Sky

I've been sick now for two weeks.

The last few days have been the worst. I can't get out of bed, my head is throbbing and my throat is on fire.

I'm thirsty.

I'm hungry.

But there's nothing I can do to help myself. I ran out of ibuprofen days ago. Since I forced myself into a cold bath I've been wracked with shivers that are so strong I can't tell if I'm having a seizure.

I'm so cold.

I throw myself out of bed, the carpet feels like its ripping my skin as I pull my body across it.

I'm burning up and I need water or I am gonna die.

I make it to the kitchen and I collapse.

I'm in so much pain I can't move anymore, I do my best to curl into a ball for warmth and stare at the picture on the counter of my mom and dad.

They were always so happy, they loved life... They loved me.

I cry but no tears come out, I'm dehydrated, my body has nothing left to give.

I take in my surroundings, I want to memorize my last moments on this earth before I'm reunited with my parents.

I feel peace.

The cold granite floor keeps me pinned to the present, for now.

It must've been late afternoon because the sun was low in the sky. It peered through the windows at the perfect angle and gave the room an unearthly yellow glow.

I watched as the dust danced in the rays and shadows of cars interrupted their show on the walls.

I sighed, this was the perfect moment.

My vision escaped and the room fell silent. The sun enveloped me from all around until there was nothing but the light.

Orson

I peered through the glass to make sure no one lurking inside. I looked over my shoulder as Pacman rounded the corner and tried to open another window.

"Stop making so much noise, if anyone's inside, their gonna know we're here." I whispered loudly.

"Shhh, I know what I'm doing. We've done this a million times." I watched as he slid the head of the screw driver into the space between the window and the frame. He lifted but nothing happened.

I came around to the kitchen, the window was above the sink and whoever used to live here had to be wealthy.

The counters and floors were a bluish grey granite and the appliances were stainless steel.

I noticed what looked like hair sprawled out on the floor behind the island. What if she died of the plague? I've been too careful to catch it now. I still had five years left.

The strands of hair look like their trembling and before I know it I'm breaking the window on the kitchen door and storming into the house.

No one was there but the emaciated, crumbled girl on the floor. I sat behind her and propped her up to check her pulse, it's slow but she has one.

I hear Pac's sneakers scuff the floor behind me.

"What the hell are you-?" He shuts up when he sees the girl I'm cradling in my arms.

"What happened?" His eyes are wide, Pac wasn't always the best in bad situations.

I shrugged. "I saw her hair, I noticed her moving so I broke in."

Pac covered his mouth with his hoodie and backed away with his free hand in the air, making sure not to touch anything.

"What if she's got the plague? Now you've exposed yourself and I gotta leave you."

I knew he wouldn't leave me, he couldn't make it in this world without me.

"Look." I said as I pulled up her sleeve, hoping and praying there were no oozing sores on her arms.

When her arms were clean I breathed a sigh of relief. I touched her forehead.

"She's burning up, she's probably just sick."

I moved the hair from her face, she looked about my age. No way she had the plague.

"She's too young Pac, she doesn't have it."

Pacman didn't look convinced but he nodded.

"Alright well lets get her home, you're gonna carry her."

I shook my head "We can't move her, she won't last the trip."

He sighed and I knew I pissed him off.

"Do you want her death on our conscious? Besides, I have some antibiotics with me, she should be ready to travel in a day or two."

I thought Pac's eyes were gonna bulge out of his head. "A DAY OR TWO?!"

He laughed as if he'd fell into a hysterical fit.

"I'm not going that long without my bed and my Xbox."

I rolled my eyes. "Sometimes you gotta make sacrifices, it'll all still be there when she gets better."

"You mean if she gets better." He said with an attitude then stalked off and started looking through the cabinets for food.

I knew he was right, I didn't wanna get my hopes up. I knew she was pretty bad off and chances are she wouldn't make it. I had to try or I knew I'd hate myself in the future. I'd know for sure soon.

I propped her up on the couch and tilted her chin up, I took my water out an drizzled a little in her mouth.

Immediately her tongue started moving which was a good sign. When she started to go unconscious again I took a syringe out, ground down the pill and added some water. I sucked the contents up from the coffee table and squirted it in her mouth.

She made a face for a quick second showing her disgust for the taste. She turned her head to the side and fell back under. I could tell the water helped because her breathing was a little stronger.

I left her side to find something to eat.

The cabinets were mostly bare , I did happen to find a case of ramen. It wasn't my first choice but it quelled the hunger pangs.

As I prepared the water, my mom wandered into my mind. She always told me it was important to eat well. Then I'd come home to fried chicken, mashed and gravy and she'd say I needed my carbs.

I smiled, she was such a strong woman. She'd hug me and suffocate me with her wild fro, she never got over the 70's.

She always made me homemade birthday cakes and dinner. Holidays were always at our house and she'd cook up a storm. Our relatives never complained since she was by far the best cook.

My stomach grumbled as I thought of her food.

The water was boiled and I filled the cup of soup to the line and pulled the cover back to steam it. I made one for Pacman too, I knew it'd help him forgive me.

I sat back down on the couch beside the girl we found, if she woke up I didn't want her to be alone and scared.

I shoveled the noodles into my mouth. I choked every few bites as the broth stung my palette, but I didn't care, I was starving.

When I was full I placed the empty styrofoam cup on the coffee table and sat back on the love seat. I waited for Pacman for what felt like hours until I passed out.

When I woke up again it was dark, I must've slept the rest of the day away.

Pac was sitting across from me in an arm chair with his legs kicked up on the table. He'd obviously found something good cause there were wrappers and soup cups scattered by his feet.

I stretched and yawned as I started to wake up, I was a little pissed Pacman didn't wake me up to keep watch.

We always came to suburbia in search of supplies because It was a far walk from the city and much laid untouched.

I climbed the stairs two at a time until I was in the attic. I pushed the window open and climbed out onto the roof and info the hot summer night.

The air smelled like fire and it reminded me of cookouts in the sweltering heat, before the plague took the adults.

I was fourteen when it happened, it was my birthday, August 25th 2016. I'll never forget that day.

My parents died three days later on August 28th, my mother first and two hours later, my father.

It spread so quickly the newscasters barely had time to spread information on what was happening. The only ones left were us kids.

Everyone over twenty suddenly died. Sores formed on their skin and they ran high fevers. Most didn't make it through the first day, they fell into convulsions and never woke up. It was rumored once you hit eighteen you could get it too, but I never saw it.

We knew nothing about the plague.

By day four, they were all gone, every last one.

Everything was quiet and peaceful for the first month, mostly friends hanging out late and drinking their parent's liquor.

When the kids started to run out of food, things got ugly.

Soon after, the electricity went out, the poor parts lost it first, then the city.

Food was hard to find, most of the supermarkets were already picked dry and your best bet was looking through homes. The streets were dangerous and you were lucky you if you made it back without encountering trouble.

Me and Pac were friends before the plague. He loved video games and so did I, it worked for us. His real name was Aaron but when changing your name became a fad he adopted Pacman. When we were kids he would spend all of his quarters on the machine, it was his favorite game.

I stuck to Orson. My parents named me Orson, our last name is Wells. It was weird enough, I decided to shorten it to Orson since last names didn't matter anymore.

It was natural for Pac and I to stay together when everything fell to crap. When my parents died I went to his house to binge on mario kart and drink myself into oblivion, his parents always had alcohol.

The plague is a reality for us, a topic that looms over our heads but we never talk about. I have five years left, I plan on enjoying every moment.

Sometimes I think about Pac, he's small and scrawny and the only reason he hasn't been hurt by anyone is cause of me. Most kids think twice then to challenge a fifteen year old who's almost 6' and close to 200lbs.

I sat with my back against the pitched roof, I stared into the darkness. I could see a few houses down but not far.

The silence was deafening, for once I yearned for Pac's incessant rants. I shifted against the shingles and looked off toward the back of the house. I changed positions and watched the night until the sun began to rise. I was eager to see if the girl made it through the night, I felt guilty I wasn't able to check on her.

When I got downstairs Pacman was already stirring, he had pulled a skull cap over his oily messy hair.

"Good morning Pac. How'd you sleep?" I walked toward the couch to inspect my patient.

"Morning, sorry I passed out on you last night, I haven't got much sleep." He watched me as I checked her pulse.

"When I saw you left I took care of her. I gave her the second pill with the syringe and got some water in her. She tried to sit up but fell asleep again."

"Thanks man." I watched her with hopeful eyes, her breathing was visible now. Her chest fell heavily indicating she was at least taking full breaths.

Pacman turned and looked at me. "Well? When do you think we can move her? I need to go home."

We never spent long away from the hotel, it was under construction when the plague struck so it was surrounded by fencing and barbed wire.

"Later today, probably tonight."

He nodded, a huge smile spread over his face and touched his eyes.

"Yes! I'm gonna raid a few more houses and gather more supplies. I saw an old jeep down the street with a full tank. I'll load it up."

A vehicle with gas was like a needle in a hay stack, everyone wanted to drive when no one was there to tell them no. I was thankful I didn't have to carry her and supplies ten miles back into the city.

I raided her house taking anything and everything of use, I saw a picture on the counter of who I assumed were her parents. She looked a lot like her mom, I swiped the frame and stashed it in my back pack. I'd want someone to do it for me.

When the sun started to go down I took the blanket and pillow off her parents bed and set her up comfortably in the backseat,.

We took it slow, we had to be careful not be seen. The things kid's were doing to each other were horrifying, It's like we slipped back into cave man time.

I decided to drive through the country, we had a full tank and the hotel was about a mile out of the city and ten miles from the woods.

When we were coming up to the turn into the city I noticed four older boys cornering someone. I looked at Pac, the jeep was stopped and I didn't know what to do.

Pacman shook his head. "Come on dude, you've been a hero enough today." He motioned to the back seat where the unconscious girl laid.

I sighed and took the pistol out of its holster, there were four of them and hopefully four us, a gun helped.

"What are you doing? Are you insane? You never even shot a gun, you're gonna shoot someone?"

"I have six bullets, that's it." I opened the door before he could try to convince me otherwise.

Instinctively Pac followed, he was a little guy but he was brave and that's part of why I admired him.

He pulled the hand gun from his holster and followed behind me. I had no intention of shooting, I just wanted to scare them away.

"You're making a mistake and if we die it's on you."

I ignored him and came up behind them.

Bear

I knew Zoe was pissed, she didn't want to live in the city and I refused to leave, she stayed for me.

"What a pretty lady you got. I'm sure you'll like watching us enjoy her." He was bald, pudgy and ugly, he had snaggled teeth and a face you wanted to slap.

His words made venom rise in my throat. "Touch her and I'll knock you out bro. I'm not playin."

I knew they outnumbered me three to one but I didn't care, I wasn't gonna let them hurt Zoe.

The tall one, the aggressor took a blade out of his boot. "Look, you can make this easy or hard. Let us take her and we'll let you go."

Zoe looked up at me in a pleading manner, I couldn't believe she thought for a second I'd do that.

"That's not gonna happen so lets get this over with." I put my fists up ready to take on whoever had the balls.

I noticed a truck stop, I eyed it hoping this wasn't their back up. The slave trade was a good business right now and teenage girls fetched a high price.

The aggressor started toward me, he grinned revealing slimy green tinted teeth. He stopped with hygiene when the world ended.

I stepped toward him ready to swing, a black kid jumped out of the car and ran toward us. A short white kid with glasses tried to keep up behind him. This is either really good or really bad.

"Stop." The tall, muscular kid yelled.

They all turned. "What's this? Back up? I thought you said you were alone?"

The leader turned to me, he grimaced angrily.

I shrugged. "Your mistake."

When he turned to the new kids I punched him as hard as I could in the back of the head and he went down.

The other boys ran.

"Are you alright?" The new kid turned to me.

I nodded and sighed a breathe of relief. "Yeah thanks for stepping in. I'm Bear, this is Zoe."

"I'm Orson, this is Pacman. Nice to meet you guys."

The shorter kid, Pacman walked toward his friend. "Alright well if this is over we should be on our way... The girl." He raised his eyebrows at Orson.

Orson seemed to hesitate, he was about to walk away when he looked back at me. He looked torn as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey, we live in a hotel and there's a lot more room. Do you wanna come with us?"

We looked at each other, this could be a trap but then again, why save us?

Zoe looked at Orson. "Where is it?"

"It's about a mile outside the city but close enough to get places."

She looked up at me and without even asking she said we'd go. I guess this was the compromise I needed to make. I really didn't wanna give up my freedom, I enjoyed the life of a nomad.

"Sure." I said through gritted teeth as I tried to feign a smile.

Pacman was pissed off and he stalked off back toward the car.

We were about to walk away but I looked down at the unconscious kid.

"What should we do about him?"

Orson shrugged. "I don't like killing anything living so we should probably just leave him. His friends will be back." He motioned for us to come to the truck.

Zoe followed no problem but I hesitated, the world wasn't as easy going as it used to be. It was hard for me to trust this, I had no choice but to go though. I couldn't let Zoe go on her own. We'd definitely fight about this later, but she didn't care what I wanted.

Orson leaned into the back seat and propped up a girl who looked dead, I really wasn't into this and I couldn't believe Zoe was.

After Zoe jumped in so did I.

When we started driving I finally asked.

"So what's with the dead girl? I'm getting nervous here guys."

Orson and Pacman laughed and it made me feel even more uneasy.

"We go out for supplies once a week in suburbia. We found her like this on the floor in her house. We're bringing her home to try and nurse her back to health."

"Yeah, big softy here doesn't know when to mind his business." Pacman added.

I knew he probably didn't like any of this and I felt bad, I didn't want this either but I had no choice.

Orson got out to open the gate, it was a heavy cast iron fence with barbed wire at the top.

Pacman ran toward a second gate that was chain link and lined with barbed wire. We'd definitely be safe.

We pulled up to a villa type hotel. The first building was a big square and in the middle of the structure was a courtyard with a garden and no roof. The rooms all looked out into the center and sat on a single floor.

Behind the hotel was a smaller version of the first building.

Orson drove to the back and my stomach turned, please don't be a trap. They seem like decent people.

Orson hopped out first and came to the back for the sleeping girl, I stood by Zoe and waited to follow.

We trailed behind Pacman and entered a suite that looked like it was fit for a king.

"Everything here was done and they were about to open it but the plague came. Now it's our home."

"Yeah.. Our Home " Pacman said with an attitude before going to his room to sulk.

"I'm sorry about him, he doesn't really like people. The kids in school weren't always nice to him." Orson half smiled.

Orson was a good guy and if Pacman was his friend, he had to be cool too.

"Its totally fine. We understand, in one day you gained three mouths to feed." Zoe added.

Orson laughed. "Yes, but we needed the company." Orson seemed to think on something before speaking again.

He shrugged. "There might be strength in numbers, I heard a rumor that kids were getting together in gangs and calling themselves clans."

Zoe's eyes widened and she shook her head. "It's no lie, we've seen it. There's a clan called Poison forming and I heard their scary. I heard their leader's name is Lennon and he's been in Juvi all this time."

"We don't know that for sure Zoe, don't scare em. We do know they kidnap people and its not just them. Slavery is back."

Orson frowned. "Those kids are simple minded, we need to work together." He got up and walked to the girl he'd put on his couch, he took her temperature and gave her a syringe of something.

"Why are you giving her a syringe?" I asked curiously.

"She needs antibiotics but she can't take them herself so I'm helping." He continued.

The door slammed from it's frame and hit the wall behind it, the boom echoed through the room.

Knox

I knew this was a bad idea, but Lennon asked me to watch his brother. There was no telling Barnum, No.

He lifted his gun in the air at the kids and I knew something bad was gonna happen.

I ran my fingers through my viking cut hair as I waited to see what he'd do.

"Thought I'd forget about you knocking me out?" He laughed.

They put their hands in the air.

"Whoa calm down, we didn't wanna hurt you. I just couldn't let you hurt her." The long haired kid we cornered earlier spoke up first.

Barnum shook his gun at him.

"Nah, you gotta pay. No one gets away with sucker punching me."

Barnum moved toward them.

"Now get on your knees and open your mouth."

They all looked confused.

"I said open your mouth, I want to make sure you're dead. I want to look into your eyes." Barnum was wasted at this point, I couldn't believe he was still coherent.

When I realized he was gonna put the gun in his mouth and kill him I had to step in.

I came up behind Barnum and pistol whipped him. He went down quicker than a sack of potatoes.

The other kids rushed us and had us both on the ground with our hands behind our backs.

"I didn't hurt anyone, I actually saved you." I yelled but was muffled by the ground, someone had my face pressed into the carpet.

"So why did you follow us? Why couldn't you leave well enough alone?" Someone said behind me.

"You got me all wrong, I wasn't looking for problems. I was put in charge of him, to make sure he didn't get himself in too much trouble. Telling this kid no is pointless, I tried to reason with him but he's dumb." I plead my case.

There was a pause. "Nah man, you know where we live. We can't let you leave." I heard the scrawny kid say.

"So what? You're gonna keep me as a prisoner forever?" I hope they knew I'd kick all their asses if I had to, my freedom was worth my life.

"Or until you die, whichever comes first. Lets bring them to the cages." The small kid said.

They hoisted us up and walked us down a flight of stairs, I could tell we were underground cause you could smell the moisture in the air.

It was a large room that looked like a giant storage unit. There were cages around the support beams of the building every ten or so feet. They put Barnum in the back probably figuring he'd make a lot of noise, they stuck me by the door. How stupid.

"We'll be back in the morning to feed you. Don't bother trying to get out, the hotel built those as anti theft units for their wealthy guests. My name's Orson." He smiled.

He seemed like he'd be a likable guy if he hadn't just thrown me in a cage like an animal.

I sighed as I slumped against the metal and to the floor. I should've never agreed to follow Barnum around, I knew he was trouble. It's just, when the leader of the new clan in charge gives you an order, you take it.

I sat in silence for a while, I couldn't talk to Barnum, he was across the room. He'd hear me but I doubt he would understand me.

I started searching my pockets for something entertaining. I found my hackie sack, I was grateful they only took my weapons.

I stood and started bouncing the bag against various parts of my body, I was gonna hate this game when this was over.

I don't know how many hours I played but it felt like forever. I settled down enough to try and sleep. I was surprised I hadn't heard Barnum rattle the cage or scream, he took a lot of drugs so maybe his body finally collapsed.

I sat down and rested my head back against the cold grate, I was glad I decided to wear a black wool jacket, it was pretty cold down here. It also didn't hurt that it was stylish.

It took a while but I started to drift off into something like sleep, I could still hear everything around me. I watched my back before the plague so of course I was ever more vigilant now.

I woke up for the day when the sunlight shown through the slits by the ceiling. I paced back and forth, I was worried now. Barnum still wasn't making any noise, if something happened to him Lennon would kill me.

It took about an hour before Orson came down. "Hey man, my buddy hasn't made a peep all night and it's not like him. Can you check him? His bro will have my head if something happens to him."

Orson yawned, sleep was still in his eyes.

"Sure."

He walked off toward the back of the room and disappeared behind the cages.

A few moments later I heard the metal groan and the faint noise of bare feet slapping against concrete. Shit, something happened.

Either Barnum escaped and left me or something was wrong and he went to get the others.

A few minutes later I heard more feet. Something was wrong.

I heard muffled voices and couldn't make out a word. This was bad.

Orson approached my cage, his head hung heavy. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but your friend's dead."

I laughed, I was a dead man. "Well, I might as well get comfortable. If I go back I'm as good as dead. At least as a prisoner I get to keep my life." This was the worst mistake of my life.

Orson nodded "Someone will always sit with you in case you get lonely, we'll take shifts. Your friend OD'd, he has tracks on his arms and he had a syringe by his feet."

Dumb ass, I can't believe he OD'd.

"Sounds like something he'd do. He lived on the edge." I was liked having fun, but not the kind of fun he was into.

"I'm gonna take the first watch." Orson grabbed a stool from beside the door and dragged it over to my cell.

"I'm sorry it has to be this way, we aren't bad people. We just have to be careful, can't risk you telling your people where we are."

I understood what he meant, they weren't trying to find trouble but Barnum found them.

"You don't have to explain, if I was in your shoes I'd do the same thing. If it makes you feel any better, if I go back without Barnum, Lennon will kill me or worse."

"I didn't know there was worse than death." He didn't take me seriously.

I narrowed my eyes. "Of course, you've obviously never been tortured."

Orson cringed. "Nah thankfully, I try to stay away from other kids."

I smirked. "But you ran to the rescue of those two earlier."

He shrugged. "That was different, something bad was gonna happen to them. Death or worse."

"You're right, Barnum wasn't a good guy. I'm surprised he made it this far. His brother Lennon isn't much better, but he's smart and he knows disorder will kill society."

"I hope we never run into him." Orson looked worried but tried to hide it.

I leaned back against the cage and stared at the toes of my boots.

Sky

I was here and there, I don't know how long I was out.

I had moments of being awake but I was unable to move. I could hear the voices of other kids around me but it was for seconds.

My eyes finally fluttered open and there was a lamp on above my head. I was confused, I'd become accustom to the darkness.

I tried to sit up but my head throbbed and ached. My stomach felt like it no longer existed and a hole had taken it's place.

A strange looking kid approached me and it made me jump. I tried in vein to swing my arms at him but I was too weak.

"Take it easy, I'm not gonna hurt you. You're safe. We're nursing you back to health." He said calmly.

I couldn't do anything to change the situation so I had to comply and hope for the best.

I laid down against the bed and closed my eyes.

When I came to, the room was dark and no one was there. I tried again to get up but I couldn't, I tried a few more times before I became exhausted.

I looked around, it looked like a hotel room but not one I had ever stayed in. My parents were wealthy not rich.

Behind the arm of the couch was an end table with a glass of water, a bottle of pills and a note.

I greedily gulped the water as I eyed the pills, it felt amazing and the chill soothed my raspy throat.

I lifted the note and unfolded it.

"Hello,

I don't know your name but I found you collapsed in your home. We are not here to harm you, we're only trying to help and you're free to go once you're better. There's some snacks in the top draw of this table. Please take one of the pills, they are antibiotics. You will need to take one twice a day for five more days to get better. My name's Orson, I look forward to meeting you.

P.S. The weird kid is Pacman, he's harmless.

Orson"

Whoa they saved me from death.

I opened the top drawer of the table and grabbed the first thing I saw which was a Hershey bar. I hadn't eaten in days.

I choked myself shoving the chocolate in my mouth. Next I took cup of soup and looked around for a way to heat the water.

There was a make shift kitchen toward the back of the suite, luckily there was a stove. If the light worked, maybe the stove did too.

I turned the knob and stared down at the coil, when it turned red I jumped for joy.

Once the water was done and my soup was cooking, I went to the bathroom to try the shower next.

The water turned hot and I was impressed. Now I needed to make sure the people weren't gonna try nothing.

I showered quick, I didn't know how they had electricity and I didn't want to use it all.

I took a towel from behind the door and went back into the room, a tall kid with an afro was sitting on the couch reading a book.

I was nervous but I had to talk to them eventually.

"Hello." I tried to smile as I stood frozen in the kitchen.

He smiled and stood, when he noticed the robe he looked away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to barge in. I figured you went to my room for privacy." He turned and started to leave.

"Wait! Let me just throw my clothes on and Il-" I didn't have any clothes, my old ones were gross and i really didn't want to put them on again. i panicked for a moment.

" I have girl clothes if that's what you're worried about. They were here when I moved in. There in the bedroom in the small dresser."

I nodded and turned on my heels to find something

The clothes were weird, it looked like a fashion show had been here and threw up in the wardrobes.

I took pieces from here and there to find something suitable since I'd probably be wearing it for a while.

I had decided on black leggings and a black tank top, over it I put on a thin, translucent, turquoise, lace top. It made me feel a little more clothed. I knew it was summer but I needed to make sure I had the option of being warm if I needed to, the world wasn't the same.

I pulled on tall boot socks since those were the only ones available, it didn't matter though. I looked for shoes, they were mostly straps and heels. I looked through the boots and they all had stiletto heels as well. I finally found a black knee boot flats with straps across the front. They'd have to do.

I looked weird but I kind of like it, these were clothes my mother would never let me go out in.

My hair's long and straight, it's mousy brown but I like the way it looks against my green eyes. I was looking pale but that was understandable after my ordeal. I'm only "5 4' but I feel like I shrunk even more after being sick, my cheeks were sunken in and I almost didn't recognize the reflection staring back.

I remembered that guy was waiting in the living room so I turned the light off and went back.

"Sorry, I was surprised by how sick I look."

He smiled. "You are sick." He laughed. "But you're gonna make it, just keep taking the pills."

I nodded. "Thank you for saving me, I'm grateful."

I knew nothing in this world was free and I was afraid to ask what he wanted in exchange. I hesitated, I didn't know how to broach the topic.

"It was nothing. I'm Orson, the one who left the note. What's your name?"

"Sky and yes that's my name. I didn't change it when everyone died... So Orson.." I didn't wanna prolong this more than necessary.

"What do I owe you for saving me?" My stomach turned as my mind ran wild.

He laughed again and shook his head. "A prosperous life, you've already said thank you. What more do I need?"

This made me nervous, he was serious?

"Are you sure?" I thought about this, I wasn't sure if I could trust him or that he was kind.

"I'm positive and once you're well you can go or stay, it's your choice."

I managed to be rescued by the last decent kids on this earth, thank god.

Did I want to stay? going home to nothing would be pointless, I had planned on leaving eventually. But all the supplies were still in the shelter in the back yard. I thought about this for a moment then looked at Orson.

"How bout this, the house you rescued me from has bomb shelter in the back. If you take me back we can clear out the food and supplies and bring it here. I'll stay for a while, but I don't know if it's gonna be permanent."

I was being honest, I didn't know if we'd hit it off and all get along. Living with people was hard and that's one of the reasons I decided to stay on my own.

Orson smiled widely. "That sounds perfect, Me and Pac wound up with four extra mouths to feed in one day. I was getting nervous cause we're about to run out of supplies."

At least I was giving back in some way, if they were decent I couldn't just leave without doing something.

"Sounds like a plan." I stuck my hand out to shake on it. Orson took it and the firmness of his grip impressed me.

For once I had hope in my future.