Eli was barely staying afloat before the apocalypse. Working long shifts, taking care of his younger brother, and just trying to figure out what to do with his life.
When he finds his mom trying to take a chunk out of her youngest son though, Eli...
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One of the campers were clean, the other had two dead bodies with self-inflicted bullet holes through their heads. Sometimes this world was too much for those around us, that those who can't make it often just give in to the temptations of death. I know I've been there.
Wolfe and I were cleaning the bodies away from the site as Vivian and Red tried to scrub the blood from the pop up while Amelia was on babysitting duty. Caspian was scrounging the woods looking for wood to start a fire in the pit that was already dug out.
Leaning over the clean beds, to unzip the plastic that revealed the screened window to air out the rotting smell, the fresh breath of air cleared my airways. Turning back to the small home that still smelled of the dead, I took over scrubbing for Red when Amelia called out.
"Guys, I think she's getting hungry." The slight panic in the girl just a few years younger than myself was mildly amusing as Red took Ember and began to look through the clean camper, rummaging could be heard from here.
Rocking back on my heels, I knew that this was as clean as the floor was going to get. The slightly stained floors and walls would just have to be a part of the décor now, the blood too set in to take it out any further.
Exiting the camper that needed to still air out, the stifling smell enough to raise gags. I get a grin to take over my face as Amelia sat with the boys at a picnic table as she explained how to work the lanterns that sat idle on it, the both of them intrigued as they watched her flick her flame and ignite the gas before closing the hatch.
She was still explaining to them the higher you turn it the brighter the glow when I turned away as Javier and Caspian came from the woods, Jav was setting up a few snares to see if we could catch anything up here with all the wildlife we saw.
Vivian was knocking off the dirt from the foldable camping chairs as the boys laid in the clean camper falling asleep as they took a nap, a luxury they haven't had in some time.
Ember was on the opposite bed, surrounded by pillows that were thoroughly shaken out.
Looking through the pile of things we found from both pop-up homes, we weren't as bad off as I thought we would be. 2 jugs of water were under one of the homes, a few non-perishable foods, more lanterns, and a tent that Wolfe and Amelia were currently working on putting up.
"Maybe," Cas started. "Maybe we could live here."
"I don't think there's living anymore." Amelia scoffed, leaning back in the chair she was sitting in, the tent standing up proudly at the entrance of the two campers, staked into the ground. "Its only surviving."
It was shocking how different the two of them could be, knowing that they were close to each other when this all fell out. It just showed how some adapted better given the circumstances I suppose.
"Let's make camp here, for now, figure out who's getting where to sleep. I think that tonight we should all stay together in the clean camper." I called out to them, the sun was beginning its descent along the horizon.
"Me too," Jav agreed. "We've been together for so long, I don't think ill be able to sleep alone." He chuckled, his eyes dancing in amusement as everyone around him perked up, smiles of varying degrees lighting their faces up.
"Eli?" Masons groggy voice had us all lifting our heads at the boy who had recently woken up.
"What's up bud?" Glancing over, I could see Ember still feeding as Red sat with her head laid back in the chair, the glow of the fire bouncing off her freckled face.
"I found some popcorn, can we have it?" Red peeked an eye open as Cas gave an excited whoop.
Javier shook his head smiling. "Toss it here kid, why don't you wake up Jasper."
I caught the bashful grin Mason had on his face as he chucked the bags at Javier one at a time before ducking back into the camper to wake up Jasper.
We filled up on popcorn and stale peanut butter and jelly cracker sandwiches that I finally cracked out from my bag. We were happy, experimentally popping the kernels in a spare pan we had tucked away in one of our bags. The boys shrieking as one of the kernels shot far out of the pan and one of the dogs raced over to the stray treat.
Ember was in my arms as I smiled, with a full stomach, at the carefree antics everyone was participating in. Red turned then, her eyes searching before they landed on me, a smile split on her lips as she held Mason on her hip.
The both of them looked at me expectantly as I leaned down kissing Embers cheek as she slept, Masons cheeky laugh rang through the clearing, making my heart clench for just a moment before I reminded myself that for tonight. Just tonight, I wouldn't think about the things that could kill us. Tonight, we would be free.
We wouldn't let fear rule us, not tonight.
Eventually everyone started dropping off like flies, starting with the kids but eventually, Amelia and Vivian fell asleep at some point in the night.
Snuffing out the fire that was keeping us warm as light snow began to flutter from the sky that the canines were loving as they tried to catch it in their mouths, we all began to move into the camper.
Again, Wolfe was the handyman as he showed us how the small dining table could fold down into a small bed, one that the two sleeping boys and Amelia were put on, courteous of Wolfe carrying in the sleeping girl under Caspian's watchful eye.
It occurred to me then as we were settling down; Red and I on the bed with the baby and dogs, as Caspian crashed with Javier and Vivian on the other bed, and Wolfe on the ground ignoring Reds protests that there was room. She proved her point as she made him a comfortable bed from pillows and blankets.
But as I laid there, the windows slightly unzipped to keep the cool breeze blowing in, as Ember slept on my chest with Red curled into my side and both the pups at our feet. I couldn't help but become overwhelmed that we had made it this far.
We were nowhere near the end of our trials, but we were okay right now. Nothing terrible was happening in our world, minus Amelia's foot that she was being demanded to stay off of, so it could heal.
Sure, we were still healing from our speedy get away. But we weren't dead. We could be one of the undead right now, aimlessly wandering, but no. Instead, we were alive and breathing, and at that thought, something warm bubbled in my chest.
