The World We Once Knew

by Trahan, Leeaja

  He had no intention to answer her.

  Stooping down, his eyes were half shut and his thumb touched beneath her lip. His stomach was heavy and tense. Nose to nose, they both knew exactly where this was going. To confuse this for “something else” would be denial at its finest. With her lungs full and the air caught in her throat, Quinta's eyes slowly closed and her head tilted back as though she waited for him to steal a kiss.

  But fate decided to play a sick joke on them.

  The sound of a door opening from right side of the living room caught their attention. Addie's voice asked for Quinta which in turn caused her to gasp as they pulled away rapidly. They were in a panic to try and seem normal by the time Addie had shuffled her way to meet them. She rubbed her tired eyes and stared at them in a daze. She didn't even remember asking for water.

  Grabbing both glasses, Quinta hurried over to Addie who waited, “Goodnight Dane. Come on, yuh sleep walkin’.” She whispered to Addie.

  Addie held the glass to her lips and followed Quinta who took one last glance back at Dane. Slowly her face tilted downwards and they were once again sealed in the room for the night. Staring at his sister, he couldn't help but wonder if she could tell just what was about to happen moments before. Dane didn't move an inch as he watched Quinta retreat and somehow that last glance seemed sad and disappointed.

  The same way he felt.

  Mulling over the options of what happened or what could have happened, Dane sat on the edge of Leon's bed for a few moments. He listened to the sounds of this man's snores. His mind was made up, he decided he'd see her again and soon.

  Alone.

  He wanted to get to know her, alone.

  Eventually he fell into sleep, but his thoughts were filled of her. The way he felt for her in those moments, the need to see her again was overwhelming.

  Chapter 9

  After a day of literal paradise, the reality of their surroundings once again weighed on their shoulders. Dane returned to work on older units and build new apartments in some of the buildings that had yet to be converted. Addie spent almost every day but Sunday in her survival classes or home. Since she was not of age for a job or to be sent over the wall, she really had no use or purpose for this place. For a teenage girl, her days were very, very boring. Quinta, on the other hand, returned to her duties in the gardens and harvested crops for weekly rations.

  That all came to a halt when Dane and Quinta were summoned over the wall a week later.

  There was a sense of Deja vu when Dane went into Addie's room with an empty sack slung from his shoulder and his weapons secured in their rightful place. What happened the last time troubled him more than he liked. The only silver lining was that he got to see Quinta again, then the wares, and finally the money they'd make outside of the sector.

  Addie, unlike the first time he left, was passed out. She was sprawled sideway across her mattress and just when she was about to plant her lips on her dream man, there was Dane. Even in her own thoughts he stopped any sort of physical interaction with the opposite sex.

  Dane yanked on his sister's ponytail to get her attention, “Ugh!” Addie groaned.

  She opened one eye up at him, about to gripe when she saw that he was dressed and reminded her that he was to leave. Pushing her heavy body to sit up, she rubbed her palm against her eye all while he lectured.

  He gave her a soft, half-heartened smile, “Don't get into trouble today. I'm not trying to coop you in here but...” Trailing off he gave her a stern glare since he felt that she'd be out until she had to return, “Don't be too late if you happen to go out today. You know the rules.” He said.

  Standing up, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, “Don't be too long. I'll be waiting for you.” She whispered back to him.

  Dane partly knew that his warnings had fallen on deaf ears but her hug satisfied him. He was a hundred percent sure there would be a symphony of snores from her room within minutes.

  The days were long, the nights were short and Quinta was unable to see Dane, Addie, or Leon ever. Especially since her only day off was spent in the shop or sleeping. Just when she was about to go stir crazy, Quinta had come up with the idea to go and visit Dane, to talk about what almost transpired between them, when she was called in for her services. Her day off and she was to go back out there, hopefully not with a fool this time around.

  The morning of, Quinta was awake and ready to go at sunrise as per usual. Her stomach was in knots. She truly did not want to be put in danger again but then there was the thought of Dane and the high probability that he'd be there. She didn’t want him to be alone over the wall either.

  Just what the hell was she going to say to him when she saw him?

  Finishing her tea, she left the cup in the sink, and proceeded to leave her unit. The morning was chillier than usual which pointed to the fact that Autumn was upon them and they'd gain a bit of reprieve from the scorching sun. She made her way towards the main building where she was once again greeted by Leon who stood above the others and watched. Giving him a smile and a nod of her head, she traveled to the board to see that once again Leon put Dane and her together. There were three new people assigned to them, two females and male this time. Her stomach dropped at Dane's name all before she inconspicuously glanced over the crowd for him.

  He hadn't arrived yet. Once he finished getting ready, Dane caught sight of the clock that ticked away on the wall over his dresser. Shit. He didn’t realize that he was running late.

  Quinta slowly made her way through the crowd to where the others were which consisted of a darker skinned woman, a Hispanic male, and a pretty, short haired blonde.

  The man took his time to approach Quinta first with a very relaxed smile, “You must be Quinta. It's very nice to meet you. I'm Javier.” He said. Javier then pointed towards the blonde, “This is Mindy and Crystal.” his finger ended on the darker female.

  Mindy stretched her arms over her head, “Nice to meet you.” She said with a smile.

  “Hey there.” Crystal responded.

  Quinta wet her lips and nodded to each of them. Quinta did not want to get ahead of herself but she could already feel the difference of authority between Javier and Mike. Now if only Dane showed up. The sentiment seemed to radiate through to Javier who watched for any man who seemed to step in their direction. He too seemed to anticipate the final member of their crew.

  As time passed Leon had begun to grow tense while he walked through the crowd in wait. He looked around for their tallest recruit before it was time and he was possibly penalized.

  Glancing to Quinta, he leaned close to her ear and spoke quietly as to not bring attention to them. “Where's Dane? You all are leaving soon.” He whispered.

  He held a sense of reservation for the ones he had grown to call friends. Which was a basic human necessity he didn't have before. Leon thought he'd have to fill in for Dane to keep an eye on Quinta, which was, to be frank, the first time he'd ever considered this.

  Quinta turned her face towards Leon and simply shrugged her shoulders since she couldn't put her finger on where he'd be. Just when she was about to ask to go and look for him, Dane jogged into the building with just two minutes to spare before the meeting would commence.

  Dane stopped in front of Leon with one hand on his knee and the other in the air, “Here.” He panted.

  Sighing out, Quinta relaxed visibly and mentally. In the back of her mind there was a tiny seed of doubt with him possibly being sick that she held at bay. She sighed out a breath of relief in unison with Leon only this time her eyes stared right into Dane’s. Leon blew out as he motioned Dane closer to he and Quinta.

  Quinta.

  A certain leap in Dane’s core took him off guard when he saw her again but Leon was a bit more serious in tone which took his attention.

  Leon placed his hands on their shoulders and looked between the two of them, “Listen, after you get back from the raid. Do what you need to do and then come
to my place. Bring Addie too. There's something important that I need to talk to you all about. Good luck.” He whispered.

  Leon pat their shoulders before he backed up and returned to his place on the steps. He could only hope they had more success than last time. Javier stood in the back with the Mindy and Crystal and waited for Leon to say what he needed before Decker came out and made his official announcement.

  Quinta's eyebrow lifted in curiosity with just the way Leon suddenly carried himself. He wasn't the same fool that joked around with them every chance he got. No, he was quite serious and direct in what he needed them to do.

  Quinta opened her mouth to speak to Dane only for Javier to place a hand on her shoulder and step forward, “Nice to meet you son, I'm Javier.” He said.

  Javier introduced the other girls with a warm smile only for the whistle to ring out and Decker to begin his usual speech of rules, needs, and warnings. All Dane managed to give was a slight smile and a nod to the rest of the group. He did in fact have a better feeling about Javier than Mike, just by how calm Javier was showed that they weren't in the same realm of leadership at all.

  While Decker's voice droned in the background with everyone faced towards him, Quinta leaned into Dane, “‘ey...” She whispered.

  Oh god, now what does she say? Should she ask him how he was doing? About what's new?

  She did none of the above, “What do yuh tink Leon wants from us?” She questioned.

  Hearing Quinta's quiet attempts to get his attention, Dane glanced down and saw the brown eyes had thought of the last week incessantly. He was happy to see her, happier than he should have been, but just like her, he was at a loss of what to say as well. They both knew what almost transpired between them but now was not the time to speak about their near kiss.

  Dane did a double take up at Leon, “Maybe trouble from the beach? That's the only thing I can think of that involves Addie.” He whispered back.

  Quinta thought about what happened what Leon wanted, “Hm.” Quinta huffed back.

  Nodding her head to him, she found that she stared a bit longer than she normally would. The sight of Leon when he took his cue and proceeded to pass out the laminated maps caused Quinta to turn her attention back towards the others.

  Before long the meeting was adjourned, Javier brought the group into a huddle and in an instant Quinta recognized that they'd been given the same map from before with Mike. They were once again escorted to the North-West exit of the Western wall and before they were to set out.

  Javier pointed towards the door, “Once we get out there remember, nothing is worth your or your team’s life. If the bastards that sit behind the desks want whatever we find bad enough, they'll get it themselves. We are to be quiet, quick, and once one is done, we're all done. If the rumors are true, which I've worked with Mike before so I'm sure they were, I don't want a repeat. The girls know how I operate so I'll tell you.” He said while he turned towards Dane and Quinta. “I focus on one building and one building only. We pick it clean, that way the government can demolish and use what they can salvage for scrap. This is a necessity and like it or not, this place is our home now. We lose this, we lose everything. So, we will bring anything that's of value back to us. Safety first.” He finished with a smile.

  Dane's feeling about Javier was right. He had a very smart and careful approach to the raids as opposed to how the government would like them to gather. What mattered were survivors. The population was scarce and hard to come by but supplies, technically, weren't going anywhere. That mindset is what put Dane at ease. He would return to Addie today.

  They set out.

  Over the bridge that held the guards who watched after them, Javier pointed to a section of the map that wasn't marked with names of businesses. He mouthed the word “houses” and felt that this was the safest bet for them. Had it been a group of men he'd feel better to go into the more previously populated areas but he was a gentleman at heart.

  For Dane and Quinta, it was nice to be somewhere that wasn't a store of some other, obviously potentially dangerous place. Private homes had their own troubles though. First of all, there usually wasn't an easy way inside. Secondly the loot was not abundant or valuable but more on a practical level. Especially for the ones who lived in the district, not the higher ups.

  Overall Dane liked this plan.

  Still able to see the bridge from the short road they turned right onto, the first house they approached was in worse shape than the others. Palm trees were withered and leaned over with the roots exposed to the elements. The grass was tall and unkempt, and the white, wooden siding that once covered the two-story shack was hung by its splinters or rotted off. Javier held his hand up and with two fingers pointed that they follow up the haggard walkway and onto the porch. His hand gripped the handle and he added a bit of tension to the lock. Moving out of the way, Mindy slid in front of him, fell to her knees, and proceeded to pick and work the lock. If there was anything inside the residence they wanted to make the least amount of noise possible.

  With a click, Mindy grinned to herself and pushed the door open with a finger. Javier was the first to step over her, followed by Quinta, and then Dane. Crystal watched the brush and grass that surrounded them along the property. Dane held the door open behind him and waited for Mindy to get to her feet and Crystal to enter after her before he shut the door and locked it. While Dane lifted a table to press against the door, Javier secured the rest of the small and functional lower floor.

  Dane's blue eyes turned to stare at the scenic, nostalgic room. Everything was in a state that seemed frozen in time. As though someone had just left in the middle of their regular, every-day life. The modern furniture wasn't broken, or ripped, or tossed over. Other than being a cluttered home with a thick layer of dust that had settled and a few cobwebs, the room was picture perfect.

  Turning his head back at the rest of the group, Javier pointed to Quinta and waved her along to follow him upstairs. To be honest to see how pristine the surroundings of the home were compared to the outside was a stark contrast. Halfway up the steps, Javier glanced down at the others and whispered “Clear” and so that caused the girls to start with the living room. Crystal went through the drawers while Mindy waved Dane along with follow her. Dane trailed behind without a thought otherwise and went to work in search for valuables and useful everyday items.

  Mindy kept her voice low while she pointed to the dining room papers, “There's always money tucked between sheets of paper, in the side tables.” She said while she pointed.

  Dane looked inside said tables and the display cabinet against the wall. There technically wasn't much to grab or take in the dining room but there were a lot of drawers to and envelopes to sift through.

  “Wow look at this stuff. It's so nice. These chairs are so sturdy.” She whispered with a giggle. Mindy then pulled her bag from her shoulders and set it on the table only to meet her gaze with Dane, “The kitchen looks small, did you need help?” She asked while she tucked her hair behind her ear.

  Dane smiled a bit in relief and nodded towards her, “Please” his deep voice replied.

  He took half the stack he had and handed it over towards her. There was already small piles of loose money and valuables with junk papers in another. They tried to get through quickly and he didn't think to have conversation. Mindy, on the other hand, had been keenly watching him work and had a different idea in mind.

  Inhaling a deep breath, she finally gained the courage to speak, “So Dane, where are you from?” She asked in a curiously quiet voice.

  She ripped open an envelope before she peeked her blue eyes at him from below. She could see more of his face than before which caused her to wet her lips. Dane paused a moment and glanced down which in turn caused her head to snap back towards the paperwork.

  He answered again with one single, deeply rumbled word. “Colorado.” He answered.

  Mindy's face quickly shot up towards his, “Colorado? Oh wow! That's such a lon
g walk to Florida from here.” She said with a half-serious tone. It wasn't until she saw the odd look on Dane's did she laugh it off and push against his arm, “I'm just kidding you know.” She said with a laugh.

  There was a long stretch of silence aside from the papers brushing and flicking against one another, “You?” He asked.

  Mindy tucked a bit of hair behind her ear before she cleared her throat, “Oh me? I’ve from Georgia. I was on a vacation when everything happened and so here I am.” She answered him.

  Finishing up with the dining room, Mindy pat against his back all while Crystal appeared in front of the fridge, “Living room is clear, Javier and Quinta will be expecting us upstairs so let's hurry up.” Crystal ordered.

  With Crystal’s alert, Dane finished his pile quickly before he gathered what they managed to find and packed it away. Wanting to get through this home and into the next, Crystal seemed the type who didn't like to chit-chat while they worked. She began to open all the cupboards and grabbing much of the canned or jarred goods that hadn't spoiled yet.

  Mindy shrugged her shoulders and smiled at Dane, “We'll talk later then, I'm guessing.” She whispered to him.

  He looked to Mindy while he slipped on his bag and gave a short hum of agreement to her with a nod of his head.

  Upstairs Quinta used the tip of her blade to push the door to one of the bathrooms open. Seeing that it was clear, Javier looked over her shoulder before they moved on to the first bedroom.

  They checked every room before they deemed it safe and ready to scavenge, “Let's take the bathroom on first.” Javier whispered.

  “Alright.” Quinta replied.

  The first place Quinta checked was the medicine cabinet while Javier went into the linen closet to the direct left of the bathroom. Her bag rested on the sinks vanity while she dumped everything in the red boxes that were designated for pills. Next, she grabbed the toilet paper off the holder, the holder itself for her own home, and the half-used toothpaste tube. From the bubblegum flavored paste and the overly animated frogs that speckled the shower curtain this was for certain a child's bathroom. Gathering bar soap, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, kids shampoo and conditioner, she, along with Javier, made quick work of the bedrooms.