Aby didn’t bother pointing out that if they were attacked, she’d save her own skin before she saved Peaches. If Peaches wanted to be all for herself then Aby found no reason to put herself first too. In fact, if Peaches could get her to the other house and back, she would be dispensable after that. Not that Aby wanted anything to happen to Peaches, but she wouldn’t exactly be a huge loss. All she had done so far was complain and use up resources. Aby was certain that once they made it back to the house, she’d probably be better off alone...even if the thought of being that lonely was too much to bear.
Peaches let out a long, dramatic sigh. It seemed to be her specialty. “I suppose I can make the journey with you. I don’t see how I’ll be of much help, but I can do it. When are we going?”
Aby hadn’t thought that far ahead. She weighed up their options. They could leave now in the dark of the night. Their bellies were lined and they were both relatively well rested. They could be at the other house by morning and then rest a little before returning back to Peaches’ house.
But it was dangerous to be out at night. The dark concealed them in some ways, but it would also be harder for Peaches to navigate without any light other than the moon and the stars. Plus, gangs tended to be more active in the night. Aby didn’t want to risk running into anyone better armed than them...which meant everyone, basically.
Aby closed her eyes for a moment and asked herself the question that had been running around her head all day. What would Jake do? He was the survivor among them. He was the one who had the best instincts about this kind of thing. She searched in her mind for some standard Jake logic and made a decision. She opened her eyes.
“We’ll leave tomorrow morning after a night’s rest,” Aby said firmly. “We don’t want to run into any trouble. In the light of day, we can be prepared for anything. It’ll be easier to find our way too.”
“Fine,” Peaches said, putting down her knife and fork. “I suppose you know what you’re doing. I’ll let you lead the way.”
Aby offered her a small smile. “You’re very trusting.”
“I trust you more than I trust myself, honey. You’ve made it this far. You seem to know what you’re doing. Besides...I’m better at taking orders than making them,” Peaches sniffed. Aby thought about how the second her husband left she resigned herself to death rather than finding her own way to survive. She wasn’t wrong in saying that she needed someone to be ordering her around. Aby felt uncomfortable knowing that Peaches was the kind of woman who had been her whole life without being able to care for herself, needing a man to give her a sense of direction and purpose, but in some ways, she understood. She felt lost without Jake in the same way that Peaches felt lost without her husband. She wondered if the two men were out there feeling just as lost. Wasn’t that just love? Feeling lost without that one person by your side?
“Why not get some rest?” Aby said to Peaches. She wanted to sleep herself, and she felt safe enough to do so in the house. She could sleep with a knife at her side and protect herself if anything went wrong. Peaches stood from the table.
“Alright. I’ll take the sofa tonight...you look like you could use a proper bed for the night,” Peaches said. It was the nicest thing she’d managed to say so far and Aby felt she’d misjudged Peaches a little. She was selfish and self-centred, but there was good in her too. Now she felt bad for considering her disposable. She vowed to herself that she’d do anything to keep the two of them alive.
Together, they’d survive. They had to.
Eight
Jake
Jake’s eyes felt heavy as he opened them. It took him a minute to remember where he was. With his face pressed against the dewy ground and Megan lying close to him, he recalled their decision to rest for a while. He had hoped to wake up feeling energized, but he couldn’t remember the last time he felt that now. It had been some time since he’d even felt like he was really alive, and now that Aby wasn’t with him, it was like his life force had been drained from him.
It was early morning now. They’d been asleep for some time. Jake sat up and rested his back against a tree, wondering what their next move was. He supposed they’d have to try their best to make it to the lake that day, since they didn’t have any supplies or weapons to keep them going otherwise. If they’d didn’t sort themselves out soon, they’d be in their worst position since the EMP started. Sure, they’d spent the majority of the past week fighting for their lives, but at least previously they had some chance of survival. Now they were empty handed and empty stomached. Jake didn’t want to think about the ways their bodies would betray them, slowly and painfully, if they didn’t find food and water soon.
He let Megan sleep a while longer, noting that she seemed completely serene as she snored softly. He didn’t want to break the spell for her. They were living a nightmare, after all, and she seemed to be the one person who could escape it for a while. But when the sun began to make an appearance, he was forced to wake her. He could feel the dull ache of hunger in his stomach and he wanted to get
