What Waits Within the Shadows
Every Second Counts
The sun was barely rising, coming over the horizon. Mixing the cities smoke filled sky with reds and oranges. The morning air was cool with the slight breeze that picked up loose trash, tossing it down the street. Silence drowned through the streets. The echo of a door swinging open and closed begins to vibrate the buildings broken glass windows. As the sun reaches further into the sky , creatures scuffled back into the shadows of the empty shells of buildings. Finn looked out the window of the car he was hiding in. watching the creatures wither back , dragging their half eaten prey into the depths of the buildings. Finn caught a glimpse of a long snout with rows of teeth before it disappeared into the darkness. His eyes searched his surroundings, making sure the coast was clear before he started to shift his position.
“Fell ? Fell, are you awake ?” ) the words came out as a whisper but still echoed down the street. A girl shifted in the front seat , stretching her arms, smacking her hands on the roof . Burnt interior rained down upon them
“ Ewwwwww, I just got that crap in my mouth. Is the sun finally up ? These rusted down seats are a nightmare. Next time we have to ditch everything and take cover, either let me get eaten or find a hotel .”
Fell, shut up ! Just cause its daylight doesn’t mean there aren’t predators around willing to take a chance at eating you . “
Quit acting like a girl , Finn “ she kicked the door open, ending her reply.
He gave her a stern look as he got out of the backseat of the car to stretch. He watched Fell get out and do the same. He noticed that she had grown a few inches. Maybe that was why she didn’t like the cramped up space of the cars. He would have to find a department store or even an abandoned hotel along the way . Fell began to walk to the font of the car, then leaned back against the hood. Finn watched Fell and noticed that the rubber bottom of her shoes we almost entirely worn down. Her cloths were also beginning to tatter. He needed to find a store soon. They have been traveling none stop for too long.
Fell enjoyed the warmth as it spread across her body. Her auburn hair brushing across her shoulders as she leaned back. The sun rose and lit up the buildings and streets. Finn walked over towards her, leaning against the hood. The front of her pants had holes in the front as well. He looked up at her face as he leaned against the hood. He saw that there was blood smeared across her face from cuts she must have gotten last night.
Finn shredded a strip of his shirt. Poured some of his water on it, looked up at her before he started to clean the blood off. She gave him a perplexed look then relaxed and closed her hazel eyes, telling him it was alright. Making sure the water didn’t run down her chin and smear the blood more. Finn cleaned the cuts up and cleared the blood from her face revealing a face so innocent and pure. Finn wished he could just make her safe and take her away from all this. He finished cleaning the cuts, she opened her eyes and starred up at him for a while. An awkward silence grew between them before Finn could come up with something to say.
"So what do you think we should do now “ he hoped she would have an answer for his question.
" I don’t know Finn your the leader, why don’t you tell me “ she gave him one of her fake helpless looks.
He sighed heavily. “ well we need new cloths or at least a shower. These burnt up cars wont be hiding our scent much longer, then we will be eaten. But first we have to go back .
Fells face went from pure joy to agony. “ why do we have to go back ? We can get other supplies". fear softened her voice.
Finn put an arm around her shoulders. “ because it would be harder and more dangerous searching for new supplies , then going back and getting the packs .”
The packs were all the way back at the apartment . Next to the caved in alley. They had to be 3 blocks in the opposite direction they needed to go . Finn got up and started to look around him. Burnt up cars littered the streets . Glass and blood flourished in the gutters. He searched for a phone booth or a sub way station . Anything that could have a map on it of the area. There at the end of the block next to the flipped car was a billboard with a half-burnt up map .
“ Come on Fell, we need to get to that map .” he pointed behind him down the block.
Fell sighed as she got up and began walking behind Finn.” here comes another walk in the woods . “ she mumbled to herself
They walked down the street kicking the litter out of their way as they made their way to the billboard. Finn caught a glimpse of himself in the glass of an old shop. His muddy brown hair stuck up as he rain his fingers through it. His green eyes starred back at him as he looked at himself. Standing 5'6 his pants were beginning to reach his ankles and his shoes were also wearing down . He looked behind him as he walked. Fell, almost as tall as him. Her shimmering beauty struck him as the sun shined down upon them . Her brown eyes caught him watching her as they reached the end of the block.
As they tried to read the half destroyed map , they plotted the safest route, staying out of the shadows. They needed to hurry before the sun shifted and they lost more daylight. The packs were three blocks away almost four. Neither knew what would be lying in wait for them . Especially after what happened last night. Before they left they took a survey of what they had on them . Two road flares. A pocket knife. A couple bottles of water and some crackers.
"We are so screwed Finn, what are we going to do ?"
Finn grabbed a bottle of water half the crackers and a road flare. Picking up the knife handing it to Fell. You take this. I can manage with a road flare. I’m lighter on my feet and can find something on the way . You need something to defend yourself with. Just in case I’m not there to protect you. With that said Finn picked up the road flare sticking it in his back pocket . He ate the crackers and finished the water, never looking back as he walked to there destination. The look of shock played across Fells face leaving her mouth opened as she watched Finn begun to leave .
“Fell ? Fell, are you awake ?” ) the words came out as a whisper but still echoed down the street. A girl shifted in the front seat , stretching her arms, smacking her hands on the roof . Burnt interior rained down upon them
“ Ewwwwww, I just got that crap in my mouth. Is the sun finally up ? These rusted down seats are a nightmare. Next time we have to ditch everything and take cover, either let me get eaten or find a hotel .”
Fell, shut up ! Just cause its daylight doesn’t mean there aren’t predators around willing to take a chance at eating you . “
Quit acting like a girl , Finn “ she kicked the door open, ending her reply.
He gave her a stern look as he got out of the backseat of the car to stretch. He watched Fell get out and do the same. He noticed that she had grown a few inches. Maybe that was why she didn’t like the cramped up space of the cars. He would have to find a department store or even an abandoned hotel along the way . Fell began to walk to the font of the car, then leaned back against the hood. Finn watched Fell and noticed that the rubber bottom of her shoes we almost entirely worn down. Her cloths were also beginning to tatter. He needed to find a store soon. They have been traveling none stop for too long.
Fell enjoyed the warmth as it spread across her body. Her auburn hair brushing across her shoulders as she leaned back. The sun rose and lit up the buildings and streets. Finn walked over towards her, leaning against the hood. The front of her pants had holes in the front as well. He looked up at her face as he leaned against the hood. He saw that there was blood smeared across her face from cuts she must have gotten last night.
Finn shredded a strip of his shirt. Poured some of his water on it, looked up at her before he started to clean the blood off. She gave him a perplexed look then relaxed and closed her hazel eyes, telling him it was alright. Making sure the water didn’t run down her chin and smear the blood more. Finn cleaned the cuts up and cleared the blood from her face revealing a face so innocent and pure. Finn wished he could just make her safe and take her away from all this. He finished cleaning the cuts, she opened her eyes and starred up at him for a while. An awkward silence grew between them before Finn could come up with something to say.
"So what do you think we should do now “ he hoped she would have an answer for his question.
" I don’t know Finn your the leader, why don’t you tell me “ she gave him one of her fake helpless looks.
He sighed heavily. “ well we need new cloths or at least a shower. These burnt up cars wont be hiding our scent much longer, then we will be eaten. But first we have to go back .
Fells face went from pure joy to agony. “ why do we have to go back ? We can get other supplies". fear softened her voice.
Finn put an arm around her shoulders. “ because it would be harder and more dangerous searching for new supplies , then going back and getting the packs .”
The packs were all the way back at the apartment . Next to the caved in alley. They had to be 3 blocks in the opposite direction they needed to go . Finn got up and started to look around him. Burnt up cars littered the streets . Glass and blood flourished in the gutters. He searched for a phone booth or a sub way station . Anything that could have a map on it of the area. There at the end of the block next to the flipped car was a billboard with a half-burnt up map .
“ Come on Fell, we need to get to that map .” he pointed behind him down the block.
Fell sighed as she got up and began walking behind Finn.” here comes another walk in the woods . “ she mumbled to herself
They walked down the street kicking the litter out of their way as they made their way to the billboard. Finn caught a glimpse of himself in the glass of an old shop. His muddy brown hair stuck up as he rain his fingers through it. His green eyes starred back at him as he looked at himself. Standing 5'6 his pants were beginning to reach his ankles and his shoes were also wearing down . He looked behind him as he walked. Fell, almost as tall as him. Her shimmering beauty struck him as the sun shined down upon them . Her brown eyes caught him watching her as they reached the end of the block.
As they tried to read the half destroyed map , they plotted the safest route, staying out of the shadows. They needed to hurry before the sun shifted and they lost more daylight. The packs were three blocks away almost four. Neither knew what would be lying in wait for them . Especially after what happened last night. Before they left they took a survey of what they had on them . Two road flares. A pocket knife. A couple bottles of water and some crackers.
"We are so screwed Finn, what are we going to do ?"
Finn grabbed a bottle of water half the crackers and a road flare. Picking up the knife handing it to Fell. You take this. I can manage with a road flare. I’m lighter on my feet and can find something on the way . You need something to defend yourself with. Just in case I’m not there to protect you. With that said Finn picked up the road flare sticking it in his back pocket . He ate the crackers and finished the water, never looking back as he walked to there destination. The look of shock played across Fells face leaving her mouth opened as she watched Finn begun to leave .