Battle of Ash

Chapter 11

"The end of the human race will be that it
will eventually die of civilization."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

2017.04.14 15:16
She ducked behind the building, watching as Dillon reached up and yanked the fire escape down. The metal screeched and rust rained down as it clunked into position, the whole metal contraption wobbling against it fastenings.

He looked back at her, "You sure this is safe?"

"No." She limped towards him, going up the ladder first, wincing as each step brought agony searing up her legs, "But I've got to grab my stuff."

Socks poked his head through the small opening in Dillon's bag, Dillon blushed and averted his gaze as they continued their trek up, "I-I uh..."

Ash rolled her eyes as they continued climbing, "It's just a period, Dillon. Back in the day 50% of the population had one. I'm actually surprised it came so late. It's been a few months..."

"Well," Dillon responded in the detached way he sometimes did, "that could be due to stress, malnutrition-" He cut short when she sent him a sharp glance.

"I am well aware." She responded dryly. "My goal now is to get my tampons and pads, some clothes, grab whatever else we can, and bail to see if the pets are alive. Maybe we can run into Marcus."

"And Marcus is...?"

"Marcus was in my troop. He was our designated nerd and klutz. I-I... after everything happened at Canarsie... I just..." Ash froze as the curtains in a window suddenly moved.

Socks growled deep in his throat, Dillon noticed as well, "Figures there would still be people hiding out in town. I wonder if those assholes that came into our neighborhood are here too."

Ash continued on, "Probably. It would make sense that a large group could band together and control the vicinity like this. It's not like the police and military didn't lay out the basic essentials for that kind of thing. Check points, ammunitions supplies, even holding pens and road blocks and fences to keep people in check and controlled."

Dillon looked at the windows again. "No one is even looking at us now. They must notice we're here. I mean, we're on this thing." He stomped and wobbled the fire escape a little, earning a nasty glare from Ash.

"Of course they do," Ash shrugged, "but maybe they just don't care. I mean, they were here for all that slaughter... Whoa, hold up." She pried a window open and popped her head in, "This is me!"

Dillon scurried through the window after her, looking around once he was settled. Socks pulled himself from the bag and dropped to the floor. His eyes grew large and intense as he darted after something lurking in the shadows. It took a moment for Dillon's eyes to adjust. When they did he took in the apartment; it had been ravaged. Windows inside the room were broken, the door had been busted in and then propped against a wall, pictures had been broken and drawn on by vandals, either the patrolling gang or angry teens trying to understand a world turned upside down; electronics were ripped apart and stripped bare, even the light bulbs had been taken from the room.

"Holy shi-"

"Let's see what we can scavenge." Ash pushed past Dillon to the back of her old apartment.

Dillon moved into the kitchen, looking for food and supplies. They had been travelling for three days now, the trip made longer by Ash's hobbling gait and the duration had left them somewhat in need of food and water. He held his breath as he dug through the cabinets, finding nothing but some rats, bugs, and opened tins of green beans and the syrupy kind of fruit. Socks pounced in, knocking a few of the cans aside as he crunched on the beetle he had caught.