I help you enjoy this little drabble! I am interested in doing more, so please, if you have prompt ideas and like my writing, send them this way! Also, if you are interested in this maybe becoming a full blown story, let me know! Post Apocalyptic stuff is my jam! All comments and such are greatly appreciated and loved! Thanks so much! -Jen
Through the Ashes
Trixie's laugh faded away into the sound of rumbling thunder as Chloe regretfully found herself pulled from sleep. She sat up slowly, doing her best to ignore the nagging pain in her lower back brought on by laying on the firm, unforgiving ground.
For a brief moment, she forgot where she was. Why she wasn't in the comfort of her own house. And then, as it always did, reality hit her hard. Her stomach twisted as the memories slammed full force into her mind, body momentarily numb from the bombardment. It took Lucifer peering into the tent to drag her out, snapping her back into the present.
"You okay, Detective," the devil inquired, brow furrowed in concern. "Did I wake you?"
"No, no," she assured him in a voice still thick with exhaustion. "I was already up."
He nodded seeming to mull something over before opening his mouth once more. "I made breakfast," Lucifer stated, giving her a smile that was far from the confident, genuine ones he used to sport. "I hope you like canned peaches."
Despite the foreboding grey sky, the rain had yet to fall as Chloe stepped out of the tent. Their fire pit from the other night still glimmered with dying embers, offering some warmth from the cold. Lucifer sat on the ground, a can clasped in his hands as he watched the detective take a seat across from him. She didn't comment at the obvious amount of food she had in comparison to her partner. He always insisted on giving her more, something they often argued about. But she was too tired and, though she felt guilty, too hungry to put up a fuss.
"I was looking at the map," he commented, breaking the silence. "If we keep going north and follow the river, we can make it to the next site before nightfall."
"We need supplies," she sighed, putting down her empty can. "Food. Water. We have maybe two days, three days tops." She paused. "There was a town a few miles back, we can see what we can gather and then–"
"No," Lucifer interrupted. "It's too dangerous. Remember what happened in Yettem? I'm not risking that again."
Chloe's eyes flickered down her left forearm and to the long, ugly, jagged scar that almost crossed the length of it. A deep knife wound that had been inflicted upon her during an encounter with a group of not so friendly looters. By the end of the confrontation, only the detective and her partner were left standing. But the victory, if one would even call it that, had almost been costly. Blood loss and infection had left Chloe unable to travel for a good week. While she ultimately recovered from her brush with death, Lucifer remained traumatized.
"You don't need to worry about me, Lucifer," she said firmly. "I can take care of myself."
He doesn't reply, merely choosing to grab a nearby stick and poke at the ashes. Until now, she really hadn't taken in how much his features had changed. The once well groomed, always dressed to perfection man now sported a beard-though short, was still unkempt. His hair had become greasy, curling outwards without a brush to comb its unruly appearance. His eyes no longer flickered with an over cocky, confident gleam that caused many a man and woman to swoon. He was a shell of himself. Then again, who was Chloe to talk. So was she.
"Alright," Lucifer sighed, breaking Chloe from her trance. "I propose a compromise. We keep walking, but head towards the road. If we come across a place, we'll stop. But the first, immediate sign of danger…" he stopped when catching the detective's stare. "…We go slow and careful."
It didn't take long for them to break down their tent, Chloe shoving as many supplies as she could into her bag. With Lucifer carrying most of the heavy stuff, it only seemed fit. They continued through the wilderness, neither really speaking. It wasn't unusual for these bouts of silence. Moral had only sunk lower the more time passed.
How long had it been? Weeks? Months? Surely not a year. No, at least not that long. But it felt like an eternity. Like Hell. Maybe she would've believed that she was there if Lucifer hadn't been with her. He was the only thing keeping her sanity intact. Nothing else. Trixie…
"I've done a lot in my few years on Earth," Lucifer said breaking the silence. "But I can't say I ever saw myself as a mountain man…well, perhaps trailblazer is more appropriate." He gave her a small smile. "I'm no girl scout, not like you."
"I wasn't a girl scout," Chloe replied, feet crunching through the dead leaves. "I went hiking with my father when I was younger."
"Was it fun?" the devil encountered, eyeing her curiously.
"Well, compared to this, camping with him was like staying in a five star resort." She snorted, giving her first small smile of the day. "What I wouldn't give for that."
"You speak for the both of us, detective," Lucifer agreed. "But I'd be willing to go down to three star."
They shared a smile and for a second, Chloe was reminded of how it used to be. The times were they could share a moment of amusement. What a world of difference the last few months had made.
As suggested by Lucifer, they continued onward, staying closer to the road than they otherwise would. But much to Chloe's distress, no matter how far they walked, there was no town in sight. Not even a rundown gas station or rest stop. To make matters worse, the skies opened, soaking both of them in a cold, unwanted shower. As Lucifer would put it, his father was laughing at their misfortune. But to Chloe, God at this point was as good as dead. What creator would make its creations suffer so?
"Maybe we should call it a night and camp," Lucifer suggested after noticing Chloe's patience was slowly draining. "Maybe we can scout for supplies tomorrow. It'll be our main focus."
Chloe said nothing, merely pulling her pack off to set against a tree. Lucifer grimaced, blaming himself for the detective's mood. He debated whether to say something, but decided against it. Instead, he focused on setting up the tent, throwing Chloe a look of concern every so often.
"I'm not hungry," Chloe said when Lucifer held out a can of cold beans. "I'm just going to bed."
"Detective," Lucifer began to protest, but Chloe had already crawled inside the tent. "Bloody hell…"
Trixie swung back and forth on the park swing as Chloe watched from a bench. It was a warm day, not a cloud in the sky, and the detective couldn't feel more at peace staring at her daughter's pigtails bouncing insync with her movements.
"Mommy," the girl called, turning her mother's attention to her. "Watch how far I can jump!"
With one final swing, the eight year old flung herself off high into the air. Gracefully, she landed in the grass, taking a big bow as Chloe clapped. Why didn't they go to the park more often? She wasn't sure. But her thoughts were diminished when Trixie threw her arms around her.
"Let's play hide-and-go-seek," she insisted. "You count and I hide. Count to ten." And with a more serious face, wagging her finger. "And NO peeking."
"Alright, alright," Chloe laughed. "I know the rules." But Trixie was already running off before she could finish. Shaking her head, she began to count. "One…two…three…"
The temperature suddenly seemed to shift, the once warm air beginning to grow cold.
"Four…five…six…"
The birds had stopped chirping, silence falling over the playground.
"Seven…eight…nine…" She took a deep, long inhale. "Ten!"
The smell hit her before Chloe even had a chance to open her eyes. Burning. Chemical. She began to choking, coughing violently as she took in whatever filled the atmosphere. Finally regaining control of herself, she looked forward only to have her stomach drop. There was no playground. No trees. No flowers. No animals. Just gray. Just ash.
"Trixie?!" Chloe screamed, shooting up. "Beatrice?!"
There was no sign of her daughter. Of anything. It was as if nothing existed. She ran through the ash, not even knowing which way she was going. Her lungs ached, oxygen thinning in place of ash. So much ash. Trixie.
"Trixie?!" She shrieked, looking around in desperation. "Trixie!"
"Chloe!"
Lucifer's grip on her shoulders was almost painful as Chloe snapped back from unconsciousness to reality. The fear and worry in the devil's eyes had yet to even register as the woman trembled from where they sat in the tent. She panted, looking around wildly as her adrenaline rush began to taper off. It was only when she finally looked at Lucifer that she lost it. The last straw forcing her to break down.
"Trixie," she wept in his arms. "My Trixie…"
He held her close, rocking her gently as she sobbed against his chest. This wasn't the first nightmare she had, nor would it be the last. His lips pressed against the top of her head, nose buried in her knotted hair. It had been awhile since she'd had one this bad. The stress brought it on most likely. At least he'd been awake. Being awoken to Chloe's screams was always terrifying.
"We'll find her," he soothed, though the confidence lacked more than he'd like in his tone. "She was with Dan, yes? He wouldn't let anything happen to her. I'm sure they are heading up north. They said it's safe up there."
"I should've looked harder," Chloe hiccuped hoarsely. "The panic and insanity of it all…I should've found Dan immediately. I should've gone for my daughter…"
"It's not your fault," her partner murmured. "Everything will be alright. We'll find her. Have I ever lied to you before?"
She shook her head, most likely wiping away tears in the process. He kissed her and held her tighter, feeling her breathing beginning to slow. When she showed no signs of pulling away, he carefully maneuvered them down onto the ground.
"We'll find her," he promised. "You have my word."
She merely nodded and snuggled closer to Lucifer. Much to his relief, his ears were met by the sound of Chloe's soft snores. He lay there for a moment, the noise lulling him towards sleep. He wasn't sure what the future would bring. No matter what, he had Chloe. And no matter what, he would make sure that she got through this. His father had forsaken them. Forsaken humanity. But he sure as Hell wasn't about to let that stop him.
