"I don't know what to say about, about anything really." Sweetie says in a hushed voice.
"That's okay, you don't have to say anything at all."
"I just feel so empty nena."
Rosaline's lips smoosh to the side, she leans her head against her companion's arm.
"I know. It-it's difficult to explain, to talk about. It took me a long time to cope with losing my mom and sister."
"I just can't believe he's not here. I keep expecting him to run in from outside. To have to yell at him to keep the noise down, but, but he's not coming."
A trickle of tears bead down her cheeks, her nose reddens.
"He was always so fuckin' annoying! I would give anything to be mad at him again. To-to-"
She turns to Rosaline, throwing her arms around her, burying her face into her partner's shoulder. Her sobs are short and quick, bursts of begrudging acceptance and gloomy heartache. Rosaline cradles the woman she loves, the two of them sinking to the floor.
"I miss him so much."
The short fighter strokes her hair, pressing her head against the sobbing woman.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
On the other side of the store Hawaii and Zee have hunkered down behind the cashier's counter, finally having cleared a space large enough for them both to spread out in. Hawaii lay on his back, his hands clasped together atop his sternum. Zee rolls to position herself on her side, propping her head up with one arm, and gently running her fingers over the chest of her lover.
"I miss him, I can't imagine how Sweetie feels." she says, her voice low.
"It's surreal, isn't it? He was just here less than a week ago, and now" -air shoots from his nostrils- "and now he's just not."
"I'm surprised by how well Rad is handling it."
"I don't think he is. I think he's just trying to look strong, for Sweetie's sake."
"That's tough. He and Outlaw were so close. You should talk to Rad, it'll mean more coming from you."
"I will. I want to give him some more time. He shot his best friend, I don't know what that's like. I don't really know what to say, but we're all here for him, and Sweetie, you know, however they need us to be."
"Say that."
The corners of his lips curl. He brushes the stray strands of hair out of her face.
"How do you always know the right thing to say?"
"Woman's intuition baby."
"Not that again."
She giggles, softly, then scoots closer to him, and lays her head on his chest. He wraps his arms around her, and rests his chin on her head.
"I hope Oasis is a what KP says it is. It would be a good change for all of us, especially Sweetie and Rad." he says, after kissing her wandering hand.
"It will be."
"You're confidant of that?"
"I am."
"Why?"
"Because it's what we need, and it's what I need to believe."
KP reclines her back against the shelf closest to the doors, sliding down to rest on the ground
"I'm going to stay by the door, take first watch."
The tall man leans his rifle against the shelf, then takes a seat near her.
"I'll say close too."
She peers at him from the corner of her eye, her head tilted.
"You doing alright?"
"Yeah."
"You sure? That was a mess. It was sudden and quick, it's alright to feel down, to feel helpless. Loss is a part of life, but it's never easy."
"I'll be alright. He was my best friend, all I can do now is make sure his sister stays safe, and live the best life I can, for him."
"That's admirable."
"He always wanted to help people, even when he didn't really act like it. He cared, he cared a lot. I'm gonna do that now, since he can't. Whatever needs to be done in Oasis, I'm game to help out."
"They'll definitely appreciate that. There's a lot to do around there. It'll be good to keep your mind working. We all need to deal with things in our own ways, and if that's what will help you, then by all means do it, but don't bottle it up. That's never good."
"Yeah, I know. I won't."
She pauses, waiting to see if he's going to say anything else, and he doesn't. She doesn't know this young man very well, and she doesn't want to push him.
"We're just across the state line, we'll be in Oasis in two days, if we keep pace, and things go as planned."
"Two days?"
She dips her head, raising her brow for a moment.
"That's crazy. It's really what you say it is?"
"It's better, honestly. Real people, who care for each other, working together to restore society. It's beautiful. You guys will fit right in."
His head hangs down, his finger wipes a glistening line from under his eye.
"He would've loved that."
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
His eyes squint, his defined jaw protrudes outward, as he stares at the landscape in front of him. There are vehicles recklessly scattered all over the streets, nearly every window to every shop or building has been broken, traffic lights are hanging so low they nearly touch the ground, dirt and filth cover most of the side walks and streets, green has started to grow on top of structures, and there is a defined smell.
That smell, repugnant. The smell of weathered, decaying corpses, and fecal matter. It’s not apparent, he can’t see any fecal matter, but it’s there. This singular aroma. It smells like bodies that have been dead for years have been dumped into sewage, merged down into one consistency, then sprayed everywhere in sight.
A similar odor permeates in almost every city he’s been in, or around, these past few years, but the presence of it here is far worse. He knows this street, he knows these side roads, he knows these defunct businesses, he knows them because he’s been here before. They are in Casselberry, and Oasis is a few hours of walking from where they stand right now.
“How close are we?”
The
