Junkyard Bastion

Our World

<9:22pm>

We walked down the long, broken down concrete. The full moon shining bright onto us, the stars illuminating the night sky in a beautiful orchestra of lights. The air was crisp and cold, and soft clouds were peaking over the trees as we walked down the abandoned path.

I had taken of my leather jacket, exposing my metal arm, the soft lights from the sky gleams off the metal, the tones much softer than that of the sun. I notice the boy staring at the sky, zoning out as he walks next to me.

"You like the sky here?" I say, my tone soft from not wanting to break the peacefulness.
"Its beautiful." He says in a whisper.

I smile softly and we continue down the road, almost wishing this moment never ended. I finally see the junkyard in the distance, the trees slowly getting more scarce as we headed down the more barren roads on the outskirts of the "Big City."

I finally see the stringed lights hanging from a distance, it acts as a guide for potential survivors if they ever find this place while trying to escape the city. I nudge his arm with my elbow and I nod my head at the lights. He snaps out of his daydream, looking ahead.

"Is that it?" I smile and nod, and I start to quicken my pace a bit, a little eager to get home. As we approach the junkyard I suddenly wish I had stayed longer in the roads. It was so peaceful. We're close enough to hear the chatter of my "family" and I walk to a meshed fence.

I guide him under the mesh fence by hitching the fence high up from the ground, securing it back in place once we're both in. The girl runs up to me and gives me a hug.

"Hey big bro!" She says with a sweet smile. I ruffle her hair and she looks at the boy I brought back, and she tears up. I suddenly remember the fact he has a freaky face and I immediately comfort her, hugging her as I motion for him to cover up his face.

Forgetting he doesn't really have anything I take my mask hanging off my neck and I hand it to him. He puts it on slowly, looking a little skeptical about the junkyard.

"A new survivor?" Someone exclaims.
"Great job Beck on finding another one!" Another pitches in. Soonly everyone had their attention on me and the boy, I look over to him and he looks nervous. Scared even. I pull his arm, leading him to my house and I sit him down onto my cot.

"You alright?" He sighs and nods.
"Sorry.. I'm just a little new to this whole apocalypse thing, I just.. I'm scared." I sigh and I slump down next to him, my back against my window.

"Who isn't? I mean one day everything's fine and next a literal zombie apocalypse arose out of no where."

He nods and he shifts in my cot, then he turns to face me, and he slowly pulls off my mask to hand it back.

"You don't like my mask?"
"No I just don't wanna hide, well, this." He grazes his fingertips over his torn cheek, and I can't help but wonder how uncomfortable that is. He then turns back to staring at the wall in front of him.

"I get you. I gotta introduce you to my fam though dude." He smiles softly and he gets up.
"Alright. Let's go I guess." He still sounds  nervous, so I don't push him.

"If you want I can just tell them about you, you can stay in here and rest since you look like you need it." I say, hinting to his heavy eye bags and slouched pose. He sighs, and he gets comfy onto my cot.

"That'd be better actually. Thank you.. uh?"
"Beckett."
"Beckett." He repeats. "I like your name." He smiles at me, his face softly illuminated by the moon light, his hair also being accented with grey silver streaks from the moon.

"Thanks, what about you?"
"It's-" My adoptive father bursts in the door and he sees him laying onto my cot and sighs.
"Beck, did you seriously bring a husk in the camp?"

"He ain't a husk? Also husks aren't dangerous, unless they're evil." My dad sighs and he leans against the doorframe.

"Well, since it's so late we can do introductions tomorrow. You boys rest up." He nods as us both, and closes the door behind him.

I turn to him and he turns to me. We both start laughing, I don't know why exactly but it just felt right at the time. "So.. who's sleeping on the floor and who's sleeping on the cot?" He asks, looking at me, then the cot we were both on.

"I have an extra cot don't worry" I laugh a little, pointing at the folded up cot near my closet. He grabs it and unfolds it, moving it to sit near mines. "I'll see you tomorrow right?"
He asks.

I laugh and I say, "Uh yeah. I live here." He chuckles and he turns to his side, I throw a blanket to him and he catches. I turn myself over and I tuck myself in, my eyelids getting heavier as I drift to sleep.