To The Grave

Chapter 50. Winona. Day 367.

I walked out of the small house, seeing the orange and green tinted sky. "It's going to rain." I turned to speak to Randall as he walked out of the house. He looked up, not noticing the strange sky.

He moved his face in a weird scrunch, "How can you tell?" He moved in front of me, holding the cans of food. I shrugged walking behind him. He set the cans in the center of the road near the gunner, guarding laundry baskets full of supplies.

I followed the older boy into the next house, looking around at the ruins of someone's life. We searched the empty house for anything. We pulled apart remotes looking for batteries, tore through messy bathroom cabinets for a single lost tampon, digging through every personal belonging, stealing what we need and tossing the rest to the ground with no regard for the former owner.

Little to no regard.

Just enough to make me regret the force behind my throw.

The clutter of pens, receipts, and loose change hit the ground near my feet. I was left with an old film camera and a half empty pack of gum.

I pushed the drawer closed, sitting on the edge of the bed. Randall sat on the opposite side, looking in a mirror on his side of the bed.

I looked at him from a vanity mirror, on my side. He brushed his long hair to the side, his free hand setting his gun beside him. "You find anything?"

I shook my head, staring into his eyes through the series of mirrors. He smiled, "It's okay."

"How's this okay? We've been searching every neighbourhood we go through, every city. Every day we spend on our hands and knees looking for cans of dog food, is a day we're just sitting waiting for a herd or a group of hunters." I rubbed my hands against my eyes, not knowing if it was a point even worth making with how desperately we needed food.

"I mean we found food in the last house, and there was a pretty decent amount of supplies in the baskets when I dropped it off so I'd say this neighbourhood wasn't completely looted yet, so it's okay." He leaned back, laying down in the bed so his head was near my thighs.

I looked down at him, pushing my hair away from my face, I laid down, moving to wrap my arms around his waist. A loud crack echoed from the sky. We both sat up, looking out a window as rain began pouring from the clouds.

Randall rushed down the stairs, leaving me alone in the room.

I hurried after him seeing him stumble into the street, trying to find my brothers. Marty held a basket, carrying it towards a bus. "We can wait out the storm in the houses and in the bus. Go back inside, Nona."

I ran back to the house, feeling my heavy clothes stick to my skin. My hair was pulling against the hairband wanting to fall loose. I shivered as I moved into the dry house. Randall ran back inside, closing the door behind him.

"Marty and Ferris are going to finish putting the food up." He pulled his hoodie off, setting on the banister of the stairs. I pulled my shoes off, feeling my wet socks stick to my freezing toes. I peeled them off, tossing them on the floor.

I walked up the stairs, looking for Randall. I pushed the bedroom door open, stopping in the doorway. His dirty hands pulled a shirt on, covering the pale skin on his back.

I let out a small cough, acting like I had just barely walked in. He spun around quickly. I pulled a dresser drawer open, looking at the shirts and pajama bottoms available. I grabbed something, rushing to the bathroom to change.

I pulled the suction cup clothing off of myself, hanging them on the side of the bathtub to dry, I pulled on the cozy pants, rolling the bottoms up so they didn't cover my feet. The shirt was far to large on me, making more of a dress on me. I returned to the bedroom seeing Randall sitting on the bed.

"The thunder is kinda scary." I whispered, sitting beside him.

He slid his hand into mine, tangling them together, "There's dead people walking, people that would kill us in a heartbeat for just our guns let alone anything else we have, and you're scared of the thunder?"

I nodded, squeezing his hand. "I saw you jump at a spider yesterday."

"They're gross." He snapped back. I jumped as another crack of thunder exploded. He wrapped his arms around me, rubbing his hands across my back. "I-" He paused, moving away from the embrace, "I- I have music."

He reached into his backpack, pulling out a small device. He handed me a small headphone. I placed it carefully in my ear, laying down beside him. "Now, I'm willing to listen to more than my usual limit of two songs, but it's only because you're here."

I smiled, watching him flip through the songs. "I feel so special."

He turned to face me, "You really should, this is an honour no one else has gotten to experience."

"I don't think I'm ready." I joked.

His face was overcome with a smile, a genuine smile. "I don't really know if I'm ready."

"Heads up, because I'm always moving forward, and though sometimes I get scared I know I can look toward you." The music played through the headphones, connecting the two of us through a small cord.

I turned my head to look at him, meeting his eyes. He leaned forward, pressing his mouth against mine. I kissed him back, listening as the song changed.