Rubble

Two

Joshua sprinted towards his beloved sister, panicking. "Erin! Erin! What's wrong!?"

Erin, trembling with a horrified expression on her face, pointed in the doorway. There lay a trail of blood, down a wooden corridor with a fraying carpet. At the end of the corridor was the mangled, decaying body of Key.

Erin turned her head into Joshua's chest, sobbing. "Just like Mom and Dad!" she cried. Tears dripped down Joshua's own face, remembering when he and Erin had come home from a short trip to Key with a bread slice, and found their parents in a mangled, bloodied heap. 

Joshua wrapped his arms protectively. He wouldn't let anything happen to his sister. Wouldn't give up needed food for unneeded water. 

As Joshua tightened his grip on Erin, he felt her ribs poke his  arms. It's nothing, he thought, we're both thin, plus I'm squeezing pretty hard. 

Joshua let go of Erin and pulled her outside, not letting her even glance at Key. He dragged her down the road, into the building they shared. He shut the door behind them and slipped the bag off his shoulders, before packing the few clothes he and Erin had.

"Josh? Josh, what are you doing?" Erin asked, stepping closer.

"It's the Justice," snarled Joshua, "they're in the district. We're going to the other side of the Rubble - I heard Allisa, the woman at the water trading post, say the people in the Northern Rubble are free of the Justice. Scared them off, killed 'em - somethin' like that, anyways."

Erin sniffled and pulled at her dirty grey vest. It used to have sleeves - and be white. But the heat the bombs left after weakening the Ozone Layer left her with no choice but to rip the sleeves off. She still had them somewhere. Used them as bandages.

She looked at Joshua as he finished packing. He walked over and grabbed her hand with his left. In his right he held an old compass he had since he was ten. Even after the Apocalypse, he demanded he keep it, being one of his most prized possessions. 

"Alright. C'mon, Erin. We gotta go before they find us," Joshua said, walking out the door with Erin.

"Josh?" wondered Erin, "how do... how do you think they killed Key?"

Joshua thought for a second as he and Erin walked down the road. "I dunno. Dogs? No, no. We didn't hear barking. Maybe knifes? Guns? Silent guns? Perhaps even-"

"A scythe!"

"What? Yeah, maybe-"

"No, Josh, look! A scythe!" 

Erin let go of Joshua's hand and ran over to something gleaming in the sun of the evening. A long, wooden shaft and razor sharp blade stood leaning against a wall, clear as day. Erin ran over and picked it up, examining the sharp curve of the dangerous weapon. 

"Careful, Erin. Don't cut yourself."

"Dude, I'm ninetee-"

Erin shrieked as a man came out from around the corner and jumped on her. Clearly, the scythe was put there to draw in unsuspecting prey - Joshua could see he was clearly a cannibal. The man held a knife covered in crimson blood, and that same liquid was all around the man's mouth as well as down his front. Lunacy was written across the man's face and laced through his screams of excitement. He brought his hand down with the knife to hit Erin, but she was fast. She rolled out of the way and reached for the scythe, but as she was about to grab it the man pulled her back. 

Joshua started running. He was going to tackle the man, but he was a good two hundred meters away and not as fast as his twin.

Erin once again crawled away from the man and reached for the scythe - but this time the man plunged the knife deep into her leg. A blood curdling scream escaped Erin's lips as she curled up in a ball. Just as Joshua reached the man and jumped on him. Nobody gets away with hurting his twin. Joshua pinned the man down and smacked him across the face. The man screamed and, while he was distracted, Joshua grabbed his knife. Without thinking, he plunged the knife into the man's chest, and the screams of the cannibal died down. 

Joshua's attention was turned to the whimpers of his sister. She was still in a ball, blood leaking out of her leg. It wasn't just a stab, the man had tore a rip in the back of her shin. 

Breathing heavily, Joshua stood up and walked over to his sister. He put a hand on her shoulder and she looked at him. "Josh?"

"I'm here, I'm here." Joshua pulled Erin onto his lap, wet with the blood of the cannibal. Erin leaned her head on Joshua's chest, still making pained noises. 

After a minute or two of sitting like that, Erin got up. "Grab the scythe," she said in a deadpan voice, "and let's leave."

Joshua nodded and got the scythe, knowing both the knife and the scythe could come in handy if they came across any cannibals, or any Justice members. 

Joshua turned around and watched as Erin grit her teeth and attempted to stand, but cried out as she fell back to the floor. A tear leaked down her face as Joshua came over and, putting his knife in his pocket, Wrapped his arm under Erin's shoulders. Erin lifted her injured right leg up and stood on her left, supported by that and Joshua. He kept his right arm tight around Erin, the scythe in the other. With that, the twins began a slow walk down the street.

***

After walking for an hour or two, Erin collapsed to the ground. "Erin? Erin!"

Joshua lifted Erin's head onto his lap, watching Erin fight to stay awake. "Don't pass out, sis! Don't pass out, please! I'm begging you!!"

Joshua watched Erin fight as hard as she could, but she couldn't help it and Joshua could only stare as Erin lost consciousness. "Erin!!!"

Looking around desperately, looking for something to help his twin, Joshua picked Erin up bridal style in order to get her to safety. It's not safe out in the open in the Rubble, especially at night, which was approaching fast. When twilight started overcoming the land, Joshua opened the door to a random building and laid Erin down beside the door, not sleeping all night.