Chapter 2 - Companions in the Dark

268 19 10
                                    

The sound was long behind them, but they kept going through every lane and alleyway. These streets once held hundreds of people at once in their grasp, but now they were empty shells and held only the shadows of the past. This, of course, did not effect the two young teenagers who scampered within these streets.

The two of them had a lot of stamina, after so long running from the zombies, it was to be expected. As was the strength and courage along with it - the young girl and boy could be considered particularly brave and by most standards were able to handle any situation involving a deadman. But socially? They couldn't handle themselves quite in the way thought of as 'normal'.

They wound through everywhere Ryan knew in the city and more before they arrived at the cold shopping centre which he knew so well. This was where he was when it all started. Where his family was. And even though he came back several times for supplies, he had hoped to leave it far behind him long ago. His lungs and calves were burning as he saw the broken windows above and the burning stone floor beneath them. The sun high in the sky.

In the complete open where they were exposed from all sides, she dropped her bag on him and slid underneath an old car. She then began fiddling with the car that was clearly out of service and had been for some time. There was no way it was going to run, but that didn't stop her from rummaging her hands inside the car's internals.

She was underneath it and cranks could be heard of her and the seriously reluctant engine. “Now. Who the hell are you?”

It felt like taboo to Ryan to speak so loudly and he instantly checked in all directions; “Will you keep your voice down!” he hissed.

She rolled her eyes. Even though he couldn't see it, he could certainly hear it in her voice when she called back: “They don’t come here anymore. There’s not enough meat to satisfy them so they don’t even bother to show their ugly faces.”

“Will you shut up!”

“Touchy, are we?” She teased. “Look, I don’t know your story, but if you’re suicidal then I could use your help.”

He felt his bitten hand sting a little in retaliation. He covered it more with his old hoodie, pressing his hand against the wound. It was stupid to not tell her. But Ryan was a stupid boy. “I’m not your friend and I don’t want to help you.”

“Then what are you?”

“A guy.”

“Just a guy?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, just a guy, I have people I need to get back to. So come with me or not, make your choice.”

He peered down, tempted to drag her out of the axle by her exposed ankles for answers. But he stayed patient and calm. Just like he was taught. “There are more than just you?”

“Well, yeah.” She sighed. Her sarcasm really starting to get on his nerves. “Where have you been for the past ten years?”

His eyes hardened. “Surviving.”

"You think that's all to life?"

"It's all we have left."

"Wrong again, actually." She smiled, like it was some kind of game show from ancient times.

"What do you mean?"

"Well-" she grunted on something that clearly wasn't giving, the strain could be heard as she tugged on it harder and harder. "The city has got life. More than enough, actually."

There was a long pause where Ryan scanned the area around them. He had been living, hadn't he? The world was crumbling around them but he had lived through it all; his family hadn't been so lucky but they still had survived most of what the world threw at them.

Cold AshesWhere stories live. Discover now