The Night that never Ends

Homesick

My soaked clothes were rung out and draped over the bathroom towel rack. I had clean pants on, but kept my shirt off and examined myself in the mirror. I searched over my entire upper body for bite marks that I might've missed. But for the most part I was in the clear. I slipped a white tee over my body and then a thermal under-armor shirt over that.

I still stared at myself in the mirror, I licked my dry lips and leaned in so I could get a good up-close look at myself. I was fine, on the outside, but on the inside I felt empty, dry, and desolate. I hated that, I hated the fact that I was letting my emotions get the better of me. I hated...I hated...

I pull away from the mirror and open the door, the light showed into the hallway and on Ryan's figure who was standing in front of his room, I shut the lights off and walk to him,

"You good?" Ryan asked,

"Yea." I simply reply,

"Are you sure?" Ryan raised an eyebrow, I knew what he was asking,

"Positive." I assure him and crack my knuckles casually,

"I'm going to head back to the fire, care to join?" Ryan asked,

"I'll catch up in a minute." I tell him and he nods, then he disappeared down the hallway and it was just me.

I walked down the hallway and stopped in front of Kayla's room, I assumed she was busy away transcribing her experience here in her journal, but I was wrong. She was sitting in a chair, the drapes on her window was parted, and she was staring outside. Her journal, pen, and flashlight were spread over the floor, and crumpled up pieces of paper was littered everywhere.

I could tell Kayla was tear-stricken, her face from this distance seemed red and blotchy, and she had labored breathing. Her whimpers carried across the room to my ears, I felt sorry for her. I shared her grief. I didn't mean to casually stare in front of her without her knowing, but I needed to think of the right things to say,

"Kayla." My voice reached her ears, and she took a big breath and sniffled a bit before facing me. Her lips pursed,

"Yea?" She asked like nothing was happening,

"Couldn't sleep?" The common question,

"Since four, I-I got a head start in my writing."

She murmured and gaze set upon her notebook,

"I could tell."

I stare warmly at her discarded journal. Kayla sneezed into the crook of her arm and sniffled again, her tears welling up,

"What's on your mind?" I ask her calmly,

Kayla didn't want to make eye-contact so she peered out the window,

"Oh...you know...my family, friends, p-people I had to...leave b-behind."

She was trying her hardest to keep her cool, I could tell from the bottom of my heart,

"And the fact that I might never s-see them again." Kayla's lips quivered, her breathing labored,

"Halena was just about to go to preschool, I was going to take care for h-her. I was providing for my f-family. I was giving them a future. Me, me, a, a-a lazy good for nothin' blonde actually making a difference."

The words that rolled off her tongue seemed choppy, in fragment form. Kayla was about to say more and then she looked at me for the first time during this conversation,

"I'm homesick Dom, that's all."

Kayla, in the middle of crying, managed to crack a shy smile, but it disappeared away. I couldn't help but walk into her room and comfort her. She still couldn't look me, out of embarrassment, or just because it was something too hard to talk about, whatever the reason, she needed comfort,

"I'm homesick too Kayla. Believe me, since the day we all separated, I've been homesick." I rub her shoulder and give a condoling look,

"Y-you're...you're just saying that to make me feel better." Kayla murmured,

"If I was, I wouldn't say that, you don't sugar coat words with friends, you're honest, you're empathetic."

I did mean every word, Kayla started to see that, Kayla turned her gaze to the ceiling, to the wooden ceiling,

"I think we're all a little homesick Dom. i think everyone misses a warm bed to sleep, warm meals to eat, the internet, outlets, phone chargers, Snapchat."

Kayla finally chuckled like her old self, her tears started to disperse,

"I had a Snapchat streak of ninety-three, and then two days after we got here, my phone died and there was no place to charge it..." Kayla started to look at the upsides, "...My last picture was you and Ryan and Emily entering the shelter we had built for the first time..." She paused, "...I had captioned it, "$&#@ those pieces of $@#, like to see them bust into this place."

Kayla looked at me again,

"We're not going to be here forever you know." I tell her,

"I figured, just waiting it out until its safe." She told me,

"That, and one day we are going to run out of repellent."

I look around her room's walls, admiring the integrity of it.

"I hope the day never comes, when humanity falls because of a common cold." I ironically say,

"I think scientists were treating people with a cure for cancer." Kayla corrected me,

"No no, it was a common cold shot that immediately took away your symptoms. The test subjects just got an accidental overdose of cytosine. Worst mistake of their lives." I snort and look out the window.

"Thanks Dom, I feel a lot better, I really do. Not as really homesick as I was before." She thanked me,

"It's what friends do." I tell her.

I rise from my crouching position and stand upright and stretch my arms vertically until my fingertips grace the ceiling. Kayla continued looking out the window,

"I'm going to join the others. Care to come with?" I ask her,

"Yea, I think I will."

Kayla stood up from her sitting position and walked past me to her doorway. I followed her out the door, past the living room, and then out the side door in the kitchen to the outside. She immediately felt the stinging cold on her skin. She did not like that,

"Dear lord I'm gonna freeze to death before the day ends."

She hugged her shoulders and saw her breath immediately. Ryan saw us coming and threw another log on the fire. Emily and Lexi were still huddled together just as I left them, and Eli and Jacob were now conversing about various things.

Ryan let Kayla warm up for fifteen minutes before he looked at his watch,

"Eight-thirty guys, we better get to work." He looked up to the sky,

We all did, there was light, there was certainly color, but the cloud cover made everything still seem pale and opaque. Almost like it wasn't real.

"Dom, Kayla, Jacob, take the southern part of the territory, search for survivors, other shelters, or immediate threats. Eli and Emily, take the Northern trek and scavenge some fire wood, burnt leaves, twigs, any flammable and burnable objects. We need to start our smoke signal. Finally, Lexi and I will take the Eastern trek, scouting and protecting the shelter from any threats, we'll switch up at noon."

Ryan looked at all of us to make sure we heard his orders,

"Good?" He asked in assurance,

We all nodded, Eli and Lexi murmured something on the lines of "yes" and "mm hmm."
Ryan nodded again and stood up, "Stay together, stay dry, stay strong."

He started back for the shelter to grab his weapons. Lexi did the same.

"Well; like Ryan said, let's get to work."