Apocalyptic New York

Camille shifted in her sleep. Tossing left. Right. Left again. She sighed and opened her eyes; even after three years she had trouble sleeping knowing that no one was going to be there when she woke up. Cam sat up in her bed, indented with the figure of her from sleeping in the same position day in and day out. She should really go forge another mattress, the mall hasn't been touched by anyone other than herself for the three years she's lived alone. Well. Cam wasn't really alone per say. Her mother was in the apartment with her. But like hundreds of others in this godforsaken world, she was asleep. Cam slipped out from under the warm embrace of her sheets and decided to wear something other than just a dingy yellow-white bra and panties that don't even match it. Cam needed to raid a Victoria's Secret while she was out too. She shimmied her ripped jeans up her legs and buttoned the top. She hunted for her makeup bag whilst putting her trusty blue striped shirt on. Upon finding it she quickly put her face on (Consisting only of mascara and eyeliner) and put on her tightly wrapped in duct tape running shoes. Cam was going to do a lot of running today. She needed it. Before she left, she stopped next to her mom's room. "Mom, I'm going out... if you're awake when I'm back, I left a note on the fridge... it's been there a while, but... yeah." She beelines for the door and out into the desolate world she goes.

She walks down the seemingly endless stairs down to the bottom floor of her apartment complex, walking out the door. The old security guard who used to be on alert at all times asleep at the desk. As if he just dozed off for a split second and intended to wake up any second now. Cam wished that was true. The morning sun shone down on her as she broke into a light jog. She had a few things to do today. Go find a new mattress and tow it all the way back from the mall, up the stairs, and into her bedroom; find some unspoiled food to eat (hopefully she'll happen across some protein bars again); get herself some 'new' underwear that matches; and pray once again that this time her mother would wake up and she wouldn't be alone again.

Elaine woke to the smells of a dying fire, dew-soaked grass, and Elk breath. She opened the gray eye, then the blue eye, then closed them both with a yawn. Between Leopold, Nikki and the fire, she had been nice and toasty. Fall was in full swing, but snows could come at any time now, especially this far north. She was grateful for her friends' presence, and for more than just the body heat they helped provide.

Nikki stood from where she had curled up by the fire and skipped happily over to her. Elaine smiled and scratched the husky behind the ears before standing to stretch. She pulled a couple pieces of dried meat from her pocket, letting the dog take the largest one from her hand and gnawing on the other. Behind her, a two-tone brown shape groaned and stood to its feet.

"Morning, Leopold!" she greeted, rubbing the Elk's nose. He stood at just over four feet at the shoulder, but his growth was promising, and so were his antlers. Four tines on a two-year old was just about right. Another year, and he'd be right at five feet with six tines to show.

"I hope I won't have to tie you down to keep you from chasing after cows, now," she admonished the bull. Next year would be the first rut season he'd experience as a mature elk. She wasn't really looking forward to it.

She pulled a bundle of dry grass out of her pack and let him eat it from the ground as she brushed him down with an old bristle-brush she'd stolen from a house a few months ago. After he finished eating, Elaine tapped his withers to get him to settle so she could climb up on his back. After buckling a (stolen) halter into place, she lay a fleece blanket on his back and sat on top of it. With a soft click and squeeze of her knees, he started off at an easy pace down the abandoned highway.

Elaine was from Upstate, and hadn't been to the city since before the Sleep started. Both of her parents had been taken by it. She didn't know if her older brother had or not. After three months she abandoned their little house in the woods and started off on her own with nothing but a few clothes, some preserved food, her family's dog Nikki, and her dad's hunting bow. Leopold was the result of her hunting down his dam when he only had to be a month old. He had been hidden off in a thicket, and the pair hadn't rejoined the main herd yet. She wound up raising him and the group of two had become three.

Right now the trio was sauntering down an abandoned highway into the city. The skyscrapers loomed high, making the city look like a fortress or a castle that she had seen in a movie once. Nikki barked happily as she ran on ahead.

"Hold on, dog! No need to rush," Elaine called to her. "We should be there in a few hours. Besides, it's not like there's anybody waiting on us to get there."

Cam's feet pound a rhythm as she sprints down the empty road. She was taking the long way to the mall. Her house wasn't too far from the mall if you took the right alleyways, but Cam always loved the feeling of burning lungs from running hard. Building after abandoned building whirred past her in her mad dash. 'Heh. Wanted to be an olympic runner before this happened...' She thought bitterly. Turn here, go straight, one last turn. Cam slowed to a mild jog as the building she was hunting for came into view.

It was a large building, glass walls coat every side. Good for her to easily break and get through. Even though she had no need for that, she could easily just pry the doors open and slip in. She was skinny enough to do so. Cam approached the entrance, the one with the slightly ajar glass door. She slips her hand into the open crack and pull the glass aside with ease. She slips in and pulls it closed behind her. It may just be paranoia, but she just doesn't want anything knowing she's here... for now that is.

She wanders the empty building, noticing that plants have already started rising up through the tiling. Cam whistles. Even though that everything that has happened to her had been nothing short of a nightmare, she had to admit it was kinda pretty how nature was trying to reclaim everything. She spots the Victoria's Secret, but the doors were locked. She reared back and delivered a kick to the handles. And another. And another. Until the door broke and she got inside. There was all sorts of underwear and lingerie that was laying around to never be sold. Cam planned on changing that as she rifled through the drawers for a bra in her size.