Solar Love

-3- Hunger

Author's note: So so sorry for the late post! Been super busy with life! Next chapter should be released anytime between May 1st & May 30th! Enjoy! Please comment and be sure to rate the book or add it to your shelves/follow to get updates!

The next couple hours with Houston was not pleasant to say the least. Even with my strongest willpower I was unable to prevent myself from crying out sometimes when the needle pierced through my skin. Through it all, he still reassured me by saying things like "You're doing great" and "almost done" under his breath. Which I found funny because the fact of the matter was that in the moment, he wasn't almost done. Not even close...

He didn't slow down or stop throughout the process though, which was honestly better for me. I wanted to get this whole thing over with. I wanted to be done.

Done with regret. Done with pain. With every stitch I imagined myself healing, but the thing was... I wasn't.

Even with the physical pain starting to subside I couldn't help the aching feeling in my heart that maybe this would be my next real friend. Maybe I could finally feel human again. Maybe this was my chance to start over.

For months I had walked this singed world alone. I'd scavenged for my own food, found my own clean water, talked to myself, entertained myself. I'd learned to fight and defend myself, even without a gun at times.

What if Houston wasn't the evil, scary man I had thought him up to be? What if he was telling the truth? What if he really wasn't the one who shot me?

After quite a while of stitching my leg. He was finally almost done. He spoke again.

"So what's your story then, Cathenna?" He asked me.

I shrugged. "I grew up with my parents and my older brother Max in Vernon, Texas before the world ended..." I didn't wanna go any further, but I knew he'd be curious so I tried to make it short. "They didn't make it." I said, looking away from him. I didn't want him to see my sadness. My weakness was evident. He nodded and sighed.

"Not many people did, Cathenna... I'm sorry."

"It is the way it is for a reason I suppose... There's no way to change it." He shook his head.

"That doesn't make it any easier though." He replied.

He was right. It didn't make it any easier. I still missed my mother and father, and my brother most of all. I missed all my friends and my old life. Even my dog and my bird. I missed everyone so much. I knew I'd never get over that feeling.

I felt as if I didn't just miss them, though. It wasn't the same feeling you got when you left your home to go on vacation, or the way you missed your friends when school was out. When you were away from people you loved in the old world, you could call them, or text them. Sometimes if you were feeling adventurous you could just show up at their house unexpected and see them.

It wasn't like that here. I was still on the same earth, but it felt like I was on a completely different planet.

I sighed. "Well then, what about you? Tell me your story."

More importantly, how'd you find me? I thought to myself.

He shook his head. "Well, uh... Not much to tell. Grew up on my own. Got here on my own. Survived the flare on my own." He paused for a moment. "I've been surviving here by myself for almost five months." I nodded in response. Then my brows furrowed as I came to a quick realization.

"Five months..? This um... This isn't your house then?" I asked, looking around.

"It is now." He said sternly. I scoffed. His tone with that was slightly defensive. As if he was offended I was daring to question him.