text: [Themes: love & dating, post-apocalyptic, dystopia]
  
  The flickering of the light from above gives the room a blueish tint as you and Ashley finish yet another game of Jenga.
  
  The tenth straight game of Jenga.
  
  "Are you even trying anymore, do you just want to go to bed already then?" She asks you while grouping together all the fallen bricks.
  
  You lazily nod, getting up to your feet and heading for your bed. Normally you would have added a sarcastic or snarky reply but you just weren't feeling it today. In fact you were feeling worse than usual, which no doubt had to do with the whole failure with the radio.
  
  Ashley knew this too but didn't want to bring it up and and make you feel even more like shit.
  
  Sweet girl.
  
  [Author's Note: It's you and her against the world. Entry for Endmasters Romance contest.]
  
  > Memory
  When warning of the incoming missles came you never really planned on taking anyone else with you when you were rushing to your bunker from your apartment.
  
  Ashley came out to meet you outside in tje parking lot when you were busy packing all your essentials into your car before leaving, she was in a much higher state of hysteria then you that's for sure. You couldn't really hear her out of all the noise from the other escaping residents but you knew she wanted to come with you.
  
  It seems as if she knew that you had a plan, as she saw you packing your shit since she lived right next door to you. Her voice was really nasally and she was pleading through her tears and mucus.
  
  Not really sure how to turn her down in a situation like that, and needing another pair of hands to leave sooner, you agreed to take her along.
  
  How would it be had you been alone you wondered.
  
  > Time
  It was going to take time to wait out the fallout.
  
  Utilizing the radio would have given a better estimate.
  
  Not getting it to work really pissed you off, more because of the fact that you didn't even know what you were doing wrong.
  
  Estimates before the dropping of the bombs said that two weeks would be enough for the fallout to calm down enough for any dwellers to leave their shelters and resurface.
  
  That didn't take account for if there had been a secondary invasion, along with fact that you didn't even know exactly where the bombs dropped.
  
  Nevertheless you still only had a week left before you could leave.
  
  Ashley didn't seem as distressed as you were. Probably because she thought you were prepared, given her calmness.
  
  Truth was you were absolutely scared shitless now that you couldn't get the radio to work.
  
  For now you would have to decide whether or not to resurface after the two week period, or stay under ground and wait it out a bit longer.
  
  > leave after the week
  Ashley wouldn't stay this calm forever. Two weeks would have been enough time for the local national guard to make some sort of effort to bring back order and peace no matter how minimal.
  
  You spent the last week in your shelter getting supplies ready for departure and teaching Ashley how her gaskmask would work and the workings of the Beretta that you would supply her.
  
  She was a bit intimidated by all of this at first, but she was someone who learned quickly.
  
  "Where's the gun that you'll be using?"
  
  "I'm not going to be using one."
  
  "Why?" A little bit of fear came over her face as she looked as if she was about to hand over the gun to you.
  
  "My eyesight isn't really the best with my age. Yeah I can still see fine up close but I'm not going to be able to aim as well as you are."
  
  "But surely you need someway to defend yourself."
  
  Trying to assure her, you take out your stiletto from its sheathe and flip it open for her to see.
  
  "Trust me I'll be able to do more with this." You laugh.
  
  She smiles a bit but there's still hints of of her earlier worried expression on her face.
  
  "How old are you again." Ashley asks.
  
  "41...How old are you?"
  
  "That's a very rude question to ask a girl."
  
  You both laugh.
  
  "23."
  
  You really hope she knew how to use that gun.
  
  > Resurface
  It would be time to leave the shelter soon. You couldn't even describe how unsteady your stomach felt as the time drew ever so nearer.
  
  Along with your gas masks that you would have equipped you would also try to cover as much skin as possible just in case the radiation still posed any kind of danger.
  
  Due to you wanting to conserve ammo, you weren't really able to show Ashley how to use the gun but rather give her basic tips to insure that she was able to fire in properly and have some sort of aiming efficiency.
  
  You didn't want to make her carry too much so you packed most of the food in your own pack.
  
  You hoped that you wouldn't have to entirely ditch the shelter, but you had to prepare for the case that you wouldn't be able to return back.
  
  The local city from your bunker was about a half hour walk so making it back would most likely have some challenge to it.
  
  Lost in your thoughts, it was Ashley who brought you back into reality as you realized you were just about to open your shelter door.
  
  "You ready?"
  
  "I don't know what to be ready for to be honest." You joked with semi-seriousness.
  
  "Well whatever it is, we have each others backs."
  
  "Yeah, we do."
  
  > Welcome to the new world
  Your car was a rusty piece of shit.
  
  The surrounding woods faired no better. Everything had such a tint of brown that you grimaced in disgust. The lush life that once hid your small bunker was now a desolate quiet ruin.
  
  Everything you excepted of a dead forest was right in front of you. Even the deafness of it all gave your body shivers.
  
  You had to use as much daylight to your advantage if you were to get your plans done before nightfall. You didn't want to uncesssarly use your flashlight when you could easily avoid staying out for too long.
  
  "Were are we going first?" Ashley asks.
  
  "I guess we should head into Henderson and see if we can find anything or anyone. That's the biggest city in the area so if the military were to be anywhere then it would be there."
  
  "Sounds good. I think it would be quicker if we went through the woods, though following the road would be easier." Ashley analyzed to which you were impressed.
  
  Looking at you she senses your wonder. "Oh I used to hike a lot with a couple of friends from college. We would get lost in the woods all the time."
  
  You wondered what else she was hiding that could be to your benefit.
  
  > Woods
  If it meant that you would save daylight and that Ashley knew the way, then it would be a good idea to track through it.
  
  "O.K, if you're so sure about it then let's go through the woods."
  
  "Great, just follow my lead then. I'm pretty sure I know the general direction of Henderson."
  
  The farther you went into the woods, the thicker the dead trees became. You continued to trust Ashley as she never slowed down her pace, and you soon lost all your worries in your quiet surroundings.
  
  That is, until you heard Ashley scream in pain.
  
  You saw her drop fast as you went into full alert, pulling out your pocket knife within seconds.
  
  Looking around in your general vicinity you saw no hostiles, making you a bit confused until you gave Ashley closer inspection.
  
  Her foot had been clamped in a bear trap.
  
  Howling in her pain, she started writhing around as she tried clutching her wounded leg.
  
  Bending down to try and inspect the damage of it, you saw that it had bitten into her flesh pretty deep.
  
  "Get it off!" She shrieks in agony.
  
  "Fuck, let me see what I can do."
  
  Fuck this wasn't a normal bear trap either, the teeth had been sharpened to a degree that it made it much more deadly than it's normal counter part. Enough damage had been done to make Ashley's lower shin petrude from the skin in a grisly sight that you wanted to avert your eyes from.
  
  "Press the springs down!" Ashley cries as she points too them on the trap.
  
  Before you can follow her instructions however, you hear a loud gunshot ring through the air as you instantly fall face first into the soft dirt.
  
  Your vision quickly starts turning black as your start to feel drowsy.
  
  The last thing you hear are Ashley's screams as you fall into eternal slumber.