Vermillion Dawn

[13] Scavenge

I realized that the building I had stumbled upon last night was some type of store. In the early morning light, I saw empty shelves that had been ravaged and tipped over. There were scuffs of boots, mud, and blood all over the tiled floor. I didn't waste time so I browsed the store and when I found nothing, I went to the next building. 

My stomach was grumbling. My head pounding from my lack of water. I had found a small puddle of water in a broken rain gutter but it wasn't nearly enough to sedate my thirst. I was dehydrated but I forced myself to stay keen on my surroundings. I was in enemy territory for I had long left the mountains of my people. 

It had been a while since I had seen any kind of town. A place of what had once been civilization. I couldn't remember what life had been like on these streets. Some part of me knew that it was a lot more peaceful and less bloody than the present. Maybe people weren't always hunting each other, maybe they didn't have to constantly check over their shoulder. I grit my teeth, eyes scanning the abandoned street. 

If I was to guess, it looked like a bomb of some sort went off right in the middle of the town. Faded black streaks climbed up the walls of certain buildings with shattered glass and loose papers that blew with the wind. Abandoned cars looked ancient as if they sat with doors ajar for years. Everywhere I looked, I saw splashes of red. Deep, faded, and haunting. I knew a lot of death happened here. 

As if the very air itself carried the cry of the fallen, I shivered against the eerie feeling that filled me. The longer I looked at the jagged windows of the buildings, hoping to see something, the more I realized I was all alone. Rincho had said the surviving population lived in the Ascended Districts and I had no idea where those were built. I had no general sense of direction. 

So, I focused on the present and continued scavenging. I needed supplies. I entered dark, empty buildings and turned up empty-handed several times. By the fifth one down the street, I was frustrated. I glanced through a dirty window that had been cracked but not shattered. My eyes zeroed in on a flashlight that was left on the table. 

I looked for a door but it was blocked by something on the inside. I returned to the window and, raising my elbow, I tried to bust the glass. I grunted as pain flared up through my arm and shoulder. The glass was stubborn. Maybe it was bulletproof. That would be my luck. 

I went across the street to an abandoned car and searched the trunk. I found a car jack and I carried it back to the unbroken window. With a smirk, I raised the metal object and threw it at the glass. A loud shatter almost startled me and my head whipped around to make sure no one else heard. 

God, I was paranoid and stupid. I was obviously alone but as tiny pieces of glass fell onto the concrete, I cringed. Why was it so loud? Or maybe it was just too quiet and the smallest of noise was like roaring thunder. Either way, I carefully pulled myself over the ledge of the windowsill and grabbed the flashlight. I flipped the switch, praying the batteries weren't dead, and I breathed a sigh of relief when a bright stream of light illuminated the dark rooms beyond. 

Curiosity killed the cat, I guess, because, with my new found tool, I wasn't afraid to venture into the dark halls. I might be able to find something now. I coughed a few times as a strong musty smell assaulted my nose. I placed an arm over my face, trying to breathe easier, and hundreds of dust particles floated through the flashlight beam. 

I came across three separate rooms with torn pale purple wallpaper. Their dressers were tipped over, drawers pulled out and thrown, and any piece of bedding was destroyed. I would almost think that a pack of wild animals had torn through these buildings if I hadn't known the true nature of humans. No matter what, humans were incredibly selfish and vicious when their lives were at stake. Kill or be killed, that's the motto of today's world. 

A creaky old staircase led me upstairs but the stench of something dead grew stronger. I almost gagged before I reached the top step. There were two more rooms, one had its door torn off the hinges and the other was at the end of the hall with a closed door. Something in my gut twisted and I only took one step closer to the closed door before I stopped. That god awful stench was coming from that room. I took a step back, I wasn't going in there. 

I turned and headed into the open room. I searched with the flashlight, tipping a few drawers over, until something glinted from beneath a discarded piece of material. I quickly grasped the object. A knife! I sucked in a breath, this was good, I had something to defend myself now. I carefully slipped the blade through my belt, making sure it was secure, and then I carried on my way. 

I found the kitchen downstairs and I was hopeful as I dug through all the cabinets but I didn't find anything besides empty metal cans and discarded packages full of some kind of powder. I scoffed, kicking one of the cans across the room, and then I made my way back to the window I had come in through. I saw the empty refrigerator had been leaned across the door, blocking any entry, and I didn't bother moving it as I climbed back over the windowsill. 

When the sunlight met my skin, I almost sighed in relief. I had felt like something was going to leap out of the darkness inside these buildings. They seemed alive, breathing for revenge, and I wasn't going to be their next victim. As much as I was hungry, I decided to follow the street out of the main part of town. I saw a few buildings in the distance and I kept my pace brisk. 

I was having terrible luck today. I entered the first house, hoping it wasn't as raided, but emerged empty-handed again. I was getting tired of repeated failure and my body was growing weaker. It had been a few days now since I last ate, I could practically feel my bones shaking with exhaustion and desire for some kind of food. 

After a few more houses along the narrow road, I managed to find a blue backpack. I slipped my flashlight inside and slung it over my back. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something red. I turned and in the backyard of one of the houses, a lone apple tree stood. My mouth instantly watered as my eyes zeroed in on the fruit ready to be devoured. 

I quickly crossed the street, leaped the flaky picket fence, and grabbed an apple from one of the low hanging limbs. My tastebuds exploded with the sweet juiciness of the apple. I gobbled it down and moved onto the next. Only when I started to feel sick did I stop. 

After a quick glance at the stripped tree, I hiked the backpack, full of apples, over my shoulders and continued on my way. It wasn't much but it was something my body could use and I was hoping my luck had just gotten better. 

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Goodness, this girl has zero luck...but that will change soon ;) 

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