"If you'd like, you can come into my house." Said the girl eagerly. "Stay as long as you want, or take some supplies and leave. It's your choice."
Julie considered the offer. She didn't know Shelli, and having had just witnessed her utilise her rather impressive combat skills, there was a greater chance that Shelli could be a threat.
But on the other hand, Shelli seemed nice. Something in Julie's gut told her that Shelli was a good person to stick around, or was that just her stomach rumbling?
Julie made up her mind. She holstered her gun and walked towards Shelli. "Lead the way."
Shelli smiled and turned around, with her back completely to Julie and her palms still facing her. Shelli walked slowly towards her house, maneuvering through the debris.
"It's not far, trust me." Julie noticed Shelli had a spring in her step, and wondered why. Considering their current situation, bouncing through the ruins of a town didn't seem like a fun thing. "I mean, it seems far when you're running from a weird wolf beast thing, but on a lovely stroll like this, it's way closer. Matter of perception, I guess."
Indeed, Shelli was right. Not two minutes later they were at her door, which Shelli shouldered through. "It's not much, but it's home. Actually, it's not home at all. I stole it from some other guy. Fought him for it, really. Fucker tried to take my kidney. I was gonna let him, but then I realized he didn't need my kidney. I need my kidney."
Julie looked around, glancing at the ruined curtains and faded upholstery. Rats and mice scuttled around, chunks of polyester stuffing in their jaws.
"It's nicer upstairs, trust me. Do you like grilled cheese?" Shelli asked, turning around to look at Julie. "Or maybe Spaghetti O's? I don't have much variety, sadly. My diet's kinda shit, but you'd be surprised how much you can do with cheese."
"Grilled cheese is fine, thanks," Julie replied, craning her neck to see up the spiral staircase that lead to the next floor.
"Alright. If you follow me, I can show you the kitchen." Shelli ran up the stairs, skipping every other step. "Watch out for that third one, it's really wobbly! I dropped someone on it a while ago," she called out, twisting around to make sure Julie had heard. She had, and skipped the nefarious step.
The upstairs really was nicer. There wasn't so much damage, and Shelli had constructed a blanket fort in the middle of the kitchen. This really didn't obstruct much, as the kitchen was huge. It had a fridge, which, shockingly, seemed to be working.
"Woah...you still have power?" Julie asked with bewilderment.
"Yeah, I know a little about electricity and engineering. All that shit. I've been working on repairing the phone lines here in Shelliville. I decided to make the fridge a priority because, while cheese is great, it's not immortal. Hey, do you maybe have a phone you need to charge?"
"Are you serious?" Julie asked, excitement peaking.
Shelli cocked her head. "Absolutely. Do you have a charger or do you need one?" She tugged open a nearby drawer, revealing a tangle of cords and wall plugs.
"No, I have mine," Julie said, tugging out her somewhat mangled cord and phone.
"Dude, an iPhone? Nice! I can hook you up with some WiFi. Connection's sometimes shitty, but it's usually ok. Here, hand me your phone. I'll plug it in." Shelli took Julie's phone, plugging it into the outlet. The two girls heard the familiar "Bloop-bloop" as it started to charge.
"That reminds me," said Shelli. "I have to check my cats." Shelli whipped out her phone. Julie peered curiously over her shoulder, trying to discern what on earth Shelli meant. She went to her home screen and tapped on "Neko Atsume".
Shelli tapped a few buttons, checking the "Gifts" section last. Suddenly, she let out an exasperated moan. "Ugh! Gosh diddly darn capitalist feline mencae go die in a hole you absolute- Oh sorry. Tubbs is just such an ass! He's a capitalist ruining a functioning communist society." Shelli ranted, gesturing animatedly. "I once dreamed I set Tubbs on fire. No regret at all."
"Anyways...grilled cheese," Shelli mumbled, getting up and starting to pull open drawers and cabinets. "You want anything to drink? I have water, apple juice, and bleach. Just kidding. Don't have apple juice." Shelli turned to Julie, who was smiling.
"I think I'll stick with water, thanks," Julie replied.
Shelli bustled around the kitchen, grabbing a pan and bread. "Wonder Bread," said Shelli, holding up a loaf. "It's wonderful because it never molds!"
