Wither With Me

CHAPTER 3 - SETBACKS

They moved from rooftop to rooftop, as swift as they could afford to be while staying silent. William had chosen a very carefully planned route, he knew exactly where he was leading them and what to expect to find along the way. They were traversing the city across building blocks, were everything was so packed together that alleys were narrow enough to be jumped over, and streets could be crossed with makeshift bridges, like planks, ladders or improvised rope. Power lines were dead since long ago, and could now be used as ziplines or handholds. Bigger streets were avoided if possible. If one of those had to be crossed, they'd go down the side of the building itself, typically using a fire escape, and then they'd immediately get up at the other side by similar means. Any indoor environment was also avoided unless necessary.

Up, then down, then climb over something, then down again, then up again... It didn't take long for fatigue to settle in and take its toll. Nora's face started to shine with sweat, her breath becoming heavier as time went by. Yet she couldn't afford to slow down even for a moment, she couldn't allow herself to become a burden at this point.

As she followed William around a corner, she was so focused on her thoughts she didn't notice her partner signaling her to stop with his hand, to the point she almost flinched on the spot.

"We'll take a short break here." he said.

Over the next couple of minutes, Nora took a quick gulp of water from a plastic bottle, and slowly nibbled on the small amount of food they packed up for the trip. She was very hungry, but she knew they had to use their resources sparingly.

She couldn't help but notice how William was staring at her intently the whole time. It made her very uncomfortable.

"You seem to work well under this kind of stress. Beyond your obviously lacking fitness and your cluelessness, you don't seem very fazed by this environment. You puzzle me." He took a sip of water before continuing. "I'm aware of how strong the desire to protect someone can be, but I wonder if that's all there is to it."

As much as she hated to admit it, he was right on the spot. She averted her eyes away from him for a moment, before mustering a reply. She didn't really feel like sharing a lot of things with him, but she had to say something.

"I saw a lot of things back at our original shelter. Claire and Lilian were kept unaware of this reality as much as possible, but I used to help the scouting parties when they came back from scavenging. Whether it was tending to the wounded, helping with supply management and organization..." She sighed, still avoiding eye contact with him. "I feel like I got to see the worst of both sides. I saw arguments, nonsensical fights ending in unnecessary tragedy, theft and opportunism, selfishness... and I also saw the way some of them came back. Horrific injuries, sometimes turning on the spot..."

Nora stopped for a moment, and even though she looked like she still had more to say, William stood up and interrupted her. He didn't look too pleased.

"I don't mean to disrespect, but I seriously doubt you've seen the worst. Of neither side." He started rummaging through his belongings and packing what remained of his food. "Of course, I don't mean to completely disregard your own experiences either. I'm very aware that you can't judge a book by its cover. And frankly, that's the only reason you're still alive. Don't make me regret it. Now pack up, let's keep moving"

Nora didn't say anything, even though she wanted to. What William said sounded insensitive to her, yet she still agreed. In the old world, it was already risky to trust people based solely on words. This new world had made it worse.

In all honesty, the distrust was mutual. Claire and Lilian had been left locked up back in the apartment building, and after coming this far away from it, Nora doubted she could manage to get back on her own. By all practical means, they were all pretty much kidnapped and at William's mercy. Still, neither of them showed signs of having ill intentions. At least, it didn't look like it. It should all be a matter of trust-building. Easier said than done, of course.