The Edge of No Tomorrow

5 | Sage

I stand in a stripe of darkness against the stairwell, poking my finger at an ant crawling on a crack in the paint.

It skitters away, crisscrossing the railing until the ant becomes a speck in the darkness.

I scrape my mussed hair away from my eyes, considering trudging back to my room. I wish I could go to work—sleep is my only pastime left now. I didn't think I'd get so tired of a routine.

Get up. Get dressed. Stare at the ticket from across the room as I eat the expired can of pears. Take a nap to erase the sinking feeling that makes me throw up. Keep sleeping until the hours blur together.

Today, I have three days left before the boat leaves. Today, I am going to the grocery store.

I stick my hand against the railing and head down the stairwell. The sound of my footsteps is loud in my ears. A laminated sign watches over me from its place on the wall, showing me the closest route to the fire escape. A giant red dot in the far left corner proclaims: You are here.

Using my elbow, I prop the exit door open and check on either side of me before stepping out. A dandelion pokes out from the pavement and stretches along the street, weaving through the pipes.

Kayden meets me at the bus stop and we wait for the number twenty-seven line.

"This one will take us to the store?" he asks, clutching his messenger bag. He isn't much taller than me, but his broad shoulders and closed-off stance make the sparse crowd give him space.

"It'll be close enough."

The bus hurtles down the street, zooming over a puddle and past a black cat picking at a discarded paper bag. Its doors swing open with a stilted motion and the rush of air. We climb on.

Avanna and the woman from before are hovering in the back. Besides an older man whose face is fuzzily recognizable, we are the only passengers.

"How is Atlas? You said you would drop by," I say to Kayden. I was ushered out of the house before I could protest. Kayden agreed to check on him, if only to make sure he was okay.

The engine rumbles beneath my feet and clunks noisily along the street.

"I don't know what to do with him. He's trying to play it off like he was just drinking, and that he didn't really mean it. It's like he wants someone to save. Someone other than himself, as if leaving would be selfish."

I don't bother pointing out that he isn't leaving, either. Reaching into his bag, Kayden removes a granola bar and splits it in two. He offers me half, but I'm not hungry.

Avanna and her mother observe us. When I trail my eyes to the back of the bus, the child is staring right back. At the second stop, she hops into the thoroughfare and pads closer to Kayden like a startled fawn.

"Do you want some?" Kayden extends his hand outward.

The child nods, checking behind her to the woman as if asking permission. Kayden holds the package to show her the tamper seal.

"It's something with wheat," he says by way of explanation.

The woman's eyes flick back to Avanna before relenting. "Thank you." There is a tightness to her words, and she leads her daughter back to the cushioned seat.