Wastelands.

chapter 2

"THAT was something!" I jumped from under my skin when I heard him directly behind my ear. He had climbed into the back somehow, and was now presumably victorious. I sighed in relief when he gave me the vial, and he just clapped. I could picture a childish grin on a mostly featureless face.

"I...I don't really know how to properly thank you" I said, sighing. He sat for a couple seconds.

"Not much, really" He said"Except, well, for driving like a maniac." He laughed, and I frowned.

"Look, I don't really drive much. I'm trying to find the last stronghold for the remnants of humanity." I said, and I seemed to have peaked his interest.

"There's a stronghold? Are you sure it isn't just rumors going around, or some bull shit like that" He said, reaching into a pocket, and petting something slightly unseen.

"Nope. As true as I'm a girl" I said, and he seemed to choke on air.

"You.... You're a girl?" He asked suddenly, turning to face me, as I re - started the engine, and drove along some more desolate, crumpled road.

"Hell yeah, but... If i were to show it publicly, I'd die." I replied with, slightly irritated by his apparent discomfort. We drove for a bit in silence, until the guy pulled a kitten out of his pocket. I wasn't prepared for that, and swerved the jeep by accident.

"Watch it, bucko!" The guy yelled. "You scared him!"

"I scared HIM?" I swore. "You scared me WITH him! Also, WHY THE HELL DO YOU HAVE A CAT?"

"Well, excuse me, princess, but I have a cat because I do!" He snapped, stroking the kitten slowly. I sighed, and focused on the road.

"I'm Jack" I added calmly, he didn't say his name.

Dead bushes were the most exciting things along the way, and the only real life form we saw was a half dead mutated wolf with three heads coughing up phlegm and blood. Let's just put this short, but the guy shot it in all three heads with a hand pistol that appeared to be re-chargeable instead of having to have bullets, and also hand crafted.

"Impressive" I remarked as we continued to drive. He nodded lazily, like everyone should've known for about, i dunno, ever since they were born. I scoffed, and turned to park by an old gas station.

"Why are we stopping?" He asked suddenly, the kitten asleep on his lap.

"Well, look outside. It's dusk!" I snapped.

"Do you want me to crash into a wall, or run into anything that could seriously just eat us in a single bite?" " I'm too young to die." I decided to add, for emphasis. He gestured with his hands slowly. The sun was barely lighting anything up, making shadows creep and dance like vile little devils. I stepped out the jeep, the nameless guy cradling the kitten as he stepped out, and i simply stood silent.

"Why're you coming with me again?" I asked, and the guy simply grinned.

"Not much survivors out there, now is there?" He replied with simply. I nodded in understanding, and led the way into the gas station's front doors, the windows surprisingly in tact.

'Ready?' I mouthed to the guy. He nodded, and we slammed through the doors.

"It smells like a rat's ass in here." The guy said distastefully. I laughed.

"Sure you just don't have a sensitive nose, Cat - man?" I commented, as I rounded a corner, grabbing some random pipe for defense. The man chuckled.

"Pretty sure I don't" He replied. A whisper sounded from behind the cash register, and I slowly crept up to see who it was. The guy quietly put the kitten away into the secret pocket again, and pulled out his pistol.