Ella

I wake up to the sound of a zipper being zipped. Sitting up, I rub my eyes and see Dean packing more into his backpack. "Did you find more stuff?" I ask, my voice groggy and I can't help but wonder how long he's been up.

"Yeah, and I got you some water," he says pointing to the container in front of me. "And your breakfast." There's a can of fruit beside the container, and I ask how he opened the can when the can opener was in my pack and I used it for a pillow. "I'm a ninja," he shrugs, seeming impressed with himself.

I don't comment, just eat the fruit and drink the water, the foul smell of the town still hitting me hard in the face. "I want to get out of here," I comment after I get up and sling the backpack over my shoulder and hand him the now empty container. "I can't stand this smell for much longer."

"Neither can I," he replies before taking the container from my outstretched hand. "But we need to make sure that there isn't anyone or anything left. I don't want to leave unless we know we have enough supplies or that there wasn't a life around here that could actually help us or we could help them." I don't want to think of not having enough supplies again. Just the reminder of how my throat was like sandpaper, makes my throat hurt now.

"Do you really think that there is anyone left?" I'm getting skeptical about this whole we need to find more people situation. Either Dean really believes that there are lives here that we haven't found, or he's putting on a show to keep this team or whatever we are strong.

"Yeah," he mutters, before walking over to the crooked door and opening it, "I do."

Walking outside is a reminder of all the blisters and burns the sun has caused us to have. I don't even want to imagine what I look like when I look at Dean and see all the marks this trip has caused him. We're a mess, a mess that I'm not too sure will ever be cleaned.

"I want to stick together again, today. I don't want something to happen where we can't help one another." I want to tell him we've already established this, but I keep my mouth shut.

We walk along the crumbling street, and peak through broken windows, searching through houses that are searchable and calling for anyone who may still have a breath left in them. It's so hard to see my world like this, and I don't want to think about it too much or I'll become that emotional wreck that I've learned to hate. I just don't think my planet will ever mend from this, and if it does it may take centuries or even millenniums. This is around the time I wish magic was real, I'd snap my fingers and everything would be as it was and there would be no asteroid and I would have my family and Hunter and Brad and we would be in school instead of the desert or maybe we would be at home but we would be happy. We wouldn't be in some random rundown town with barely enough food and water to keep us alive, while we look like the sun has cooked through most of our flesh. This isn't happy, this is almost deranged.

We haven't even really found much, everything is either smashed or spoiled, and I'm beginning to grow weary of this all. I really do want to forget, no matter what Dean told me last night. I want to forget all I've seen and all that's happened in these almost two weeks that we've been out here alone, just the two of us. I wish my family would have ordered more cinema rolls of movies that had survival. Instead we normally got movies of romance or humor. I actually really miss that.

I tap the watch on my wrist, but it doesn't display the time. It only makes a crackling noise before it powers down. Sighing, I take it off and throw it in the rubble. "Why'd you do that?" Dean asks as he looks down at the noise and sees my watch.

"It broke," I reply, not wanting to bring anything along that we don't really need. He doesn't say anything, just nods before moving inside another worn down building. I sigh, but follow close behind.

"Hello?" He calls like he has in every other building we've searched. "Anyone in here?" We move around slowly, making sure the foundation will hold us, before we look for the kitchen and whatever else might help. I could really use another outfit, mine is all worn and torn and has more holes in it than swiss cheese. Dean's is the same way, and I feel bad for the both of us.

"I would give anything to smell the chemicals from the factory over this any day," I say as I open the cupboards in the kitchen, finding a pack of Ritz crackers, them slightly smashed but in good condition you might say.

"Tell me about it," he sighs as he searches through the lower cabinets.

"I used to complain about the factories. Wishing that I could smell trees and things of that nature that my grandmother used to tell me about. I regret complaining so much, I didn't realize how good I actually--"

"What do you think you're doing?!" A voice interrupts me, causing me to scream and Dean to smack his head on the cupboard as he stands up abruptly. Turning around, we come face to face with a girl that is tall, scrawny, bruised and blistered, and blonde. "I asked you both a question," she snaps, before I realize that the bean pole is also carrying a giant stick. As awful as it may sound, I almost want to laugh at how funny the picture before us looks.

"We've only come to find food," Dean begins softly as he holds his hands up in a surrendering position, and that's also when I realize that she has blue eyes. She's human. I also think this is the first moment she actually looked at Dean, because her demeanor seems to have changed.

"Oh, well there's nothing here, I've already searched." A smile overcomes her face, and I'm beginning to wonder if that's her idea of flirtation. If it is, she's horrible at it.

"Well, funny thing, because I found crackers," I smile in triumph before holding up the package of Ritz crackers.

"Do you want a medal?" She snaps, before rolling her eyes. "I'm telling you right now that I already searched this house for stuff, I don't know how I didn't catch those."

"If you've already searched, why are you here now?" I ask. I can't help but be eerie with this new girl. I should be happy we found a survivor, and a human at that, but to be honest I'm not sure how I feel.

"Rude much? And I'm staying here, it's the only house in town that is in the best condition." She glances at Dean, before cocking her head to the side, "Well, where have you come from?" She asks, ignoring me completely, her focus entirely on the Norovian.

"Cheyenne. What town's this?" He asks, either ignoring her flirting or realizing it's not even there.

"Brookfield. A freaking asteroid hit near by and the impact shook this town to bits. I'm surprised I even survived."

"We are too," I speak up. "But we did and here we are and I really want to get out of here, so if you don't mind," I say before walking past her, hoping to get outside and hoping that she doesn't come along with us.

"Wait," she says before catching up with me. "Don't you think we should stick together? You're the first people I've found."

"I think we should," Dean says from behind and I want to slap him. "We did want to find survivors."

"Perfect," she claps like she's ten. "I'm Carol, by the way," she announces, while holding a hand out to Dean. He shakes it.

"Dean."

"And you?" She asks as she turns to me.

"I'm charmed by this warming, but me? I want to get out of here like I kindly said two minutes ago." Dean sends me a confused look, before I put on the fakest smile ever. "Oh, I'm Ella, by the way." Dean still watches me with a funny look, as I continue the smiling facade and shake her hand.

"I need to get my stuff, but then when I come out I can help you guys look for more stuff and get out of the town faster."

"Great," Dean smiles, just as she disappears inside. "What was that?" He growls. "We find a human and you act like your annoyed." I roll my eyes.

"I don't know," I shrug, "There's just something about her, and she's kinda rude."

"Are you serious? You're going to go there about rude? You weren't the nicest to her, either. She's a survivor and a human! You should be thrilled." He looks rather disgusted with me, and I can't quite blame him. I don't even know the girl, I mean she can't really be all that bad, right?

"You're right," I sigh. "I'm sorry I'm just on edge with everything." Just as I say this, she appears out of the house with what looks like a sling bag, that's just as beat up as she is, and her large stick is nowhere to be found.

"This is so exciting I haven't talked to anyone in what seems like forever. Especially a Norovian," she smiles that flirty smile again, and I can't help it but scoff. Dean shoots me a look, and I try to cover it up with a cough, before we walk around and attempt at finding more supplies.