Love at the end of the world part 2.

by ChirpingGirl

I got a lot of positive feedback about the previous story, so I decided to continue. It may go on a little long, but I guess I had too much free time on my hands. BTW, my email is a junk email account. I was once asked if I thought Danica Patrick was hot, and I said "kinda". So that's what I used to make the account I use for sites like this.

A few days later the weather had cleared enough for Kaylin and Bunny to leave the trailer. A thin layer of snow covered everything turning the landscape a dull white. Bunny picks up a handful of the snow.

"What is this?" Bunny asked.

"Snow. It's ok to drink, after it's boiled a while."

Bunny drops the snow then whipes her hand.

"There's so much food left, how can we take it all?"

Kaylin points to pull carts stored in the trailer.

"See those? We should be able to fill those up and take a lot of this with us. But we'll try to stay here and use up as much as we can before we leave."

Bunny notices Kaylin didn't reattach their hand cuffs.

"Do you trust me?"

Kaylin hadn't noticed the hand cuffs. She kneels down to her.

"I will kill anyone who tries to hurt you."

Kaylin removes Bunny's handcuff and throws it away along with her own.

"I'm sorry I did that to you."

Bunny smiles at her, and Kaylin smiles back. Kaylin kisses her on the cheek.

"What did I do good?" Bunny asked.

"You just earned it, that's all. Now listen to me. We're a team now. I need you and you need me. We work together from now on no matter what, ok?"

Bunny agrees.

"Ok."

Kaylin hugs her, and Bunny hugs her back.

"There's something I need to teach you."

BANG! Bunny hits an empty cereal box with her .22 pistol. Kaylin is proud of her.

"Just remember that thing's not very powerful. If you have to shoot someone, try to aim at their head. Putting one of these through someone's eye will ruin their life, but anywhere else might not. Someday we'll get you something better, but for now this will have to do."

"I wish I had one of these a long time ago." Bunny said.

"My mom gave me one when I was your age."

Bunny gives the weapon back to Kaylin who reloads it and puts in a small holster, then gives it back to Bunny.

"Did you ever have to use it?" Bunny asked.

"Yes, many times. But that was back when there were more people around."

"Ever kill anyone?"

Kaylin isn't proud to admit it.

"Yes. Three people."

"Why?" Bunny asked.

"They all tried to take things from me, or rape me."

Bunny doesn't know what "rape" means.

"What's "rape"?"

"It's something boys do to girls. If any of them ever try to do it to you, kill them."

"Ok."

A few days later Kaylin and Bunny are dragging pull carts packed with boxes of breakfast cereal. They walked for what seemed like miles before they came to the edge of a new cities limits. Ahead of them was a gas station, a pizza hut, a McDonald's, a dollar store and apartment buildings surrounded by several small businesses. All of them looked gutted from looters. Bunny tries to read the signs.

"What's a "McDonald's"?

Kaylin has a vague idea.

"I don't know for sure. I think it's a place where they gave people food. I think they did that at a pizza hut too."

"What's a "pizza"?" Bunny asked.

"I have no idea. The pictures I've seen are of food stuff on top of some kind of bread. I guess people before really liked it because pizza huts and McDonald's are everywhere. Most of them are burned out though. Come on."

They head towards the dollar store. The inside is a mess. It was quickly ransacked long ago and no one has ever come through to pick up what had been dropped. Kaylin doesn't figure there will be any food, so she heads for the first aid isle. She finds bandages, small first aid kits, and various other useful items. After gathering everything left there she finds a few bottles of shampoo and baby whipes, but not much else. In the food isle they find a few cans of canned foods and vegetables, all of them long past their expiration dates, but possiby still edible. Kaylin and Bunny gather up the cans and put them with the rest of their loot. In the candy isle they find only a few bags of hard candy and gather those up as well. There was little else to find except for useless cleaning supplies and cheaply made seasonal decorations. A few carving knives, which could always be useful, and pot holder gloves were all that was left in their isle. At the front near the register they find some packs of lighters and lots of cheap solar powered lamps. Kaylin grabs the lighters, and a few of the lamps even though there was little if any sunlight to charge them. She figured maybe they could charge them with fire light. They toss their new loot into a nearly new shopping cart, then toss as much of their cereal in as could fit, then discard a pull cart. There was nothing anywhere else. The gas station was completely empty, the restaurants had nothing useful, and searching the apartments may have been to dangerous, or yield to many gruesome things Kaylin didn't want Bunny to see.

They continue into the city. They come upon a Casey's General store, and a large hospital a few blocks from it. Searching the store yielded little more for their supplies. A few packs of bubblegum, a bottle of water that had fallen from a looters clutch and rolled underneath a display case. Nothing more. Bunny sniffed the cases that once held hot, fresh pizza. The smell was only a rumor of what had once been there, but Bunny was nonetheless amazed by the aroma. Kaylin noticed a smile on Bunny's face.

"I'm sorry you'll never get to eat what was in there." Kaylin said to her.

"It's ok. No one else ever will either."

They move on. Night is coming, and so is the bitter cold. They head for the hospital. Abandoned ambulances sit slowly rusting away all around the hospital. Inside the hospital is oddly tidy and well kept. It looks as if the doctors and nurses simply abandoned the place, and looters never bothered with it. It's unlikely any patients were ever brought here when the shit hit the fan, and doctors and nurses simply left and never came back. Looters may have just bypassed it since it didn't have the food, weapons or other supplies most survivors were after. Kaylin and Bunny bring their loot inside. Kaylin bars the doors, just incase. They find unlooted soda and snack machines, and proceed to loot them. After picking the vending machines, and employee break room clean, Kaylin makes a small fire on the floor for them. The pitch blackness and bone shattering cold are a deadly combination tonight. Kaylin prepares a small meal for them from their stores.

"Is this all we do?" Bunny asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Look around for food and stuff?"

"It's called surviving. It's all that's left."

"But there won't be anything for us to find someday, will there?"

Kaylin is amazed they've found what they have.

"Yes. One day there won't be anything left to find."

"Then we'll die?"

"Yes, then we'll die. But for now we're surviving."

They eat their small meal, which doesn't fill even Bunny's small stomach. But she doesn't complain. Kaylin can tell she's still hungry, but they have to conserve every morsel as Kaylin knows they may not find anything else for a long time. If ever. They've been lucky so far. Luck never lasts. Bunny yawns, and Kaylin helps her settle into a makeshift bed next to the fire. Bunny is asleep as soon as her head hits the pile of cleaning rags they found in the employees break room. Kaylin is also exhausted, but she doesn't feel safe, even in this place and the terrible weather outside that would prevent anyone from being outside in it at night. She leaves all of her gear behind, but takes a sidearm with her as she ventures into the hospital. She searches rooms, but finds nothing of any use. She had expected to see something horrible in this place, and she does. In the nursery the skeletal remains of abandoned new born babies. Kaylin wondered what happened to their mothers, but she figured they probably abandoned them or were unable to get to them. She shrugged it off, didn't matter anyway. They were better off as far as Kaylin was concerned. She also found the skeletons of other patients, those who were obviously too sick or hurt to try and leave the hospital. After searching a supply closet, Kaylin takes clean blankets, pillows, and a few other items back to the break room where Bunny is sound asleep. She puts a blanket over her, then replaces the rags with a soft pillow. Bunny barely makes a sound. Kaylin throws a few more burnable items in the fire, then sits and stares into it. She sighs deeply, the stress is taking it's toll.

"This is all we do." Kaylin mumbled to herself.

"All we do."

Kaylin lays down next to Bunny and continues staring into the fire until she passes out.

The next day the storm is even worse, no travelling today. Kaylin and Bunny find a few curious relics left behind. Bunny examines a smart phone, and has no idea what it is. She tosses it behind her, and it shatters as it hits the floor. Kaylin finds a couple of hand crank powered radio's with flashlights on them, as well as an emergency transmitter. She cranks one of them up, and tests the light. She then tries the radio, but to no surprise, it's dead air. She sets the radio to transmit an emergency signal then tries transmitting using the hand mic.

"Uh, hello? Anyone out there? Anyone at all?"

Dead air.

"Anyone?"

Nothing.

"Please?"

Her plea is replied with static. She gives up.

Later in the day Kaylin is giving Bunny a "bath" with nothing more than some water and a few rags.

"Doesn't take long to get filthy." Kaylin said.

"My hair feels weird."

"Yeah, not much we can do about it."

Kaylin turns Bunny around to wash her back. She gently runs the cloth over her back and can't help but notice how soft and smooth her skin is. She moves her hair away from her neck and has an urge to kiss the back of her neck. She leans forward, and gently kisses the back of Bunnies neck.

"What was that?" Bunny asked.

"Just the rag."

Kaylin goes back to cleaning her.

Later, they search the hospital for more useful items. They find nothing but relics such as laptops, tablets, and other worthless electronic gadgets that will never be used again. They gather up paper documents of long dead patients for their fire. In a doctor's office Kaylin finds a full bottle of burboun whiskey. Bunny doesn't know what it is.

"What's that?" Bunny asked.

Kaylin takes the cap off and sniffs it.

"It's "hooch". People trade a lot for this stuff. Haven't found any in a long time."

"What's "hooch"? Bunny asked.

"Well, when you drink it it makes you feel weird. Kind of happy, I guess. But then later on you feel lousy. I never drank any of it, too valuable."

"I'd like to feel happy right about now." Bunny said.

"Yeah, me too."

"Could we drink some of it?" Bunny asked.

Kaylin didn't think it was a good idea, but there may not be anyone to trade with any time soon, and it would just be weight otherwise.

"Sure, why not?"

After some more searching, nothing more was found except for a few more useful things in a supply closet.

Back at the break room Kaylin pours burboun into two plastic cups. They'd both agreed to skip a meal tonight to stretch their food supplies. They'll be drinking their dinner tonight. Kaylin hands Bunny a cup. She sniffs it, and immediately doesn't like the smell, but she puts the tip of the cup to her mouth, then pours it all into her mouth and swallows quickly. Kaylin is impressed and does the same with her drink. Both girls find the taste to be awful, but after a few more they both get used to it. Bunny, being so small, manages to get drunk a lot quicker than Kaylin.

"I, uh, don't think this was a good idea." Kaylin said to Bunny half drunk.

Bunnies speech is slurred, Kaylin can barely understand her.

"Not so bad when you get used to it" Bunny barely managed to say.

Kaylin, being almost as wasted as Bunny, laughs at her slurred speech.

"You're a little fucked up."

Both girls can barely speak, but somehow manage to communicate.

"No, I'm not fucked up, you are. What's fucked up mean?" Bunny asked.

"It means you're all... fucked up."

Kaylin laughs, and Bunny can't help but do it too. Kaylin inspects the bottle and notices they've barely drank any of it.

"Wow, there's so much left."

Bunny grabs the bottle, and puts the cap back on for Kaylin.

"No more for now." Bunny said as she put the bottle into their stores.

Kaylin agrees. Bunny lays down next to the fire, and Kaylin snuggles up behind her. Kaylin puts her arm around Bunny, to make sure she's close and safe.

The next morning the weather is clear. The temperature is much warmer, so warm in fact that rain water that had frozen over night is melting. Kaylin and Bunny, a little hung over, gather up their supplies and move on from the hospital. The sky is actually clear today. Blue sky is above them, and a warm sun shines on them. Neither of them can believe the sight. They're amazed, but then devastated as the sun sheds light on the ruins of civilization.

"Everything looks worse like this." Bunny said.

Kaylin agrees.

"Yeah. Come on."

They continue on. There was nothing worth searching for loot. A gas station that had burned down long ago, and a church that had been boarded up from the inside would likely hold nothing but bones. Though Bunny did stop to read a message spray painted on the side of the church for everyone who happened by to read. "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness". Bunny didn't understand it, neither did Kaylin. They moved on without discussing it. Before they knew it the day was half over. They walked through a looted neighborhood and stopped when they heard an odd sound, the sound of a child laughing. They cautiously moved to investigate. They find a playground where another woman and young girl are playing. The girl is swinging, and the young woman is pushing her. Kaylin has her MP5 trained on them when the young woman and girl finally notice them. They're terrified, and the young woman tries to pull a weapon of her own, but Kaylin warns her.

"Don't!" Kaylin shouted at her.

The young woman takes her hand off her weapon.

"Who else is with you?" Kaylin asked.

The young woman is hesistant to speak.

"I won't ask again." Kaylin said as she racked the bolt of her weapon.

"No one!" The young woman yelled.

"Bullshit! If this is a setup, the two of you go first!" Kaylin warned.

Bunny could tell the other little girl is terrified.

"Don't hurt them." Bunny said.

"It could be a setup." Kaylin said to Bunny.

Bunny reached up to Kaylin's weapon and started to lower it for her.

"They're girls, just like us." Bunny said.

"That doesn't mean they're good ones."

Kaylin tried to fight Bunny and raise her weapon again, but Bunny wouldn't have it. Bunny went to their stores and pulled out a cereal bar.

"What are you doing?" Kaylin angrily asked Bunny.

"Sharing!" Bunny said with a defiant tone.

Bunny approached the girls, but she also kept one hand on the gun Kaylin gave her. She reaches out and hands the food to the other little girl, who was about a year or so younger than Bunny. The child licks her lips, then quickly grabs it from Bunny and tears the wrapping off. The girl stops, and looks up at the older girl. She offers her half of the bar, and she accepts. They both eat it as if they themselves haven't eaten in days. Bunny goes back to Kaylin. Kaylin leans down and puts an arm around Bunny, almost as if to tell her she's sorry for how she behaved, but also to assure her safety. Kaylin notices their backpacks stuffed with various supplies and gear. They're scavengers as well just travelling in the opposite direction Bunny and Kaylin are going. By night, the four girls had taken shelter in a nearby house. The two groups shared from their stores to make a large meal for them all. The little girls, though not full, were exhausted after their meal. Both of them passed out as soon they layed down. Kaylin never set her weapon down and has had her finger near the trigger since meeting these two refugees. The young woman and Kaylin had not spoken since the confrontation, Bunny acted as ambassador. The young woman took a rag from her backpack and wiped the dirt and sweat from the day's warm up from her face. The cleaning revealed a beautiful young Asian woman. Kaylin hadn't noticed. The girl with her obviously couldn't be her child, as she was obviously a little white girl. Kaylin finally spoke to the young woman.

"She's not yours." Kaylin said to the young woman.

"Obviously not." The Asian girl replied.

"Who's is she?" Kaylin asked.

"She's gone."

Kaylin tightends her grip on her weapon.

"The truth?"

The young woman looks at the girl, then at Kaylin.

"Her mother gave her to me when she was a baby. Begged me to take care of her. I promised I would, and I have. If you try to hurt her, I'll kill you."

Kaylin' doesn't take threats well.

"If you try to hurt mine, I'll kill both of you."

They've both made themselves clear.

"Yours?" The Asian girl asked.

"Mine." Kaylin replied.

"You look a little young to have one of your own."

"She's mine, and that's all you need to know."

"Fair enough."

The Asian girl grabs her weapon, and pulls the clip out. She only has four bullets left.

"I used to have a lot. I used a lot."

Kaylin is not impressed.

"I've never missed." Kaylin informs her.

The Asian girl puts the clip back into her gun.

"Just so we understand each other." The Asian girl said.

"I think we're clear." Kaylin said.

They both lay down next to their girls and quickly fall asleep themselves. Some time later that night, the Asian girl had gotten up and gone to explore the house. Kaylin had learned to sleep very lightly and got up to follow her. The Asian girl wasn't so much looking for any useful supplies, as she was examining the relics of the family that once lived there.

"Trouble sleeping?" Kaylin asked.

The Asian girl isn't startled. She wipes the dust off of a family photo. A husband, a wife and two children.

"You loot houses, don't you?" The Asian girl asked.

"All the time."

"You ever wonder about the people who used to live in those houses?"

Kaylin never did.

"They were all dead."

The Asian girl puts the photo back on the desk it was laying on.

"I do. Every time."

"What's the point?" Kaylin asked.

"The things they left behind keep us alive for one more day."

"The things they left behind?"

Kaylin seems to get a little angry.

"They left behind this nightmare. They left behind death and ruins. I'm not grateful for that."

"Do you even know what happened to the world?"

"All I need to know is that world doesn't exist anymore, and this is what we have now."

The Asian girl searches the desk drawers. She finds the typical Jewelry and other worthless bobbles people in the old world wore as some kind of decoration.

"Suki." The Asian girl said.

"What?"

"My name is Suki."

Kaylin doesn't know whether to share her name.

"I don't give out my name to strangers."

"Why?"

"What's the point? I've never stuck around in any place long enough for anyone to need to know."

"You're not going to stick around us for long?"

Kaylin quickly responds.

"No. We go our own way."

"That's fine. I'm not sure I can trust you anyway."

Kaylin doesn't trust her either.

"I don't trust anyone."

Suki walks over to Kaylin

"We're almost the same age." Suki said.

"So?"

"I've never met anyone my age. All much older, or much younger. It's nice to see another girl my age. It's just too bad I can't trust you."

Suki brushes by Kaylin. Kaylin follows her into a bathroom. Suki searches the bathroom for useful things.

"They weren't here when it happened." Kaylin said.

"What?" Suki asked.

"These people weren't here when it happened. Like most people, they were somewhere else. Where they died. Schools, buildings, somewhere else."

"That's because it happened in the middle of the day when no one was home."

Suki gathers up the useful things she finds and takes them downstairs. The little girls are still sound asleep. Suki places her new loot next to her pack.

"Should get some sleep." Suki said.

Kaylin is exhausted, but is afraid if she falls asleep, she and Bunny may never wake up, or wake up with nothing.

"I'll sleep tomorrow night." Kaylin said.

"Fine."

Suki lays down next to her girl. Kaylin lays down next to Bunny, but still keeps her weapon in her hand. Kaylin tried hard not to fall asleep, but she was so tired she couldn't help it and passed out.

The next morning Kaylin is woken by the strangest of sounds, children laughing. Bunny and the other little girl are eating some cereal for breakfast with powdered milk from Suki's supplies. Kaylin is quick to notice her MP5 had been taken from her, but she quickly spots it propped against her and Bunnies supplies. She gets up and goes to retrieve it, but Suki interrupts her.

"It's not safe to sleep with your finger on the trigger of that thing. What if you got spooked and woke up suddenly?"

"That's the point." Kaylin said as she picks up the MP5.

Bunny confesses to Kaylin.

"I moved it, don't get mad at her about it.

Kaylin gives her a look that let's her know she's a little angry with her.

"We were just having breakfast, you're welcome to join of course."

"I'm not hungry."

Suki snaps at her.

"Of course you are! We all are. Now sit down, shut up and eat something.

Kaylin is hesitant, but she sits down at the table. Suki pours some cereal into a bowl, then drowns it in powdered milk.

"Milk?" Kaylin asked surprised.

"Powdered. Just mix with water. We found a box full of the stuff a couple of months ago. You are about to enjoy the last of it."

The four girls eat their breakfast, and probably the last milk they will ever have again for the rest of their lives.

The day is as bright and warm as the day before, a treat as rare as milk in this world. Kaylin stands outside of the house and looks up at the blue sky. Suki wonders what she finds so interesting about it.

"It's just blue." Suki said.

"I can count on one hand how many times I've seen a blue sky with sunshine."

"It won't last. It's just a break in the soot and crap in the sky."

"You really know how to ruin a good mood, don't you?"

Kaylin walks out into the nearby road. She pulls a map out of her pocket and tries to figure out where they are exactly. Suki walks over to her and points it out for her.

"Here. This is where we are now." Suki said.

"I was afraid of that. Nowhere near."

"Nowhere near where?"

"Some place called "California"."

"Why there?" Suki asked.

"Supposed to be warm there. We won't survive the coming winter here."

Suki has bad news for Kaylin.

"California? You don't wan't to go there."

"Why?" Kaylin asked.

"I've heard stories from other travellers. California is basically a desert now. No water, and little of anything to eat. San Fransisco is apparently one big slave labor camp run by someone they call a "warlord". You're better off here than there."

Kaylin is crushed to learn this.

"We can't stay here. You don't understand how cold it's going to get. I barely survived last winter. I'd be dead if I didn't find a lighter I forgot I had in my back pack."

"Well, the kid and I have been heading South towards the warmer climates. We're closer to there than California."

Kaylin folds her map.

"Then I guess we head south."

Kaylin heads back to the house, but Suki stops her.

"We could go together."

Kaylin stops.

"I thought we agreed we don't trust each other?" Kaylin said.

"Maybe we should start. It's a long way South and there will be problems in the way. People worst of all. I'm good with a gun, you're good with a gun, we both have little girls that might be preyed upon more than the two of us."

"I can take care of Bunny on my own."

Suki didn't know her name.

"Bunny? Let me guess, you named her that?"

"She needed a name, I gave her one."

Suki approaches Kaylin.

"You're used to being a hard ass, aren't you?"

"It's gotten me this far."

Suki puts the palm of her hand on Kaylin's chest.

"You're such a hard ass, but you're scared all the time."

"Of course I am."

Kaylin pushes Suki's hand away and walks back inside. The sky above is getting dark again, just as Suki predicted.

By nightfall it was cold again. Suki want's to start a fire in the fireplace, but Kaylin won't have it.

"There's no one out there." Suki said.

"You were out there, and so are others. Not many, but there are. They'll smell it or see the smoke. Might as well scream out the window that we're here."

Bunny and the other girl are cold and sharing a blanket.

"We have to do something." Suki said.

"Fine, start a fire. But you take first watch."

"Deal."

Suki starts a fire in the fireplace.

Later that night, Kaylin is snuggled up with Bunny near the fire, but she wakes up and notices Suki isn't there. She quietly gets up to go look for her. She hears a faint moaning sound coming from a bathroom. She silently approaches and looks through the door, which is open just a bit. She sees Suki with her pants and underwear on the floor, and one hand between her legs. She's bent over the kitchen sink with her free hand grasping a knob as a brace. Whatever she's doing to herself, Kaylin figures it either hurts badly, or feels very good. She had no idea. But after a quieted grunt and a slowing of whatever she was doing with her hand, Suki stops. She wipes her hand with a cloth and then gets dressed. Kaylin returns to Bunny and lays back down with her. Suki returns to her watch, but Kaylin pretends to wake up.

"My turn." Kaylin said.

"Yeah. Suki said.

Suki lays down and quickly falls asleep. Kaylin keeps watch for the rest of the night.

The next morning it's cold, but the weather is clear and calm. Kaylin and Bunny are geared up and ready to head out, as are Suki and her girl. Bunny is angry with Kaylin.

"We should stick together." Bunny said.

"We'll be fine on our own. Let's go."

Kaylin starts to drag their cart, but Bunny won't follow.

"Quit screwin' around, let's go!" Kaylin yelled at Bunny.

Bunny reluctantly goes to Kaylin and helps her. Suki and her girl head off in their chosen direction.

"We'd be better off together." Bunny said.

"I gave her some ammo and a little extra food, they'll be fine."

"Don't you care about them?" Bunny asked.

"I care enough. And when we run out of food you won't be thinking about them."

"You're wrong."

Kaylin stops.

"What do you want from me?" Kaylin asked.

"Nothing." Bunny said with a hint of attitude.

Kaylin get's furious with her, but then yells at Suki and the girl.

"Hey!"

They stop.

"You're going the wrong way!"

Suki and her girl realize they've been invited to join Kaylin and Bunny. They walk back over to them, and this new "family" begins their journey south.

To be continued.