Song: Oblivion - Bastille
I practically dragged Henry's ass through all the underbrush to the caves. My legs were screaming at me scratched up and over worked. No one had settled in them as expected. I'd found them in a rough storm a few months back they saved my ass and it looks like they're coming in handy again.
"You recon you can pull yourself up some slick rock big guy?" I was tired and would have to pull our packs up with us.
"Yeah this walk has kicked me back into gear girlie. I'll be fine tomorrow I think, not fighting shape but walkable."
"Good to know."
The honey comb caves covered a wall around half a mile long, I don't know how or why they exist I'm no geologist but they were deep and had high perches inside. That's if you were willing to scale some steep slopes. Helping Henry out of the packs felt like a weight off both of our shoulders, I scrambled up the slick rock ramp to a high spot in the cave and threw a rope around a boulder. Anchoring the packs to the other end Henry Braced his back against the raft of bags pushing with his arms and scooting up on his bum while I pulled from the top.
"If I ever need a personal trainer I know who to come to now." He was heavily panting laughing to get the words out. Slick with sweat he had already taken his coat off and thrown it on the bags, I swear I had gone nose blind.
"I think I've had enough of smelling your sweaty pits so I think I'll pass on that one."
"Whats for dinner then?"
"Men so little on your mind."
"Food, sleep, and sex make a happy man." He was out right giggling now.
"Simple creatures."
"Well all three are rare these days, you'll only be getting 2 out of 3 tonight. Count yourself lucky I can cook cowboy."
The cave had a few natural skylights so making a fire would be no problem, we were far away enough from any trails or settlements for anyone to notice. I still had some beans that needed frying and some rabbit meat I had prepared earlier. I instructed Henry to remove some of the smaller packs from our make shift raft, I'd leave the basic survival kits stashed in the higher harder to reach cave pockets tomorrow. Always good to have a back up plan, plus it would lighten our load tomorrow.
"This is some real frontier shit huh?"
"I'm sorry sir were you expecting a five course meal?"
"No. This is actually the best Ive eaten in months."
I adjusted the meat over the flames, keeping my eyes low.
"What was it like?"
"What?"
"Life with the boilers?"
He sat knees up, arms resting on either knee staring into the flames.
"Like a hell I'd never imagined."
I'd fought them and stolen from them but never made it into one of their camps, it just wasn't worth the risk.
"Some days were fine, I was more useful to them than the women and children. My size meant they could put me to work building shit and transporting gear. Other days were... harder."
"What did they do to you?"
"They tore me from her. I could stand everything else. But I heard everything. What they said to her, what they did to her and... I couldn't move, I couldn't fight back there were too many, I'd been beaten down too much."
"They're the worst kind of people."
"They're not human. Not anymore."
"I've done some bad things in the name of survival. But to resort to eating people." I fought a violent shudder.
"They don't just eat people they play games with them. They rape, beat you down, torture you. They pit you against one another to protect either your family or to fight for food. They don't just kill you and eat you, they cut you up limb by limb. Rebecca she..."
"You don't have to tell me."
"I want to. I've never got to tell anyone."
"She was pregnant wasn't she?" It was as if the air was sucked out the atmosphere, his already sorrow filled expression darkened. I knew that anger. That place of fury you'd never think you'll come back from.
"How did you know?"
"That look on your face, that's a man mourning his family not just his wife."
"Yes she was in her second trimester."
I plated up our food and handed him his canteen, he didn't look up once he just continued to stare at the fire, spooning beans into his mouth.
"I know my sympathy isn't worth shit and you probably don't want it anyways, but if we ever find the bastards that did that. I'll help you do whatever you want to them."
I couldn't read his expression he was already livid at reliving his past but I saw a shine of something. You couldn't be happy at the idea of revenge there's a strange sense of relief or hope to feel better after you're done but never happiness. How could you be when the one thing that made you happy has been taken away.
"I've seen you fight. I'll take you up on that offer."
"They deserve worse than what hell could offer."
***
Our fire died out and we made our camp ready for the night, the caves gave shelter but because of the skylights they didn't keep heat very well. As the night rolled in you could see your breath outside the sleeping bags. I only had two sleeping bags and Henry was too big for the one I gave him.
"I can hear your teeth chattering from here."
"I'm sorry me freezing to death upsets your sleeping pattern."
"Can't you scoot down in it?"
"It just about comes up to my nipples."
"Saucy"
"No they have frost bite I swear."
"For goodness sake you big baby. Unzip it."
"Why so you can laugh at my pointy nipples?"
"No so I can actually get some peaceful sleep without you grinding your molars."
"I can't use it as a blanket, the rock saps the heat right out of me."
"You can lay on mine and we'll use yours as a blanket." We began unzipping and laying down our makeshift bed.
"Want to cuddle me so soon grumps?" He crooned, wiggling his eyebrows like a fool.
"Believe me when I say that's the last thing I want to do. You smell like beans and ass."
"You love my ass."
"In what world?!" Ok my voice might have echoed the cave a little.
"It's why you keep strapping me up with rope in the trees isn't it? You get a good view."
"You're insufferable." His teasing was clearly a coping mechanism, distracting himself from something.
"You want me." His face was so annoying.
"Not if I was the last woman on earth."
"That might come true at this rate."
We both got under the sleeping bag I was using a pack as a pillow, Henry lent back on his arm.
"Shut up and go to sleep."
Two minutes that's all that he could handle before he spoke again, I was going to smother him while he slept.
"So did you have anyone?"
"Henry."
"I'm just curious, what man would be brave enough to try."
"They weren't brave and they're dead now."
"I'm sorry."
I rolled over so we were facing, the pale moonlight filtered in putting Henry in a ghostly light, his cheek bones sang.
"I'm not."
BINABASA MO ANG
Evergreen
Adventure"It wasn't long now, time had ceased to exist. The world had become impoverished, crops have shrivelled to dust, wildlife slowly died out. There were only survivors now; groups of warriors scavenged to stay alive." My name isn't important, my stor...
