Lost And Found

Still Not Going

Elizabeth's POV

So, if anyone finds us right now by some weird chance, I am definitely going to get shot in the head by a merciless person with a sniper. Nice though yes, but I've lives a revolutionary, it's normal. Dramatic and against thr law.

John huffs as he follows me through a series of collapsed entry ways inside the building.

"You're determined to take me back aren't you."

"I'm not really one for giving up."

"I hadn't noticed.." I mutter before we finally reach the centre of the building which is more open thn the entrance, "it's not like I don't know why you're staying either. It's not just about keeping some strange kid safe. You have questions."

"You're right. I have my own reasons to follow you aside from the fact I'm doing the police a favour coming after you."

"And those reasons are?"

"Personal. Nothing much.."

"Eh, ok." I shrug, dumping my bag on the ground and digging around for the lighter.

I pull it out which alarms John. It doesn't take me a second to figure out the cause of his distraught though, "wha-I don't smoke."

"What's with the lighter then?"

I look at it and push down the metal button on the side, allowing a small sliver of fire to seep out, "lighters make fire. And no, I'm not some crazed arsonist."

"Fair enough."

I make my way over to the other side of the room where a broken window sits with many shoots of long grass poking through the holes. The dry stuff is what I need-everyone knows it burns easier.

"You're making a fire?" John questions as I pull at the dry ends that have been sheltered from the recent rainfall."

"Easier than putting on a thousand jumpers."

"Is it?"

I make a mound out of the dry grass in the middle of the floor and click the lighter a few times until the grass catches before adding sticks I also collected on my way back from the window.

"Ok, I know I'm stubborn, sarcastic and not very easy to handle, but it's how the people around me were when I grew up and it's not like I can just change now like that. I've lived outside for my entire life, so I trust you understand the difficulty of me having to live well..inside."

"I understand, yes. I do. But how long are you planning to live like this? In a derelicet building your whole life? That's a pretty tall order if you ask me."

"I can get by. I've been through a lot in my life, trust me. I survived again and again, and here I am. I just solve one problem. And the next one, and then next one. And if you solve enough problems you get to live. May sound simple but it works better than you think."

"Ok. We'll work something out in the morning."

"Sorry?"

"In the morning, we'll work something out."

"Oh dear you're not staying longer, I thought I had you then. Damn." He smiles at me and I look a him inquisitively, "what?"

"I think you need more sticks."

I swerve around to find my fire dying so I add more smaller sticks and some bigger ones to stop it going completely.

"Do you even have any food?" He asks.

"Enough."

"How much is enough?"

I go back over to my bag and pull out around 200 grams of dry oats in an old plastic bag.