Decimation

Chapter 4:

An hour past and Camila started to crawl into the passenger seat. She ran her fingers through her tatted hair and adjusted herself so that she was facing me. "I want to know more about you."

"I think you know enough." I replied bluntly. Camila and I had only known each other for almost two days and just because I had told her my name and my age, it didn't mean I trusted her any more than I did when we first met.

"Lauren, we have a six hour journey ahead of us. This is probably the best way to kill time." Camila slipped off her rugged leather jacket and tossed it on the floor, crossing her legs and resting her arm on her knee.

I stole a glance at her; the 5pm sunlight reflecting off her face and accentuating her features. This was the first time I made a proper note of her walnut brown locks of hair and porcelain, tanned skin and the way her bronze eye-shadow blended perfectly. I decided there and then that Camila was exquisite.

"I'm starting to think that taking the extra long way and adding another hour to this drive was not the best idea." I taunted, chuckling when she gave me a light slap on the arm. "What do you want to know?"

The passenger pursed her lips in thought for a moment and hummed. "What did you do for fun?" Speaking in past tense had become normality because every human-being who was still living knew that this was the end; of everything.

"I used to draw." I smiled, remembering my numerous stacks of sketching paper that was now left shoved beneath my bed collecting dust.

"What was your best piece?" Camila asked and I could hear her smiling as she stared at me. Her question took me back to the time I'd drawn Keana a portrait of her, stood in a silk white dress beneath the moonlight. I'd made sure to include every singular feature on her face and body, and she fell in love with it.

Flashback:

I'd been working for months on the portrait I was giving to Keana. It probably didn't seem like the greatest gift to anyone else, but it was a great gift in my eyes and I knew it would be in hers too. She'd opened her other two presents from me and I'd told her to leave the best till last.

Now that we were sat on her bed in the dead of night after a fairly busy evening, I told her to open it. I'd used a canvas for the drawing so it seemed more professional and artsy; but found myself feeling anxious when her slender fingers started to rip away the wrapping paper.

"Oh my..." My best friend started, her hand raised to her mouth as the other brought the canvas to light. Her perfectly hazel eyes examined the canvas in such detail before her hand fell from her mouth and she allowed her fingertips to gently trace the outline of my sketch. "Lauren,"

I looked up from the canvas and met her piercing gaze, giving her a shy smile as she put the drawing down on the bed and tackled me into a hug. My back hit the mattress and I laughed as I took in the smell of her hair and the warmth of her body against mine.

"I'm glad you like it." I muffled against her neck and she pulled away to stare down at me.

"I love it. Thank you." Keana gave a toothy smile before pecking me on the mouth.

The memory faded from my mind and I was struck with the bitter reality of the world around me. My hands were in a 10 to 2 position on the steering wheel instead of Keana's back and I looked over at Camila who was staring back at me with a mildly creased forehead. "My best piece was a portrait I did of Keana."

Camila's lips parted for a small 'oh' to escape her lips. "You guys were pretty close then." She fiddled with the ends of her hair, occasionally running her fingers through it. "You must miss her."