ZAHARA

I drew my knees up to my chest as I watched the acid rain collect into puddles outside my home. It dropped onto the steel above me, making quiet thumps every time it landed. Not for the first time I was grateful that I had found this sewage tunnel to take refuge in. It was far enough away that the Militia wouldn't come this far away from the Sectors, and secure enough to protect from the deadly rain.

I stared into the overgrown forest around me and allowed my mind to drift. Due to the partial melting of the ice caps, floods had arisen and covered most everything. If you had survived the first floods, you faced a completely new world, where nature seemed to be taking everything over.

I rested my cheek against the rough material of my pants and closed my eyes, just listening to the patter above and around me. Lots of other things had changed as well.

Several minutes ticked by, and the rain seemed to be slowing down I doubted Jacque would expect me to meet him at the dump just west of here until the rain stopped. I was running low on a few things, and resigned myself to waiting for the rain to stop so I could leave.

Without meaning to, I dozed off, and awhile later woke with a start. Instantly all my senses were alert, searching for the source of the noise that had awakened me. The rain had stopped, and leaned up, stretching. The wooden steps that usually were in place in front of the tube were laying next to me, so I placed them back in their usual spot.

I pulled on my heavy duty boots and stepped down, listening to the few birds that were bold enough to chirp. A few meters into the woods, a tree that had been weakened by all the acid had finally fallen over, and I credited it with waking me up.

Reaching back inside my house, I grabbed a worn satchel and slung it over my shoulder, setting off to the meeting place. Mud stuck to my boots, and after a few minutes, lifting my feet up and down again became tedious.

Soon enough the large dump came into sight. The whole thing looked rather bleak, as it consisted of junk piled up carelessly in a clearing of the forest. Vines were starting to crawl over the pile, a sickly green and armed with sharp thorns.

Jacque stood next to the pile, one of his calloused hands twirling his machete tip into the dirt. He was usually at the dump before me, and I guessed that he lived closer to it than I did. Of course, he could just get up and arrive early to give me the illusion that he lived farther away. He was cunning, and I was glad that we were getting along at the moment.

His hand that held the grimy machete stopped as I approached, and he looked up. A new cut was oozing slightly on his dirty face, but I decided not to ask about it. His fiery red hair was long and unkempt, and a black bandana was hanging loosely around his neck.

"About time," Jacque commented.

One of my eyebrows twitched upwards. "I decided I would rather wait awhile so that my skin didn't get burned off, thanks."

A grin spread across his face, before he changed the subject. "Anything you need?"

I bobbed my head in affirmation, feeling my curls bang against my neck. "Just water this time."

"Right." He picked up the plastic gallon of water that had been resting on one of the only safe spots of dirt. Jacque apparently knew a location that he could find clean water, and after flatly refusing my question on where he got it, worked out a system that I could trade with him for it.

Fumbling with my satchel's buckle for a moment, I opened it and reached inside. My hand closed around an old carburetor and lifted it out towards him. I watched him study it.

"A bit more than that." He scratched at the scab on his face, opening it up and sending a trickle of blood down his face.

After searching in the bag for a moment, I offered a brake rotor. Another moment of thought then he accepted it, handing me the water. I handed him both car parts, and we went our separate ways.

I took a detour in the forest, listening and watching to make sure no one was following me. Satisfied that no one was, I headed in a more direct path towards the old sewer. When I arrived, I clambered up the steps and settled down on the curved floor.

I opened the cap of the water and poured a small amount into a chipped cup that was resting on the floor. The clean water felt good on my throat as I took a sip. I leaned back on the wall, finding my mind drifting to the completely new world the floods had created. I wasn't sure I liked it, but realized I really didn't have a choice in the matter.

A/N: Let us know what you thought of chapter two! It introduced a new character, Zahara, which is written by the lovely Evara!

*Picture listed is of Zahara*