It's The End of the World... And I Feel Fine (The Adventures of Max Harvey)

Chapter 3

The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting an eerie orange glow over the ravaged city. From our vantage point on the hill, the devastation stretched as far as we could see. Fires blazed in the distance, sending plumes of black smoke into the sky. It felt like we were trapped in a nightmare.

"Any ideas?" Marco asked, breaking the silence.

Ruby shook her head. "We need to find shelter, food, and water. Somewhere we can regroup and figure out what's going on."

I scanned the horizon, searching for anything that could provide us with the necessities. My eyes landed on a large building that seemed relatively intact. "What about that hospital over there? It looks like it hasn't been hit as hard."

Marco followed my gaze and nodded. "It's worth a shot. They'll have medical supplies, and maybe we can find some food and water there too."

"Alright, let's go," I said, standing up and helping Ruby to her feet.

We made our way down the hill, the streets eerily quiet except for the distant sounds of chaos. As we walked, the air grew colder, and I could see my breath forming small clouds in front of me. It was a stark reminder of how quickly the world had changed.

When we reached the hospital, it was clear that it hadn't escaped unscathed. The windows were shattered, and debris littered the entrance. But it was still standing, and that was more than could be said for most of the buildings around us.

"Let's be careful," Ruby whispered as we stepped inside. The lobby was a mess of overturned furniture and broken glass. The lights flickered intermittently, casting long shadows across the walls.

"We should split up," Marco suggested. "Cover more ground and find what we need faster."

Ruby and I exchanged worried glances, but we knew he was right. "Okay, but stay in touch," I said, handing him one of our walkie-talkies. "If you find anything, let us know."

Marco nodded and headed off down one hallway while Ruby and I took another. The hospital was a maze of corridors and rooms, each one more damaged than the last. We searched through cabinets and drawers, finding a few bandages and some basic medical supplies.

"This isn't much," Ruby said, stuffing the items into her backpack. "But it's better than nothing."

As we continued our search, we heard a faint noise coming from down the hall. It sounded like crying. Ruby and I exchanged a glance, then slowly made our way toward the sound. We found a young girl, no older than seven, huddled in a corner. Her face was streaked with tears, and she clutched a tattered stuffed animal.

"Hey, it's okay," Ruby said softly, kneeling down beside her. "We're here to help."

The girl looked up at us with wide, frightened eyes. "I can't find my mommy," she whispered.

My heart ached for her. "We'll help you find her," I promised, though I had no idea how.

Ruby gently took the girl's hand. "What's your name?"

"Lila," she replied, her voice barely audible.

"Alright, Lila, we're going to get you somewhere safe," Ruby said, standing up and looking at me. "We need to find Marco and get out of here."

I nodded, pulling out the walkie-talkie. "Marco, we found a little girl. Meet us back in the lobby."

"On my way," came his crackling reply.

We made our way back to the lobby, where Marco was waiting for us. His eyes widened when he saw Lila. "Where did she come from?"

"She was hiding," I explained. "We need to find her mom."

Marco frowned, crossing his arms. "We can't take her with us. She'll slow us down. We need to focus on surviving, not babysitting."

Ruby's eyes flashed with anger. "We're not leaving her behind, Marco. She needs our help."

"She's extra weight," Marco insisted. "We're barely surviving as it is."

I stepped between them, trying to defuse the situation. "We'll find a way to manage. We're not leaving her."

Marco sighed, clearly frustrated but relented. "Fine. But if things get worse, we can't be responsible for her."

We left the hospital, keeping Lila close between us. As we walked, we talked to her, trying to keep her calm. She told us about her mom, how they had come to the hospital when the chaos started but got separated in the confusion.

"We'll find her," Ruby assured Lila, though I could see the worry in her eyes.

As we moved through the city, we found a small grocery store that was mostly intact. The shelves were picked over, but we managed to find some canned goods and bottled water. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep us going for a while.

"We should find a place to camp out for the night," Marco said as we left the store. "Somewhere we can see if anyone's coming but still stay hidden."

"There's a school nearby," I suggested. "It has a gymnasium that's big enough for us to set up a temporary base."

We made our way to the school, finding it deserted. The gym was intact, and we set up our makeshift camp, using the supplies we had gathered. Lila stayed close to Ruby, clinging to her side.

As night fell, we huddled together, trying to stay warm. The city was eerily silent, the only sounds the distant wail of sirens and the occasional crash of a collapsing building.

"We'll figure this out," I said, trying to sound confident. "We'll find out what's happening and find Lila's mom."

Ruby nodded, her eyes filled with determination. "We're in this together."

Marco managed a tired smile. "Yeah, the three musketeers and our new recruit."

Lila looked up at us with a small, hopeful smile. "Thank you."

As we settled in for the night, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of hope. The world might be ending, but we had each other. And as long as we stayed together, I knew we had a chance.

Late at night, I woke up to find Ruby sitting by one of the gym windows, staring out at the darkened city. Quietly, I got up and walked over to her. "Can't sleep?" I asked softly.

She shook her head, not taking her eyes off the view. "It's hard to stop thinking about everything. About Lila's mom. About what we're going to do next."

I sat down beside her, feeling the chill of the night air seep through the broken window. "We'll figure it out. We've been doing it all good so far."

Ruby glanced at me, a small smile playing on her lips. "You always seem so sure... The restaurant, the neighborhood..."

"Not always," I admitted. "But having you and Marco by my side makes it easier to believe."

She leaned her head against my shoulder, and my heart skipped a beat. "I'm glad we're together, Max. I don't know what I'd do without you."

I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her closer. "I feel the same way, Ruby. We've got each other, and that's what matters."

We sat there in silence, watching the city. The moment felt oddly peaceful amidst the chaos. Ruby's warmth against me was a comforting reminder that we weren't alone in this.

As the first light of dawn began to break, Ruby lifted her head and looked into my eyes. "Max... thank you. For everything."

Before I could respond, she leaned in and I thought she was going to kiss me but... She hugged me. It wasn't brief, so it felt like a promise. A promise that no matter what happened, we'd face it together.

When we finally pulled away, we both smiled, the tension of the past day momentarily forgotten. "We should get some rest," Ruby said, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Yeah," I agreed, feeling a strange sense of contentment despite the circumstances. "We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow. We'll find Lila's mom and survive this. Together."