Change on the Horizon

Bad Ideas

Gwen's POV

          Sunday morning, I got a window of time. Where I can free my mind. I couldn't remember the last time I heard myself sing that. Well, at least normally. I looked into the blurred and shattered mirror of a gnarly bathroom in the supermarket we're checking at the dawn of daylight. Gurgling sounds of the clogged plumbing continued even after I closed the faucet of the sink. Gross...

          "You done checking yourself out on that mirror already?"

          I laughed as Jade walked behind me carrying some dead plants in a pot. We learned to grow herbs from some surviving roots for food. It wasn't much, but it was enough to get us by.

          "Yeah."

          Shelf after shelf, it was empty. Bleak and open aisles that a kid would've been thrilled to run through years ago. I couldn't help, but laugh and Jade took a glance at me.

          "Sorry, mate. I just can't help, but look at the hell we're walkin' in."

          She looked at me and I could tell she knew exactly what I was talking about.

          "We'd be in our second year of high school if this didn't happen."

          I nodded at the thought.

          "That's too fuckin' crazy to think about. I heard it was just no sleep and wack ass classes along with drama. I'm kinda glad we skipped over it honestly."

          I took a deep breath before muttering out again.

          "Wouldn't have helped us now hm?"

          She looked at me with a smile lifting her lips. It was good seeing smiles even though times were shit and depressing. So many of us were gone, but we've met some new people. After all, it's been four years. It hasn't been so bad that we're living on the edge, but the same goes for other groups, and let's just say they aren't exactly the friendliest. Maybe I take that back. Ruthless, taking every life to use for work or war and every supply just to prove their strength then wasting it like running water. People who could burn the world to the ground and make money when an entire ass apocalypse is happening would be them. At first, it wasn't bad. They'd take a tribute like some produce we had grown or meat we had hunted. Then they just got greedier and greedier. Not to mention bored. They'd make us fight till we collapsed... That's how we lost Vialet and Geth. And fighting back only led to more deaths like Christian or people switching sides like Morne. We knew though, nobody wanted to be on their side and that gave us the opening we needed to escape. Parker, a former member, showed us a way out. I wish I had kept them from taking some things at least. Pressing against an old scar on my wrist I could help to notice Jade walking off to check out a back freezer that was locked up.

          "What'cha got there bb?"

          "Nah, it's nothing. Probably some old sacks that decided to lock themselves up and die."

          We walk away for only a brief moment before a terrible thought crossed my mind and Jade knew it. She was already looking at me with a face.

          "Oh no. Don't even say it."

          "So, what if-"

           "Nope."

          I looked back knowing damn well there might be something good.

          "It's the crazy look and I don't like it."

          I just cackled a little bit at her facepalm before turning back and checking out the locks. I jogged away like an absolute gremlin. Thick locks, high grade, locked from the outside, and leads to...

          "Absolutely trash."

          "I told you."

          I followed the loose end of the chain behind the freezer and just pulled it from the dusty musty crusty ass spider webs that looked like they've just been growing out of control.

          "It's not even attached to anything might I add. It seems like people are losing brain cells instead of becoming zombies."

          I take off all the bolts and lose locks, throwing them aside and bowing at her. I spoke in a British accent.

          "After you my liege."