Chemicals

8

"We can't stay here any longer, Kiya." His voice cuts through the silence, rattling around in my head. I glance at him for a few seconds before looking away, avoiding his eyes. I can't tell him I don't trust her. He knew her, after all. The mountains were obviously the safer option, especially since there's little chance the rising water could reach that far. But water... the word churns my stomach all over again.

I look back at Ethan. He's twisting the collar of his shirt, a habit I've noticed when he's stressed.

"How would we even contact her?" I say, my voice heavy with doubt. "There's no signal. It's all gone." The words come out darker than I intended, a clear sign I don't want to go. Ethan gives me that pitiful look again, and I just stare back at him. He's not supposed to pity me. He's supposed to agree. But this isn't home anymore, this isn't one of those dumb arguments I'd have with my brother. This is the end of the world.

He opens his mouth to speak. "She gave us the location. We could take the car and—"

"No!" I cut him off sharply. "You don't get it, Ethan. I don't trust her. What if something goes wrong?" I snap, frustration welling up inside me. I press my fingers to my temples, trying to calm down.

For a moment, he's quiet. Then, he uncrosses his arms and steps toward me. Before I can react, he pulls me into a hug. I freeze. What the hell? I glance up at him, confused, but he just holds me there for a few seconds before letting go, his hands resting on my shoulders. "Look, Kiya, if you don't want to go, that's fine. I get it. But please—this is our best shot. We're out of time. Do it for all of us. For Carmen, for Franklin... for me."

I stare at him, torn. He's right. We both are, in different ways. I hate how convincing he can be. I sigh, the tension easing out of me. "Okay..." A grin spreads across his face as he pats my shoulder. "Short-stack you're amazing, you know that? "

I can't help but smile, pushing his hand off my shoulder as I chuckle under my breath. "Whatever."

I walk past him, feeling his gaze on my back. He's so annoyingly sweet, and I can't help but smile to myself.

***

The supermarket feels eerily quiet, the kind of silence that makes you second-guess every decision. We've all made up our minds—at least, we're acting like we have. Carmen and Frank are loading up the last of the cans, stuffing them into backpacks and whatever bags we could find lying around the store. I'm standing by the entrance, watching the light spill in through the broken windows, the outside world as hostile as ever.

"Is that everything?" Ethan asks, adjusting the straps on his pack. "Yeah," Carmen grunts as she zips up her bag. "Not like we had much to begin with." Her voice carries a hint of bitterness, but I can't blame her. We're running on fumes.

I force myself to take a step forward, my boots scuffing against the worn tile floor. I want to say something to ease the tension, to make this feel less like we're walking straight into the unknown, but the words stick in my throat. Instead, I pull my bag tighter against my shoulder and look around at the others.

Frank is fiddling with an old map he found a couple of days ago. "The roads are gonna be tricky," he mutters, his finger tracing the jagged lines of the mountains. "If we get caught in any of the flooded areas, we'll need to find another way up."

"We'll figure it out," Ethan says, his voice steady. He gives Frank a reassuring nod, but I can tell by the way his jaw tightens that he's feeling the pressure too.

I run my hand through my hair, looking around the supermarket one last time. This place, as grim as it's been, kept us alive for a while. Now we're leaving it behind for a shot in the dark. For a chance that might not even pan out. "You okay?" Carmen asks, coming up beside me. I nod, but it's more out of habit than truth. "Yeah, just... thinking."

"We're all thinking," she mutters, her eyes scanning the empty shelves, the abandoned aisles. "Let's just hope this Ivy girl isn't leading us into some mess."

"Or worse," I add under my breath.

Ethan steps up next to us, adjusting his pack again. "Alright, let's move. We've got daylight, and I'd rather be out of here before the next storm hits." We all nod, the weight of our decision hanging over us like a shadow. Frank takes the lead, map in hand, while Carmen follows behind with her makeshift weapon, a crowbar she's gotten too comfortable with lately. I linger by the door for a second longer, my stomach still churning at the thought of Ivy, at the word water echoing in my mind. But I push it down. There's no room for fear right now.

As we step outside, the air feels heavier, like the world is holding its breath, waiting to see if we'll make it. The car sits parked a few feet away, the last bit of civilisation we have left in this broken world. Ethan moves toward the driver's seat, and I glance at him, feeling that familiar tug of uncertainty. "You sure about this?" I ask, my voice quieter now that we're out in the open.

He looks back at me, his expression softening just a little. "No," he admits. "But it's our best chance." I take a deep breath, letting his words sink in. "Alright. Let's go."

We pile into the car, the doors shutting with a heavy thud, and just like that, we're leaving the supermarket behind. Leaving behind the only place we've known for weeks. The engine hums to life, and as we pull away, I catch one last glimpse of the empty parking lot, the faded signs, and the broken glass.

I don't look back again.