let beauty come out of ashes

Longing

Six years of following that map and she was no closer than when she started. The crumpled paper flapped about in the breeze, dust swirling around her feet. Radiation heated the air and coated the surface of the earth in a light glow. Above her, dark reds and deep oranges flooded the sky as the dying star embraced the planet in a burning flame. Pretty patterns swirled like a painting.

The map was her last hope. Her last piece of Britt, and it was leading her nowhere. A sigh slid through her lips as she found a spot to set up camp. The tent she carried had been in her possession for years. Since the world ended, basically. Humanity ended long before the sun ripped itself apart. Bombs, wars, famine, hatred, despair, items. She was one of the only ones left.

Night probably fell as she settled down to sleep. It was difficult to tell anymore what with the sun exploding and the moon being swallowed up in the process. Night time was any time her body got tired at this point and meal times were whenever she got hungry. Time was irrelevant. When you've got nowhere to be and nothing to do, you don't need time. Wolves and other predatory creatures weren't a problem either, all long gone. There was no fear anymore.

She settled into her nylon covering and lay down, arms folded over her stomach. Another long day of walking around a desolate landscape where only ghosts of what once was remained. Through closed eyes, she saw faces smile down at her. Their eyes shone, full of life, and they told her stories to lull her to sleep. Around her unconscious body, the few possessions she had nestled around her like a shroud of the past. Two photos watched over her while she slept, protecting her from nightmares and intrusive thoughts. A dead phone sat by her feet. Even though there was nowhere to charge it and nothing left to charge it with, the presence brought her comfort. Britt's backpack contained a ragged stuffed dog; two pairs of socks; a copy of 'Good Omens'; and an empty packet of Jaffa Cakes. They were a tiny slice of home and they gave her the motivation to keep going. Keep pushing.

A hundred feet from where she slept, a figure emerged from the dirt. Exhausted, aching, and unable to walk much further. He had a backpack slung over his shoulders with a rolled up yoga mat shoved between he straps and his spine. Leo wiped sweat from his brow and pushed forwards. He saw a yellow pop-up tent glow like a beacon. Whether it was empty or not was irrelevant. It was the first reminder that other people existed he had seen in a while. His brother had passed away eight months ago; he found the body when he returned back to base camp. In his brother's clasped hands was a glass seal, now nestled in his coat pocket.

Leo inhaled deeply, trying his hardest not to use the energy he had left to sprint to the tent. Ambling towards it, he opened his mouth to call out. The wind carried it farther, reaching out to anyone that could listen. When nothing returned his call, he knelt down before the tent entrance. He fumbled with the zipper for a minute or two before yanking it up and opening the door. A sharpened blade pressed itself against his throat. It gleamed in the burning light and the tip bit into his skin. Leo's eyes wandered from the blade to the hand holding it. A wild expression flooded the woman's face. She stared him down, arm steady. Leo slowly raised his hands and swallowed.

'I didn't know there was anyone in this.' He started. She detected an American twang but wasn't sure which region.
'I'm sorry. I-I'm not armed. I'm not a threat.' Leo's voice trembled as he spoke. If he put his hands down to prove he had no weapons he might get stabbed and if he didn't prove it he might get stabbed. Luckily, the decision was made for him. She kept the weapon pointed against his neck as she patted him down. A strange lump in his pocket caught her attention. Keeping the knife on him, she fished out a glass seal sculpture and looked at it curiously. She noticed the man's expression shift slightly. It wasn't threatening so she carefully put it back. She motioned to him to take off his backpack, which he did, the mat discarded to one side. Tossing the backpack at her feet, Leo placed his hands back up and waited with bated breath as she searched it. She tipped it upside down and shook it, checking everything that fell out of it. Satisfied with what she found, she retracted the knife and stepped back.