Pet: Genesis *Published*

Chapter 1

Iris 

I stare in confusion at the scraps that have been laid out before me. There's rotted fruit, a dead bird, and stale bread if you can call it that at this point in its rotting cycle. My eyes travel up to Margot, who stands before me. Her eyes are sunken and gaunt. Margot has been by my side since we met years ago in this wasteland we now call home.

"This is it?" I ask, confused.

Margot nods her head grimly, her sunken gaze shifting to the scraps that sit on the table. We both know this is not enough to feed both of us, let alone the group of girls we have created to protect.

I punch the decaying couch, causing dirt to fly.

"Shit," I curse aloud.

Our group of survivors consists of five girls, with me at the forefront as the leader. Originally, we all lived in the forests, as it was deemed safer than staying on the outskirts of the Leviathan cities. But it's now become safer to live in small ruins of our old society called "blights." And seeing as we're a group of women and teens, it's become a necessity for us to stay in groups. It's the only way we've been able to survive all these years.

I look back up at Margot. Her curly brown hair barely reaches her shoulders, and I can see her bones jutting from beneath her skin. We are literally starving to death out here. The Leviathan have been making their moves, wiping out more places like this one. We've not only become overrun with people fleeing the Leviathan authority but with diseases as well. Survival is becoming more of a delusion as the weeks pass.

"Maybe we should leave the blight," I say. Fear instantly clouds Margot's gray eyes.

Leaving can mean several things. We would have to scout new terrain, fight off new strangers to claim our territory, risk being killed off one by one, or worse—run into them. To this day, we do not know who or what they are beyond their name. We know to stay away and to fear them. They didn't come in peace. They came to conquer. Their claim over our planet is growing larger by the day. As a result, our chances of survival are diminishing.

Man is a selfish race. We proved that at the time of the invasion. Instead of helping one another defend our home from intruders, we pointed fingers, shut down borders, and retreated within ourselves. I watched as a child growing into the woman I am today that the "Every man for himself" rule exists. Even as my group hides from the Leviathan, we also hide from our fellow man.

Our hideout lies in the backside of an alley in an old, abandoned building. It is safe from the naked eye because the entrance to the building is blocked by rubble. Our secret entrance is on the side and difficult for most to enter. But since most of us are emaciated or small, we can slink easily into the holes.

I feel tears of frustration beginning to burn my eyes.

"What do we do?" I whisper.

Margot shakes her head, slowly sinking into the rotting couch across from me. We will die if we stay here. And if we leave, we could die out there. We lost three the last time we left a blight to find this one. I can't put us through that again. I won't, especially since the lack of food is affecting our usual strength. We'll be like sitting ducks.

My fingers find their way to the necklace that has never left my throat since the day they invaded. It's a habit I've picked up over the years. The motion calms me at times when I feel overwhelmed. Although the chain around my neck has begun to rust, the silver pendant only has scratches across the surface. The pendant was my mother's before that day. It holds a picture of my family. A family I barely remember this far in life. I was only ten when the world was changed, and that was years ago. I have no sense of time, as survival has become most important. I couldn't tell you my age or how long it's been since I saw my parents' live faces.

It's another luxury the Leviathan stole from us.

"I think this might be it, Iris," Margot's cracked voice pulls me from my thoughts. Her gaze matches mine as tears stream down her face.

"I think it's time we do what they want and die out," she whispers.

I stare at her in horror, immediately shaking my head.

"No. That can't be our only option," I say in desperation, rising from my seat.

"We are survivors. I refuse to let us lie down and accept defeat just like that. We've been struggling for years, and you want to give up just because it's gotten tough again?" I hiss.

Margot flinches at my tone, but I ignore her reaction, turning away from her to think of a solution. We can't just go around the blight stealing food. The desperation among humans for survival has gone as far as being killed on the spot for stealing. A member of our group learned that the hard way back when we were a group of seven.

Think, think, think.

I look beyond Margot, my gaze circling the room. The other girls in our group are sitting quietly. Some are sitting on dirty linens, while others are huddled near the leaking walls. Their faces all share the same gaunt expressions from hunger. I suck in a deep breath standing.

"It'll be alright," I say as a plan forms in my head. Margot's eyes widen, and I know she understands the direction of my thoughts.

"Iris—"

I hold up my hand, silencing her. My gaze shifts to the girls around the room one last time. I take in their sunken faces and tattered clothing. The look of starvation that lingers in their eyes haunts me even in my sleep. And now, it is the driving force behind my decision.

"If I'm not back within a week, you take over, okay? You guys will have to move on without me. Don't stay here. There's nothing left for us here. Stay strong and stay together. Don't risk your lives stealing from these people. Just go, Margot. Take them and go," I say.

Tears begin to well up in Margot's eyes, and I offer her a soft smile, stepping closer to her to pull her into an embrace.

"Hey. Cheer up. Everything will be alright. We'll make it through this." I bite my bottom lip to stifle my tears. "We have to."

Margot offers me a weak smile. I can tell by her expression she doesn't believe me. She thinks this is it. And I hate myself for the lingering feeling in the back of my mind that she's right.

* * * * *

The sound of people dying assaults my ears as I make my way to the outskirts of the blight. The constant barrage of coughing, crying, and moans of pain reminds me of the world we now live in.

I make sure to grip my weapons tighter as I make my way past the refugees of Earth. I have a machete, a spear made from an old tree, and a grenade found months ago on our scouting trip. The plan is to go outside of the blight for food. I am the strongest and the smartest when it comes to hunting. We're never supposed to go hunting alone, but if anyone came with me, they would only hinder me, especially since the lack of food makes them much weaker than most.

It's foolish of me to go into the woods alone. Before we understood how cruel the blight was, one of our girls left alone to hunt. She never returned, and we never got an answer as to why. This time, however, is a matter of life and death. And I refuse to let any of them starve to death. Not while I have the strength to prevent it.

I pass a dusty window, briefly glancing at my reflection. I stopped caring about how I look a long time ago. My dark hair is stringy and matted from years of dirt and neglect, falling barely past my shoulders in a mass of knotted hair. Growing up, I prided myself on inheriting my mother's green eyes. But now, I hate that I can't remember how they looked on her face. I only have a faded picture to go by. My skin is sunken just like Margot's, and my cheeks are hollowed from lack of nutrition over the years.

I'm just like everyone else, struggling to survive, slowly wasting away.