Blue hues locked onto the small spark that radiated from the stones he had slammed together before stepping back, an unseen grin spreading over his lips. And finally, 10K let himself collapse on the log beside a newly fit fire, Cassandra shortly following in suit after throwing a few dried twigs and leaves into their fire pit. The rest of the crew wouldn't be back for another few hours, so they at last had time to relax - to be just about as normal as two kids could get during an apocalypse. And for the first time in a while, the world felt at peace.
There was a particular feeling that shot between them as their shoulders brushed past each other and Cassandra couldn't help but let out the smallest of chuckles as her friend and teammate remained silent, simply watching in near relaxation. The two had spent the whole day together after being dropped off with orders from Warren to set up a camp as everyone else went out in search of some much needed supplies. The moon rose shortly after they finished setting up, it showered the earth in its soft white glow, illuminating the earth around them, the area chosen was relatively Z free after exactly three straddlers had been picked off by the duo.
With all the sunlight gone, clearly visible embers from the flames started to fly around them as a quiet wind rustled the trees. The teen had no problem with the given arrangements, out of everyone, he and Cassandra were two of the closest people - he could talk and she would listen, the two worked together in a particular harmony that no one else had. They balanced each other in a world of dysfunction and they complimented one another like two pieces that had been lost and found.
"You know, this reminds me when I was little…" Cassandra decided to break the silence and leaned her head on the other's shoulder, a faint sigh brushing her lips. More silence followed her interruption, the void being filled with the gentle rustling of leaves and popping of the flames. 10K just continued on gazing straight ahead, listening and hanging onto every word she spoke. "My parents sent me to camp one summer, thought it would be good for me to get out into nature instead of staying in the city."
"Yeah?" The notion seemed almost funny to him, he'd lived in the woods all his life and would have killed to go into the city with its flickering lights and late night tourists instead of living out in the middle of nowhere as it seemed.
"Yeah, we set up a fire, made a tent and everything."
10K just nodded.
"Well, they did. I wasn't much help. You know, city girl and all."
And he couldn't help but share the laugh as well.
"The counselors told stories, the other girls and I just sat around pretending to be scared and they sang...we danced all night...it was fun." Her brown eyes met upwards at the starlit sky, lost in her private memory that he longed to share. But she had a different past, one almost opposite to his own.
Then it was his turn to break the silence. "I've never danced before."
"That doesn't surprise me, killer boy." Cassandra let her hand fall to his, "but someone ought to teach you how to live every once n' awhile." she paused before her fingers enlaced throughout his palm as she slowly stood, dragging him with her. He refuted her actions at first, but eventually gave in to her delicate movements and stood with her.
"This is pointless-"
"Oh, get over it." She huffed a few loose strands of black hair from her face as her hand locked with 10K's, loosely guiding it to the small of her back as she stepped closer to the gentle whispering of the fire. "Like this," her footsteps fell back as he ever-so-clumsily followed in pattern; she couldn't help but smile. "Perfect." Footfalls falling in synch, the two simply guided each other in circles around the fire. A heavy breath escaped Cassandra as she rested her chin on his shoulder, just barely reaching it with her stature.
"I lived in the city my whole life, just my mom, dad, and me. New York of all places too. We had a little apartment in the middle of the city, I don't know if I miss it though...they were never around...I practically raised myself." Her pace slowed and with it, so had 10K's, he swallowed his urge to comment and simply let her continue as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze, "I always told my dad that I went straight home from high school," quietly chuckling, she pulled her body closer to his until she could hear his breath, "but I never did. I'd always sneak out with my friends...the city was always so beautiful at night, I think I'll miss that….yeah, that's what I miss. The beauty of it. The world before…"
"The apocalypse?"
"Yeah...the world before the apocalypse." Though unable to see her face, they were so tightly together that the teen could feel her chest vibrate with laughter. "I remember one time, a few of my friends and I went to the movies - it was a zombie flick."
10K noticeably tensed and Cassandra simply spun the two of them in the opposite direction, kicking up the dirt around them, the embers still gently floating in the air.
"You don't have to be so nervous, anyway, we walked out of the theater talking about how stupid it all was...how stuff like that was impossible, couldn't happen...shows how wrong we were."
"No one ever could have saw it coming..."
And then, 10K froze, bringing her to a stop with him.
"Well, my pa...he kind of did."
"Your dad?"
"...Yeah, he had a plan for just about everything. Even this."
The elder of the two took a chance and raised her other hand to his waist, pushing 10K's other upwards towards the stars and moved their bodies as one once more.
"Tell me about him."
"I don't know if I can…"
"...You don't have to."
"But I want to…"
And then it was his turn to lead, with a certain grace, he spun Cass around, twisting towards her only to meet her palms again as they moved forwards.
"He taught me everything...how to shoot, how to build...how to survive, he was kinda paranoid though, he never took me into the city...thought it was dangerous…"
"Coming from the man who taught his son to hunt n' kill?"
"Never said I agreed with him...but it must be dangerous, right?"
Cassandra leaned back and exaggeratedly a brow, eyes full of skepticism.
"I mean look at you."
"Well, you're not wrong."
"...I was fourteen when I saw my first Z. My pa killed it for me." His vision fell onto the forest behind her, the day still rang sharp in his memory. He was foolish back then, but 10K still partly wished he could feel like he had in those early days. " A few of them actually. We ran back to the cabin, got the truck and just drove. We passed through New York...it was the first time I ever saw the city, it was closer than I thought. Everyone was in panic, but Pa just kept going...he wanted to keep me safe. we traveled around for a while, never goin' far. He was always protective, y'know? Kept me alive until his last breath…the Z that bit him...it was coming at me...and you know the rest."
"I do. I'm sorry…to be honest...I don't know what happened to my parents."
All too familiarly, they stopped in their tracks, her arms wrapping around him in the softest of of holds.
"I was seventeen, kind of at the dumb age-"
"Hey!"
"-I just got of school and my boyfriend talked me into running away with him after we saw the news about some virus, he made it sound so adventurous and romantic, I thought I was in love and just then and there we drove off without a word...about after a year I left him. Wanted to go back home and see if my parents were still there...but I never made it back to the city...and you know the rest."
A hesitation, and 10K took stride back, bringing her with him as he danced towards the fire, "I do…I never went to school."
"No?"
"Yeah, pa taught me everything."
"Meh, didn't miss much." Cassandra took control again and guided him to a tree stump lodged into the ground, she guided him up it with her and got close again, her breath falling heavy over his shoulder where her head rested, both his hands simply laying on her back.
"...Does it ever scare you?"
She knew exactly what he was talking about, their lives - the apocalypse, the dangers they put themselves in.
"I try my best to scare it."
"Noticed."
"...You never told me about your mom, what was with her?"
"Never knew her. Was just me and my pa."
"Oh."
He hesitated.
"Do you think your parents are still out there?"
Their swaying came to a stand still and all they could do was hold each other in their gentle embraces as the cracking sounded in the distance.
"I do. And someday I'll find them." The girl removed her hands from his back and placed them on his waist, 10K just held his place.
"Why did you come with us if you wanted to find them?" His eyes held straight ahead as he spoke, the girl shifting in his hold with a small movement.
"I felt like I had to do something to make up for all the bad I've done...if there's a chance to help save the world - then I want to help. I've lived my whole life on the sidelines...I saw the chance to do a lot of good and I took it...why did you join them?"
"...I guess I was tired of being alone, when I saw how they helped each other and worked together...I knew that they had something special - thought I could trust em'...so when Doc asked me to hop in...I did. When I found out about the mission, I knew I had to stay."
"Hey, 10K?"
"Yes?"
"What's your name - your real name?"
A pause.
"Tommy."
"...Tommy," she repeated the foreign name so it'd stick to her tongue and simply grinned, "I like that."
"Just don't tell anyone, not even Doc."
"I won't...it's our secret."
"Hey...after we get to California. Let's you find your family."
Tommy didn't have the chance. But maybe.
Just maybe, she did.
Another pause.
Both of them froze as Cass stood back, eyes wide in surprise and without thought, she threw her arms around his neck, standing on her toes to reach him fully.
"After California."
"After California," he simply reassured her as his hold grew tighter, "we'll finish this together…"
A little story about Cassandra and 10K because they were so close and it kills me rip.