Day 40: On Edge
Cass had always been the calm center of their group—the one who kept her focus sharp and her decisions quick. But today, something was different. Eli could feel it in the way she moved, the way her eyes flicked toward every sound, every shifting shadow in the ruins. She was more tense than usual, her gaze darting around as if expecting something to jump out at them any moment.
The air was stifling, thick with the heat of the never-ending red sky above. They had been moving for hours, navigating through the crumbling buildings and twisted wreckage of what had once been a city. The ruins here felt different, more claustrophobic, as if the walls themselves were pressing in on them.
Eli kept close to Luke, his hand resting on the hilt of his knife as they made their way through the maze of broken streets. The stranger followed behind them, her steps light but her eyes just as watchful as Cass's. There was an unease hanging in the air, like they were walking into something they couldn't see yet.
Cass, at the front, slowed her pace, her hand tightening around the handle of her knife. "Keep your eyes open," she said quietly, her voice low but firm. "Something's not right."
Eli felt the knot in his stomach tighten. Cass was always cautious, always prepared for the worst, but this was different. There was an urgency in her voice that hadn't been there before.
Luke, ever the optimist, tried to keep the mood light. "Maybe it's just the heat," he muttered, though his grip on his bow was tense. "This place feels like an oven."
The stranger said nothing, her eyes flicking from one shadowed corner to the next. She hadn't been with them long, but Eli could tell she sensed it too—something was wrong.
The streets around them were eerily quiet, the distant hum of the world's decay barely audible over their footsteps. Every building looked the same—broken, scarred, and empty. But the further they walked, the more Eli felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.
Cass stopped suddenly, raising a hand to signal them to halt. Her eyes scanned the area ahead, her body tense. "We're not alone," she whispered.
Before Eli could ask what she meant, there was movement in the shadows around them.
Figures emerged from the rubble, stepping out from behind broken walls and piles of debris. At first, there were just a few—three, maybe four—but then more appeared. A dozen or more people, all dressed in ragged clothes and armed with makeshift weapons. Their eyes were hard, their faces grim, but there was a glint of something else in their expressions. Desperation.
Eli's heart began to pound as the group closed in, forming a loose circle around them. He tightened his grip on his knife, his eyes darting to Cass, who hadn't moved but was clearly assessing the situation.
The man at the front of the group—a tall, wiry figure with a scar running down his cheek—stepped forward, a crooked grin on his face. He carried a rusted pipe, and his eyes flicked from Cass to Eli, then to the rest of the group.
"Well, look what we have here," the man said, his voice dripping with mock politeness. "A nice little crew, walking through our territory."
Cass's expression didn't change. Her eyes locked on the man, and her voice was cold and controlled. "We're just passing through."
The man's grin widened. "Passing through? Oh, I see. That's fine, that's fine. We don't mind people passing through… as long as they're willing to share."
Eli's pulse quickened. He could feel the tension in the air, the way the looters were positioning themselves, their eyes fixed on the supplies the group carried. They weren't asking for anything—they were preparing to take it.
Luke shifted beside him, his hand resting on the bow slung over his shoulder, ready to defend himself if it came to that. But Eli could tell Luke didn't want to start a fight, and neither did Eli. Not here, not with this many people surrounding them.
Cass, however, didn't flinch. She kept her voice steady, her body calm, though Eli could see the way her hand hovered near her knife. "We don't have anything to share."
The man's grin faded slightly, his eyes narrowing. "Now, that's not very friendly. You come into our territory, and you don't want to share? That's not how things work around here."
He glanced at the group behind him, and a few of them chuckled, the sound low and menacing.
The stranger, who had been silent up until now, took a small step forward, her eyes locked on the man. "We're not looking for trouble," she said, her voice quiet but sharp. "But we're not going to hand over our supplies either."
The man's gaze flicked to her, his grin returning. "Oh, you've got some fight in you, don't you? I like that."
Cass took a step forward then, her eyes cold and dangerous. "You want something from us, and I don't think you understand what that means. We don't share. We don't give. If you want to make this a fight, it won't end well for you."
Eli felt his heart hammering in his chest. The tension was palpable, the air thick with the threat of violence. The looters outnumbered them, but Cass's words were enough to give even the man with the scar a moment's pause. She was poised, calm, but there was an unmistakable edge to her voice that suggested she wouldn't hesitate to kill if she had to.
The man's grin faltered, but he didn't back down. "You think you can take us? There's more of us than there are of you. You sure you want to play that game?"
Cass's expression didn't change. "I don't play games."
For a moment, no one moved. The looters eyed the group warily, clearly weighing their options. Eli's grip on his knife tightened, his mind racing. If this turned into a fight, they were in trouble. But Cass stood her ground, her eyes locked on the man, waiting.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the man's grin returned, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Alright," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "We'll let you pass. This time. But don't think you're safe. We're always watching."
With that, he turned, motioning for his group to follow. One by one, the looters melted back into the shadows, their laughter echoing in the silence as they disappeared from sight.
Cass didn't relax until they were gone. Only then did she turn to the rest of the group, her face still tight with tension.
"Let's move," she said, her voice sharp. "Before they change their minds."
Eli exchanged a glance with Luke, who exhaled slowly, clearly relieved that the encounter hadn't ended in bloodshed. But as they started to move again, Eli couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't over. Those looters would be back.