Natural Disaster

Chapter 52

The pair of them were woken suddenly by Mitch shoving Avi in the shoulder, acting like a domino and falling into Launa. "Wake wakey, children," he sang, grinning, "You've slept in!" Avi's grumbling vibrated her back as he squeezed her tight around the middle, her mirroring groan muffled by the bedding. I so don't want to get up. 
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The five of them heaved themselves up from their campsite, gathering up their belongings and stamping out what was left of the cinders. Bidding farewell to the city of Colton with a swift raid through empty buildings and coming up with hardly anything, they moved on down the highway, ready to leave the place in the dust.

A day's walk brought them through Bloomington, passing by the settlements of the survivors and their rebuilding of their city, past Montclair and Pomona with the population of survivors increasing dramatically as they travelled closer to the coast. By the end of the day, Scott's ankle was sore, but healing nicely and he didn't need the help of Mitch's shoulder.

The map that Avi had swiped was no longer of use, as they had moved past its border upon entering the state after Needles- but they were familiar enough with the area that it proved to not be an issue. Launa glanced around as they ambled down the highway, eyes wide at what she considered to be big cities. After all this time of going through different cities, these still feel so weird, even though they're falling apart.

California, as expected, seemed to have been hit hard by the quakes. Entire neighborhoods had been swallowed beneath the earth's crust, with buildings twisted and crushed where splits had closed around them, mashing them beneath the planet's pure power. An ice cube slipped into her stomach as they spied an office building in such a state, remembering Avi's brush with death. That could have been him. She reached out for his hand, grasping it tight and he squeezed back, letting her know that he'd been thinking the exact same thing.

The group ended up at a crossroads of highway, following the higher road in the darkening evening into the edges of San Dimas in a residential area, thankful to find more than a few of the houses vacant and with working locks, despite their jostled structures. They all but collapsed into the living area of a little house, groaning and breathing heavily over the near sprint they'd made to get out of the quickly descending darkness of night.

"Good work, guys," Esther called, exhausted, from her spot flat on the floor, lethargically throwing her fist into the air, "We made good time today."

A chorus of answering groans replied and, one by one, they picked themselves off the floor to collapse into what beds were available. "We're so close," Avi murmured into Launa's hair as she settled against his shoulder, sliding his fingers soothingly over her spine, "I can almost taste it."

She squeezed him gently around his middle. "You're almost home." She felt his smile press into her forehead, unable to contain his sleepy excitement. He drifted off not a moment later, snoring softly into her hair, leaving her to pick her brain apart, a sore twinge running through her bones and striking her heart. Homesickness, she realized, just as sleep claimed her.

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Esther stood on the back porch of the house, the wooden structure in shambles, with her arms folded over her chest, still blinking awake at the sunrise. Los Angeles was somewhat visible in the distance. Home was near.

"'Morning," Mitch greeted from behind her, squinting, "Ugh. What are you doing up so early?"

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Oh, my brain wouldn't shut up after it woke me up."

"Been up for long?"

"Nah," she inhaled deeply, taking in the mixed scents of the city and what was left of the nature that they were leaving behind, "We're practically on top of it."