END OF ALL THINGS - An Apocalyptic Fairy Tale & Love Story

Chapter 6

With shelves blocking the moonlight above my head, I lay against the corner of the wall and a counter that the gas station had used for one of those rotating hotdog cookers, among other things. I don't know if the thing actually cooked them or just kept the dogs warm. Doesn't matter because it's empty and the building is without power anyway. The clear plastic door of the appliance stands open and it's the first thing I see when I open my eyes after dozing. The little silver doorknob happens to be high enough to catch a glimmer of moonlight.

Right away, I notice my side feels tender, but it feels better. The ibuprofen is working, and so is Ariel's patch job with the Superglue and bandages. But something seems different. Something presses against my good side, and when that something moves in the slightest, something else tickles my chin.

I glance down and know immediately what's wrong.

Or not wrong.

Ariel has fallen asleep, and in her slumber, her body has shifted to where she now leans against my left side. The crown of her head and a few wild strands of her flaxen hair, brushes against my neck and the bottom of my chin. It appears she had started out using my backpack as a prop, but that didn't work well, I suppose. That's how she must have ended up using my arm and shoulder to lean against.

I could stay like this... but my right buttock demands I shift to take weight off of it.

Ever so gently, I reposition my hips.

Ariel sits up, and with her neck turned, she stares at me, her eyes looking gray in the dark, but I know their true color. Her cheeks grow tense, and she winces out a tiny smile. "Sorry," she says.

I want to say something in reply, but the words won't form on my lips. All I can do is draw my mouth to one side in an awkward quirky grin. When I push up, I wince and let out a painful grunt.

"How's your side?" She places a hand on my shoulder and an electric shock passes through me. Not literally, but her touch makes me feel exposed, a little short of breath, like I couldn't hide my true self from her if I wanted to.

"It's not so bad," I reply. "Better, I think."

She unscrews my canteen top and offers me a drink.

I sip but don't gulp. "The last drink is yours. I'll get more when we find a stream or creek."

"So, we're sticking together?" she says.

I shrug. "Probably for the best. We could watch each other's backs. Two are better than one. Think I heard that somewhere before."

"Sounds like a good philosophy. Surviving alone isn't easy. I learned that the hard way."

"Me too."

Once she returns my canteen to my backpack, I stand and stretch, testing my range of motion in regard to the wound on the right side of my stomach. It feels better, but I need to avoid running for my life for a few days. I don't sense any sign of an overall drain on my system, like an infection would cause. No general body aches or nausea or fever. Guess it helps to be twenty-two with a good immune system.

Visible above the shelves, I see a hint of morning light set against the dark blue background of the sky. We must have slept longer than we thought.

After a granola bar each from my pack, we wait for the day to fully begin. Near the front register, we talk in the growing light, me leaning against the counter and Ariel sitting on top of it.

"So," she says, "what was your major?"

I arch a brow. "Oh, in college... I went for business management. Kinda a general, I know, but that was the point. Gave me a ton of options.  Not that I have anything to choose from now. What about you? College?"

"I had just got accepted into nursing school when the crap hit the fan."

"Did any nurses or doctors survive the first rider?"

"I don't think so."

I grimace mildly, hoping to convey kindness and understanding, and on a subtle level, gratitude, my gaze taking in the overall expression on her face from the rosy hue to her cheeks and the small dimples that surface. "I'm glad you didn't become a nurse."

Her eyes rise to meet mine.

"Because if you were dead, who would have doctored me up last night?"

"Right." She nods. "And I'm glad you didn't have a chance to join the Navy. Because if you were dead, I might not have spotted the second horseman in time." She swipes her finger across her throat and sticks her tongue out the side of her mouth with a smile.

While considering her lighthearted gesture, the seriousness of our situation comes to mind and weighs heavily on me. I reach inside my bag and retrieve the page I had torn from the book.

"This page came from a Bible," I say.

"I knew that."

"Well, it describes the first rider in perfect detail. Down to the color of his horse, the bow, and his crown."

"He reminded me of Thor, from the movies. With the blonde hair and everything else."

"He was not Chris Hemsworth."

Ariel chuckled. "He was good looking, though."

"He was a murderer."

"That he was." She looked away, then turned back to me. "What about the second rider? What does it say about him?"

I glance at the page and paraphrase it. "Says he will take peace from the earth. That he would cause people to kill each other. And that he was given a great sword." I lift my eyes to hers to make sure I have her attention. "You knew the effect he had on people last night when you warned me not to look at him. How did you know?"

"I experienced it firsthand. Come on." She hops down from the counter and gestures toward the truck with the body hanging out the window. "Think the keys are still in it?"

"I'm not touching that body. And besides that, the more noise we make, the more attention we draw... from the wrong people. Horse or no horse."

"Let's hit the road then. We need more water and food and other supplies."

"We need to stick close to the tree line in case trouble comes."

"Good idea." She motions toward the door.

And with that, we leave the gas station behind and take to the road, hoping to stay alive one more day.