Hey guys

Thank you for the nice reviews. I finally got around to write the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it as well

Chapter 5

Neither of them knew how long they stood there. After what felt like hours they broke apart. Everything was silent. Matt took her hand and sat down with her. She cuddled against him. It felt like they were waiting for death. And they kept waiting, minutes, hours, longer maybe. They still couldn't see anything. After a few hours Emily felt something wet under her fingers, which still touched his scar. He was crying.

"Matt?", she whispered. He pulled her a bit closer. He was breaking down, she felt it. He was shaking again, he was crying, he was falling apart. This had been too much to take. He lost his group, the people he was supposed to protect, even the children. At that moment he only wished for death, he wanted this to end, but at the same time he wanted Emily to stay as close as she was right now, he wanted her warmth against him and her lips on his lips.

"They're gone… I failed them.", he whispered. They were going to die anyway, so he might as well speak with her now and get it over with. This would attract the predators, like his cry had attracted the predators years ago, when he was still a tiny baby, when his mother, barely twenty, decided to give her life for her baby and her husband, just like Gideon gave his life for him. He failed them all. And they were going to die, as two of the last humans on earth. Soon there would be no human left on earth.

"You couldn't have known, Matt. You couldn't have stopped them." Matt shook his head. He pulled her a little closer, to him, to feel her body against his, to feel her comfortable warmth. His strong arms around her, made feel safe. Even if this was the end, she wouldn't be afraid anymore. This might be her end, but he would at least try to protect her, despite his threats mere days ago. He was just trying to protect his people after all.

"I should have died with them." Emily was shocked by his words. She pulled her hand away from the fascinating scar and looked and let it trail down to his neck, where she could feel his heartbeat against her fingertips.

"No. You still have me, Matt. You still have to protect me." Despite not being able to see her, he turned his head around, as if to look at her. He tried to see her, to be sure, if she really meant that. And she did, but he couldn't see it. "I know nothing about this time, yet I am forced to stay here. Someone has to make sure I survive." Their lives had fallen apart, there was nothing left for either of them, but the other. Matt listened to what was outside. There was nothing. No sound or movement, apart from her breathing could be hear. Still, he didn't move until much later. Then he slowly opened the door and nothing attacked them. It seemed like the creatures had given up to find the remaining two humans. Emily followed him. She didn't know where they were going, she didn't pay attention how they got here, so she took his hand and let him lead her. Soon they reached the room the others were in. The room they spend the nights in was dark, but there was no predator left. The door to the surface of the dead earth was open. Matt closed it, then he reached for the small generator, to turn on the lights again. He wished he didn't. There was blood everywhere and a few body parts lay on the floor, but he didn't want to look too closely. He didn't want to identify them, because he knew, that every scar on his groups body would tell him their story and would make him remember how he failed them.

"Collect the cleanest blankets.", he ordered, while he started to collected other stuff from the floor. Emily could see how hard this was for him, but he functioned somehow. He pushed the pain aside and just did the only useful thin: Pack, so they could leave and try to survive. She wanted to be with him and hold him again, but they couldn't stay here. Without a word he took the blankets from her and packed them in a bag, and then he reached for other pieces of fabric. One of them he handed to her. It was an old jacket made of a material she didn't know. As if he sensed the question, he told her what it was made of.

"Predator skin. It shields us from the sun." This was the only chance they had, it was clear to both of them. This shelter no longer protected humans, because the predators knew where it was now. They could always return.

With a bit of food and what was left of Matt's previous life, the two of them left the shelter. The trapdoor remained open, signaling, that it was no longer safe to stay there. Matt took her hand again, to lead her. They walked fast through the dead landscape of what used to be England. Matt seemed to know exactly where he was going. He led her for hours until something could be heard in the distance. Not a predator, but something scarier. Something they heard before. Matt immediately wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She instinctively buried her face in his chest again. This action alone protected her from breathing in the toxic air which the storm brought. They waited, safe from predators during the storm, but unable to walk on. And Emily had no idea what this was doing to him. She felt him tremble, but it was the only indication of what was happening to him. As soon as the storm faded, the man took her hand again and continued to walk with her. He seemed so strong. But he wasn't. It took them maybe another hour to reach the shelter Matt had been looking for. He opened another trapdoor and let Emily get in before him. Then he locked it from the inside. It looked like a once great building, left by a lost civilization, the last remaining prove of how great humanity was, before something destroyed it. Matt took care of the electricity. Emily could see him shaking, then she heard his coughs and desperate gasps for breaths.

"Matt? What is it?", the young woman asked. He leaned against the wall.

"Toxic storm. I inhaled some of it." Worried, Emily stepped closer to him. Her hand touched his shoulder.

"Do you need anything?"; she asked in a soft tone. Matt nodded. His blue eyes were sad and full of pain. She wanted to comfort him, more than anything.

"Water and rest." He coughed again. Emily gently held his arm. She wanted him to rest comfortably, but this place didn't look like there was something like a bed, only the cold, hard floor. "Look around, Emily. Maybe there are other humans in here." Or creatures, but he didn't mention that. Emily nodded and did as she was told. She slowly walked and walked. The shelter used to be a great building once. There were many rooms; some of them were completely destroyed. The corridors looked strange to her. There were many geometrical forms, but the architecture was something she didn't know. It looked futuristic and she couldn't help, but wonder what this place was. Then she found a room, which was perfect for what she needed at this moment. There were curtains and behind those beds. There were real beds in this place and the door to this room could be locked as well. As quick as her feet carried her, she returned to the scared leader, who sat on the floor, with one of the small water bottles they carried with them in his hands. He looked so weak and miserable and the water didn't seem to stop his coughs.

"Matt, I found something. You need to come with me." He nodded and followed her. With him, it took her longer to find that room again, but they eventually did. Matt looked confused, but Emily just guided him onto a bed, without a word. She brought the bag they carried. Then she pulled out the blankets. She folded one of it into some kind of pillow for him; the other was wrapped around his body. When she lifted his head, she could clearly feel the heat on his skin. Emily closed the door to the room behind them and settled onto the second bed, close to Matt.

I wonder, if anybody already knows where they are.

Let me know what you think :)