familiar. I didn't think I'd been here before, but it felt like I'd seen it online or on television.
Deep in contemplation, I gently pressed the car's brakes and studied my surroundings more carefully. That's when the realisation hit me.
This was Filbert Street in San Francisco. I recognized it from a TV show about famous American locations. Although Lombard Street was the primary focus of that show, Filbert Street was also featured due to its steepness.
At least I knew where we were now, which I considered good news. However, I couldn't help but wonder how we had somehow reached this place from the MacArthur Freeway, the highway where I had passed out with my son in Oakland. It had happened, and I had no choice but to go with the flow, I supposed.
As I was about to press the gas pedal to continue driving, I noticed an unusual absence of zombies on the road, which was quite strange. Just then, I heard a soft yawn coming from beside me.
Turning to look at Anna, I observed her gently rubbing her eyes.
"How are you feeling?" I inquired, to which Anna responded with a relieved smile.
"I'm feeling more energised, dear," she replied. She turned her attention to our new surroundings and posed a question.
"Do you know where we are, babe?"
"I believe we're in San Francisco," I responded. She gasped slightly at the distance.
"That far?" She looked around at our surroundings for a few seconds before speaking again. "It's dark and quiet as well. Too quiet."
I had pondered this earlier too. The extreme darkness could be attributed to the power outage resulting from the cracks in the sky earlier that day. However, the empty streets were indeed suspicious.
Mia had informed us that some humans had turned into zombies. Unless the group of humans on the highway were the only ones to transform, zombies should be present in this city too.
But I knew something significant had occurred here. The wreckage of cars on the road served as evidence of that.
Considering that a monster that was far away and was not part of the group on the highway still existed, the fact that this place was eerily quiet and empty raised our suspicions considerably.
What should we do now, babe?" Anna asked, and as she spoke, a somewhat loud sound echoed from her stomach.
She's hungry.
I had anticipated that something like this might happen later, which was one of the reasons I considered continuing our journey through the city in search of supplies.Just as Anna was about to say something else, we heard a yawn coming from behind us. It was David.
Previously, both Anna and I had made an effort to speak softly, probably for the same reason – not to wake the children.
However, David had eventually woken up despite our efforts, and I suspected that our whispers might have been normal conversation volume for his ears.
Now that he was awake, a thought that I had initially not wanted to entertain, as I wanted him to rest, resurfaced.
Among the both of us, David possessed the destructive power, which, in the context of the apocalypse, was a vital survival skill. I didn't intend for David to engage in combat, but to ensure our safety, I had to do what was necessary.
David and I would need to venture out to gather supplies.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone