AJ woke up and yawned. She looked over to her right and saw the dark haired boy sleeping next to her. He had a light amount of scruff on his face and he sweated from lack of AC in the summer heated room. Moving her hand, she rested it on the back of his forehead and held it there for a few seconds. He was burning up. The blonde stood up quickly, walking over to the faucet and taking a hopeful breath as she turned it on. Nothing came out. The water had been turned off for three days now and she’d have to go down to the streets again to get water. It scared her out there though and she didn’t want to go. Randy had always gone in the year or so before, but he was sick now and could barely get out of bed.
Tying her hair up into a bun to keep it off her neck, she threw on a semi-clean shirt and her worn out boots. Every piece of her wanted to wake Randy up and tell him she’d be back. But he needed his sleep and she knew if she woke him up, he’d get none. It was a scary enough thought that the raiders could be back at any minute, shooting up empty buildings or unleashing The Dogs to tear apart anything that moved. And when you knew that one of your own was down there, at greater risk of being seen, it made it almost impossible to bear. So instead of waking him, she moved to grab the dagger and water bucket in the corner before sneaking out the door.
The Raiders usually came once a week, but by now there was no way to tell what day it was or how long it had been since the last search. AJ hoped with all her might that today was not the day, that they wouldn’t bring the dogs or their guns or even show up at all. This trip had to be successful. Randy needed water badly if he was going to get any better. She knew they had stayed here too long. In any book or movie she’d ever seen about survival, the people always had to keep moving. It was stupid to stay in the same place for an extended period of time because it made you more vulnerable.
But Randy was sick and the next city was San Francisco, which would take at least two days to reach on foot. Chances of finding a working car were slim, and even if they did, it’d be too loud and attract too much attention. There was the possibility of finding a horse, but that may involve stealing from who knows where. It was more trouble that it was worth. Thinking about it was making her head start to pound, especially from lack of hydration, so she focused on the task at hand.
AJ knew there was a water source on the ground floor a few buildings away from theirs, but the last time she went there she’d had a nasty encounter with a pack of grunges and she didn’t want to take the chance again. Their long claws had torn up her arms and the sound of their howls made her ears ring for hours. Ever since she was a little girl she’d been afraid of the terrible beasts, hearing stories of how their massive size made them almost impossible to kill and their dog like faces were so hideously frightening. They lived on the outskirts of town, in the wooded areas, and never dared enter the city. That is, until the raiders came and turned the whole system upside down. Now, animals like grunges ran this place and humans were merely cockroaches scrounging for whatever they could find. And that wasn’t much.
AJ and Randy were the last ones left, in their city at least. Everyone else had either been snatched during the first raid, or killed off over time. Whether it was by guns, creatures, or elemental reasons, it didn’t matter. People got picked off- and picked off quickly. People they had hardly known before became their companions, only to become dead a day or two later. But now, there was no one left to befriend or loose. It was the two of them who had somehow managed to survive. Maybe it was because they were smart enough to stay hidden, or because they knew how to use their resources wisely. It didn’t matter. They had gotten this far and that was what counted.
There was a small chance that the water across the street was still on. She would have to take that chance and check. She took a step out onto the street, making sure not to step on any rhine plants. The barbs stuck into you for weeks and made the area around them swell like crazy. If she got stuck, they were screwed. Plants covered the streets and there was barely any sign of actual pavement. She was half way across the street when she heard a loud snapping sound. AJ’s head shot up from the ground and she pulled out the dagger.
In front of her, guarding the building she needed for water, was a pack of grunges. Their teeth were showing and they were in position to attack. Slowly stepping back, she tried not to alarm them. Setting them off could mean instant death. Poor AJ was almost back to the sidewalk, only a foot or two away from the door of their building when she felt a sharp and shooting pain in her ankle. The urge to yell was subdued by the knowledge of the creatures across the street and the waiting raiders that could be hidden anywhere around the city. She bit down on her lip so hard it bled to keep from screaming and continued on.
Limping now, she backed up and into the door, closing it behind her and locking it before she collapsed, clutching her ankle. Just as she had thought, there was a large blue needle stuck into it, already starting to turn her ankle numb with pain. Her soft fingertips brushed the area around the needle and she flinched at the feeling. There was nothing she could do about it now. Pulling it out right now could cause even more damage than it was worth, so she’d have to work at it later.
She looked down at the empty, dry bucket. A feeling of defeat rushed over her and AJ felt the sudden urge to scream with frustration. Her fingers touched her bottom lip, pulling back to see the crimson blood puddled on the tips. She sighed in frustration and sucked on her bottom lip, desperately trying to get it to stop bleeding. “Aj?” She heard from upstairs, Randy’s weak voice worried and calling desperately for her. He should know better, not to call out loudly in fear of letting themselves and their locations be known. But she cut him slack, knowing he was sick and could barely remember his own name at this point. Pushing herself up, she hobbled with her injured leg back up the stairs and towards the room they were stationed in.
“I’m here..” She softly set the still empty bucket on the ground and walked over to the makeshift bed where he laid. “How are you feeling?” AJ asked sincerely, walking over and sitting next to him as she wiped the sweat from his forehead. She saw him try to sit up, try to smile and give her some hope that he was getting better. But he just didn’t have the strength for it. “No no, it’s okay, lay back down.” She cooed. He just nodded, accepting his fate once again, and collapsed his head back against the small pillow. His mouth opened a close a few times, as he lay with his eyes closed, and she knew he was thirsty. The need for water was great and she felt like kicking herself.
Randy opened his eyes slightly, letting out a deep sigh before smiling weakly up at her. But his smile turned quickly into a frown. “What happened to your lip?” He asked, his voice thick with concern. She touched her fingers to it and cursed quietly when she felt the liquid blood still pooling there. Not able to help it, her eyes flickered down to her ankle before looking back at Randy. He suddenly sat up, flinching with pain before brushing it off. “Let me see it-“ He motioned towards her ankle. Letting out a sigh, she had no choice but to move her foot into view, showing him the thorn stabbed deep into her skin. The area around it was a nasty, angry red now and purple veins were bold through the skin. It was swelling, completely numb from the pain now, and she gave an apologetic shrug. He gasped. “Did you try to cross the street? We talked about this,” He said sternly, which sent her spiraling in defense.
“I know, but the wells were dry on this side and I knew that just across the way there was a building with water and so I was just gonna go across and come right back but then I ran into a pack of grunges and th-“ His eyes got wide and he put a hand up, telling her to stop talking. Aj cursed under her breath again, knowing that the mention of the grunges was a definite bad move. She’d just put him in a bad mood and she knew it. There was nothing she could do about it now though, so instead she pushed herself off the bed and took a deep breath.
The empty bucket seemed to stare her down, rubbing her failed attempt into her face, making her feel guilty for not being able to fill it up. She knew full well that they wouldn’t live much longer without water. Soon Randy would start to vomit from dehydration, and she’d grow sick shortly after. They’d come so far, the thought of being defeated over something as miniscule as lack of water was disgusting in her own mind. Aj knew she had to brave the streets again, go through back alleyways, climb buildings, anything she had to do to fill the bucket.
With new found motivation, she swept the bucket off the ground by its handle, hobbling towards the open door way. “I’ll be back,” Aj called over her shoulder. She could hear Randy protesting weakly, trying to get her to stay, but she just kept walking. Down the stairs, she took a right instead of a left, deciding to take the back ways instead of facing the grunges again.
Her ankle was throbbing with pain. It was as if her nerves were punishing her for trying to cross the street, for being such an idiot. Aj looked down at it, stopping in her tracks as fear struck deep in her heart. Her skin was a purple tinted red now, swollen to the size of a baseball. The veins looked so apparent that she thought they might burst any second. She knew she’d have to remove the barb. Reluctantly, she kneeled down, biting her lip again. There was no hesitation, as she knew she had to be quick about this. Grabbing hold of the end of the blue needle, she counted to three in her head, trying to prepare herself for the pain. 1… It won’t hurt too bad 2… Do this for Randy, for his life and yours. 3… She yanked, feeling it come lose, along with the sharp pain that shot up her leg. A small, muffled yelp escaped her throat, but Aj pushed away the urge to yell.
A hole about the size of a pencil was in the side of her swollen ankle, ruby red blood starting to rise out of it. The sight made her sick to her stomach. She pushed herself from the ground, grabbing the bucket again, and ignoring her ankle entirely. With the barb out, it didn’t hurt as bad as it had a few minutes ago. But there was no telling how it would be in an hour. Out the back door she went, on a mission that she would not give up. Part of her wished it would rain, that it would wash away the bad things and make the rhine plants retreat back off the roads. That the grunges would go into safe hiding and she could just hang the bucket out the window and catch the water. But it hadn’t rained in three years. It wasn’t going to happen any time soon.
She went from building to building, avoiding anything that would give her location up, trying to stay as quiet as possible. Seven or eight tower-like structures later, Aj walked into a dull grey building tired and in excruciating pain. Letting out a deep sigh, she embraced the silence and tried to relax. But there wasn’t silence. In the distance there was a faint dripping noise. Drip, drip, drip. Her ears perked up and she turned her head towards the sound. Drip, drip, drip. Quickly moving towards it, she held the empty bucket tight in her hand. Could this be it? Running water? Drip, drip, drip. She was getting closer and could feel her heart beating faster in her chest. The sound was getting louder. It couldn’t be anything but running water. Drip, drip, drip. One more turn and she entered a small room, what used to be decorated in shades of white and pink, frilly curtains on the dirtied windows. A bathroom. Drip, drip, drip. She yanked the shower curtain back, feeling it almost crumble in her hands.
There, coming from the bath faucet, were small drops of water. They plopped down against the once pristine porcelain, before running down into the drain. This was her chance. Someone in the universe had decided to give her a break for once, and she was grateful. Taking a deep breath, her hand reached towards the handle of the faucet. Now Aj held her breath, hoping to god it would budge at least an inch.
A god awful squeak came from the metal, but it moved. The more she turned it, the more water poured out, splashing into the bucket she’d placed in the tub. Aj couldn’t believe her eyes. She was so happy she wanted to cry- but the lack of water didn’t allow her to do so. Randy would be thrilled. He would start to feel better now hopefully, with more liquids in his system. They could stock up on water and get out of this city, find a safer haven. Collapsing on the floor, she leaned against the wall as the large bucket filled. Perseverance, Aj, she told herself, letting her eyes close softly. That’s all it takes to get the job done.. To think how long they would have gone without water if she’d have given up? It was unbearably stupid.
Aj knew she had a long, exhausting road of life ahead of her. But, looking over at the clear water, sputtering and spewing into the half-filled bucket, that was her new hope. Everything would work out the way it was meant to. The difficult times and the droughts and the horror couldn’t last forever. Eventually, something would change, and the world would be okay again.
They would be okay.