Waste Land

CHAPTER 1

It's about 5 am when I wake up. It's not quite light out. The sky is the same greyish green it always is. I roll over and Casen is asleep on the couch of the abandoned cottage we've made home. I pull myself up off the floor, slip on my boots, quietly put on my backpack, and i'm out the door. I haven't been able to go on a run by myself in weeks. Shit. i forgot my knives. Just as i turn around Casen is right there behind me, making me jump. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Let me put on my boots and I'll go with you."

"Hell no! I'm going on this run by myself. I don't need you by my side all the time."

"No but you do need these," he said as he displayed all my knives with his giant hand.

"Hey!" i yelled as I jumped for the knives, but he's too quick and moves them behind him.

"Should I get my boots then?" I glare at him as he tilts his head and smiles which he always does.

A moment later he appears with his sword and machete. He gives me my knives and we're off.

We sprint towards the dead, broken city. From here it just looks like a bunch of chewed straws. It always made mom and dad sad because they could remember how the world used to be. I don't feel like that but i never liked for them to feel that way.

When we get to the city lines we stop then suddenly i feel his hands on my waist and me picks me up tossing me over the fence. I scream and land on my feet on the other side. He quickly climbs up and lands on the other side.

"I told you to stop doing that!!!" I yell, but that just makes him smile big which makes me more agitated.

"Don't touch me!"

He smiles and rolled his eyes. "C'mon, let's go or it'll be dark by the time we're done." he starts walking into the city.

"You're so irritating!!!!" i yell them jog after him.

"So what're we lookin' for today, Yaya?" he asks as he peers down at me.

"None of your business and i've told you many times do not call me that," i say walking faster with my head up. All he has to to do keep up with me is take slightly larger strides. "Ah sorry, sorry, Mrs. Yoona," he says with the biggest grin on his face. I roll my eyes and keep walking until i see an old convenience store. The windows are already broken so we just step in. I grab two of my knives and ready myself just incase. I'm scanning the aisles to make su- "What the hell are you doing?!" I whisper. He just glances back as he's walking and says "You need things here don't you?"

"Yes, but we don't know if It's safe yet so we sho-" *CRASH* We both freeze. He looks back at me while grabbing his machete from it's case on his right hip and grins wildly. Fear floods my mind. I want to run. We hear scampering coming towards us. I already had my knives ready and i pull my arm back, ready to throw. Suddenly we see a large rat scamper out of the aisle and run towards the door. I throw my knife and hit it perfectly. "Dinner," i say to him. He laughs and i put the rat in my bag. We rade the aisles for what's left in this ghost city. "Well this food should last us awhile, right?" Caden asks and I nod. "Ready to head back?" he asks,

"I'm just getting started," I grin and sprint as fast as I can out of the store down the street. I don't have time to see if he's behind me; i just have to keep running. I take many various turns in random directions. Before I know it i'm lost in the city. I'm standing in an alleyway between an apartment building and an old bank. I peer around the building and it's clear. I walk to the alcove in the brick building where the door is when I see him standing there smugly looking at me. I'm filled with anger and i can feel my face turning red. "Are you satisfied with yourself?" He asks me,

"Shut up."

"You know you do this every time, right?"

"But I always choose a new pattern! How the hell do you find me?"

"Well if I told you that this wouldn't be any fun now would it?" he says and smirks at me. I roll my eyes and walk through the door and up the stairs. We check through many of the apartments then head to the next floor. I find some clothes that'll be big on me but they'll work. I don't have many and it's getting colder. We search through the wardrobes, cupboards, and bedrooms. I stuff some clothes and cans into my bag. I go into the bathroom and start looking around. There's a bar of soap, old tub, and a disgusting toilet. I grab the soap and cram it into my bag. I'm exhausted. I barely sleep anymore. I set my bag down on the floor. I slide my back down the wall and close my eyes. When I start to wake up my dad is carrying me. I reach up and hug him around his neck. When I open my eyes it's Caden. I quickly jump down, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

"I didn't wanna wake you. You never sleep anymore,"

"I can take care of myself, I'm not a baby," he smirks at me and tosses me my bag. I walk back staring at the ground while he's grinning the whole time.