The Survivors Trilogy

BOOK ONE || CHAPTER THREE

The heat of the sun is starting to give me a headache, and yet, we haven't even made it ten steps out of the door. It sometimes is really tedious doing this job, because we have covered every building within a five-mile radius.

Thankfully Joel has left Vicky and me alone. He always does, but it is nice for it just to be Vicky and me, because then we can talk without anyone eavesdropping.

Vicky nudges me in the side. "Hey," she says. "What's wrong?"

I look over at her. Her blue eyes searching my face, for anything. She always knows one way to get information out of me.

I sigh audibly. "It's just we have covered every single building in this area. I'm starting to get bored."

She laughs and nudges me again. "There's a way to fix that," she says, giving me a small smirk. "Let's go further out, but not so much as to end up in the Wastelands."

"Don't worry," I say, "I'm sure when the time is right, we will all go out to the Wastelands."

"Maybe you're right," she says, tugging on my arm. "Let's go up on the roofs and look for anything we can keep."

Vicky looks at the building to our left. She seems to be examining it, which is what any good Scavenger would do, anyway. We never climb up buildings that look too old. We don't want to take the risk of one coming down on us.

When I take a closer look at the building, the first things I spot are the ledges, and the windows that occupy them. Most of the windows in these buildings are either covered in rock and dust so it would be impossible to see through them, or they are so small that you can't even fit your hand through.

I stalk my way to the building, grabbing hold of the lowest ledge that I can find, applying the most downward force I can muster. I look back over to Vicky, she searches my face for any problems.

"I think we are good to go," I say. "Just try to be as light on your feet as possible." I tap the ledge three times.

Vicky lets out a loud breath of air. "Please, that's my specialty." She grabs hold of the first ledge she comes into contact with, and hauls herself up, clutching the next ledge higher, then higher.

When she gets halfway up without difficulty, I start to pull myself up, placing my foot down gingerly onto the ledges. I climb higher, and higher, careful with the ledges at my feet, and my hands. Then I pull myself up, swinging my legs over the edge.

Vicky sits along the roof's edge, swinging her legs from side to side. She looks over at me, then smiles. "Took you long enough," she says.

"Yeah, well"—I turn around and sit on the ledge—"some of us haven't even woken up yet. So, don't blame me if I'm a little slower than usual."

She laughs and nods her head. "What do you think we will find today?"

I shrug. "I don't know. We could find anything. But not too much stuff otherwise it will just slow us down."

Vicky slaps me hard on the back, making me wince slightly. "Come on, Grandpa, we need to get going."

I slowly get up from the ledge, wiping some of the dust from my jacket and pants. "Hey, don't forget you were just like this only a few days ago. So, don't go calling me Grandpa."

I laugh thinking about that day; I had to pretty much drag her out of bed, and she was dragging her heels outside, and I almost scooped her up in my arms and carried her with me.

She laughs, removing the dirt from her jacket. "Whatever, Grandpa. Let's go."

I shake my head, pulling the black bandana around my mouth, letting it rest on the bridge of my nose. Vicky does the same, but she tightens it more around the back of her head.