Polaroid
III
"The basement is probably our best bet," Cam advised after we entered the house. "The stairs leading down are under the kitchen floor."
"Under the floor?" I repeated sceptically. "I was thinking maybe there would be a master bedroom..."
"There was, but the roof is caved in right over it. The basement in made of cement, so I'm thinking it should be intact," Cam replied.
"But, I haven't slept in a bed in a really long time," I groaned a little louder than I meant to.
"Neither have I, Lena," Cam snapped. "I'm thinking about raiders though. If they come, it would be better for us to be hidden. We don't have weapons or real food. If they find us, what do you think they are going to take?"
His eyes went up and down me crudely and there was no mistaking his meaning. I felt even dirtier than I had before. I chose not to respond as Cam pulled a large rug on the floor aside.
There was a trapdoor underneath the rug. I turned my flashlight on so we didn't fall down the steps, but the basement had above ground windows. So the steps and the room below were still partially illuminated by the grey afternoon light.
My eyes scanned over a dusty sofa, a mountain of boxes, and an ancient exercise bike. It wasn't cozy, but it would do for the night. Cam and I unloaded quickly so we could eat before the room went dark.
"Where should we go next?" I asked as I pulled a can of cat food out of my bag.( Bon appetit! )
Cam paused before answering and I could hardly see his expression. Had I upset him or possibly hit a sore spot? I wondered what he expected to find in the town that he grew up in.
"I don't know," Cam finally admitted."It's dangerous on the road, but we starve in the woods. We could go to a compound, but then they wouldn't let us leave."
"Jane, is probably at a compound. If they caught her in a roundup them she must be right?" I questioned. (Horrible thing to say and I was essentially poking the sore spot. )
There was another long silence and then Cam said, "Yes, but we don't talk about that do we, Lena. Just like we don't talk about your boyfriend the soldier. You know what happens to soldiers don't you?"
"They die," I finished for him.
I wasn't blind. I saw the destruction we passed everyday. I knew that Cillian was probably one of the bodies that I'd already walked by.
"So why do we keep going?" Cam asked.
He sounded defeated for the first time since I'd met him. I moved closer to Cam and again felt the urge to urge to reach for his hand. I held back though and asked,"Where's the vodka? We should clean that out."
"Changing the subject are you?" Cam taunted. 'You're good at that, Lena. I know, because I'm good at it too. When are we going to face facts?"
I twisted off the top of the alcohol and said as calmly as I could,"You want to know the truth? I don't know, Cam. I'm just trying my best to hold on."
Then I took the vodka and roughly scrubbed his hand with it. (Maybe I could have been gentle, but I wasn't feeling gentle.) Cam groaned and let out a few four letter words. Then he ripped the bottle out of my hand and took a chug.
I didn't realize how close Can was until I smelled the liqueur on his breath. His mouth was right next to mine as he asked,"Why don't you let go?"
"Under the floor?" I repeated sceptically. "I was thinking maybe there would be a master bedroom..."
"There was, but the roof is caved in right over it. The basement in made of cement, so I'm thinking it should be intact," Cam replied.
"But, I haven't slept in a bed in a really long time," I groaned a little louder than I meant to.
"Neither have I, Lena," Cam snapped. "I'm thinking about raiders though. If they come, it would be better for us to be hidden. We don't have weapons or real food. If they find us, what do you think they are going to take?"
His eyes went up and down me crudely and there was no mistaking his meaning. I felt even dirtier than I had before. I chose not to respond as Cam pulled a large rug on the floor aside.
There was a trapdoor underneath the rug. I turned my flashlight on so we didn't fall down the steps, but the basement had above ground windows. So the steps and the room below were still partially illuminated by the grey afternoon light.
My eyes scanned over a dusty sofa, a mountain of boxes, and an ancient exercise bike. It wasn't cozy, but it would do for the night. Cam and I unloaded quickly so we could eat before the room went dark.
"Where should we go next?" I asked as I pulled a can of cat food out of my bag.( Bon appetit! )
Cam paused before answering and I could hardly see his expression. Had I upset him or possibly hit a sore spot? I wondered what he expected to find in the town that he grew up in.
"I don't know," Cam finally admitted."It's dangerous on the road, but we starve in the woods. We could go to a compound, but then they wouldn't let us leave."
"Jane, is probably at a compound. If they caught her in a roundup them she must be right?" I questioned. (Horrible thing to say and I was essentially poking the sore spot. )
There was another long silence and then Cam said, "Yes, but we don't talk about that do we, Lena. Just like we don't talk about your boyfriend the soldier. You know what happens to soldiers don't you?"
"They die," I finished for him.
I wasn't blind. I saw the destruction we passed everyday. I knew that Cillian was probably one of the bodies that I'd already walked by.
"So why do we keep going?" Cam asked.
He sounded defeated for the first time since I'd met him. I moved closer to Cam and again felt the urge to urge to reach for his hand. I held back though and asked,"Where's the vodka? We should clean that out."
"Changing the subject are you?" Cam taunted. 'You're good at that, Lena. I know, because I'm good at it too. When are we going to face facts?"
I twisted off the top of the alcohol and said as calmly as I could,"You want to know the truth? I don't know, Cam. I'm just trying my best to hold on."
Then I took the vodka and roughly scrubbed his hand with it. (Maybe I could have been gentle, but I wasn't feeling gentle.) Cam groaned and let out a few four letter words. Then he ripped the bottle out of my hand and took a chug.
I didn't realize how close Can was until I smelled the liqueur on his breath. His mouth was right next to mine as he asked,"Why don't you let go?"