Apocalypse Life/Issue 32

Issue 32 - Benjamin High Titans
“You about ready?”

Julius looked at Alice while he wore his jacket. She was scuffling through his bag, trying to muster all of the food she can find.

“Oh, hey… you’re shirt—” she mutters, upon seeing the familiar color and logo; it happened to come from that night, when they visited her house. And that seemed to be it.

She looks at the small stockpile of food she managed to gather, setting it on the coffee table. “Let’s see here…” She doesn’t bother standing up, as she starts to notice the seemingly meager size of their supplies.

Aside for her two small bags of trail mix, a couple of canned sodas and bottled water, there were two granola bars, and an additional bottle. Extremely lacking.

“Wow, so—this… this is it.” She stands up and folds her arms, looking at him.

Julius hadn’t realized his complete lack of food. He thought he was holding the same amount as the coffee table’s just an afternoon ago; but it seems he was kidding himself.

“Yep, we definitely need to do this.” They both pause, looking at their possible and only food for the coming months, hesitations arising for what will be their next ultimate decision.

Alice, after a moment, notices that he was already ready. He was pretty much wearing the same clothing he remembers him to be wearing. And surprisingly, he didn’t smell that bad. Or maybe she was kidding herself too much.

Julius, noticing her eyes on him, looks at her. There he gets a good look of her outfit. For the most part, it was the same; a shirt, jeans, and her brown boots. “Hold on a sec,” she says, turning around and zipping out of view. She returns seconds later with a jacket and a messenger bag, its strap being held by her left hand.

She slips the ruby-red leather jacket on her arms, adjusting its sleeves. She then grabs her bag and swings its top strap open, taking out two leather gloves from it. Julius couldn’t help but watch out her of fascination.

She notices him looking at her, as she slips the gloves on. “What?”

She looked amazing, and ready; her ponytailed brown hair, wearing a stylish leather jacket, and gloves to go along with it. He opens his mouth to compliment her, but thinks twice, because of her curious expression. He’s been cheesy enough for one day.

“You look good,” he says, escaping his mouth. Could’ve been worse.

She gives him an unimpressed look. “Okay,” she replies, sealing it with a smirk. She fastens the straps of her gloves then vanishes again, this time much sooner.

She reappears with an object on both her hands, holding it sideways. Julius gives her a puzzled look.

“Is that…?”

She lets the object drop onto the carpet, her leather-gloved right hand holding the yellow handle. “Yep,” she proudly says, nodding.

A sledgehammer. Alice was out of her mind to be carrying a sledgehammer. Then again, he’s seen worse from her. Once there was a giant stuffed teddy bear that she badly wanted to buy, or… was it a prize from a carnival game? It was a random thought, a thought not important at the moment, so he had to forget about it for a second.

“You…?” Julius points to her, walking closer. “Is this what you’ve been using lately?”

She nods, swinging the hammer onto her left hand with almost no trouble. “You shoulda seen me the first time around. I could barely carry this.” Julius could notice a few marks of dirt and some darkened blood, mostly near or on the hammer’s metal head itself. “I mean, it’s still pretty heavy, but I feel really… awesome, with it.” A smile of pride starts to fold in her mouth.

Julius gives her a confused smirk. “You… you haven’t thrown your back out using that thing?”

She gives him a ridiculous look. “Just ‘cause I’m a girl? Psh! Do you want me to… demonstrate it on your forehead?” She starts shaking the hammer, as if getting a feel from it.

“Okay—okay. Show me how… awesome you are with that thing once we’re out there.” He points to the front door behind him with his thumb.

She tilts her head to look at the door, eagerly nods, and smiles. “Sure.”