Never Again

Mary

In the morning Joy explained how she came to be in the storm drain. Lucky for them Joy was heading to go camp out in the woods for five days so they have plenty of food. She explained that she saw the spacecraft in the woods and ran. Eventually she needed to rest and she didn't want to camp out in the open so she found a storm drain and decided it was the perfect place. Then she found Zack.

She apologized over and over again for punching him in the face even though he said it was no big deal.

"According to my watch it's eight p.m." Said Joy. "We've been in here for 2 days. I wonder what it looks like outside?"

"Let's go check it out." Zack answered as he was crawling his way to the light.

Zack got out of the storm drain and then helped Joy out. They both stared in awe at the scene that was displayed for them.

All the trees were burnt and fallen so in a distance he could see his house and if he looked the other way he could see his school. Ash covered everything and when the wind blew the ash looked like snow. It smelled like a fire, a recent one. There was smoke in the sky. Zack looked around and saw a dead bird laying among the ashes. Everything for once in his life was silent. All he could hear was Joy's and his breathing. Not even the wind blew, it was like Earth was holding it's breath waiting to see what they might do.

"No sign of the spacecraft." Said Zack. He wanted to get out of this place "let's go to my house."

Joy nodded in agreement. Together they navigated the wreckage that was once was there neighborhood. All the houses were burned to the ground. Including Zack's and Joy's.

Zack slowly walked up to the ruins were his house was suppose to be. He rummaged through the house ruins until he found what he was looking for.

A black charred object that resembled a human in what looked like a Blanket. He knew right away who it was. Katie altho, or his mother but, he refuses to cry. He walks back to Joy who hugged him and they walk to Joy's house. Joy cried as she found the remains of her parents. He looked her in the eyes and hugged her just like when they were little kids.

They walk. Joy finally stops crying and says "we have to leave."

"Leave? Now?" Zack didn't understand. "We're will we go?"

"Anywhere, let's leave Pheniox. Leave Arizona. Just go anywhere but here. It's obvious that if we stay here we'll die."

Zack was quiet for a minute Trying to process what she just said.

"We're only 14 years old." Said Zack softly.

"I know but I can't risk losing you. Please." Joy pleaded.

"Ok." Said Zack more confidently. "Let's leave now."

"I have some money in my backpack. It was also if I wanted to leave my house." Replied Joy, a smile spreading across her face.

Zack took one last look at the place were they went to school, were all their friends were, or were they played tag in the street. He looked at the house next to his. An old couple lived there. He walked around the ruins of his neighborhood and collected things that weren't melted. He went over to a lamp post that was still standing but didn't work. He put everything that he found in the neighborhood in a pile in front if the lamp post but, he kept his mother's locket he found in his house ruins. He put it into his pocket. then he took one last look at the pile then headed to the woods after Joy. Then they set off to only God knew where.

They hiked all day. Finally, Joy collapsed because the hiked nonstop. Zack finally realized he didn't have a clear understanding of where they were. All they knew was they were some where close to the Colorado boarder.

"Come on Joy, we have to reach Colorado before we rest." Pleaded Zack.

"I...ca...can't do...it. Go...on without...me." Gasped Joy, exhausted from the days hike.

Zack look around and saw a road. He lifted Joy up on his shoulders and carried her to the road. When they reached the road there was a truck in the distance coming toward them. Zack waved his hands in an effort to stop the truck. The car stopped and the driver was a middle aged women with streaks of white in her brown curly hair she resembled Joy in a way. She had kind eyes and wrinkled face.

"Well, hello darling. What seems to be the problem." Asked the lady.

"My girlfriend" Zack smiled-he liked the sound of that- "she fainted from exhaustion and we have to reach the Colorado boarder be for nightfall. Could you give us a lift?" Zack knew it was dangerous to ask a random person for a lift but, other choice did he have.

"Do you have family there?" Asked the women as she got out of her car.

"No" admitted Zack "we were gonna figure that out once we got there."

"You can stay at my house for the night." Replied the women as she knelt beside Joy. "My name in Mary. What is your name?" She paused, "What is her name?" Mary whispered so softly Zack could barely hear her.

"My name is Ram and this is...." He paused. He wasn't going to give Mary, Joy's real name.

"What is her name?" Ask Mary again.

"Her name is... Rose." Zack finally replied.

Zack helped Joy into the truck and Mary started the truck and they drove in silence all the way to Mary's house.

Mary got inside her house and gave them one room to share. Mary said they could eat whatever they wanted and then, Mary said goodnight and went to bed.

Zack looked at Joy still sleeping and smiled. 'She has no idea were she is right now or that her new name in Rose.' He thought about waking her up but decided against it. 'She needs all the sleep she can get.' He heard a creak outside the door and he quickly got into bed and pretended to sleep.

Mary came into the room and looked at Joy. "Joy," she whispered "Joy get up."

Joy opened her eyes and looked at her. At first she was confused then she growled "what are you doing here."

"Honey I'm here to take care of you." Whispered Mary.

"I don't want anything to do with you. You left me." Said Joy.

"Shhh. Let's go into the kitchen so we don't wake up Ram." Said Mary softly.

"Who the hell is Ram?" Yelled Joy.

Zack pinched Joy hoping, she'd figure it out.

"Oh, I thought you said Pam" Joy said her voice low and quiet. "Let's go." Joy got up and Mary and she went to the kitchen.

Zack sat up and thought about what he heard. 'Joy knew Mary, but how?'