Across the Deadzone

Chapter 20: Wystan

"Stevie and Zilla," I said as I caught up to Ophelia, Timber right behind me. She didn't turn around, but I saw her eyebrows draw together.
"What?" she asked shortly, not looking over at me.
"The other people in our group," I elaborated. "Their names are Stevie and Zilla."
She nodded, jaw locked. Still angry about the stunt I pulled earlier, I assume. I couldn't blame her.
The sun was slowly creeping its way up in the sky, baking us inside of our clothes. A sheen of sweat already layered itself over O's forehead, even though it was barely eight o'clock. I wasn't any better off.
I sighed, wiping perspiration out of my eyes. "Is it always this hot?" I asked lowly.
Ophelia started, "If you think this is hot-"
"If you can't take the heat," Coatés interrupted from the front of the pack, "get out of the sun."
Ophelia snorted sharply as I said, "I'm pretty sure that's not how the saying goes."
Ophelia swung her backpack around to her front, digging through it until she found what she was looking for with an 'ah-hah' sound. Pulling out a piece of beige fabric, she handed it to me.
"Put this around your head. It won't do much, but it'll help a little."
I gulped, realizing how unprepared I really was for this trip. "Don't you need it?" She gave me a sly look, zippering up her backpack and relocating it to her back.
Without answering me, she flipped up the hood of her yellow jacket and pulled out a pair of black goggles, letting them rest on her hairline.
She was wearing the shirt she'd worn when she first showed up in Hemmington, but I noted that she had kept Colma's pants.

I tried to keep myself from glancing behind us, but when my resolve crumbled and I felt the pressure to look build up inside of me like a bomb, Hemmington had blended into the collection of redstone cliffs.
This was officially the farthest I'd traveled in nine years. And yet, the only thought in my heat-stunned mind was that I wish cars still worked.
By the time the sun had started to set, I was exhausted, starving, sun-sick, and halfway delirious. But I was alive, which was honestly better than I had hoped for.
We stopped outside the only standing building for miles. It looked like it might've been a department store, or warehouse in its past life, and was in surprisingly good condition.
Coatés stooped next to the door, pulling out a bundle of keys and inserting it into the keyhole. When the heavily rusted door popped open, he stood up with a grin, arms outstretched.
"Your accommodations for the night," he exclaimed proudly, stepping to the side so we could walk inside.
Coatés explained that Ubers had a network of places like this where their customers could sleep. Safe Spots, they called them. They had tubs set up in the back so, during the few times that it rained out here, they could collect water. The best part in all of this, he said, was that they had working showers.
Even back in Hemmington, we didn't have showers.
"Like a five-star hotel," Ophelia said from my side, staring down at the massive warehouse. There was literally anything a person would need to survive- hundreds of mattresses, piles of blankets, cans of food stacked against the walls, and bottles of water.
And it seemed like we weren't the only group of travelers who had stopped for the night.
I followed Ophelia, Stevie, and Zilla down the grated metal stairs, our shoes clomping heavily and causing everyone's eyes to fall on us, the newcomers.
Some of them waved, smiling as they greeted us. Others ate. Others just slept through our arrival.
Ophelia blew right past them, throwing her bag down on the cleanest-looking empty mattress she could find- which happened to be queen sized- claiming it as her own. Timber followed in her wake, sniffing and licking at people as they reached out to pet her.
Timber hopped onto the bed next to O's bag, spinning in a circle and laying down, her head resting on her paws. It had been a long day for her, too.
I took the mattress beside her, which was a twin. Still, it was better than sleeping on the floor. Mattresses were being taken in record time and anyone who came in behind us might have to share.
"I'll get us something to eat," Ophelia told me. "Watch my stuff." She whispered the last part, glancing around suspiciously.
I flopped back against my bed, throwing my arm over my eyes to block out the harsh white light. My entire body was aching and sore. I didn't know it was possible to hurt this much.
I felt the bed dip slightly beside me and I pulled myself into a sitting position, muscles protesting the whole time.
Ophelia was inspecting me as she handed me the second can of food and a spoon, her honey-colored eyes steely. Avoiding her gaze, I took the can from her and stared down into its contents. Cold minestrone was better than I would've hoped for.
"What?" I finally asked around a mouthful of soup.
"I told you to watch my stuff," she said eventually, nodding over toward her mattress. At this point, there was a group of kids huddled around Timber, scratching her belly and giggling. The dog, in question, looked like she was having the time of her life. The right side of my lip quirked up as I watched them.
"Yeah, sorry about that."
The two of us fell silent, staring out into the sea of humans. The ceaseless chatter and scraping of metal utensils against cans were enough to fill the air.
Finally, when Timber seemed to have enough, she meandered over to us and plopped herself down at Ophelia's feet, copying our pose.
Ophelia tossed the rest of her canned food down to Timber, and when she was finished eating, poured some water into the empty can.
Ophelia nudged my shoulder then, getting to her feet. "I'm gonna take a shower before lights out. You should, too." I nodded, standing up beside her. She shook her head. "Stay here and watch our stuff. I'll be back."
"I'm sure Stevie and Zilla would be fine watching it for a little bit," I replied, gesturing to the two women who were sharing the bed across from us. Zilla waved, shooting us a smile.
A muscle in O's jaw flexed, but she nodded and took off toward the showers.
I hurried after her, calling a quick 'thanks' over my shoulder to Stevie and Zilla.