𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋//𝐆𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘𝐗𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑

Heart locket so cute

Tunnels smell like death. I discovered this as Brenda, Thomas, and I traversed the underground. Our flashlights bounced on the walls, showing off the bright graffiti that had been tattooed on the wall.

"I think it's this way." Brenda motioned to the right, deciding our fate. The fork in the road had been crossed.

"You think? Thomas mumbled, still following her no matter what reservations he seemed to have. Together we ventured through, wet splashing noises being made but not anywhere we could see. "Did people live down here?"

"The solar storms forced people underground." Brenda explained, her controlled, tight movements indicated that her guard was up. I wondered how many times she'd done this before. If she had ever done this before. "Jorge says there's settlements all over these tunnels."

"How many people do you think still live here?" I was curious. Fear made you curious. It was human nature. The cold from the tunnels seeped through my clothes. The temperature was a far cry from the simmering sun that had beat on us from the surface.

"Tons." She clung close to me then, her coat brushing against me, flashlight aimed outward. "Just none that are living. They're all gone, insane people now."

"Hey what about Jorge?" Thomas lilted, looking as if he couldn't decide where to look. There was so much crap to take in all at once.

"What about him?" Brenda answered with a question. It was clever. That made me smile.

"Is he your father?" He asked back, settling his sight on an expanse of colorful, artistic, graffiti. A small splash came from where I'd stepped. I guess I found the water. Puddles lined the tunnel, twisting and turning with it.

"Close enough." Replied Brenda shortly. "Truth is I don't know what he is, he's just always been there." Always been there? Were they related? Perhaps distantly? I abandoned my questions to move onto the opportunity to crack a good joke.

"So that means he's a dilf?"

Brenda shot an irritated look at me, hastening her pace. Thomas at least chuckled before biting down on his tongue.

"Gross. No way." Expressing her disgust, she slowed her pace when seeing how far back of become. "He's always felt more like an uncle or something. He picked me up when I had no one else, and I've always done what he's asked, no matter how stupid." Brenda's eyes dug at me at the last word. Stupid. "What about you Ms. Talkative? What's your story?" She bumped an elbow into me. It was intentional. "Why'd you act so weird when I was shooting those Wicked pigs?"

My mouth dried like the desert. Ms. Talkative lost their voice. The last thing I wanted was to tell everyone in the world about Gally. It was pain and she was new. No matter how cute she was she was dangerous. I'd be stupid to let her know my weaknesses.

"Uh I have athsma so guns and breathing and all that shit don't really work together."

"Wha-" Thomas wrinkled his brow, about to give me away before I hit him with a swift kick to the leg. For someone so smart, he was kind of an idiot. After recovering, he followed along, watching my evil sneaker covered feet that had hit him. "Yeah it's that damn athsma that does it."

"Damn straight." I agreed, completely full of shit. I just hoped that she didn't see it. She did. How could she not. She was like me.

"I thought athsma was a breathing issue." Brenda narrowed her eyes, aiming her flashlight at me as though we were midst of an interrogation.

"Um...well yeah. Around guns and shit." Coming up with bullshit was easy for me. I'd been doing it for my entire life.

"Uh huh and shit," She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Sure." Thomas thought quickly and blurted up another question to keep the heat off of me.