World's End

Chapter Sixteen

Three days later, four of them were holed up in the entry way to an old restaurant, staring at the sky as rain poured from it and hit the ground, sizzling as it hit anything in its path, burning into cars and trees. Marissa watched it with disdain.

"Well, I definitely didn't have acid rain on my Expanse BINGO card." Jax was messing with the door, trying to open the door so they could be more out of the current rain. Marissa looked back at him. "Why did these people make sure this door was locked when the world ended?"

"Maybe because they weren't open for business when it happened?" Jax looked over his shoulder at Marissa and glared at her. She pulled a face at him and went back to watching the rain. Ellie Rae was huddled behind Lincoln and Marissa, shivering. It wasn't that cold but Marissa's guess was fatigue- they were all tired and displaying it in different ways.

"Aha!" Jax exclaimed and the door swung inwards. They almost fell in, the door opening up space and making them less cramped. The spread out into the entry way of the restaurant and Marissa stretched.

"Took you long enough."

"Hey, I'm not the one who suggested we squeeze into the smallest place possible when they realized the rain was acidic." Marissa scowled as Jax said that.

"I just pointed to the place closest to us and you all decided that was a good idea to follow. I didn't plan on the door being locked." Jax shook his head and took off his jacket, shaking it off. It had burn patches on it from the rain, as did most of their clothing. Ellie Rae's teeth chattered as she found a mostly intact tablecloth and wrapped it around herself. Marissa dropped her bag onto the ground and sighed as the weight disappeared.

"Oh my word that feels good."

"Now all we need is to sleep and get going again."

"O-only when D-D-Daniel gets ba-a-a-ck, ri-g-g-ght?" Ellie Rae chattered. Lincoln looked over at her and gave her a reluctant nod.

"Yeah, of course." She nodded her head and pulled the cloth tighter around her. Marissa looked over at Lincoln, giving him a look. He shrugged and raised his hands, palms off as if saying 'what was I meant to say?'

Daniel had conveniently disappeared a day ago. One moment he had been there, the next he had gone off and left the four of them sitting in an old school bus, half awake and slightly dazed.

"I'll look for a look out point and see if I can spot him." Marissa said to Ellie Rae as she pulled another tablecloth off a table, grimaced at the half moth eaten fabric but wrapped it tightly around Ellie Rae regardless. She squatted in front of her as she tucked it under her chin. "You get some sleep, okay?" Ellie Rae nodded and closed her eyes, still shaking. Marissa looked over at Jax and pointed at Ellie Rae.

"Keep her warm, get some sleep. Lincoln and I will keep an eye out for Daniel." Jax nodded and ambled over to Ellie Rae. He passed Marissa and plopped down on the floor beside Ellie Rae and pulled her into a hug. Ellie Rae burrowed into the hug, thankful for the warmth he radiated. Marissa pushed herself to her feet and looked around the restaurant. Lincoln was around the back and she heard him give a short, sharp whistle to get her attention. She muttered something to herself as she picked her way through the room and looked for him, following his whistles.

"I'm not a dog." She grumbled at him when she found him. Lincoln just grinned and pushed open a door he was standing by, revealing a flight of stairs.

"Yes but was it not an effective way of finding me?" Marissa pursed her lips and blew the air out of her nose heavily. "Come on, I think this will give us a good look out." He swept his hand back and gave her a small bow, still smiling. Marissa looked up the stairs and shook her head at him but walked past him, walking up the dark staircase, feeling her way as she went. Her hand hit another door when she got to the top and she felt around for a door handle. She smacked her hand into it and winced, swearing as her fingers throbbed. Turning the doorknob, she entered into what must have been an office. There was a giant, intact window across from the door and behind the desk. It gave a good view of the city and the rain that was coming down. The window had remained untouched by the acid rain by some good fortune.