Section II: The New World Dead

I don't suppose I ever actually woke up. The world is harsh, and growing harsher.

I let out a shaky breath, feeling the smoke trace along the roof of my mouth and imagine it rolling over my teeth and into the cold air. For a moment, only a moment, my hands stop shaking.

We left after Felicia shot herself. Her mark is probably still all over the wall in the attic.

It's funny how quickly you adjust to things. I never did. I don't suppose any of us did. But we're still here, so something must have happened. Several of us, anyway.

We lost Mr. Bain some months ago in a shoot-out. Olivia. We left Mrs. Bain behind because she couldn't keep up.

This new world is a harsh and cold one. Always clean up. That's what he told us. Mr. Bain did, after our first fight. Never let the women see them. As if they didn't know. As if they wouldn't see the remnants when they came in behind us. He was an old worlder, where women are sheltered and protected by chivalry and honor. I suspect that world died with him.

"We need to clean up," Rippy states. His voice is devoid of any emotion, as piercing as his killing eyes and the cutting wind. I let out my breath and enjoy feeling it roll out of my mouth. Rippy is of the new world. Women are slower, smaller, and bear just as much of the anvil of life as anyone else. Anything less means death. Apparently, though, he remember's Mr. Bain's words.

I snuff and slip the cigarrete into the tupperware case I store them within and look at the body.

"I suppose we do." Rippy had already dragged anything useful away and takes this moment to cover it in a ragged towel. Blood starts soaking through the thin material immediately.

The body is dead weight between us, limp and jiggly when we drop it in the closet. When we close the door behind us I leave a torn page peeking out from under the door. The women know that means not to enter. Because they know. They see the remnants when they come in behind us. The bottom of the page reads 4.

Victoria got sick about two weeks ago and we all avoided her. At first we hoped it was the radiation but when Jiavanni fell sick as well... They took care of each other as we watched. We didn't have medicine. We barely have food. We brought them what we could but stayed our distance. Yesterday they fell too weak to cry for food; hunger certainly gnawing at their gut. We left them in the night, too.

I go back and switch the page under the door for one that reads 6.