Kona peered into the shop. The door and windows were mostly boarded up, but someone had pried little pieces of wood away. It seemed like it had been an ice cream parlor. Everything in it was destroyed, and Kona couldn’t see any food. She decided to look at it anyways – she could use the spare parts in her miniature renovation project.
She looked over the boards, constantly looking her shoulder over as well. Today was a scheduled death duty day for the monsters, and she absolutely did not want to get caught. Quickly, she found a weak spot and gave it a few strong kicks. The boards fell apart easily, and Kona climbed in.
Inside of the shop, Kona inspected everything. She jumped around the rubble like a ballerina on stage. The seventeen year-old was used to getting in and getting out ASAP. She had been living that way since she was 13. Her parents had been killed by monsters just after her birthday.
Bit and pieces of ice cream cones were on the floor, but since they were small and very moldy, she didn’t bother with them. Instead, she took some of the sample spoons scattered around the shop, tucking them into her backpack.
There were three bowls around the broken tables and chairs, but they were quickly in her backpack. Finished with the front area, she headed into the back room. This area was not as destroyed, but there was still a considerable amount of damage done. All of the appliances had long lost their electricity. Several ice creams cones and various puddles laid on the floor, and once again, they were all moldy. Kona sighed, losing confidence in the shop.
Something made Kona’s spine tingle. She raced out of the back room, quickly picked up a dirty, dusty rag, and shot out of the shop, speeding down the street towards the apartment building she had been living out of.
Although most of the apartments were utterly destroyed, Kona had found one on the third floor (there were six floors in all) that was in livable shape. There were many things missing from it, but it was slowly starting to glow again.
As soon as she entered the apartment, she shut the blinds and curtains to all of the windows, and locked the front door. The monsters usually did not check apartment buildings, though out of laziness or stupidity Kona was not sure.
Kona huffed and sat down in one of the two bar stools. The kitchen had a connected bar that separated it from the rest of the room. She had found two bar stools (they were nowhere near identical) on her outings. The one she was sitting on, a run-of-the-mill wooden thing, had been salvaged from a bar a ways away from the apartment. It had been collected between death duty days, so she was safe on a long journey.
She took her backpack off of her shoulder and heaved it onto the counter. Kona opened the biggest part, taking out two paper plates, three paper bowls, six tiny, pink sample spoons, one dusty rag, a plastic bead necklace, a dirty teddy bear missing a leg and a button eye, a foam cup, three plastic forks, and a mini box of Fruit Loops, placing all of the things on the counter.
In the smaller outer pocket, she removed two more paper plates, a plastic spoon, six plastic knives, two Coke soda bottle caps, and half of a comb. Last but not least, in the smallest out pocket, Kona took out five plastic knives and a fake rose.
She put everything away except for the fake rose, unsure of what to do with it. She decided to place it in the middle of the fake fruit bowl. Kona walked over to the fridge. Of course, it didn’t work anymore, but she still stored her food in it. She opened it and gazed at the small supply; a little chunk of bread, three strawberries, a bag of pork rinds, and two mini boxes of Fruit Loops.
Kona took out the strawberries, bread, a paper plate, and a plastic knife. She sliced the tops off of the strawberries, which were beginning to turn brown, and then sliced them in half. Kona put the knife in the sink, mocking a normal house.
Each slice was stacked on the bread before the whole thing was shoved into the girl’s mouth. It was quite a small meal, and though she wanted to eat everything else, she restrained herself. She had to eat in small portions, or else she would devour her whole stock.
She sighed and walked over to the window in the kitchen. Slowly, she opened the curtains and pried apart the blinds. Kona froze and nearly fainted; there was a patrol of monsters, right outside her building.
There was one bright pink and turquoise one, with large, curling horns and big, gray, protruding teeth. It had long claws, long hair, but no tail. The monster carried a large gun and a backpack, and seemed to be leading the other monsters, which were just ugly Pinkies.
She knew it was extremely dangerous to be peering out of the window and staring at the monsters, but she herself petrified. The pink and turquoise monster turned, nodded, and shook its head at the others, gesturing with its paws a few times. Then it tilted its head back, and glared right at Kona.
Either the monster was very stupid, very lazy, or very nice. It looked at Kona for a few seconds, and then walked on with its patrol. Kona dropped to the floor, breathing heavily and rubbing her face. She couldn’t believe the monster had just ignored her like that. She had thought for sure she was dead.
