the dulled edge of her SHRAPNEL is still gripped tightly ; feels HOT in her hands. the man in front of her dead, blood pooling ; people already upon the FRESH MEAT like vultures to roadkill. but the VULTURES ARE DEAD & the carrion are frozen over. outside the walls of this train, EVERYTHING IS DEAD. THIS IS WHERE LIFE IS & this is what life has become : EAT OR BE EATEN.
she knew she was an easy target. twelve year old girl alone with a ticket found for the train, holding A BAG OF SEEDS, ROOTS & HERBS as her only possession ; something she hid when the SAVAGES FROM THE FRONT came & took everything they had. the first victim was a dying man. it was easy to get THE OLD, THE SMALL. dulling a side of jagged metal so she can hold it like some BLADE OF A WEAPON when hungry eyes turned to her was automatic. at twelve years old EVERYTHING IS DEAD, & SHE TOLD HERSELF TO SURVIVE.
johanna sees her own eyes flash in the dim light of the tail from a man’s knife that joins near her. HE IS HUNGRY. they are all hungry. flesh in her hands & she looks up at the other -– older. she takes a bite & it’s warm & it’s odd but she’d rather live than die. the other, THE MAN WITH THE KNIFE just looks at her instead of where everyone else looks upon THE MEAL. she wonders if he’s thinking of finishing her the way the other couldn’t. the shrapnel is HOT in her hands. she doesn’t turn it on him though. ALLIES -– people are making them quickly to survive around here. she should too. SHE HAS NO ONE. so she hands him a piece of the man that tried to kill & eat her.
❛ -––– what’s your name ? ❜