Get between them before they start fighting.

“This is doing nothing good for our situation,” you get between them, more hands-on with Scarlet than Alexandra because you know she’s less likely to hit you… you are about to agree with her decision anyway. “Let’s just spend the night at Arrowhead. What’s the worst thing that could happen?”

“This is a mistake! You guys have to know this!” Alexandra protests. “We…we shouldn’t stay here….”

“Warren says otherwise. So let’s hoof it down before we start losing toes.” Scarlet adjusts the straps of her bag and begins descending.

You turned to face Alexandra, expecting the worst, but instead, she looked elsewhere, the environment and its unfamiliar surroundings. When she catches your glance, she exhales wearily. “I don’t like this.”

“We’ll be fine,” you promise.

“I hope so.”

…

…

Arrowhead was indeed abandoned. That much was evident even from a distance. Nearly all the buildings were either caving in on each other or boarded up.

Fresh snow covered the street and old signs. Footprints left behind by wildlife were the only indication anything was alive here. However, you felt far from alone. The lights aren’t on, but everybody is home…

That feeling Alexandra was sensing dawned on you, and you already wasted 30 minutes hiking it down here. It was counterintuitive to back down now, though, so you kept that thought to yourself, pressing on with Scarlet as she broke into a lit jog towards the last building at the end of the block.

Scarlet had no concern about leaving tracks behind as she bounded to the best-looking structure out of the half-circle of homes and stores. At the front door, she grabbed the doorknob and twisted as she pressed her weight against the door, all to no avail. She stepped back to think for a second. Before either you or Alexandra could suggest looking for an alternative way in, Scarlet gives the door one solid kick, sending it straight back with an enormous thud. Dust particles flew out. With it was the smell of wood rot. Alexandra coughed once, covering her nose with the back of her hand.

“Shit, Scarlet,” she said. “We should have looked around for another way in.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Scarlet says, going inside. “We’re inside now.”

The three of you filter inside and begin sweeping the area for anything useful or dangerous. You found no one but did discover signs of recent inhabitants. The fire pit was littered with cans, wrappers, and dirty metal plates.

Alexandra sees this but does not comment on it. She knows there’s no point in making an argument for leaving or reiterating the sense of lingering danger in the area. So she looks at you instead, mouthing the words. “I told you so.”

Without a reason to spit back at her, you give her a slight nod and then reach for your gear, dumping it all to the floor before finding Scarlet, who seems to have come to the same realization that this could have been a mistake. She doesn’t say anything either, so the only sounds you hear are your stepping around and the howling winds that breach the building walls. This is far from an optimal position for the three of you.

Night falls, and the temperature drops with it. Scarlet is quick to suggest a fire. Alexandra silently rebels at this request, leaving it up to you to get it all started. Blackness envelopes the world beyond the corrupted walls of the cabin as an orange light casts dancing shadows on the room. Soft cracking emits from the burning wood, giving you and your companions the desired heat.

Even though you aren’t hungry, Scarlet issues out rations to everyone, reminding you that it’s better to eat now while the fire is hot instead when it’s dying out.

This was the most awkward dinner you had had in months. When you were still with Amara, she forced all of you to chat at the table. With the TC1 guys, you usually chatted. Now you were watching a fire burn rotted wood in the middle of a dead pitstop. The gentle snapping and cracking from the fire is brave enough to make noise. Everyone else is too drained to make any remarks of any kind.

Scarlet seems fixated on the fire. A million thoughts are going through her brain, running it raw with silent emotion and ideas that may or may not come into play. You wish you could have talked to her, but there’s no connection or trust between either of you now, so you can’t play any of your cards or use any of your words to gather her attention. This leads you to follow her gaze and watch the fire burn the rotted wood, destroying it like the bombs destroyed the world now walked in.

The wind dies down outside; an eerie silence takes over. Transparent clouds of breath escape through your noses as the cool air seeps through the gaps of the structure. You shudder, much like everyone else now suffering with you. The only blessing is that you aren’t entirely surrounded by the northern elements of winter. There’s something else in the air, though. A tension in your lower back that beckons a response. You glance up at the girls and notice Scarlet staring at you, somewhat expressionless as she quivers in the chill.

She blinks, now regarding the whole room, not just you. “Since this was my idea, I’ll take the first watch. Who wants to take over?”

Alexandra hugs herself, stuffing her face beneath her coat while she shoots you a pleading glance. You suppose taking Alexandra’s spot might prevent another fight from starting between the two girls, so you offer your services with no reluctance or expectancy of a reward of any kind. This brings a vague smile to Scarlet’s lips, almost like she was happy about something and didn’t want anyone to know about it. “Thank you, Warren. I’ll come and get you. Uh, yeah, remember you guys. Keep your fingers warm and your feet too. If you get frostbite overnight, I’m leaving you behind.”

Alexandra lets out a soft chuckle, but the lack of emotion in Scarlet’s voice tells you she isn’t kidding. You snuggle up to Alexandra’s back and sigh as the fire continues to dance. You close your eyes and struggle to find sleep, but it’s deep and oddly pleasant when you do.

...

...

“Warren,” Scarlet whispers so close to your face you can feel her breath.

You open your eyes and squint at her. The fire had died down a lot since you were last awake. “Time to swap already?”

“A few hours ago, actually,” she says. “But, we need to go.”

You shuffle and look at her. “What? Why?” You look down and see Alexandra blissfully sleeping.

“I need you to trust me on this one. Please?”