The air was thick with silence as Riley and Cass walked through the desolate streets, their steps slow and cautious. The town was eerily quiet, the kind of quiet that weighed heavy on the soul. They had been moving for hours, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and the corner store they'd fled from. Riley's breathing was labored, fatigue pulling at her every step, but Cass pressed on with determination, always scanning for a safe place to rest. The buildings around them were decayed, broken windows reflecting a world lost to chaos. "Over there," Cass whispered, pointing toward a diner on the other side of the road. Its neon sign hung crooked, the last few letters barely clinging to the rusted frame. The inside was dark, but it looked undisturbed, and that was enough for them. Cass led the way, pushing open the door slowly, the bell above it letting out a faint, tired jingle.
The diner was just as worn inside as it was out. Dust covered the countertops, and the faint smell of mildew lingered in the air. Booths lined the walls, and a few tables were still intact. Cass checked the corners of the room, ensuring no demons had made this place their hideout. Once satisfied, she gestured to Riley. "You can rest here for the night," Cass said, her voice softer than usual. "I'll keep watch." Riley, too exhausted to argue, nodded and slid into one of the booths. The cracked leather squeaked as she lay down, her body sinking into the seat. It didn't take long before her eyes fluttered closed, and the weight of sleep pulled her under.
Cass stayed by the window, her eyes trained on the street outside. The moonlight barely reached through the grime-covered glass, casting long shadows across the room. She rested her chin on her hand, her mind wandering as the minutes stretched into hours. Her thoughts drifted to her life before the demons, to the days when the world still made sense. She could almost see it now—her cabin deep in the woods, isolated from the world. It had been her sanctuary. The smell of pine and fresh earth greeted her every morning. The crackling fire in her hearth had been a comfort during cold winters, and the sound of the river rushing nearby was the music that filled her days. She would spend hours reading, writing, tending to the small garden out back, or fixing things around the cabin. A simple life, but one that had given her peace.
Cass's lips twitched into the faintest smile as she thought of what her life might have been like if she had met Riley in those peaceful days. Would they have been friends? Would they have shared meals, and talked late into the night about dreams and fears instead of just surviving day by day? She glanced over at Riley, asleep in the booth, her chest rising and falling in the quiet rhythm of slumber. Strands of hair had fallen over her face, and before she realized what she was doing, Cass gently brushed them aside. The moment was fleeting, but it left a strange warmth in her chest.
Pushing the feeling down, Cass turned her attention back to the window, keeping watch as the hours stretched on. By the time the sun began to rise, the faint glow of dawn creeping through the diner's windows, Riley stirred from her sleep. She stretched with a soft groan, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. "We should get going," Cass said, her voice cutting through the stillness. "But first, we need to find something to eat." The two of them moved to the back of the diner, pushing open the door to the kitchen. It was a mess of overturned tables and rotten food. Cass searched through the cupboards and storage areas, hoping to find something that hadn't spoiled. After several minutes, she let out a frustrated sigh.
"Nothing," Cass muttered, slamming one of the cupboard doors shut. "Everything's gone bad." Riley, still groggy from sleep, simply nodded. She hadn't expected much, but the pangs of hunger were starting to get harder to ignore. Giving up on the diner, they grabbed their packs and headed back outside, the cool morning air hitting them as soon as they stepped through the door. The quiet felt ominous, but they knew they couldn't stay in one place for long. As they walked down the deserted streets, the old interstate came into view.
They kept their pace brisk, their eyes constantly scanning for any sign of demons. The interstate stretched endlessly before them, cracked and overgrown with weeds. It had once been a highway teeming with life, but now it was a graveyard of abandoned cars and broken-down dreams. They walked for what felt like hours, the oppressive heat and silence making the trek feel endless. Just as Riley was about to suggest a break, they both spotted it in the distance—another survivor's camp. They exchanged a glance, a flicker of hope lighting in both of them and without a word, they sprinted toward it. The camp was larger than the last one they had found, though abandoned. Tents were overturned, and the remains of campfires dotted the ground. But it was quiet—no sign of demons.
"We'll search here for supplies," Cass said, her voice low as she glanced around. "Be quick." The two split up, scouring the camp for anything they could use. After a few minutes of searching, Cass stumbled upon a stash of canned goods hidden beneath a pile of tarps. She quickly pocketed the cans of vegetables, a small victory in an otherwise fruitless search. After what felt like an eternity of scavenging, they met back in the center of the camp, both sitting down on the edge of a log. The exhaustion of the past few days weighed heavily on them. As Riley and Cass sat down on the edge of a weathered log, a comfortable silence settled between them. The remains of the abandoned camp were a stark reminder of how much the world had changed, but for now, they were safe—or as safe as they could be. The weight of the past few days was finally catching up, and for the first time in what felt like forever, they could afford a moment to breathe.
Riley kicked at the dirt absentmindedly, staring out at the ruined tents and empty fire pits. "You ever think about what you'd be doing if all this hadn't happened?" she asked quietly, breaking the silence without looking up. Cass glanced over at her, taken slightly off guard. She hadn't expected Riley to be the one to initiate small talk. "Sometimes," she replied, her tone guarded. She wasn't used to opening up, but after everything they'd been through, the question didn't feel so out of place.
Riley gave a soft chuckle, shaking her head. "I used to spend hours learning new songs on my guitar. Probably annoyed the hell out of my neighbors."
Cass raised an eyebrow. "You played guitar?" Riley shrugged. "Yeah, since I was a kid. My dad taught me the basics, and I guess it stuck. It wasn't great, but I liked it. It was… something to get lost in." Cass nodded slowly, leaning back against the log. "I get that," she said after a moment. "I used to build furniture—nothing fancy, but I liked making things with my hands. The cabin I lived in? I made a lot of the stuff there. It was one of the few things that made me feel grounded." Riley tilted her head, intrigued. "Really? Like, tables and chairs and stuff?"
"Mostly. Sometimes shelves, a bench or two," Cass said, her lips curving into the barest hint of a smile. "It was practical work. Kept me busy and gave me something to show for the time I put in. Plus, I was always terrible at sitting still." Riley laughed lightly at that. "I can't picture you building shelves." Cass shot her a sidelong glance. "Why not?"
"I don't know," Riley teased. "You don't exactly strike me as the 'crafty' type," Cass smirked, her defenses lowering a little. "Guess people surprise you." Riley nodded thoughtfully, a small smile playing on her lips. "Yeah, I guess they do." The conversation paused for a beat, the silence between them now comfortable rather than awkward. It was strange, talking like this—normal, even. It felt like a glimpse into a life that could've been if everything hadn't gone to hell.
"Before all this," Riley began again, her voice softer now, "I thought about joining a band. Just for fun, you know? Playing small gigs, seeing what happened. I wasn't serious about it, but... I liked the idea of performing." Cass glanced at her, genuinely curious. "So why didn't you?" Riley shrugged, her fingers fiddling with a loose thread on her sleeve. "Life got in the way, I guess. School, work… I don't know. I always told myself there'd be time for that later. Funny how fast 'later' disappears when the world falls apart." Cass leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Yeah. I always thought I'd have more time too. I was going to build a bigger cabin someday, maybe find a place near a lake. I liked being off the grid. People were… complicated."
Riley looked at her, the faintest smile tugging at her lips. "Still are."
Cass chuckled at that, a rare, almost amused sound. "True."
There was a pause, the two of them letting the conversation settle into the air between them. The wind picked up slightly, rustling the leaves and sending a chill through the camp. The sun was just starting to dip below the horizon, casting everything in a soft, amber light.
"I guess if there's one thing I miss," Riley said after a while, her voice thoughtful, "it's just… the idea of what could've been. Like, what would my life have looked like if none of this had happened? Would I still be chasing some dream of playing music? Would I have a normal job by now? It's weird to think about."
Cass nodded in quiet agreement. "I think about that too sometimes. But there's no going back, not now."
"Yeah," Riley said, her voice tinged with a bit of sadness. "I know."
They sat in silence again for a few minutes, both lost in their thoughts, the weight of the world pressing on them once more. But somehow, sharing these small parts of themselves—what they used to love, what they had dreamed of—made the burden a little lighter. After a while, Cass stood up, stretching her stiff limbs. "We should get moving again. Staying too long in one place isn't safe." Riley followed suit, hoisting her pack over her shoulder. "Right. Let's go."
As they left the camp behind and started back down the road, the conversation lingered between them. For the first time since they'd met, it felt like they weren't just surviving together—they were getting to know each other.