As Hugo drove north of Fresno, out of the city, in his rear-view mirror he noticed Master on top of a nearby roof, watching them drive away. He looked forward, hoping nobody else noticed.

“Hugo?” said Lila. She was in the back seat with Mordecai and Genesis. “Where are we going?”

Hugo glanced at her through the rear-view mirror, “Yosemite,” he answered.

“Yosemite?” said Mordecai. “That place is on fire.”

“Are you sure?” said Hugo, insecurely.

“Yeah, look,” Mordecai nodded ahead to the mountains in the distance. Hugo looked closer, just now noticing how dark the sky was.

“Oh,” Hugo said. He continued to drive, thinking of a solution. “Let's just see. Maybe there’s a good place we can hide.”

“For real?” Mordecai asked. “Look at that. You’re trying to give us lung cancer.”

“No, no. Let’s just check it out, and if there’s nothing we’ll keep going,” Hugo answered.

Carmen was leaning out of the window, staring blankly at the distant mountains. “Where else is left to go?”

The car was silent.

“You think area 51 is still going?” Genesis asked, breaking the silence.

No one answered and they settled into their seats.

They passed a couple signs labeling the road they were on as the 41. Hugo remembered it as the road he and his family used to take to get to Yosemite. He was just going off memory by that point.

“I’m hungry,” Lila said.

Mordecai was asleep, pressing his head against the glass. Carmen and Genesis had nothing for her.

“I’ll find something for you, Lila,” said Hugo.

He noticed a gas station on his right and pulled over. Mordecai woke up.

“Huh? What?” Mordecai said, confused.

“I’m looking for food,” Hugo said. He turned the car off and stepped out. From where they were, it was empty. Not a wanderer in sight nor a body. The road was paved, and it cut through a massive plain of dead grass and dirt. It was flat all around and Fresno was already out of sight. The front door to the gas station was open and the windows were shattered. Beside the door were two pieces of plywood, it seemed like it used to be one piece but was broken down the middle.

Hugo stepped inside, seeing a couple shelves were empty and bags of chips were scattered across the floor. Everything still in the freezers was probably spoiled, but in the back of the bottom shelves, Hugo found some hidden, untouched food, chips, packs of cookies, candy, and some sticks of crispy rice treats. He took what he could in his arms and walked outside.

Everyone was outside of the car, stretching their limbs and resting, except for Jacob who was still in the very back of the car.

Mordecai noticed Hugo with his food, “Is there more?” he asked.

“I think so,” Hugo answered. He put all the food on the floor of the back seat. “Here, Lila. Get whatever you want.”

Lila took the crispy rice treats and sat in the car to eat. Hugo noticed how skinny she was and was at least happy she had something to eat now. 

Mordecai came out of the gas station, holding a plastic bag full of cigarettes and drugs.

“Woah,” said Hugo, holding out his hand to Mordecai.

Mordecai stopped. He glanced at the hand then to Hugo. “Is there a problem?”

“What happened to lung cancer?” said Hugo.

Mordecai did not answer. He took a pack and dropped the bag. From his back pocket he took out a lighter and started smoking. “Let me get one hit then,” he said with a cigarette in his mouth. He walked to the pole of the gas station and leaned on it, continuing to smoke. Genesis joined him.

Carmen walked up to Hugo, “Should they be smoking there?”

“What do you mean? ...oh,” said Hugo, remembering the gas station. “Do you know how much gas that spine gang cleaned out from the area?” 

“No,” said Carmen.

Hugo nodded and they waited beside the car for Mordecai and Genesis to finish smoking.

“Is everything alright?” Hugo asked. 

Carmen looked at him almost coldly.

“You’re welcome,” said Carmen.

“Oh, uh, thank you,” Hugo answered.

“Do you even know why you should be thanking me?” Carmen responded annoyedly.

“Um…” Hugo scratched his neck.

“I watched your sister and that whole group of kids, all on my own until I found the Spine again. Most of them are probably dead now after what happened. I also went to help save you from falling off a roof,” said Carmen.

“Thank you,” said Hugo, nodding his head. “If there’s anything you need from me-”

Carmen rolled her eyes and opened the car, she got in the passenger seat and shut the door behind her.

Mordecai and Genesis looked over at the sound of the door shutting, seeing Hugo standing there beside the car.

“Time to go,” he announced to them. Mordecai and Genesis dropped their cigarettes and walked to the car. Mordecai snuck a pack of cigarettes from the bag he dropped, thinking Hugo wasn't looking, but Hugo saw it from the corner of his eye.

Hugo drove back onto the road, leaving the gas station behind.

BOOM

The gas station exploded in a fiery cloud, and they could feel the heat from inside the car.

“What was that?” Jacob said. He sat up and faced the group from the very back. No one answered. Jacob glanced at the windows seeing nothing. When he looked out the back window he saw the gas station, “Oh.”