Apocalypse

18

Liz

It snowed last night.  

 
A light dusting, but still snow. Enough to cover the ground, but bits of grass still poked up here and there where it hadn't been trampled down by wind and rain from earlier in the week. Either way, it was fantastic. Well, for Kate anyways. I just sat and shivered under one of our blankets, using Aztec as a wind buffer. I didn't mind the cold; when I was dressed properly for it. Right now all I'm wearing is my sweater and then Kate's slightly larger, thicker sweater over top of it. Warm when there was no breeze, but today the wind cut through my clothes and bit at my skin like teeth. Needless to say, today I'm not feeling too impressed with the snow.  

 
Kate however was mystified by the powdery white substance. I don't think she's ever really seen it before. The thought both amuses me and saddens me. So it was pretty bitter sweet watching her kick it around and enjoy herself for once. I have a sneaking suspicion that she's in such an agreeable mood because Jason wandered off almost an hour ago and hasn't returned yet. I wasn't worried. He did it frequently, and he always came back with something useful so I can't complain. 

 
Kate, at first, wasn't completely sure it was snow she was seeing. She had to ask me about it. When I proved her theory correct, she smiled. Her real smile. The one that no one ever gets to see. For a little while after that, I didn't feel the cold. 

 
She'd left my side to go and kick around and investigate. She mostly stared at the trees and how they looked twice as pretty with the pale morning sunlight reflecting off the billions of tiny ice crystals. The sun didn't offer much warmth anymore, but it sure made everything wonderful.  
Crystals clung to all of the previously mundane things and made them seem extraordinary. It clung to the fuzzy coat that Aztec had grown in, making him glimmer with every movement. His sleepy breaths came out in large billowing clouds of white that also caught the sun in a unique way.  
Kate's typically brunette hair was turned auburn by the direct sunlight, crystals clinging to it as well. Getting caught in the faint curls and glimmering the same as Aztec did when he moved. She looked over at me after a while and grinned. Lopsided and still very unpracticed, but it made my stomach do summersaults. I made myself remember just how everything looked this morning so I would never forget. Just for the fleeting moment, things were perfect. 

 
And then they weren't.  

 
Jason came back, trudging out of the woods next to our little make-shift camp and grumbling about the cold and how he hated it. He had a rabbit in his hands though, dangling by its ears in his grip. Dead, obviously. Before anyone complains about animal cruelty.  
Kate's smile was gone now and she was back to staring off at nothing. I felt the cold bite at my skin when the next gust of wind hit me, blowing my hair into my face and into my mouth. A most ungraceful event, but I saw amusement flicker in Kate's eyes when she glanced over at me trying to brush it out of my eyes. So it kind of made up for it.  

 
I turned my attention back to the rabbit, just as Jason was yelling. There was a loud screeching grown and Aztec reared, eyes going round with fear.  
I watched in horror as Jason drew his gun and fired at the infected wolf that had leapt out of nowhere. It was so fast and all I saw was a flash of yellowed teeth snap at Jason's face, flickers of raw skin that had been torn away to reveal bone and muscle underneath. One of it's eyes was missing. Kate was on it in no time flat, hauling the rotting body of the canine off of Jason before he could get bit. Kate however wasn't quite fast enough when the wolf turned and tore into her arm. 
I heard her cry out in pain and surprise, but she didn't let go of it. Only shoved it away with a surge of strength that shocked me a little. I found myself fiddling nervously with the necklace she'd given me, now safely secured around my neck. I cursed to myself and let go. I made the mental note to ask Kate to teach me later. I've seen her use one. She either learns really fast or has used one before. 
I was reaching for the gun that I didn't know how to use at my hip, but Jason was already on the task.  
The wolf screamed and growled and clawed at Kate as she did her best to pin it down. Blood poured out of the wound in her arm, staining the snow  a deep red. Worry gnawed at my stomach.  
The shot rang out and send a flock of birds cawing into the air.