Rules of Survival | afi

day six - part 1

"At the end of the day, it isn't where I came from. Maybe home is somewhere I'm going and never have been before."

-Warsan Shire

•••

I don't see Ashton for the rest of the night.

I know he hasn't left the house, because he literally can't. The rain still hasn't stopped. I decide to just give him his space, because a lot has happened tonight that's kind of got me on edge as well.

I just can't get over the way his lips felt on mine. The warmth of his body, the taste of alcohol on his tongue. It's messing with my head.

I wander aimlessly until the sun rises, reading through some books and dozing off in between pages. By the time sunlight has started spilling through the windows, streaked with the shadow of the black rain still coming down, I've had enough of solitude.

The safe zone shrunk again in the night, and we're down to forty contestants left. Twenty pairs, all in a circle with a six mile circumference. Shit is getting seriously real.

After searching for a good hour, I find Ashton in the attic.

Unlike the rest of the house, the roof isn't intact here. The rain spills through jagged holes in the ceiling, sizzling on the rackety floorboards. Ashton's sitting crisscross between two black puddles, his back against the wall, staring down at his hands.

The beams of faint sunlight frame him almost perfectly. I have to be careful as I tread lightly over the boards, making my way over until I can lower myself down to sit next to him.

The cool air from outside sprouts goosebumps under my sweater, wisps of hair curling around my face. I don't say anything. I just clasp my hands in my lap, staring out the hole directly in front of us. All I can see is grey sky.

It's several long moments before he speaks.

"I keep hoping the sun will peak through." Ashton murmurs, fiddling with his fingers. "But there's nothing."

I allow myself a moment to just look at him. His eyes are red rimmed, his cheeks a little puffy, but he hasn't been crying. He's got the look on his face of deep seeded sadness, sadnesss - and regret.

"There will be. When we get the hell off this island." I say, turning back to the view.

There's a short silence, before Ashton let's out a long sigh.

"I'm sorry about last night." He says, not looking at me. "Sometimes I think I know what I feel and then ten seconds later I don't. I feel guilty for entering this competition, but at the same time I would have never met you. I think I might have feelings for you, but it's all just so soon and I just-" Ashton sniffles. "I'm fucked up, Eliza. I'm so fucked up."

I let his words roll over in my head a bit, picking at some black film that's formed on the bottom of my boots. Acid residue.

"I could sit here and give you a speech on why that's not true." I start, choosing my words carefully. "But the truth is, you're right. You're fucked up. So am I. Christ Ashton, nobody totally normal enters this competition." I shake my head. "Yeah, we're fucked up. But that's what's gonna get us out of here. That's whats gonna help us win."

For the first time since I sat down, Ashton looks at me. I hold his gaze.

"You really think we could win?"

"I have to." I reply. "Be honestly. Can you see yourself dying within the next two days? Can you see me dying?"

Ashton swallows hard, his eyebrows pulled together. "No."

"Me neither. But I can sure as hell picture myself on a beach in Bali two weeks from now, sipping a martini in front of our 5k a night hotel."

Finally, he cracks a small grin. "I hate martinis."

"Then we'll get you some whiskey."

Ashton sighs, a breath that seems to come from the deepest part of his chest. Almost sequentially, the rain slows it's dripping into the attic, and stops.

All that's left is grey sky. Grey sky and freezing air.

But there's something else. I don't notice it at first, but after staring for several long seconds it registers. A faint green shimmer, like a force field, only a few miles in the distance.

I get up, walking to the opening to get a closer look. Sure enough, the radiation is there, menacing and prominent.

"Holy shit." I whisper, stunned. "It's really that close."

I hear Ashton get up behind me, dusting off his clothes. "What is?"

"The safe zone radiation." I say, turning to him with a heavy gaze. "It's closing in on us. All of us."

***

After a few more minutes of standing in shock, Ashton and I come to our senses.

We make our way downstairs silently, determined, keeping our footsteps light and our movements careful. Anyone could come find us now.

With the safe zone now within visual distance, all of the contestants are in a fishbowl. A fishbowl that continues to run out of water, and only those who eliminate others can survive. It's only a matter of time before the bloodbath gets worse.

We are no longer safe anywhere. Not in a shelter, not in our car, nowhere. Everyone can see us, and we can see them. Everyone is a threat.

Ashton and I gather up our stuff, packing as many leftovers as we can from last night into our bags. I use my old belt, which actually survived the acid due to the old leather, as a weapons holder. It pulls the sweater tight to my waist and holds my daggers, bullets and the healing serum. Ashton does the same thing, but secures his two large machetes to it instead. His pistol remains in his hand, and my gun remains on my back.

Once we've got everything together, we make one last trip upstairs to use the windows to check the surrounding areas. There's no obvious movement or human activity, but I know that the second we step outside we are walking targets. There's a smaller, two story little shack about two hundred yards away. That will have to do.

Ashton and I stand in front of the door for a long time.

This is it. I think. This is the endgame.

Ashton looks at me, and holds out his hand.

I take it.

"Let's win this thing." He says shakily, and proceeds to kick down the door.

•••

ayo check my message board for an explanation on my lateness lmao

the next two days will be split into two parts because it's nearing the end of the competition and too much shit is happening to just fit into one chapter each.

stay tuned, it's gonna get wild. thank y'all so much for sticking with me and being the best ever. i love you a lot and hope you have an amazing week.

see you next sunday and stay rad

Xoxo

~Camryn