As the RV stopped and the engine turned off, silence filled the camper. Sparrow and Lane pulled up beside them giving them a quick wave. Both women looked happy and excited about their location.
Together, Madd, Arlo, Cedar, Sage, and Relle walked outside into the crisp mountain air. In front of the RVs was a little overlook and gazed down at a small valley below.
A narrow creek serpentine its way through the valley floor. The sun was already setting, making the sky come alive with the most vibrant colors.
"How was the drive?" Lane asked, walking up to them.
"Fine," Arlo said.
"It was beautiful, how about yours?" Relle asked.
"It was nice. Sparrow and I were thinking of making a meal together again, how does that sound?" Lane asked.
"It sounds nice, we don't have much meat left, but I still have some potatoes and carrots from our farm," Relle offered.
A nice-sized fire was built between the two campers. Relle and Lane worked on the meal while Sparrow brought out her painting stuff to continue painting with Cedar and Sage. Arlo and Madd stood beside each other beside the fire. For a while neither spoke.
"The coordinates that you have..." Madd began. "Will it be safe there?"
"Of course," Arlo said. "That's why we're going there."
"But what if it's not?"
"It will be," Arlo said confidently. "The leader there is an old friend of mine. He created that space for people like us."
Madd nodded. He trusted his father's decision, or at least he thought he did. However, his conversation with Relle made him think. There was a possibility that the coordinates would not be what Arlo believed them to be. He decided to keep his fears to himself.
Stars twinkled brilliantly above the two campers and the large bonfire. The group ate their dinner together and continued to talk until late.
Relle made Cedar and Sage each a cup of hot chocolate while they sat around the fire. Arlo and Lane shared their camper designs with each other and compared notes about their solar panels.
For the first time since he got his guitar, Madd played for the others. Sparrow soon joined into his song with a ukulele and a rather beautiful voice. Music and bonfire smoke filled the air until late into the night.
The fire slowly died down, leaving nothing but hot embers. Cedar and Sage fell asleep on a blanket in front of the fire and eventually Sparrow and Lane disappeared into their camper.
Relle walked over to her siblings and woke them gently, telling them to go sleep in the RV. Arlo disappeared into the camper shortly after Sage and Cedar, leaving Relle and Madd to put out the fire.
Relle shoveled dirt and rocks from around the pit into the fire, watching the embers fade. Madd watched the fire disappear, saying nothing.
"I don't like cigarettes," Madd said suddenly.
Relle turned around. "You just told me that you smoked them because you just like them."
He smirked, "I lied." Madd was silent for a minute. "My mom used to smoke them. It used to bother me...but now that she's gone...it just reminds me of her."
Relle walked away from the fizzled-out fire and sat down next to Madd. She wasn't sure what to say, so she remained silent. The end of the world had changed so much in such a short amount of time. Everyone who survived had losses.
"It sucks," Relle said at last. "I wish that things could go back to the way they were."
They sat in silence for a while, watching the stars up above. Without the light of the fire, the stars showed even brighter. Millions of little sparks danced and shimmered.
"You know," Madd said. "This is something I really love about the end of the world."
Relle glanced over to him, "what is?"
"This," he gestured to the dark emptiness in above of them. Hanging above them were more stars than most people got to see in their lifetime. "Before the end...was it always like this?"
Relle thought for a moment. "Where I grew up, there were always a lot of stars like this," she said. "But when we would visit family in Denver, there were never any stars. Were there stars where you lived?"
Madd laughed, "no, San Francisco isn't really known for night sky."
"Oh right," she remembered him mentioning that when they first met.
Madd laid back on the ground and stared up at the heavens. Relle laid down beside him.
"You're good, you know," Relle said. "You're a good musician."
He gave a wide grin and looked over at her. His dark eyes sparkled in the starlight. "I don't think I've ever heard a compliment from you before, I must really be something," he laughed.
Relle smirked. "Don't be a smartass, you really are good."
"Oh! A swear word too. What happened to the girl scout I knew?"
She shoved his shoulder playfully, "just take the compliment."
"Too bad it's the world ended or maybe I could've gone somewhere with my music...who knows."
"You know, a while back you said that I didn't know how to live...that I didn't know what fun was," she paused. "You might've been right. I don't think I've enjoyed myself more than I have in these last few days..."
"That's kinda messed up, you know," Madd said, still grinning.
"I know. Obviously, I'd still rather have the world not end but...if it had to end, this isn't a bad way to spend whatever time we have left."
He shrugged. "I was really hoping it'd be zombies that ended the world, you know, I thought that'd be exciting. But I guess you're right."
Relle rolled her eyes. "I never really thought it would end." She thought about her life before the explosions happened. "I was supposed to graduate high school this year," she said.
"So was I," Madd said.
Relle smiled; it was odd to think that they were just two high-school students. She felt years older somehow. "Do you think we would have been friends? If the world didn't end, I mean." She looked over at the messy-haired boy beside her.
He gave a lopsided grin and said, "no."
"What?" Relle sat up and looked down at Madd. "Why not?"
"Come on, Relle," he said, meeting her eyes. "We're from different worlds. You've said that you spent most of your time on your parent's farm...I spend my time doing everything but the 'right' things."
"Well...I..." she said, unsure suddenly. It occurred to her that if the world never ended and they had met, Madd most likely wouldn't have given her the time of day. It was a thought that made her heart sink. "You don't think we would have gotten along?"
He shrugged, gazing up at the stars. "Probably not. You hunt and farm...and whatever else. I'm from the city. I kinda hate camping. I probably shouldn't have survived the end of the world but here I am. Besides," his dark eyes shot over to hers. "you're kind of a square."
She stood up and brushed herself off. "You're right," Relle said angrily. "I don't hang out with assholes like you."