Surviving the Apocalypse

When you hear the word, apocalypse you think zombie, virus, the end of the world. However what I live with every single day is something so much more then that, so much more than fear its self. When I was five; fresh water ran out. The lakes dried up across the world, creeks, ponds rivers even. All gone. Anything green began to die. Food was running out, animals where dying. The world was at its end...

People went insane.

The government set plans in action to save them selves. Riots took over big cities and marshal law took place, only to be over throw by the people in a matter of months. Mass murders spread across the nations, no-one was safe. I was too young to understand what was happening at the time, It was the end of the world as I had known it.

The night before my Sixth birthday was when everything had changed. My father had tried to kill me, so that he could feed my brother and mother, only Evan killed him first. We had ate him, and buried his bones in the back yard, the nightmare always fresh in my mind. I was thirteen when my mom passed away. Evan and I ate her too.... The world is a dark place that only the strongest can survive....

***

"Olivia hurry!" Evan called down to me, bringing me out of my horrible nightmare. We no longer lived in a house, we live in a hole under a pile of rubble that might have been a house a long time ago. The place was dusty but had a comforting feeling to it.

I climbed out, using a rusty lader and stood beside Evan. The world around us was covered with dirt and sand, nothing grew, nothing lived but us. We were lucky enough to survive this long, but food was hard to come by and at some point in our life we have had to slowly eat ourselves to survive. I was missing three toes, as Evan was missing four, two on each foot. Our legs also covered in scares as we cut meat off to eat.

I had Even promise me that we would both survive and that we would not kill each other as we had done to our parents. Evan had laughed at me, and said that he could never do such a thing to his prescious little sister.

"Olivia, are you sure you want to go?" Evan asked as we started to walk towards the small settlement not to far. Some people lived in small community's, untrusting of outsiders, however this community accepted us long ago when we were children. We chose to live out side of it, and for good reason too.

Murder happen all the time, even in the middle of the street. Once someone shows weakness.... That's it people will tear you apart and eat you alive right there.

"Yes, I need to stretch my legs." I smiled as I put my hair up into a bun, I hated the feeling of my hair clinging to my body, I wished to cut it off, however Evan said it would be a shame if I did. Evan smiled at me as he held my hand along the way. Sometimes he forgets that I'm an adult now. The feeling of his warm hand made me feel safe some how.

We walked a few miles until we reached two knocked over, yellow buses, with a make shift fence over top. Guns at the ready two men yelled from over the fence. "Who goes there?"

"It's just us, looking to trade in the market." Evan called out at he raised his bag. The men were hesitate till they saw me then smiled. I normally don't go along with my brother on these trips anymore, but when I do I always get a welcoming greeting.

"Hey Olivia it's been awhile!" One called out, I raised my hand to block out the sun, I recognized the man as Jake. Jake had a ruffed shaped beard that matched his brown ruffled hair. He was one of the kids that grew up here, and a long time friend of mine.

The rusty old gates creaked open as Jake extended a hand to help me up the buses, Evan watched closely. I noticed over the years that he finds very few to trust.

"How are you today?" Jake asked me through a muffled smile.

"As good as I can be." I laughed. The heat was drawing hard down on us as we made it through to the other side. I fanned myself letting what cool breeze I could cool me down. Most people are active at night since its cooler and you lose less water.

"Why are you guys here so soon?" The other man asked as he pulled a chain closing the gate behind us. I climbed down off the bus and looked to see one narrow street, covered in spray paint; threatening what used to be the government. Along the sides of the narrow street was make shift huts that laid empty. If you didn't know any better you would think this place was abandon.

"Didn't want to deal with any unwelcome guest." Evan said while lifting his bag over his shoulders.

"Makes sense, I'm Mark." The unknown man put out his hand and smiled a toothy, welcoming smile. He had short hair that laid neatly upon his head, his mustache twitched when he moved his lips. To me he looked like a rat with his pointed nose and large teeth.

Evan looked at the mans hand but refused to take it. Ignoring them I started to walk down the street. The only thing I could hear was the sound of my foot steps and the guys talking.

The windows to every old building were bored up, and all the doors locked. Fear filled everyone here, as it did anywhere else. I continued to walk, letting the sun beat down on my dirt filled skin. It had been awhile since I came to town. Very few women lived now, and it was a rare sight to see one walking around so free, some would say.

How long has it been since I was about to wash myself? I thought to myself as I touched my face. Too long. Dirt covered my fingers as I took them from my face, living underground would do that to you.

"Olivia!" Evans voice came from behind as he ran to catch up with me. "You can't just wonder off like that." He scowled grabbing my hand once more.

"You were taking to long." I laughed it off, he was always way to over protective. He never spoke to me after that, just gripped tighter onto my hand as we walked down the narrow street, looking for a certain house.

Coming upon the house, I noticed the roof had caved in on the left side, wood and bricks littered the area, as well as what looked to be a bed frame and a very broken up toilet.

"Is anyone going to be in there?" I turned to Evan, he had a stern expression on his face. One I have seen to many times for my liking.

Evan pulled me to the door and knocked three times. We waited for what seemed like forever until the door finally opened up to a middle aged man. He was covered in tattoos, and had longer hair than myself, It went well past his knees. At his side was a rifle, ready to fire if needed.

"What do you want?" He asked Evan but couldn't take his eyes off me.

"To trade I have some goods." Evan let go of my hand and took his bag down off his back and laid it out in-front of him. The man in the door took no notice of what he was doing.

"You do have some mighty fine goods." The man motioned towards me.

"Shes not for trade, or use." Evan was annoyed and impatient now. I wanted to speak up for myself but I knew better, Evan can handle this.

"Not even just, a look?" He asked stepping forward, motioning for me to do the same. I took a step backwards, What a creep!

Evan moved in front of me and put his bag back on. "Are you interested in a trade or not?" He spoke his words firmly. I knew what was going to happen next. This was the reason I was alive, this was the reason Evan was feared by most who knew him.

The man laughed, "Of course I want to trade! Give me the girl, I'll give you the ma-" The man was cut off by Evan slicing a tiny knife right across his stomach.The shotgun fell out of his hands and made a loud clunk to the ground. The man fell to his knees holding his worm like intestines, couching up blood.

Evan licked his knife before pushing it threw the mans head, before he drew attention.

I opened Evans bag, and quickly pulled out another empty bag, and a larger knife. I walked over to the tattooed man, who now laid dead in front of me and started to hack off his legs at the knees then, at the hip.

The blood covered both of us as we made quick work of the body. This was not Evans intent but, food is food.

"Stay here, I'll be right back. Use this if you need to." Evan passed me the shotgun after taking a look to see if there was anything in it.

I nodded, and continued to stuff my bag with limbs. I left the head and the torso, I couldn't bring myself to eat the head, it was the worst part. I pushed it away from me, so that the mans creepy eyes looked a different way.

"Please god forgive me." I bowed my head and whispered before Evan could come back. He hated it when I asked for forgiveness from anyone. He said I should be strong enough to deal with things on my own, because one day I might have to be on my own.

"I got it!" Evan came out with a folded up paper in his hands and a few jugs of water.

"What is it?" I slowly got up lifting my blood soaked bag onto my shoulders.

"The map I was talking about." His smile was blood filled as he rushed over to give me a tight hug. "The one that will lead us to paradise!" He whispered into my ear.

I stood there in shock, there was no way that thing was real? I thought it was some crazy fairy-tale that he told me before bed like the ones mom used to tell us.

"We should rest us, we leave tomorrow night!" He jumped down the small set of stairs, picking up the mans torso as he went.