Dust

Hello

AN: Yay update! Sorry its shorter than usual, I was too excited to post it!!

1. HELLO  

Missing a stranger was not something I was accustomed to. 

Sky walked in and out of my life far too quickly for a bond to form; if there was a mutual emotion we shared for one another it would be contempt. But my mind circled endlessly around our time together, playing through different scenarios and possibilities until I almost lost sight of the truth. We were not special, we were not close and he'd more likely than not forgotten about me. How I yearned to do the same. 

And yet my attention was still being plucked and pulled by thoughts of ruddy hair and taunting smiles. 

Slater seemed to sense my mind was elsewhere and directed his constant chatter towards Hero, who bounded around the boy playfully. I was happy to see Slater back to his old self again, eyes bright with curiosity as we weaved through the city with a cart full of loot.  

After waking up from a good nights sleep, Slater and I decided to start hauling food from the Supermarket back to the Mall. Although the Supermarket itself was filled with supplies, we felt way too exposed. The little room tucked away in the mall was safe, and Slater saw it as the only home he'd ever had. 

The two ran ahead of me in a clumsy game of tag and I threw a quick scan around us. Our luck was bound to wear thin at some point and I was not about to be caught off guard when it did.  

After the night we shared, Slater had become the most important thing to me. I was a protector- I'd protected and cared for my mother for years and I was always a prime choice to watch children back in the Colony. Now that they were gone, I only had the little blonde boy to shield from this horrific world.  

However, another worry plagued my mind with each day. When I left the colony, I hadn't known where I was going, or how to get there. But deep down, I knew I couldn't stay in the city forever. Whether or not Slater would come with me if I chose to leave, I didn't know. I was lost, in more ways than one. 

Watching Hero and Slater play brought a needed smile to my face and I picked up speed to join them. Slater twirled around as I approached, his heavy breathing creating a whirlwind of fog in the chilly air.  

I watched my own breath puff in front of me before casting my gaze to the overcast sky. Winter was crawling towards us ominously, everyday colder than the last. The cold months were hard enough inside the colony, I had no idea what to expect from the Waste. Horror stories of people being frozen solid in an instant, and giant snow monsters devouring anything that moved pummeled my brain. I knew they were just stories; tales told around a fire by old men looking to give children a good scare. But a part of me still wished for my mothers bed to crawl into and hide. 

"Can I show you something?" Slater asked. Thankful for a distraction, I met his eyes and smiled. 

"Alright," I agreed. He lightly pushed me away from the cart, grabbing onto the handle bar with his small hands. Jogging a few paces ahead of me, he pushed the cart with all his weight. Bits of gravel and dried foliage flicked into the air as he ran. I watched him wearily, hoping he wasn't plotting something stupid. 

Once he reached his desired speed, Slater jumped up onto the undercarriage of the cart, coasting along the bumpy road gracefully. A laugh bubbled out of me and I ran after him, watching as he came to a stop by the curb. 

"My mom and I used to do this all the time," he said with a giggle and stepped away from the cart. "You try!" 

"Oh, no..." I eyed the cart carefully. "It'd end in disaster."