One Foot In Front of the Other (Free Story Friday) by Josh Hilden Page B

tight sinew. He had the hard look all survivors had these days. But he was grinning like the cat that got the cream.
                  “You were playing with that thing. When you encounter a ghoul you put it down, it’s not a toy it’s death.” She said coldly.
                  “I’m training” He said. He was looking at her again and now she realized he was probably only thirteen or fourteen years old.
                  He wasn’t even born when the world was right. She thought and shook her head sadly.
                  “If I don’t practice hunting and killing them how the fuck will I protect myself when I get cornered by a pack?” He asked cocking his head curiously.
                  They began to walk toward the road together. Neither was conscious that they were following the other. It was a gorgeous sunny June day. The last two years had been something approaching normal, the ashes from the dead cities burning had finally begun falling from the upper atmosphere allowing the globe to warm again.
                  A hawk cried out in the distance.
                  “Where do you live?” Dana asked. She unhooked the ancient canteen from her belt and took a hard pull then offered it to the boy who gulped down half the contents.
                  “Me and my mom live with a group” he replied not giving details. Dana approved, they had just met and she had no need to know where he lived. He was so calm and confident. It had been a long time since Dana had met anyone who seemed to have a hopeful outlook on life.
                  “What do you do?” He suddenly asked her.
                  Dana broke out laughing. It was the last question she would have ever guessed the boy would ask. “I travel” she said giggling.
                  “Well yeah” he said, “But what do you do?”
                  Dana thought about it for a second. The kid was so like she had been as a kid. They stopped and she reached into her bag and brought out a fat notebook. She handed it to him.
                  “Can you read?” She asked.
                  “Yep, mom says I have to understand the world if I am going to live in it. She was a teacher.” He replied smiling. “What is this?” He asked.
                  “My journal, I record everything I see and do on the road. Tonight I will write about you.” She didn’t know why she added that last part but the grin that split his face made her heart sore.
                  “Really? That is totally cool!” He said. “Why do you do it?” He asked and his genuine interest was infectious.
                  “One day this will all be over. The dead will be nothing more than a nuisance if they are even still around. Then we will rebuild and people will want to know what happened during the dark years.” She said. It had been Zane who had started the first of the six journals she carried. She had made copies of them and hidden them around North America just in case she never had an opportunity to hand them off.
                  “Wow” he said again and began flipping through the pages. Dana smiled. He was really a good kid.
                  “I gotta get moving kiddo” she said after a minute.
                  The disappointment on his face hurt her but she had nowhere to stay and the closest community was three day hike. She needed to find a place to hold up for the night.
                  “Um” he started, “Do you want to come back to my house? My mom would love to see your books.” H said shyly.
                  Dana grinned, “I would love to” she said.
                  The boy yipped with joy and they headed off together. Placing one foot in front of the other and the sun setting behind them, the world full of