Is This the End?

Chapter Four

Nate

The sun hangs high in the sky, and I can feel the sweat on my eyebrows as it creeps down and comes to rest on the arch of my nose. If it didn't take so much energy, I would swipe at it. Unfortunately, I need all my focus on lifting one foot over the other.

I think fondly of the car we had ridden in for all of twenty minutes. Sadly it was not meant to be. Or rather little witchy had no idea how to use her powers, not that she saw it like that. So here I am stomping down this road with the temperature being hot-as-hell. Vanessa trails behind me, trying to keep up but obviously not used to going long distances.

"Can you slow down?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"We need a place to sleep tonight."

She scoffs, "And where oh wise one is there any shelter for our weary heads to rest." I growl and turn to look at her. Usually, this comment any comment really wouldn't set me off, but I'm still aching from earlier. Especially my goddamn arm. Feels like it's being lit on fire and staying, and the sensation just keeps getting worse.

"Listen out here is what they call it No Man's Land. Do you wanna know why?" I keep talking, not giving her a chance to answer. "Because out here ghouls, rabid, no sense left in their rotten brains ghouls roam the area. Luckily they don't have the sense to go lookin' for more food." I turn my back on her and keep walking.

"What's the difference?"

"Hmm."

"Bobbies. You said rabid like there's a difference."

"Have you ever met a ghoul?"

"No."

"Trust me, people don't act like it, but there's a difference." I look at her, and her face is blank but despite always having a smile her eyes are usually devoided of emotion. Didn't even notice until after an hour of walkin'. Just makes her even more dangerous. "Some Bobbies have lost themselves and will attack anybody. They give themselves away and often starve. You can tell what they are because they've become defigured. The other ones are the ones you gotta watch out for. They can smile and seem human all the way until they takin' a bite of your flesh.

"Oh." I hum and slow my stride down ever so for her. "Well have you seen one of those." I give a dry laugh.

"Now do you think I'd still be here if that was the case?"

"I guess not." The walk gets quiet after that. The silence is thick between us but not uncomfortable. Ever so often, I feel her eyes on me, but I never catch her in the act. Yeah, very dangerous. Eventually, the dust and dirt thins out and leads us to a real road. Vanessa looks at me to take the lead, but I never traveled quite so far this way.

I keep us straight, and eventually, we come to several store outlets and even what was once a mall. Mom used to love taking us to the mall. Would let us loose and we'd run wild. Most parents never would have done something like that. But my mom never worried, though.

Besides, she always had this uncanny ability to know where we all were. I always wondered if my mom was special, or were all moms that great? I guess I'll never know for sure now.

"What is it?" Is she serious? It seems little witchy lived a very sheltered life. Though I guess that makes sense. Despite the big Outbreak happening just ten years ago, smaller ones had been covered up over the years. The only places that survived were the ones who knew what was happening.

"It's a mall." If possible she looks more confused than before. "Umm, it's a place people used to gather. Stores. Food. Entertainment. That sort of thing." She still looks confused. But she nods her head.