Under Shadow

Chapter 10

Najia lifted the bag to her nose and inhaled deeply. She was a child again, the rich, chocolate chips melting in her mouth. The cookie was soft and gooey, just the way she liked it, as if it were fresh out of the oven, despite the hours of driving it took her grandparents to get to the city. These cookies, however, were hard, prepackaged, and probably stale. But they were cookies nonetheless, and the smell was just the same. She grabbed the bags of cookies by the handful, zipping them carefully in her backpack, stopping only when she heard the eerie sound of a gun being cocked behind her. She froze, not daring to move, her heart racing as the fear tore through her body. This was it. Months on the run, all for nothing.

"Stand up," a gruff voice said. A human voice. This was no one to be afraid of. Her heart flew; she hadn't seen another human in months, since she first left the city. Najia obeyed, placing her hands on her head in hopes to show that she was friendly.

"Turn around."

She turned slowly, meeting the gaze of the human that stood before her.

"I know it's dark," she muttered. "But give me a break. I'm human."

The man held his aim on her. He didn't budge. His arm didn't shake or sway. Najia was impressed; he knew what he was doing to make it this far.

"Can't be too sure these days," he said.

"Fortunately for you," Najia said. "You'd already be dead if I wanted you to be."

The man smirked, amused, then lowered his gun. His eyes made their way down her body, resting on the gun on her hip.

"I'm not the one that let my guard down," he said as he pocketed the pistol.

"My guard's never down."

He met her gaze one last time before turning away. Najia threw her bag over her shoulder and hurried behind him. The light of her flashlight bounced around the house as she ran.

"Wait," she said as she ran to his side. "I haven't seen another human in months. How'd you get this far?"

"Same as you, I'd presume."

"Where you headed?"

He studied her from the corner of his eye but did not slow his brisk pace. "Looking for people."

"I think we're all looking for people," Najia muttered. "You'd be lucky if they're not dead."

The man tried to remain composed, but Najia could see the pain that flashed briefly across his face.

"Family?" she asked.

The man stopped walking and turned to her.

"Listen. We're not doing this. I don't care about you, and you don't care about me. You go your way, and I'll go mine, okay?" He continued walking, quickening his pace.

"Why does it have to be like that?" Najia continued to follow him. "We're at a war here. We could go together. Look for your people. Maybe find more survivors."

"I don't want to be slowed down."

"I have a car."

The man stopped suddenly and faced her. "You have a car? How?"

Najia hesitated. "I hot wired it."

"You know how to hot wire a car?"

"Yes."

He looked her up and down quickly, studying her.

"You can have it if I can come with you."

"Forget it," he said, turning abruptly once more and continuing down the road.

Najia watched the last human she had seen fade into the darkness. Determined to win his trust, she hurried to the car, waiting in the darkness behind the house, right where she left it, still purring quietly. She threw it into gear, making sure to keep the headlights off, and navigated around the disheveled building. She found him still walking and pulled up beside him.

"Have the car," she said through the open window. "I can get another."

The man stopped and peered at her carefully.

"Look," she said. "I just filled it up with gas. There's two empty tanks in the trunk. Stay away from the cities. It's a wasteland out here, but there are a few stations with gas left where you can fill up. The Shadow People don't venture out here often."

"What do you want in return?" he asked skeptically.

Najia shook her head. "I just want our world back." She shrugged. "Maybe you're people will be able to help us do that, if you ever find them. Never know who turns out to be a hero around here."

"Heroes don't exist."

"Guess we can agree to disagree."

An eerie shadow flickered at the corner of Najia's eye in the rear view mirror. She turned quickly.

"We have company," she muttered, looking through the rear view window. Shots fired, hitting the bumper of the vehicle.

"Get in!"

The man dove into the passenger seat, slamming a new magazine into his gun and leaning out the window, taking fire as the Shadow People closed in around them.

Najia slammed down on the accelerator. The tires spun for a moment before lurching them forward into the darkness. They continued their attack as bullets hit the steel of the car. Najia pulled abruptly on the emergency break, spinning the wheel until the car faced their opponents head on. Najia flicked on the high beams and the Shadow People shrieked and scattered into the safety of the darkness. She threw the car into reverse and navigated down the road as the man reloaded and took aim once more.

When it grew quiet, Najia flicked off the lights and turned the wheel abruptly, spinning them around and throwing the vehicle into drive. She sped off the road, dust billowing around them. The man pocketed his weapon and leaned back against the seat, letting out a heavy sigh.

"That was exciting," Najia said as the rush of moment left her system.

The man grunted.

"So, we're doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Traveling the world? Seeing the sights?"

"I told you," he said, his voice hard. "I'm looking for people."

"Fine, fine. I'll help you look for your people. Okay?"

He didn't say anything.

"Sorry," Najia muttered. "I just don't want to never see another human ever again."

"Whatever."

They drove in silence for a moment.

"So, where are you headed?" Najia asked.

He shrugged. "The coast."

"Oh yeah? I'm heading in that general area, too." She paused. "What's there?"

"The end of the country."

She raised an eyebrow but kept her gaze focused ahead as she attempted to navigate the dark world. "And you think they'll be there?"

"Maybe."

"So, who are they? What's your story?"

"No," he grunted. "We're not doing that."

"All right," she said slowly. "I'm Najia, by the way."

The man did not respond.

"What? We can't even do names?"

He sighed. "Shane."