Ruins

Chapter 10

The next morning, Ava slowly woke up, yawning and rubbing her eyes as she groaned and sat up, trying to become completely aware as soon as she could. As letting her guard down wasn't a good idea in this world anyways.

"Ergh"

Cain was still awake, no sign of exhaustion or any kind of tiredness whatsoever, as if he had grown used to being deprived of sleep over time.

Ava looked over at the wide awake Cain next to her groggily.

"Well Hiya Cain...I thought you were tired last night-?"

"I got better."

Of course, as usual he was examining his rifle. Ava had a tendency to joke that he should make out with it if he's so interested. It simply made him roll his eyes every time.

"Lovely."
Getting up from the couch, she took a big sniff of the air and scrunched her face.

"I'm getting tired of smelling like sweat and blood..."

“Well I doubt there is any functioning water left in here..”
He said this as he got up and rubbed his eyes.

“So unless you want to shower in the river..”

"That's my idea. Isn't it like a mile from here?"

She grabbed the bracelet from her wrist and tied her hair up in her classic messy bun with it, leaving her blue bangs down to frame her dirty face.

Cain sighed.
“Yup..”
Speaking as he grabbed his rifle and his gun holster.

"God its gonna be so nice to leave this fucking room for a while!"

Bending down, she grabs her knife and puts it in her belt. Grabbing her pistol too.

"Should we leave the main supplies here?"

“No, take them with you and load them into the van outside, we’re setting camp somewhere else.”
He said this as he got his jacket on.

“We’ve been here for too long..”

Recently, Cain had managed to steal and hotwire a van. It came in handy, the only issue was going to check occasionally to make sure it wouldn't be stolen. Having to go up and down all those stairs multiple times per day. Oh the stairs..

Her face lit up and she clapped her hands.
"OH YAY!"

Silently she grabbed all the supplies she could carry, including her duffle bag of extra clothes.

"Maybe we can stop by the hangout and tell Yuma where we are moving to so she can come and dye my hair!"

“Seriously? We’re suffering a military occupation and the first thing in your head is hair dye?”

Cain said sarcastically as he got his stuff.

She scoffed.

"Them military motherfuckers are looking for a blonde girl and I'd rather not shave my head. I like my hair."

“What is it that you did that got them so pissed off to begin with?” He asked.

She started to walk out of the room staying silent, ignoring his question.

“Ava..what did you do?”

"Cmon lets go I want to take a bath." She looked straight ahead with a serious face, her usual childish tone shifting to something stern and almost dark.

Cain followed cautiously, deciding to not push for further information at the moment.

Eventually they got to the van, she opened the back cautiously and put all the supplies in before closing it and heading for the passenger seat.

Cain got in the drivers seat. Once Ava got in the passenger seat and everything was secure, he started to drive towards the lake, staying silent throughout most of the way, his mind filled with thoughts.

Ava looked out the window at all the abandoned or boarded up buildings that went by. The occasional person in an alleyway or fist fight between people appearing.

Minutes went by before he finally spoke.

“I was part of the resistance..”

"Well I figured that from Yuma.. She told me bits and pieces. Kinda surreal to hear you admit it though."

"Well why do you think they want me dead Ava?"

Ava sighed.

"I..."

She was kind of speechless.

"I don't know why they want me. It just has something to do with my dead beat dad."

Cain seemed rather curious at her words. She had mentioned him before but not that he had something to do with the government.

“What was his name?”

"Jack."

Cain suddenly hit the brakes as his expression turned into one of shock and fear.
“Jack? Jack Verl?”
His face went pale as he turned to her in a state of pure fear.

"I uh...yeah- why...?" She looked at him with a worried expression.

“..We need to get you out of the city, now.”