What Is Left

Cigarettes

Olivia woke to the smell of cigarette smoke.
Her father used to smoke every day, morning and night.
She smiled a bit when she smelt it, remembering him, remembering his hugs and smile.
She sat up and looked at Doctor Smith, "that's bad for your health."
"Welcome to the end of the flipping world." She took a long draw from her cigarette then smiled, "want one?"
"I'm 15." Olivia looked at the sleeping figure of Juniper then back at Doctor Smith.
Doctor Smith shrugged and took out another, "I didn't ask your age."
Olivia grabbed it, she had always been  curious, "fine. Just because you're pushing."
Doctor Smith lit a match and held it under Olivia's cigarette, "right. Pushing."
Olivia took in the smoke and coughed a bit, but she wanted to be like her father, so she took in another, this one better than the last.
Doctor Smith's grin made Olivia's morning for some reason, "there we go."
Juniper rolled in her sleep, "what's that smell?"
"Want one?" Smith went for another to offer to Juniper, but Olivia's glare made her put the cigarette back.
Juniper sat up and her mouth opened into a yawn, showing her too large of teeth, "no thanks. What's for breakfast?"
"I'll find something." Doctor Smith placed the cigarette box in her backpack and rummaged through it, pulling out a can of Spam a few moments later, "here we go."
Olivia's stomach rumbled, canned meat was a delicacy, "where did you get that?"
"There's a food truck a mile from here. Not much is in it but I need to go back and get the rest. I filled my backpack last trip. But we have to get moving soon before they find us."
"What are they anyway?" Juniper asked, peering down at the ground, the fire had been trampled out and the rabbit bones were broken and gnawed on.
Doctor Smith pulled her backpack on and flicked the burnt out cigarette away, ignoring Juniper, "We should head towards the truck, stop, then keep going. I want to go towards Canada. It's colder there so those beasts cant survive there."
"But what are they?" Juniper pushed.
Doctor Smith gave her a smile, "they were once us." And with that vague answer she started to climb down the tree.
Juniper frowned at Olivia, "what?"
"Let's go." Olivia decided to follow Doctor Smith for now, only because she knew where food was.

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As they made their way towards the truck, Olivia couldn't help but notice all the crashed cars with broken windows.
She occasionally peered into one and pulled out an empty water bottle, or a sock, once a green hoodie that fit Juniper just fine.
The truck had found it's final resting place crashed into a tree, it's front completely crushed.
Doctor Smith climbed into the trucks back and tore through boxes, occasionally pulling out cans of Spam or fruit.
Fruit.
She tossed Olivia a can of Pineapples, "here."
She stared at it, all these years she had been eating tree bark, roots, dusty cereal, and burnt animal carcasses.
Doctor Smith was opening a new world for her.
She opened the can and drank the sweet juice, then gave some to Juniper who seemed to know what to do with it, scooping the fruit out and chewing on it greedily.
As soon as Doctor Smith was satisfied with her loot, she jumped out of the truck and tossed Olivia her backpack, "alright let's go."
"Why am I the mule?" Olivia complained.
Doctor Smith swung her sword, "because I have this?"
"..I'll be the mule." She muttered and pulled the heavy backpack on.
They took off, heading down the highway.
Olivia was in the back, making sure Juniper stayed in the middle of the line.
Olivia was last to see the pile of bodies.
She wanted to cover Junipers eyes so she didn't have to see.
She wished someone had covered her own eyes.
The bodies were half eaten. The bottom of the pile was rotten and smelt horrible. The top was fresher. Doctor Smith sighed and pulled out a fresh cigarette, "what a pity."
Olivia stepped closer, hoping not to recognize anyone in the pile.
Sadly she did.
The half chewed face of her father stared back at her, his hand clinging to an arm that was not attached to a body anymore. She could only imagine it was her mother's.
Doctor Smith marched up to the pile and started to move the bodies, grabbing backpacks and digging through pockets.
Olivia grabbed her arm, "hey! That's rude!"
"It's survival kid." She chewed on the end of her cigarette and pulled out a Bowie knife, attached to someones belt, then handed it to Olivia, "here you're gonna need that."
Olivia stared at the knife, inscribed in the blade was the initials, A.Y.
Olivia knew it couldn't of been his knife, he had to of survived. Alec would of survived.
"The hell is wrong with you?" Doctor Smith glared at her, "come on. Help me with this."
Olivia decided to search the bodies with her, trying to see if she could find Alec's body in the pile.
She had hope, hope, and when they reached the unrecognizable, she smiled, "he's not here."
"Who?" Juniper asked, she had also been helping, strangely not scared of the bodies.
"Alec Young." She smiled at his name.
Doctor Smith looked at Olivia, "that your man?"
"Sure." She tried to look uninterested.
Juniper still seemed confused but she didn't push anything, "I found some gum."
"Remarkable!" Doctor Smith grinned at her, "anything else?"
"Yeah!" Juniper returned the favor and holds out a pocket knife, packet of gum, and arrow head.
Doctor Smith took the items and placed them in Junipers pink bag, "great.....alright now we run."
"Sorry what?" Olivia blinked.
Doctor Smith was already running, Junipers hand in hers, "come on!"
Olivia turned around to see another figure running towards them. But she smiled and ran towards him, "ALEC!"