《Survival》 Arrival CHAPTER 1 The raindrops splattered on the windshield as I cruised on the I-5 North freeway. The steady speed of 60 MPH felt safe despite the horrendous conditions on the road. Rainy, overcast, cold, and dark. I was prepared for this kind of drive since I¡¯m used to unsafe driving conditions in Florida, where rain can pour on you without any warning. It goes from bright and clear to dark and hazy in an instant, where the headlights and windshield wipers are the only things keeping me alive. It was necessary for me to pull over until the downpour was over, and I could see again. At least, see enough for me to drive. Melo, my 1 year old Yorkie/German Shepherd mix was completely oblivious in the back seat, noticing how different the pine trees were compared to the ones he has seen in the south. I needed to access the internet so I could post some pictures on X (formerly Twitter). I was able to get wifi from Panera, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Hardies, Starbucks, and Walmart in Jacksonville. That¡¯s where Melo and I used to live until we headed to the I-10 West 6 months ago, having travelled across the country again. This was my fifth time doing this and Melo¡¯s 2nd time. I passed by an exit that displayed Starbucks, so I kept going. When I saw the M sign that stood for McDonalds, I decided to take the exit. I didn¡¯t know where I was, but I knew I had to stop since I was running low on gas.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Look, there¡¯s Subway!¡± I exclaimed to Melo. I met him at a Subway in Lake Conroe, Texas. ¡°Do you have wifi here?¡± I asked the guy behind the Subway counter in the Arco AMPM gas station. ¡°No maam.¡± I kept driving in this strange town. I have never been here, but it looked like a small town. I passed by a lake, some boats, campers, and roads that looked like a nice peaceful drive. I didn¡¯t know where I was, so I had to stop by another local gas station. ¡°Do you know where the I-5 is?¡± I asked the lady behind the counter. ¡°Yes, go back to the highway. When you reach the end, make a right on College Road. You will see the freeway from there.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m going the right way?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How far is the freeway from here?¡± ¡°About 10 miles.¡± Chapter 2 The fierce gust of wind woke me up as it pounded on the car, snapping me out of my dream. It felt like I was on the freeway again at high speed, and I was worried that the license plate in the back would come off. Melo was snug under the blanket, oblivious to what was going on around the car. It was dark, cold, and windy. We were inside the parking lot with Safeway and Starbucks nearby. There was nowhere else to go since the gas tank was empty. I was scared, but I knew that I had to stop. Even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t move the car since I had no gas. I saw the trees being whipped around from the window like they were ragdolls. Storm? It reminded me of hurricane level gusts when I was in Florida. I could hear the eerie moans of the strong wind, constantly beating everything in sight to make sure there were no survivors. We were safe inside the locked car, but outside of it was a different story. The other cars disappeared, leaving the parking lot empty. This was not the place to be stranded, but it was safer there than anywhere else.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. So I survived that fiasco. I didn¡¯t know where I was, but it was my first full day at Mt. Vernon. I knew I was in Washington since I passed by Seattle, but I had no idea where I was. It was only day 2.