The Elim Conspiracy

Chapter Five

After the old world ended there were no taxi's, cars, or busses to drive you where you needed to go, no trains to take you long distances, and especially no airplanes since all of the airports were shut within a week. I spent days walking, sometimes with a purpose, most times without. There wasn't much else to do but to walk, to explore, and discover whatever remained. Sometimes I'd find a wallet containing a photograph of a family who I like to believe survived but knew didn't, or old mobile phones with just enough battery life for me to see the owners screen saver one last time, a few times I've found tattered stuffed animals with voice recorded messages inside, or birthday cards addressed to the dead.

My legs grow weaker as we make our way towards Selene's. We've been walking for about two hours, but it feels like it's been days. For some reason my body isn't able to make this walk, and it was making sure I knew it. The muscles in my calves are begging me to slow down and to rest, but stopping now would make things even harder. Ben walks a few feet in front of me, completely unfazed.

"Ben, how much further is it?"

I pant, audibly. The rough straps of my backpack dig deeper into my shoulders, leaving raw indentations along my skin. I drop my arms, holding back the tears forming behind my eyes. Ben looks back at me, seeing me struggling to continue.

"Come here"

He offers, stepping forward and slinking my limp arm around his shoulders. My skin is sticky from sweat, and leaves a line of dampness along his faded blue t-shirt. He doesn't seem to mind it though.

"Rest all your weight on me, okay? It's not much further"

He encourages, and I do without a second of thought. I feel his arm wrap around my waist, pulling me closer to his body so he can drag me along the path with him. It was strange to feel positive physical contact after a whole year of being alone; it was comforting, and I never realised how much I craved it.

"Why are you headed to Harlow street?"

He asks me, making small talk as we travel further up the path. I haul myself forward, feeling sharp pains shoot through my body with every step. My breaths are short and unsteady, contributing to my already agonising head ache. I figure he was trying to distract me from the pain, so I humour him, grateful for his help.

"Someone's there, someone I have to find so I can pass on a message. His name is Cane"

"Oh, is he your, uh, boyfriend?"

"No no, I don't actually know him. I knew his dad... kind of... he wanted me to pass on a message... it's really important"

I summarise in the best way I could, without needing to get into any of the details. Ben nods silently, keeping his eyes fixed to the ground beneath us.

"I... I don't have a boyfriend... I've never had a boyfriend"

I clarify curtly, glancing over at him once more. His eyes meet mine for a split second before he turns away again, his cheeks flushing a dull red. A smile stretches across my face as I watch him stumble on his words.

"That's... good"

"Oh, it is?"

I tease, raising my eyebrows at him. He quickly becomes flustered, which amuses me even more. I almost forget how much pain my body is in, but giggling brings it all back. Still, the pain is worth it if it means I can embarrass Ben.

"I just, I didn't mean it like that, I meant, just, you know... oh never mind, we're here"

He huffs, placing me carefully down onto an old oak bench. There's carvings of various initials scrawled across the seat; some are crossed out and some are worn down, but most are still intact. I hope some day I get to etch my name alongside someone else's into a wooden park bench, not that it matters to anyone else anymore. People stopped trying to find romance the second the world crumbled. It really makes you wonder why people fall in love. Nobody finds love in the apocalypse, it doesn't exist anymore.

I shrug my backpack off of my back, pushing it onto the seat beside me, purposely covering the names. I wince at the pain stabbing along my sore shoulders, making a mental note so that I never wear a backpack without a jacket again.

"Ben? I thought I saw you coming along the path"

A tall, dark woman waltzes out from behind a splintered pile of broken crates. She wraps her arms loosely around Ben's neck, stroking his head affectionately. This must be Selene.

"Selene! How are you?"

Ben greets her cheerfully, turning around and hugging her waist. She's a good foot taller than him, with short tightly curled hair and golden cat shaped eyes. Her skin is smooth and dewy despite the seasonal drought. You definitely wouldn't think she just survived five years in the apocalypse.

"I'm good little brother, haven't seen you in too long! Who's this?"

She pulls herself away from Ben, focusing her attention onto me. I can't tell what her first impression of me is, but she's visibly conflicted on how she feels. I offer her a friendly smile, but she doesn't return the favour.

"Selene, this is Mai, Mai, this is my friend Selene"

Ben introduces, gesturing towards both of us. I debate whether to stand up to greet her or not, but by the way she looks at me I decide it's probably best if I wait for her to initiate anything.

"What can I do for you, Mai?"

She asks me bluntly, making her way over to where I'm seated. She perches herself on the very edge of the bench, leaving an awkward gap in between us. I eye her belt wearily, watching her hand closely hover over a pocketed knife. Ben watches too, an anxious expression on his own face. It was clear that Selene did not see me as a friend.

"I need to find a way to get to Harlow Street"

I tell her, offering as little information as possible. She doesn't lower her hand from the blade. Ben notices this too and makes the decision to place himself in between us. This clearly irritates Selene, but nevertheless she places her hand in her lap, reliving tension. Before answering my question, she lets out a long sigh, staring at the forest in the near distance.

"Harlow street? Haven't heard that name in a while"

"Do you know it?"

Ben pipes up before I even get the chance to. I can't help but smile at him because of how excited he seems. If there's one thing I knew about Ben, it was that he always wanted to help people- even complete strangers like I was. You don't see much of that these days.

"I use to, before all this. Rich side of town, really small street, about 6 houses. You'd only know it if you've been there, so why do you need to know where it is?"

She questions me. Her eyes narrow into a weary squint, staring me down. I try not to break eye contact, but after a few seconds without her flinching I submit, letting my focus drop to the floor. I was always aware that I was much shorter than most people, but with Selene I felt small.

"I need to find someone, to pass on a message, I was told he would be on Harlow Street"

I try and explain to her, but she doesn't change her expression. She's clearly suspicious of the situation, which I can't say I blame her for. But if she knew where Harlow Street was, I needed her to help me. Ben turns to her with pleading eyes, eyes that he knew she wouldn't say no to. After a short sigh in surrender she stands up in front of me.

"I'll take you, but you owe me"

"Sounds like a deal"

I agree without hesitation, hastily getting up from the bench myself. I reach out my hand in front of her, which, to my relief, she grips and shakes firmly.