It was a warmth that one could not describe, yet it bore a chilling revelation.

A stream of light flowed into the room from a small crack in the ceiling, illuminating the blade in its spotlight. It was as if her spirit smiled down on him from the heavens and tried its best to comfort him.

A wave of peace splashed over him, raining down a sweet serenity that came from reminiscing. A smile played on his lips as the blade melted away his feeling of failure, bringing a sense of accomplishment for a brief moment to replace the horrid emotion. He wasn't happy, she was still gone, and finding a knife could ever bring her back. But for a second, he wasn't sad either and in the midst of an apocalypse, this was more than he could possibly ask for.

The sound of footsteps snapped him from his daze, forcing him out from the softness of joyful memories and back into the harsh nature of reality.

Crap! Where is the cover for this knife?

From the floor, he gathered the fallen knives and organized them back onto the table in a hurry and slipped the azure knife in between the tabs in his pants, covering it with his shirt.

His eyes darted around the floor, frantically searching for the blue cover that kept the blade protected, safely confided behind its plastic frame. He had to find it quickly before he was caught again.

The room had four cabinets, each one about a head shorter than him. There were two wooden tables, both lined with various weapons, ranging from rifles to pistols and then all the way down to knives. Underneath them laid crates of ammunition and different makeshift weaponry.

The footsteps intensified, smacking against the concrete. Time was running out and his search proved to no avail. He could not find it but he had to. He had to find it. At all costs. Quickly.

Louder.

His body rotated three-sixty, his eyes ransacking the entire room from top to bottom. He rushed around, searching under the tables for that familiar shade of blue.

He swallowed the blockade in his throat, concentrating on the areas he searched, hoping to discover a spot he missed but time was almost up. The footsteps were seconds away from the entrance and the possibility of finding it in time dwindled to the edge of nothingness.

Closer.

The hint of blue peeked out from between two of the metal cabinets, lodged in the middle where it was easily overlooked before. Alex rushed towards it, scrambling to get to it due to the tight space. Attempt after attempt, until finally, his finger caught hold of the smooth plastic.

Stopped.

"What're you doing in here lol?"

Alex spun around at the soft, delicate voice, coming face to face with an abundant flow of dirty blonde curls. Her pear-shaped figure stood at a medium height, not yet enough to stand above the cabinets. Small indentations dove into her cheeks, complementing quite wonderfully the line of golden-brown sprinkles speckled above them. Her eyes were warm and inviting, daring anyone to get lost in the graceful spirals of gold and green intertwined.

"Uh nothing," Alex fumbled, his fingers still yearning to clasp the cover in their grip. "I just dropped something, that's all."

She giggled, her pearly whites peeping from behind her pink, plump lips. Her hair bounced with all the grace in the world and her giggle contorted into a precious smile. "Don't worry cutie, I won't tell anyone you were snooping around."

"Cutie?" Alexander blushed, combing through the waves of jet black hair with his free hand. It swooped to the side, almost covering his deep brown eyes. "Think you dialed the wrong number there."

"So, cute and funny. That's kinda rare these days, you know, with the world ending and everything lol!" She laughed, taking a few steps closer before bending down.

Her long black jeans wrapped tightly around her wide hips, meandering around her curvaceous build. The blue, flower-patterned shirt she wore was a bit oversized, hanging just slightly off of her left shoulder.

She was beautiful, a perfectly sculpted model, each of her features complimenting the other. Her hair blended perfectly with the naturally tanned pigmentation of her skin, both sharing a soft, smooth texture. Her smile was pure and innocent, untainted by reality, just like her eyes. Her voice was tender, possessing such a calming pitch.

She cocked her heart-shaped face to the right. "I'm Elaina, what about you?" She breathed, a soft excitement in her voice.

Alex was taken aback by her friendliness and luring personality. He hesitated momentarily, scanning her up and down. "I'm A-" He paused, registering his carelessness with a mental facepalm. "I'm Kane."

"Oh yeah! I heard that name at that meeting but that's not your real name, is it?"

A smirk possessed her lips and her eyebrows arched upwards. She was as scary as a furry bunny with its glorious black orbs staring deep into your soul. Its snow-white fur and forever twitching nose.

Maybe that was even scarier actually.

Alex bit his lip, forcing back a chuckle. "Ooo I'm so scared." He mocked, his fingers finally pulling the cover from between the cabinets. He drew it closer to his body, hoping that she didn't see it. "Who said it isn't anyways?"

She straightened out her posture and tapped her lips softly before speaking. "Well, if it was your name you wouldn't forget it now would you? Come on tell me. Not like I'll tell anyone." Elaina persuaded.

"Fine, fine. Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"Promise."

"Well, I'm Alex."

Alex slipped the cover into the back pocket of his pants and stood up, his stature towering over her.

Her cheeks flushed red and her eyes grew at the revelation of his height. Her head was level to his chest, only emphasizing the difference.

"Nice to meet you Alex. Oh um, how old are you?"

"I'm seventeen. How about you kiddo?"

"I'm sixteen but I'll be seventeen soon."

"Hey, um how about we get out of here before we get in trouble?" Alex asked, gesturing towards the doorway. She nodded, her eyes intertwined with his, locked into a never-ending gaze. "Well Elaina, you know the rule. Ladies first, of course!"

Elaina walked through the door, Alex close behind, using this opportunity to remove the knife from the tabs of his pants, cover it and slide it into his pocket.

"Why were you really out here Alex?"

They were now clear of the weapon's room, Elaina leading the way.

"I could ask you the same thing." He dodged the question, realizing that she had seen through his previous lie.

"Well, If I tell you, you'd think I'm weird."

Alex sighed and shook his head. "To be honest, I already think you're weird." He teased, looking to the ceiling and laughing.

Elaina rolled her eyes and punched him on his shoulder, the same spot that his one true love would always hit. His face shifted, the joy replaced with a cloak of sadness. He stopped in his tracks, grabbing the spot that had been playfully jolted and squeezing firmly.

"What's wrong? Big bad wolf can't take a punch?"

Please just leave me alone.

I'M SERIOUSLY HERE LAUGHING AND SHE'S GONE!

I caused her death.

I don't get to laugh and be all happy.

No...

That's not fair to her!

I have to leave here...

I have to...

"Uh, nothing. Someone special used to do that all the time, that's all." He replied, a clear pain in his voice.

"I'm so sorry-"

"Don't stress it. Let's just go."

"Follow me, I know just the place."

Elaina grabbed a hold of his hand, pulling him along as she ran.

He could feel the softness of her palms, but there was something else about her that made him show no resistance. He couldn't quite understand what it was, but sometimes the not knowing made it all the more special.

➽~➽

The air bore a freshness to it, in contrast to the usual stench of decomposition.

The aroma of the pine trees floated along the waves of the breeze, swirling about with an intricate beauty. It beseeched the nose but waited for no answer in its dignified entrance and the nose held no objection. It was pleasant, calming. Welcomed at any time given and with each deep breath, the cycle repeated like a hymn of old.

The trees stretched out to the heavens, encircling the rusted water tank in the distance. The evergreen kingdom extended to the ends of the earth, melting into the orange spread of the horizon. 

The sun had crept away from its glorious throne of noon, now falling beneath the authority of the trees to meet the lady of dusk. 

The golden tint coated the tips of the wooden darts as the trees showered in the retreating light, a sight to see, now rare indeed.

It stole his breath with such a flawless elegance, leaving him to gasp at its wonder.

"Up here is...beautiful." Alex sighed, taking in the vastness of the nearby woods.

The steel cushioned their seat as they sat on the roof of the eighth and final storehouse in the compound, far away from the eyes of others still in the meeting.

"This," Elaina started, staring at Alexander. "Is my safe place."