The wind blew through my hair, whispering softly. A peaceful moment, scarce in this times. Owen Orwell, my big brother was preparing the fireplace for tonight's dinner. My stomach growled from even thinking about food, I drooled at the thought of smelling food again.
I searched through my stuff and found the remnants of a granola bar I had been eating an hour ago, it tasted like shit but, food is food. I munched on the shitty mix of oat and cereals pasted and packed and spitted it cleaning my tongue. I swear that the next time I see one of these I am totally going to shoot it.
Owen at last managed to start a fire with two rocks, something to be respected from. Survival was an instinct that disappeared slowly and was shoved on our faces as fast as light. I should think of giving him the lighter I stole from his backpack. But seriously, I love my brother. Our father had died on us my 5th birthday. I understood and hated him at the same time. I was sad and furious also. My brother was 30 years when that happened and had had decent shooting and survival training.
My sister, Carrie was playing with a doll I found her at a toy store back at the downtown. She is only 10 years old and she is the only person I'd take a bite from an infected for.
I smelled the meat already cooking over at the fire. I approached at the rabbit and licked my dry lips. The last bottle of water was split into Owen and Carrie. The alley we were in was just a safety measure as well as a guard post. We would eat here and if we heard anything we turn off the fire with sand and put a body over the extinguished flames. At last we hide in a container.
The rabbit was at last done. I took a leg and put it right below my nose, inhale the sweet scent of roasted food, the magnificent smell of food at last, real food. I took my first bite and savored it as a glorious triumph or a good kill.
"Whoa, slow down Scott we need you alive, not choked by a rabbit's leg, hahaha" Owen joked. I tried to eat a little bit slower but the hunger would just not let me. At last something went down on to my stomach, something with an edible taste. I heard a footstep right behind me. I turned around and saw an armed man walking toward us.
"I just want to give my family some food, do you have any left." My brother lifted his Winchester automatic rifle at the head of the stranger. He shivered in fear. "I don't think you saw this children, so I'll let you turn around and leave." He upped his arms and turned around, walking slowly into pitch darkness.
"Scott bring the soil, I'll bring the body. Carrie get the horse, we are leaving." Owen ordered, and we obeyed. I turned off the fireplace and helped Carrie get our horse. She was a beautiful horse. The horse was saddled and ready to part. Owen had already placed the body. He mounted and helped Carrie up over his legs. I pulled myself up and the horse started galloping, the nights watch would cover us. But the hollow city wouldn't exactly be our friend.
"Where are we going?" Carrie asked Owen. "I'm going back to college"
University of Eastern Colorado. My brother's best memories reside in that college. Here is where he met Rebecca, his first and to date unique, girlfriend. I met her and she was very nice to me, 5 years later she was taking care of Carrie like if she was mom. After dad died. About mom, that is something I won't ever talk about.
It started snowing when we arrived at last. The sun was finally setting and the place was as hollow and deserted as the city we were hours ago. I heard gunshots in the distance and as we approached the sound intensified, Owen left us on the horse out in the cold sunset, I grabbed Carrie and held her between my arm, the other one was holding an old Smith & Wesson revolver, fully loaded and ready to shoot.
4 more gunshots and I started worrying about Owen. But he has told us to wait for him, besides, I also have Carrie to take care of. I stood put until I saw someone coming our way. I climbed down the horse and pulled out the gun. I hide behind a container. Waited for him or her to pass. The footsteps grew louder and louder, there were two pairs of them. I inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm down and jumped out to ambush them. I saw my brother and a girl around my age walking down the entrance of the main building of the university.
She had her red hair tied in a ponytail, green and captivating eyes and blood splattered all over her pink and white hoodie. I placed the gun on my holster and got the horse with Carrie on it. Owen and the girl went down another path and I followed them until I saw mounting up on a horse of her own, or I think it was hers in that very moment and from now on.
We rode down the nearest town all while the girl kept a stern face and would give me a seriously dead look every time I sneaked a sight at her. We cleared a house from a pack of infected number 1's and moved the bodies outside and buried them under the snow. Back in a town in California, years ago, an old man taught us how to make bombs out of common medical items. Nitroglycerine and stuff. We placed a sound trap at the entrance and a mine at the back door. The windows like in most places were covered with wood planks. I slept on the couch while the girls slept on the only bedroom and Owen slept outside the room in case our guest would turn psycho on us.
We hadn't talked since we left that alley in Colorado. I dreamt of being back at California's QZ, the place was as hot as hell, mosquitoes everywhere but the place was friendly, the military were assholes, but I think that was everywhere. I was very little and Carrie wasn't even born in that time. One day the fireflies sent all that to shit. We were forced to live. Mom was with us then.
I heard footsteps down the stairs and saw it was the girl from the University. I brought myself up. "Bad night, huh?" She jumped back startled by me being up and talking. "It's okay, it's me." She turned away and continued her way to the kitchen. She took forcefully a chair from the diner and just sat there. I think I heard a sob or two. I went to take a peek at the kitchen but she wasn't there anymore. I felt a breath down my neck and a knife at the middle of my neck. "Give your gun and deactivate the mine." She menaced me with a cold voice and a little crack at the end. "I don't know what happened to you, but my family hasn't done anything to you. I can let you out, but I need this gun." I responded her. "I don't care what the fuck you want, the gun and the mine now!" She whispered violently to my ear. "Well I think you should put the gun down if you don't want a hole on your head." The sound of a gun barrel tapping her head. "I do not want to shoot you, but that is my brother you're holding there." Owen said quietly to not wake Carrie who was sleeping upstairs.
"I know you must be sad for what happened back there, but we didn't do that. Now you can either go or stay with us. It's your call." Owen was trying his best and I could sense it in his voice, he only used that tone when he was trying hard to convince someone, usually us. "I… I don't care about what you need, I am leaving and I am taking your guns now." She was starting to crack and I took the opportunity, I swung her over my head and to the ground, disarming her. I threw the switchblade to the couch and restrained her.
The morning was rising sweetly. The air of pine covered the whole ghost town and I could really smell the peace on the air. My brother had found some coffee in the shelves of the kitchen. He was really good at making coffee, even if it was just black coffee.
"Good morning Scott." Carrie said while rubbing her tiny pretty eyes and walking down the stairs, oblivious of last night. I drank the deliciously bitter beverage.
I opened the basement door and saw our guest sleeping under the blanket we left her. I knock on a pipe and she just lifted with her hands tied to her back. And relaxed when I saw it was just me. The light glistened on her red hair and it was beautifully distracting. "I bring you some coffee, well black coffee, would you like some?" I tried to ask the gentlest I could. "Yes, please." Her voice was dry and crackled. She was broken. "I…I'm sorry about yesterday, but it isn't as you left me much of a choice. Haha." I tried to sound the friendlier I could to approach to her. "Don't worry, I wasn't at my 100 percent yesterday." I nodded at her. "What's your name?" She asked as I was turning my back to leave. "My name is Scott Orwell, what's yours?" She responded "My name is Ellie, nice to meet you." "Same here, Ellie." And I walked away.