Wastelands are Home

Chapter 1

Day 36 of nuclear land

I woke up in the makeshift shelter I had created after my whole life was destroyed. As I stared at the metal ceiling I heard Anaya, my best friend, shift on the hard rock, yawning, as she too woke up. "Mika, are you awake?" she whispered. I barely heard her, as my mind was filled with worry. How is the food supply doing? What time is it? Are we... the only ones to have survived? What if-

"Mika? I know you're awake." Anaya giggled. There was a noise outside. I sat straight up, looking towards the door shaped entrance, fear in my eyes. Anaya immediately got silent as I assumed she also heard it. "What is it?" I whispered, fear in my voice, not taking my eyes off the unprotected opening in the wall. My mind raced, thinking of what it could possibly have been. A wolf? A bear? Another survivor?  I don't know how long we both sat there, holding our breaths. Anaya slowly started to move forward to try and check things out. I tried to reach out to stop her, but my shifting movement caused small pebbles to grind against the floor, causing me to freeze, not even daring to put my hand down from its awkward position in the air. We heard something huff outside, as if registering that there truly was something alive in the area.

I glanced over to the large branch we had picked up a few days ago as a backup weapon in case we were attacked before we could find a gun or something. Everything was more dangerous now; animals were mutating from the now abnormal amount of radiation in the air, making them larger, stronger, faster. People were also a danger because when people get desperate they become dangerous. I knew that we probably didn't have the strength to fight off too many things. I mean, what can you expect from two 15-year-old girls?

We heard heavy footsteps relatively close on the wrecked pavement. Getting closer.

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My heart pounded in my ears as I heard whatever it was getting closer.

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Anaya quickly moved back towards me still trying to be quiet, breathing heavily due to fear. We had nowhere to run. Our small little shelter was in a dead-end alleyway between two two-story buildings.

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Now that this thing was getting closer, we could easily tell that it was not a human. Its panting was raspy and deep. Its steps were getting louder as it got closer.

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I looked at Anaya as she looked at me. I understood what she was trying to communicate; no matter what the outcome from this was, we would be together, either in life or death.