Wasteland // Kim Seungmin

6 - Can This Day Just End?**

Trigger Warning: Uncomfortable, icky sexual scenes ahead. When we get to the ***** you can skip until the next **** and still get the story

When we entered, the leader was standing halfway up a set of stairs. "You'll stay up here." He said gruffly. The man was in about his 40s, and had a pock marked face. He wore the familiar Center uniform, a grey shirt and grey pants. We started walking, and he stood against the wall when we passed. We entered a tiny room that had a pile of blankets on the ground. Once we were in, I heard the door closed behind us, with only Sky and I inside.

That wasn't bad at all.

"That wasn't too bad," Sky breathed, echoing my thoughts.

"No, it wasn't," I muttered, walking forward and picking up the blankets. There were four total. I selected the two cleanest looking ones, and rolled them into pillows. Then, I laid the heaviest one down, which had a fair amount of stains and crust, flat on the ground. I tried to keep the crustier side down. Finally, I laid the softest, cleanest one on top, folding the corner over.

I stood back next to Sky, appraising the little bed. "You don't mind sleeping next to me, right? I guess we could do without the pillows if we want more space..."

"I don't mind, Paila." Sky's voice was gentle. "Why don't you get comfortable and...don't watch me use the bathroom for a second."

"Hm?" I looked up, and for the first time noticed a toilet in the one corner of the room. Not even a curtain around it. "Oh, jesus." And we both cracked up. "Do your business, I will hide under the covers, and block my ears, and you're going to do the same thing for me in about a minute."

Sky laughed, "Deal."

After we both used the bathroom, politely humming to ourselves while the other went, I laid back down on the makeshift bed next to Sky. He had his eyes trained up on a window as I nestled in, turning on my side away from him. "Pretty quiet first day, huh?" he whispered.

I laughed once, and felt my eyes start to water, now with nothing to do but lay here and think about Felix.

"Oh yeah, pretty boring. I hope he's alive." I said.

"If he's alive, he's a leader. Some people prefer death."

"Not Felix. He'll make the best of it. He'll help people." I said tearfully.

Sky sighed, deciding not to argue the point. "Then I hope so too."

Tears were flowing down my cheeks, and I wanted to stop talking and try and sleep before I started sobbing. "Night, Sky."

"Night Paila."

Neither of us knew the long day had one more thing in store.

I woke up to Sky firmly hugging me to his chest, my face basically in his armpit. His voice sounded deadly as he asked, "What are you doing in here?"

"I'm not gunna touch her. Just gunna look at her."

The leader's voice was mumbly, and I wonder if he woke up and decided to come see what we were up to. "Paila, wake up." Sky said.

"I'm awake." Obviously, how could I sleep through him crushing me the way he is?

"There she is," The leader said more gently. "What a pretty girl you have here kid."

Sky did not acknowledge what the leader said, but his grip tightened around me. "Remember what I said," He whispered in my ear, his voice strained, "I follow your lead."

***** 

I nodded, rotating in his hold and looking up at the leader. He was on his knees in front of me, staring at my face. The room was dark, but there was enough moonlight shining in through the window that I could see everything.