Wasteland

-1-

Attracting unwanted attention was among one of Norah's biggest pet peeves because talking too loud and carrying a clunky bag would definetly attract some Gens. This was exactly what Liko and Pox were doing right now.

"You know, I bet there's a type of Flora that has flowers that induces hallucinations!" Pox proclaimed, his shaggy brown blonde hair bouncing with every step he took. His backpack made a clanking sound as Norah walked behind him.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that were true," Liko agreed, rolling his narrow hazel eyes. "There's a plant for everything."

"Yea!" Pox agreed, maybe too excitedly. "The next time we come across one, I'm gonna spark it up!"

Liko chuckled. "You really miss your weed too much, man!"

Pox put his hands on his hips. "No I don't!"

"Shhh!" Norah hissed. She had heard enough. The two were supposed to act responsible, but instead, it was Norah who had to take control. "You guys are being too loud! I don't want to encounter any Gens today!"

She would have been much faster, much safer, raiding the city on her own. But no! She had to be escorted! Sometimes, the people in her group could be very sexist, and she hated that.

Pox rolled his eyes. "You need to live a little, kid! Lighten up!"

"I'm living so far," Norah began. "But if you two keep talking that loud, we won't be living! Gens can hear the sounds of stupidity from a mile away!"

Liko sighed. "Look, I get that you wanna stay alive, shojo, but you really need to stop being so bossy!"

"Yea!" Pox interjected with a frown. "And stop making smart ass comments!"

Norah rolled her eyes. "Whatever, when Gens pick up on our scent and attack us, don't beg me for help! I just want to get back to camp and see Vanessa."

The thought of seeing her little sister made Norah's heart skip a beat. This morning, the group's leader, Aiden, asked her, Liko, and Pox to do a supply run in the nearby city because they were running low. Aiden had a feeling that there were some supplies that the trio could salvage within the city. It was smarter to send three of their healthiest and strongest members in than to have the entire group go. So Norah had to leave the camp without giving Vanessa a heads up. Usually, she kept her little sister up to speed on everything that was happening because it was safer for Vanessa to know things, and Norah despised keeping secrets.

"You'll get to see her, Norah," Liko assured her, patting her shoulder lightly, giving her a toothless smile.

Pox came to her other side and nodded. "Yea! And besides, the kid's gotta learn how to survive on her own eventually!"

Norah shot Pox a glare. "She has learned. I've taught her as much as I know!" Norah replied, raising her voice a little. She became aware of the sudden change in her mood, and took a deep breath. Pox frustrated her immensely, and in her eyes, he was the most ignorant, annoying, rude, and careless being on the planet. He should've been killed a long time ago by his own stuidity, but instead, here he was, annoying the shit out of her.

Pox rolled his eyes. "Sure, Red," he mutters as he tightened the strap on his satchel, which made a loud clank as he did so. Due to her red locks, members of her group often called her Red, which flattered her, however, when Pox said it, it seemed like a derogatory name.

"What's in there?" Liko asked him, his slight frustration was evident in his voice, but to Norah, he seemed curious.

Pox grinned. "None ya business!" he teased.

Norah shook her head. "We were supposed to gather useful supplies, Pox," she reminded him.

"It is useful, you wait and see!" Pox replied, giving his bag a couple pats.

"Okay, let's just finish this up, okay?" Liko suggested, standing in front of the two.

Norah nodded. "Agreed."

Liko nodded back. "Good. We have one more section to cover, and right now, we're standing in it." He informed, gesturing towards the enormous skyscrapers above. They looked like skeletons, just rotting away. Norah imagined that the buildings were once beautiful, but in the midst of an apocalypse, they were destroyed, just like everything else in this world. Chunks of the skyscappers had been taken out, an cement blocks lay in heaping piles around them like gravestones in a memorial. Nevertheless, the buildings still stood, tall and proud, and boy, were they tall.

Norah sighed. "It'll take hours for us to clear this section."

Liko nodded. "Yea, I know. That's why we're gonna split up."

Norah's eyes widened. "That's a bad idea!" She tells him, crossing her arms. "What if one of us is in danger and the others are too far away to come for backeup?"

"You said you wanted to get this done, right?" Pox pointed out. "So you can go home to your precious brat."

Norah grabbed the collar of his plaid shirt and held up a fist to his face. "Don't you ever call my sister a brat!" she threatens. "Say one more word, Pox, and it'll be your last!"

Liko stood in the between the two and shoved Pox out of Norah's grip. "Knock it off, both of you!" He orders, sending both of them stern glares. "We're splitting up, and we're getting this done, okay?"

"Okay," Pox replied slowly.

Norah shook her head. This was a terrible mistake! Something would go wrong, she just knew it. Liko's plan was flawed and illogical. Yes, she wanted to get back to camp as soon as possible, but was it really worth splitting up?

"Whatever!" Norah mumbled, throwing up the hood on her black hoodie. "I'll take this side."

Liko smiled. "Good! Pox will go the other way, and I'll head straight. We'll meet back here in about an hour or two."

Pox nodded. "Right! Gooooooooo team!" He cheered, pumping a fist up in the air. He seemed way too excited for this.

Liko chuckled and gave him a fist pump.

Norah sighed as she took a knee and unzipped her back pack. She pulled out a flashlight and two wooden sticks: her beloved escrima sticks. Unlike Pox and Liko, who both carried guns, Norah prefered to use quieter weapons. The escrima sticks could also come together to form a bo staff, perfect for striking Gens at a distance, and much like a Swiss army knife, the escrima sticks also came with hidden blades that would come up with a click of a button, forming kamas or a bladed bo staff. This was her weapon of choice, and it proved to be a smart choice in battles. Normally, a traditional weapon such as the escrima sticks wouldn't come with so many features, but Norah knew someone who could "upgrade" tech per say.

Norah stood up again and shouldered her backpack. "If we end up in trouble-"

"We won't," Liko assured her. "There's nothing here."

"Yet," Norah said, turning on her heels and heading East towards the desolate building. She took one last glimpse of the green sky, a sky poisoned by chemicals, above her before stepping into the darkness.