They were able to continue their travels the following day, and Launa couldn’t have been happier. She still smelled, though not as bad, but her scalp felt so much better after running clean, albeit cold as balls water through her hair and over her face, and after washing her change of clothes. She felt like she could take on the world.
Until she looked at the map.
"Okay," Avi said, as she laid on her stomach beside him on the bed, studying the map in his hands, "so, it’s still a bit of a walk, but it’s nothing we can’t conquer in a day. Right?" Launa faceplanted into the sheets. He snorted and shook her shoulder. "Come on, munchkin. Up, up." He removed himself from the bed, but didn’t escape the light smack on his leg.
"Munchkin?" Launa cried, reaching out to swat at him, again, "You’re short, too!"
"I’m not that damn short!"
"Yes, you are!"
She sat up on the bed, wobbling on the springs as he backed away from it, scowling, but laughing. “I’m average height,” He stated firmly, picking up one of his bags and draping his coat over it.
She grumbled a ‘yeah, whatever’ and slid off the edge of the bed, bending to grab her own stuff and slinging it over her shoulders. “Ready when you are, ‘average height’.” He just pushed her lightly in the shoulder with a chuckle, and headed for the door.
"Ladies, first," he insisted, gesturing at the broken door. Launa sighed and gave him a light swat to the hip before crossing the doorway. "Did you just smack my ass?" He laughed as he followed her.
"No, it was your hip."
"It felt like my ass."
"No," she repeated, grinning, "it was your hip." Avi fell into step beside her, smirking, and mimicked her action, though his aim was off. She gaped at him. "Now, that,” she shouted, “was my ass!”
He turned to walk backwards, smiling wide at her. “No,” he said, fluttering his eyelashes at her, “it was your hip.”
"You’re a a shithead!" she cried, chasing him out of town, the two of them pushing and shoving and giggling like children.
______
The light-hearted attitude lasted them through the day and onto the next morning, even though the road was torn up and craggy, forcing them to become rock-climbers to avoid falling to their deaths.
In the continuing conversation as they hiked across the treacherous highway, Launa asked what the day was. “November 4th, I think.” Avi answered, helping her across a gap.
"Aww," she sighed, "I missed my birthday."
He whirled to face her, looking horrified. “Oh, shit, really?”
She nodded, a little sad. “Yeah. It was the 27th.” It was alright, though. She’d get over it, although she was sad she didn’t spend it with her family and was, instead, sick in the middle of nowhere with someone she’d known for a month. Ain’t no party like an apocalypse party.
Avi hugged her against his side, holding her there tightly. “Happy birthday to you,” he sang, grinning at her.
"No, Avi, stop!" She laughed, pushing him in the side, completely embarrassed but flattered as he continued to sing to her.
______
What should have been a two day hike, at the very most, turned out to be a week’s worth of walking. The ground was so uneven and rocky, they were lucky to make a mile in a day. The worsening cold wasn’t helping anything, and Avi seemed to be stressing more and more as the month dragged on.
"So," Launa said as they settled down for the night, "we’re totally stuffing ourselves silly on Thanksgiving, right?"
Avi gave her a wry smile. “Absolutely.”
"Joking." She patted his shoulder as she passed him and sat, starting dinner.
"I know."
They sat in silence, Avi’s legs drawn up to his chest, crossing his arms and resting them and his chin on his knees. Launa placed a comforting hand on his back, rubbing gently. “Want to talk about it?”
A sad smile settled on his lips. “I just realized that we probably won’t be home to celebrate the holidays with our families,” he murmured and gave a quiet sigh, “I’m sorry I can’t get you home any faster, Launa.”
She slid her arm across his broad shoulders in a hug. “I’m sorry I can’t get you home.”
He let out a dry laugh. “We apologize a lot.”
"We really do."
______
By the end of the week, Chinle was finally within reach, and Launa felt the urge to kiss the nearest building. It was the biggest town they’d come across since they’d left Grand Junction, the abundance of buildings soothing her. Although, she thought, since it’s so much bigger, the likelihood of finding bodies is much higher. She cringed and tried not to think about it.
It was late afternoon when they made their way down the main road, avoiding cracks and gaps in the concrete and surveying the area. Just as every town before, buildings and houses were toppled over, shaken to the side and all-around decimated. There were a couple of lucky structures that had somehow survived the quakes, but the whole place had generally been rattled apart.
They located the nearest store that contained canned goods, stocking up as well as they could. Their supply had started to run a bit low, and that was more than a little nerve-wracking. That was a thing that was non-negotiable- it absolutely could not happen. The load on their shoulders was heavy, but it was worth it. Better safe than sorry.
Although, with a little bit of persuasion, Avi convinced Launa to ‘put the pea soup down and no one and gets hurt’. She only conceded because there was enough of a variety in the shop to pass one or two things up, and not because of the pleading, pitiful look he gave her.
They headed for the nearest inn, not even needing to discuss it, and were thankful to find that, even though a couple of the rooms no longer had a roof, they had shelter and a bed for the night.
Neither of them were able to sleep right away, and stayed up talking and pointing out what constellations they could recognize through the hole in the ceiling.
______
Launa was woken up by the roar of a car engine outside. Unable to locate Avi in the room, she ran for the door, barely awake, grinning at him sitting behind the wheel, looking all-too-pleased with himself. “Can I hitch a ride?” she called.
"Only if you ask nicely." He replied, voice low in his chest, and crooked a finger to beckon her over.
She bounced over, bold with sleepiness and unable to believe their luck, she leaned against the door, kissing his cheek. “Please?” she asked, playing along.
He glanced her over, a smile spreading across his face. “Yeah, I guess so.”
They quickly loaded their bags up into the car- a little black thing that might get them to the next town, if the road decided to be kind to them- and tore out of Chinle as fast as possible, setting their sights on Ganado, Launa yelping in surprise as Avi gunned the engine.
______
"How in the hell have we gotten so lucky?" Launa asked, bracing herself against her seat as they bounced over bumps and minor cracks in the highway, "I mean, we finally hit Chinle, and it’s been pretty smooth sailing since then. Doesn’t that seem kind of weird to you?"
Avi shook his head. “I’m not even going to question it,” he said, shifting uncomfortably and running his thumbs over the steering wheel, “I’m just grateful.”
She couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling, not after she’d voiced her worry. She clenched her hands into fists on her lap, trying hard to shake the anxiety from her being, but having very little luck. He reached over and engulfed one of her hands in his own, squeezing it gently in an attempt to be reassuring. “Try not to worry about it,” he told her, brushing her knuckles with his thumb, “whatever happens, we’ll get through it.”
YOU ARE READING
Natural Disaster
FanfictionThe world was never meant for this. Not this quaking, freezing, splitting apart ruin of earth. And she didn't know why it was happening. All she knew is that she wanted out from under this damn building, and, by Gods, she would take all the help she...
