Treading quietly down the concrete trail through the silent forest, Ash began to hear the rushing of water. Quickening her pace, she hurried towards the edge of the path which peered out onto the creek where the bridge lay on top. Hiding behind some overgrown bushes, she looked around, wondering if she could spot anyone. The person who left the message. After searching, she got up and snuck across the pipes as quiet as possible, not looking down into the deep, dark water.
After making it across, she hoisted herself onto the concrete blocks, the vines creeping over the sides and grass growing high. Pulling herself up, she stood and observed the field in front of her. The sunshine reflected perfectly off the amber hairs of the grass that rose from the ground. A soft breeze awoke, ruffling the field of gold, carrying her hair with it. Taking in a deep breath, she noticed the sun had began to go down, it's yellow rays now turning orange as the sky lit a light purple rather than the crisp blue. Dusk would be here soon and she hadn't much time.
Turning around, she still couldn't see anyone when suddenly a hand wrapped around her mouth. As she tried screaming, a voice whispered in her ear,
"Keep quiet, they can hear you." He said as he slowly pulled his hand away. She breathed heavily and stared at him.
"Who the hell are you?!" She said loudly, still shaking. His almost bleach blonde hair laid messily on his head, his eyes glowing blue. He had a deep tan and looked young, stubble lining his jaw.
He smiled,
"I'm Jack. Not short for Jackson or John, just Jack. Now what's your name?" He asked, still grinning. She shrugged, his friendliness warming her,
"Ash. Short for Ashia." She said simply. He nodded,
"Pretty name." He said as he sat down and patted the spot next to him on the dried grass,
"Do you want to stay and watch the sunset with me? It's a beautiful evening." He offered. The corner of her lips gave way to a smile.
"Sure. Why not sit down and watch a strangely romantic sunset with a man I met less than 5 minutes ago in an Apocalyptic world where most of the people I've come across want to kill me." She joked, sitting down a few inches away from him.
He chuckled,
"True true. Let me introduce myself further. I am Jack Oltman from Louisiana, traveling here in search of humans who wish no harm upon myself." He said grandly, still smiling,
"Last I checked I was 18 years old, the apocalypse starting before I made it through my first semester of college," his smile fading, "my family didn't make it through two months. I haven't had contact with any of my friends. I thought I might've been the only one..." He murmured as he stared at the darkening sky. She felt a little warmer in my heart, knowing he had gone through what she had.
He seemed trustworthy enough, sincere about the words he said. She shifted slightly closer to him,
"Yea. Same." She mumbled in response. After a short pause, she continued,
"I just graduated high school, so I'm 17. I was born and grew up here. I've been surviving on my own a month all this shit started." she finished, glancing at him after staring at the sun. His eyes beamed at her, the crystal blue glow making her turn slightly pink. She turned away to stare back at the sunset. The soft clouds streaked across the atmosphere, the sky painted in beautiful shades of purples, blues, crimsons, and pinks.
"It really is beautiful." She said softly as they both sat in silence. He grabbed her hand and held it, and she let his long fingers intertwine with hers as she felt finally a sense of less loneliness.
