Two is Better than One

Ana

We continued down the tar road path, my paws now aching terribly. I glanced at Autumn. She looked wary; her brilliant eyes no longer lit up with youth and excitement. She was walking in almost a limp, and I began to realize how hard walking this far must be for a kitten like her. I stared down at my paws, now wanting to stop and rest.

It wasn't enough.

Not far enough.

We continued in silence. I stared up at the sky. The sun was almost completely hidden by dilapidated buildings, but I could still see the sky. It was almost orange as the sun fell behind tall structures, its final rays spilling over the clouds and creating a milky cream color which lapped at the sky's blue, reflecting into my eyes. It was the most beautiful thing I'd seen in countless days.

"We should stop," I was the first to say.

I saw Autumn shake her head. "I don't see anywhere we could stay," she pointed out.

"Well," I mumbled, clasping my teeth together as I scanned the expanse before us. "I think... that one seems to be in best shape." I pointed with my tail to a small two-story building. Autumn's ears twitched and she looked back as if struggling to find words. "Well..." She began, and I could tell she was about to disagree with me.

"It looks like it could break apart any second," she finished.

"All of the others are already broken apart," I put in, "it's that, or we sleep with the stars directly above us."

She pawed at the ground, and finally said, "Okay."

We started towards the building, walking a little quicker as if eagerness to rest had given us a boost of energy. I opened my mouth as we stood before the barely standing door, scents flooding into my mouth. I paused, smelling nothing other than a faint scent of decaying corpses.

I nodded to Autumn, and we pursued on. I squeezed through the door, giving my chest fur a quick lick once we reached the inside. I stared around, my ears perked and alert. I swiftly walked a few paces forward, often tasting the air. All I smelled was dust and decay.

"It seems that we're all okay," I meowed, "Let's find a room to stay in."

We searched through the building until finally I felt as if I'd found a suitable one. I hadn't gone inside of it, though, but it smelled clear.

I nosed the perfectly shaped door open, and padded inside.

I scrambled back to the door in a hurry as a creamy figure came into view. A dog! I thought in terror. "What?" Autumn asked. "What is it--?"

"Who's there?" A soft, honey-like voice called. I heard the clicking of claws on the ground for a few seconds, indicating she had stood up.

Her face became visible behind a wall that curved into the room. She curled back her lips in a snarl. "Who's there?!" She demanded, her voice now booming.

I felt like I was melting to my paws as I stared up at the massive creature.

"D-don't hurt us!" Autumn cried. I almost nicked her ear sharply with a claw, but the voice of the dog stopped me. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" The dog said, "I won't hurt you, I promise." Her eyes shifted to me. "Hi," she barked, "I'm Ana."

I tried not to act shaken as I meowed confidently, "I'm Toby."

"I'm Autumn!" The kitten beside me said. I glanced at her; she was smiling brightly. I blinked a few times and turned back to Ana. "C-can we stay here for the night?" I asked quietly, to tired to continue on and find a different place. She nodded, "sure!"

"Thanks," I said.

In after a few minutes, Ana was laying down with Autumn curled up on top of her, both dozing off. I was a few feet away from the two, my tail curled around my body until it touched my nose.