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It worked for him before all hell broke loose, so he was hoping that still stood.
He checked a few cars on the way, most already broken into, others looking the worse for wear. Malachi held the gun tightly in his hand, his finger running over the trigger. He was on alert, taking in the scene and not missing anything. This hazy cloud of smoke seemed to fill the air, thick and suffocating.
And then someone started shouting behind him. He turned around with the gun aimed at the asshole who was stupid enough to come up from behind.
The man standing in front of him looked like he’d been on the street for years, with long raggedy hair, dirt smeared across his face, and his clothes looking like he rolled around in the street. He grinned, decayed and yellow teeth flashing.
“The end is upon us. Time to accept your sins and pray to the gods to have mercy on your soul.” He cackled in laughter and took a step toward Malachi.
He shook his head slowly and cocked the gun. But it was clear this asshole wasn’t with it. He showed no fear, only lunacy. He turned and stumbled across the street, shouting about the sky raining fire and that everyone’s souls were damned.
Yeah, this world was fucked all right, and the ones still standing weren’t spared. They were the ones having to wade through the fiery pits of hell.
But fuck, Malachi felt right at home.
Chapter Ten
The rest of the world
The days and nights blended together. Sasha had lost count of how long they’d actually been at the cabin. To her, it felt like an eternity. When she wasn’t dealing with Lucy or cleaning up the cabin, making sure it was safe, she kept on searching through all the rooms filled with storage and other supplies. She needed to find a radio.
The one on the counter wasn’t working.
The batteries had died.
She did remember her father purchasing a wind-up one for Lucy one year. Her sister had spent all her time just gripping the handle and turning it in a circle. Every other year they’d spent at the cabin she’d hated, so she hadn’t paid attention to where the storage was. Lucy sat on the well-worn sofa, legs crossed, holding her doll.
“You looking for the door in the floor?” Lucy asked.
“What?” She looked back at her sister.
“The door in the floor. Dad always said it was a magical place down there. It was a huge basement in the ground.”
“You know where it is?”
“Yep.”
Lucy went right to the one carpet Sasha hadn’t moved yet, pulled it back, and revealed the door.
Cupping Lucy’s cheeks, she gave her sister a kiss on the forehead. “You’re a doll.”
Lucy giggled.
Lifting up the latch, she saw the stairs heading down.
“Wish me luck.”
She hated doing this.
Going underground was not part of her job and yet, that was what she had to do.
Grabbing the flashlight that she’d left on the sofa, she ruffled Lucy’s head, and headed down into the small basement of the cabin.
Sure enough, there was enough space for her to stand up, and as she turned the flashlight on, she saw shelves from floor to ceiling. Her dad must have had to bend down here, because there wasn’t enough room for him. It was only because she was so small that she was able to do it but she did bend her head a little. She didn’t want to risk a spider crawling in her hair.
“This fucking sucks.”
“You said a curse word.” Lucy sounded shocked.
“I think I’m allowed given the fact.”
“Does that mean I can curse?”
“Hell no,” Sasha said.
“Why not?”
“You’re not old enough to vote, Lucy. And anyway, I’m the adult around here.”
“So not fair. You can do whatever you want and I can’t.” Lucy pouted.
She chuckled. Her sister was so damn cute.
“I’m coming down,” Lucy said. “Being alone gives me the creeps.”
“Come on down then.” Some of the shelves were empty or had empty jars on them.
Moving down the first row of shelves, she saw some tools. Knives, saws, hammers, hell, anything that could be used as a possible weapon. Down she went, and around. There was a kite from when Lucy wanted to try to fly. Her sister didn’t seem to understand that in a forest full of trees, she wasn’t going to fly it. Their parents let her find that mistake out for herself.
“It’s creepy,” Lucy said, coming to stand beside her. “What are you looking for?”
“Remember that radio you were so obsessed with?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m trying to find that. You didn’t break it, did you?”
“No. I don’t break everything.”
“My stereo. My iPad. You even tore my favorite jeans.”
“There was already a huge hole in them. That doesn’t count.”
“That was the fashion.”
“It was lame and besides, you shouldn’t have paid so much. I could have made you fashionable for less money.”
