Ruin and Revival

Chapter 5: Closer

ARIKA 

I fight back envy and fury, channeling these emotions into smashing the rock into the unsuspecting guy's head with a sickening crunch. Calvin wastes no time swinging his legs, toppling the women before kicking her head. We grab our perfectly packed bags and sprint faster than the wind.

"We don't have long before the rest of the group finds them. Thankfully they don't know what we look like but we have to keep moving," shouts Calvin over the wind. We sprint for a few more minutes before I have to stop, the adrenaline rush over. That's when reality hits me.

"What did I just do?" I sink to my knees.

"I killed someone. I..I took another human beings life," Sadness fill me but no tears come. Calvin embraces me.

"It had to be done. We wouldn't have been able to survive if it weren't for you. Thank you so much Arika," He whispers into my ear. We sit like that for a while, taking in each other's presence, alone in this destroyed version of all we have ever known and lived by

The next few days are a blur. We jog by the light of the moon and sleep while the sun shines. I feel as if we are bats or some sort of nocturnal species.

"You know, I like the night better," Calvin says one cool evening as we lay on our tarp, star gazing. I inhale the crisp air that rarely visits us here in this arid desert.

"I would've disagreed a week ago but you're right, it's better. The sand appears different, deeper as if it's hiding some secret. It's not such a bore to look at, not to mention how cool it feels the skin," I grab a handful and watch the sand fall through the crack in my hand, enjoying the sensation.

"Haha I have never thought of it like that. I guess it's because I have hated sand with a passion. It is the most obnoxious thing on this earth," Calvin states matter a factly.

"Wow, first time I've heard someone hate an inanimate thing with a passion and call it the most obnoxious thing on earth. Glad I could check that off my bucket list!" sarcasm thickens my voice. We snicker at our conversation. Laying there for a few minutes of comforting silence, I take in the beauty of the stars I always took for granted while living in the city.

"Say, do you believe in aliens?" Calvin asks quietly. I ponder for a moment.

"Yeah, yeah I do. There is no way we are alone in such an unimaginably enormous universe. Don't you think it would be kind of selfish to think that," I glance at Calvin's face, a wistful smile on it.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," We lay for a few more minutes before packing and starting our journey again. We come by an abandoned gas station and salvage what we can. I retrieved some bottles of gatorade and some cliff bars. The whole place smells of dead bodies and dust, a smell I am sadly well accustomed to now. Calvin and I pass a dead man on the ground like it was a piece of trash. A week ago I would've freaked but disasters seems to make you tougher (no kidding). I scanned the ruins desperately for some clothes but of course there were none. My shirt had ripped in several places and my skirt was way too short for comfort.

"I know what you're thinking. You want some new clothes. Why don't you wear this dude's clothes. It's soooo in, like totally 2177!" Calvin smiles goofily. I stick my tongue out at him as I continue to salvage supplies. We fill our packs and continue running.

"How many more miles before we arrive?" I ask.

"Only 15 more. We should be there tomorrow morning. Hopefully those camps haven't gone haywire," I shudder at the thought of staying at another camp like the one we encountered before.

"Do you think our families will be there?" I mutter as despair fills me. An awful feeling overtakes me at the thought of never seeing them again.

"They will. We will find them I promise but first we must win back our strength and, unfortunately get you some new clothes," He teases. I give him a light punch on the arm. We set up camp and crawl into the tent. We both lay there listening to one another breath. Some sort of odd tension fills the air as both of us can't seem to fall asleep. I shut my eyes and count sheep. One sheep, two sheep, three sheep....

"I can't do this anymore!" I open my eyes to see Calvin sit up.

"Um are you okay?" I ask tentatively.

"Well, let's see. A giant earthquake struck right when I began talking to you. I witnessed a woman get roasted alive and killed a woman who kissed me in front of my girl who was being held by a knife. Not to mention the heat is killing me," Calvin is still huffing and puffing. I burst out laughing.