Lucas felt more exhausted than usual. Maybe he had gotten used to sleeping occasionally again, or maybe it was the giant plastic container filled with a gallon of water haphazardly tied with a rope to his backside.
Stella directed him to the well, and they used a spare gallon bottle they found to carry around water with them.
She was behind him, wearing her many layers of clothes, as well as her gas mask, walking close by with the baby wrapped up in layers of blankets in her arms. She had a backpack filled with food. The baby food, as well as the raw meat from the bowl. She also carried her crossbow, it's sling wrapped around her shoulders.
(Lucas: "Why don't you give me the crossbow?")
(Stella: "No. It's mine.")
(Lucas: "Sure, but you're already holding the baby. It's pretty hard to shoot a crossbow with a baby in your arms.")
(Stella: "Okay, then you hold the baby.")
(Lucas: I'm not holding the baby.")
(Stella: "You don't even know how to use this.")
(Lucas: I could figure it out. I've used things ten times harder to operate, and ten times less effective.")
(Stella: "Oh? And what would that be?")
(Lucas: "A knife! Give me the crossbow!")
She almost laughed at his remark. A knife? How is a knife harder to use than a crossbow?
(Stella: "What are you talking about? Knives are easy to use.")
(Lucas: "Yeah, that's easy for you to say when you only use them to cut your food. I've fought off hordes of apostles with one knife.")
(Stella: "Then why do you need my crossbow.")
There was no winning with her. Her lack of shame or regard for him was hard to compete with. The only time she'd been remotely embarrassed around him was when he clenched his necklace when she was trying to grab it, but otherwise she'd do or say anything without worrying about what he thinks.
Even when their hands intertwined, she didn't think anything of it. Lucas found it a bit weird, but he could understand. In the apocalypse, is there a point to practicing social skills? Stella looked young, perhaps born after the rapture. Lucas was born before the rapture. He remembered clearly that he was twelve when it happened. He at least had the opportunity to build his social skills, she probably didn't have that chance.
She at the very least spoke confidently, and her logic was hard to dissuade. Her devil-may-care attitude was frustrating to say the least.
They trekked down the road. It was a particularly cold day. Lucas' face and hands were freezing. It was hard for him to ball his fist. His chapped lips would've been bleeding if it weren't for his regeneration.
The baby was completely silent. Lucas had relaxed a little now. The baby hadn't whined or cried since they left. Stella was sure to keep the baby quiet. But even if the baby did cry, they hadn't seen a single apostle for the two miles they had already walked.
The road was next to a steep hill, just like how it was when Lucas was on his way up it. It smelt of dirt, and all they heard was the rustling of the fallen leaves blowing in the wind. It was a little before noon, and the sun was still on the east side of the sky. They were on a route to Nevada, and they were going around a valley in the mountain, which was headed North, and would soon curve into the east.
The water swayed in the container on Lucas' back, the inertia pulling him, making him sway with the water.
(Stella: "Do you know where you are going?")
(Lucas: "Not really.")
Stella looked down the hill at all the trees below. She knew of the Units, but she's never actually been in one. She knew what to look for though. The ones built after the rapture had an elevator that would stick out of the ground, which you would step in, and you would ascend down into the bunker. The older ones, built before the Human Salvation Association was even a thing, would be built in buildings at random, originally designed to be fallout shelters, but repurposed after the rapture. These would usually come in the form of long winding stair cases leading into the bunker, sealed by large metal doors, keeping anything unwanted out.
The Units are usually built around ten miles apart, but there are some as close as just a mile, or as far as fifty.
The more they walked, the more the road went downward. Instead of going north around the valley, the road curved into it. Both Lucas and Stella decided to follow the road anyway, hoping it would go through the valley, and back out, leading them east.
They saw a two story cabin built on the left side of the road. It had stairs leading up to a porch. The front door was built right in front of the staircase, and a window was perched on the right side of the porch. It was strange though. The windows were boarded up from the inside.
They passed the house and went down a little further. There they saw another house, then another. Soon they at the bottom of the valley, and there was a little town. Restaurants, stores, and houses. It was a very western scene, most of the houses being built of wood logs. There was even a saloon, which looked like it came directly from a western movie.
Lucas saw a convenience store, and he decided to see what was inside. It had automatic doors like the gas station he was at, so he'd need to break it open with something. He found a rock and brought it over to the door, ready to bash the window in, but when he swung, he fell forward, inside the store. He was confused for a moment. He looked at the doors, which had opened. He was confounded. He got up and found a light switch, flipping it and all the lights turned on.
(Stella: "Woah…")
She walked inside the store, taking her mask off to look at all the fluorescent lights buzzing. She was wander around, in awe of the lights. She was so distracted, she forgot to look where she was walking. Lucas grabbed her by the shoulder and prevented her from stepping on a dead body of a man.
The body had no arms, or a jaw. You could see exactly where both arms had been forcibly torn off. Skin hung by a thread to the rest of the body. A bone stuck out the left side, but it was completely missing on the right side. The missing jaw left the tongue dangling, and you could almost see down the esophagus. One of the eyes had popped out of the socket and was held only by the optic nerve.
Stella held the baby a little closer to her chest, shielding it's eyes from the horror.
Lucas had seen all this before, it wasn't anything new to him. He felt no emotion looking at the corpse. If anything, he felt worse for Stella, having to look at it.
(Lucas: "Try not to stare. Keep your eyes up.")
Stella took an intermittent breath before forcing her eyes up and away from the body. Lucas stepped over it, and Stella followed behind him, looking at the ceiling the entire time.
There was very little in the store left. All useful supplies had been scavenged, as well as the food. There was nothing for them to take.
They made their way to the front counter. Lucas looked over it, and immediately looked away. Before Stella could take a peek, he covered her eyes.
(Lucas: "Don't look at that.")
Stella didn't resist. She didn't want to see it, whatever it was. She didn't know the extent of what Lucas has seen, but judging by his lack of a reaction to the last body, she could make an educated guess. But if even he didn't want to look at what he saw behind that counter, then she would trust him and not look at it.
They left the store, avoiding the body they'd seen. They didn't speak of what they saw. They didn't acknowledge it. Lucas looked downward at his feet as he walked. Now he had truly seen it all. His mind had trouble understanding what he'd saw behind that counter. He didn't allow himself to think about it too hard, lest he risk showing emotion. He has something he needs to protect now. He has something he needs to provide for now. He cannot let his own weakness distract him.
Weakness is a sin, and emotion enables it.