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“Let’s stop now and eat what we have now.” It was more of a command than a suggestion

 

Isla grimaced “I freaking hate sardines.  Let’s move on.”

“Fine” I said childishly “you eat the potato chips and I’ll eat the sardines.”

 

“Sure. Whatever”

 

We shouldn’t have stopped so close to the goal but this was really hard on the mind thus very hard on the physical body as well.  I reached for the case a grabbed two beers and passed one to Isla.  Twisting of caps and the sudden pssst of the beer brought about certain emptiness.  Caught in an underground graveyard the beer warm but soothing I looked at Isla now seated across from me.  Figures get the girl but the whole world had to go to hell.  F**k it.  I swallowed the contents of the bottle in one breath. 

 

“Buuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrpha” My emissions to the whole f*****g thing

 

Isla looked at me perplexed than broke out into laughter.  I followed.  Afterwards before the laughter turned into tears I grabbed another one passed it to Isla grabbed another for me.  I lit a cigarette.  I only had a couple left.  I either had to quit or find more.

 

“What if we are the only ones left?”  Isla asked tears pooling

 

I got up and sat next to her “If we survived,” I put my arm around her “Someone else will have.”

 

“But what if what’s left resembles one of those bad ‘End of the World’ movies?”

 

“What if it isn’t?” I replied “What if the other survivors just said no more fighting?  What if it is all over?”

 

We talked about what possibilities lay before us and drank until we couldn’t see straight nor think any longer. 

 

I woke looked around through a hangover and realized it was still the same.  I reached for a cigarette and found none.  My mouth tasted like the bottom of a can of Lucky Lager.  I wish I had a toothbrush so, I ate chips.  It was weird how the packaged food survived whatever happened.  I had to take a leak where?  So at the back of the car I went and as I was taking a leak, I wondered if the cockroaches and rats survived too.  I heard Isla stir dreaming of nightmares I suppose.  I needed smokes, no I didn’t.  I shouldn’t smoke.  The world would run out of smokes and where would that leave a nicotine junkie.  Isla didn’t wake up she bolted awake her mouth agape as if in a silent scream. 

 

“Nightmares?” I asked

 

“Yeah,” Isla said out of breath “gotta pee”

 

“I went back there” I said pointing

 

I looked the other way allowing Isla her privacy.

“Okay,” Isla said once she was done relieving herself “do we finish the journey?”

 

“Might as well.” I said getting up