It Was of Ash

Ch. 2: And Forever More.

My eyes opened, the ceiling wasn’t on fire. I still shot up; Axel was watching me and immediately stood, “Whoa, what’s wrong, Ash? Did you have a nightmare?” Axel asked.

            I couldn’t slow my breathing; I thought I was having some kind of asthma attack. I took my module and typed on it, “It was pretty horrifying; I don’t know how to explain it.” The module said.

            “Well, there’s breakfast on the table from what I smell. Here, let me help you up.” Axel helped me out of bed and gave me a cane. “We couldn’t find you any crutches or a chair, but we did find this!” Axel smiled.

            “You got me a cane?” the module asked.

            “We’re just trying to help you get better, it’s the least we could do.”

            “Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

            “No thanks needed, we want to help you.” Axel told me.

            I smiled and walked out of the room. Axel led me to the dining room of the bunker, it was metal and the carpet was still matted, but it still managed to look homey. A girl with blonde hair and blue eyes walked out of the kitchen with a plate full of waffles on it. She looked up at me and smiled.

            “Well, good mornin’, Ash! I thought you were goin’ to sleep through breakfast; we’ve got a day full of chores.” The girl told me. She had a southern accent; something about it seemed very comforting.

            “Ash, this is Lori. She patched your wounds yesterday; you kind of owe her your life.” Axel told me.

            “Axel you know she don’t owe me nothin’! Come on and sit Ash, I’ll tell you about your injuries, it’s nothin’ bad.” Lori smiled at me and hurried back in the kitchen. Axel sat next to me and I looked at him

            “How old is she?” the module asked.

            “The same age as you and I, I’d have to guess. I’m about sixteen, but she never tells us how old she is. I’ve been guessing for years and she still hasn’t told me. She’s really stubborn about it.”

            Lori stepped out of the kitchen with a couple of plates and a gravy boat full of syrup on top of it; she had a bowl of fruit in the other hand. Axel hurried up to help her with her mountain of things, “Why thank you, Axel! You’re a good boy. Did John and Damien go on another supply run?” Lori asked.

            “Actually,” Axel sat down, “Damien is still asleep, and John and Desmond are not on a supply run. They’re out getting parts for Ash’s voice module.”

            “Lord have mercy, I’m goin’ to beat those boys!” Lori sighed.

            Axel stood, looking at Lori offended, “If there was a Lord, he would have already given mercy.” Axel then walked out of the room, Lori looked at him surprised and then looked down at me. I shrugged; she sighed again and sat down across from me.

“I keep forgettin’ that, that boy is just so sensitive!” Lori folded a napkin on the table. “He’s an atheist, not a man of the Lord. He don’t like talk of the Lord, he don’t want to hear it. It slips my mind sometimes and I let my country come out…” Lori sighed.

I stared at Lori; she seemed disappointed but genuinely sorry for Axel. Her long, slender fingers tapped on the white, stained tablecloth worriedly. She wore a light blue dress; her blonde hair fell onto it and made the dress seem even bluer. Her head rested on her hand, long strands of blonde ran in between her fingers and down to her elbow but never touching the raggedy table cloth below her. I looked down at my hands, they were small and scrawny and dirty. My hair was mangled and knotted and a musty brown. My shirt was a little torn and stained and my pants were ashy. It didn’t take long for my mind to process that Lori looked like a goddess compared to me, she probably didn’t even take showers.