Survivors

Chapter Six - To The Watering Hole

So instead I loaded my slingshot and kept watch.

Nothing came that night, and I don’t recall falling asleep, but I do believe I heard a man’s voice singing from the other side of London. I could not be sure, and with a glance at my latest companions, whom I secretly hoped would not be running off on me like the fox did, I decided not to share what had occurred.

Already I knew if I did tell her, she’d leap at the chance to see a ghost, a spirit, a poltergeist or…..a cannibal.

I woke in the morning via a kick to the stomach. The girl, with her dark dust covered hair framing her face, grinned down at me, her frog licking its lips upon her T-shirt clad shoulder.

“Wakey wakey, lazy!” she shouted, I rubbed my eyes before sitting up, stretching out my aching joints. The street looked very different in the new light, now I knew I had been only a few metres away from the fire. “Can I just add, I love hips don’t lie.” I groaned to myself.

She then began to sing it to herself dancing in the most, awkward manner. Finally she perched herself down on the opposite side of the fire remnants. Her frog had someone remained on her shoulder, even after the fast twirls and leaps. A loud rumbling noise echoed around her. I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrow.

The girl looked down and smiled awkwardly. “You wouldn’t happen to have any more of that meat would you?” I paused with my mouth open ready to argue on why I should give her some of my food but the resolutions I had made last night ebbed on my mind and I tossed her the remaining bag of meat after bringing it into the already bright morning light.

She immediately ripped open the packet and began to savagely devour the food without a second thought. The frog mimicked my look of slight…unease. She glanced up suddenly and hiding her mouth behind her hand said; “Sorry, did you want some?”. Her strange eyes locked onto mine and there was sincerity in her voice, even if it was muffled by the amount of food blocking it. I smiled lopsidedly, and glanced to the buildings that were gradually falling into disrepair.

“No, I don’t eat much to be honest.” I then took out my drink and took large gulps only to realize there was almost none left and my throat remained parched. “Do you have any water?” I asked, she just shook her head before throwing another strip of meat into that bottomless cavern she called a mouth. But what on Earth was she called? She knew my name; it was only fair I knew hers. Therefore I asked her.

Holding up a finger she swallowed the large mass of food before smiling. “Victoria.”

I glanced at her, “Can I call you Vicky, Vic, V, Tori…?”

She raised her eyebrows and the frog of hers licked its eyes, that was one thing that was worthy of a shudder.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I said so……” she then laughed after groaning with an additional shake of the head. A smile instantly spread across my face, “very well set up. But, Lizzie it’s been done before.”

“Yes but I do believe I improved it.”

“Did you now” she questioned her eyes wide in a dramatic way, waving around another strip of meat. “Quite impressive you remember that though, Elizabeth, considering it is first thing in the morning.”

I shrugged, glancing of down the street again, listening for that song again. “I’ve always been that way.”

“But you haven’t always been missing a part of your ear.” She had whispered it as though she was musing to herself, but I was intended to her it. My whole body had stiffened and my breathing hitched for a moment as I turned to look at her. Victoria’s eyes were flitting all over my face assessing me in great detail. I would not be able to lie to her; I knew that from last night.