Dark, menacing clouds hung low in the sky. If it wasn't enough that Chuck's entire worlds had been destroyed, now it looked like it might rain, but it was hard to tell. Now a days a blackened sky could just mean that there was a fire near by, seemed like something was always burning somewhere. It was a burnt out, raped, and barren earth now. Everything that had previously been taken for granted was now a luxury; even the simplest things like a comb or tooth brush. Chuck, never having been one to complain about day to day annoyances, thought that now, with the world in ruin, might be a good time to start.
Chucks legs felt like Jello. He had been walking for what seemed like weeks, too scared to stop and too determined to quit. He pushed on, avoiding open areas as well as dead ends and blind corners. It was important not to give the Invaders an opportunity to strike. Not that there was much left to loose, but to Chuck even the small slice of life he had now was better than death; he would push on. Rubble and debris was scattered on either side of the road, it reminded Chuck of the dump. It was terrible, everywhere he went seemed to be more ravaged than the last. Really the only thing that kept him going was the thought of food. That was more or less the number one struggle for him now that and Water. Luckily, the night before, he had come across a convenience store on the side of the highway. Inside there was not much left, but he was fortunate enough to find a can of chili as well as a can of condensed split pea soup. When he saw the soup his mind instantly went back to that old movie "THE Exorcist", but that did nothing to stunt his appetite. Now, almost 24 hours later he was tired and ready to stop, even if for just long enough to eat.
In the near distance he spotted something, it was a rest stop. They brought back fond memories of road trips theater he had taken in the past. His spirits jumped a little at the thought of his life before, but where quickly brought down to earth as he looked again to the side of the road. In the ditch was a dead man, his hands curled tightly around a broken bottle. What the hell was so important about that bottle that he clutched it with his dying strength? The seen was very gruesome, the way his face was contorted into a permanent scowl. Dead bodies were another common occurrence now, it was just something else that he would have to get used to seeing.
After about thirty minutes of walking, Chuck finally made it to the rest stop, it looked deserted. There was a drinking fountain, and with any luck, it would have running water, Chuck needed a drink bad. He walked up to the small fountain and pulled back the steel handle, clear water shot from the spout. Thank God, thought Chuck as he put his lips to the stream, taking long, hearty swallows. He found a bench near by and thought he had better sit for a while to give his legs a rest. After a short break, he would eat. The Exorcist soup it is, thought Chuck.
