Charted Inheritance II

"Hello there."

"What up beautiful?"

"Can you give me your phone number?"

Reese tried not to comment on it. But it was disturbing how every time Isaac is faced with his reflection he acts as if talking to a woman.

There are a lot of cars with windows. Isaac might keep doing the entire time.

"Are you a narcist?" Reese couldn't help but ask.

"I'm trying to entertain myself because this place is driving me nuts." Isaac frowns.

"I can't imagine the things that you'd do if you're alone."

"Are you saying I'm mental?"

Reese raised both hands and steps back to create distance between them.

Both men are walking down the road of the abandoned city. Cars parked in one straight line as if they were stuck in traffic.

"I said nothing."

"I gave interpretation that what you're implying."

"There is no implication."

The truth is that they were both hungry and thirsty. Water bottles were dirty and polluted with some rotten egg smell.

There are no signs of food either or animals to hunt. None of the cars had gas left for them to use.

Buildings were empty. No clothes they could use. No supplies and no weapons.

"This is like an unfinished Zone or something." Reese says when they pass by another building. "Do you want to check this building?"

"Be my guest. I'm not climbing another set of stairs without water." Isaac replied grumpily.

They rest behind the shade of the car or inside the car if the sun is too hot and bright.

"I'm not forcing you."

"Look man, I'm so hungry I could eat you if I can't help it."

"And what, drink my blood, you zombie?" Reese teased.

Isaac raises his eyebrow at him. "You mean vampires. Vampires drink blood."

"Vampires don't exist. Zombies do." Reese explains.

"Zombies may as well be vampires, they also drink blood. They just prefer raw organs is all. It's all about preference."

Isaac is still cranky but Reese can tolerate his attitude. He would take cranky over loneliness anytime.

Reese wants to keep his head cool to be able to make unclouded judgments.

Especially that they are in uncharted territory. He needs to be focused and deliver the message back to the Militia.

"So they're like Bloodivores?" Reese tries to joke.

Isaac's scowl does not change. "You mean Carnivore?"

"Carnivore is feeding on flesh, but vampires feed on blood. So Bloodivore."

"Hematovore would be better."

"What's that?"

"Hematophagy is what you call animals that drinks blood." Isaac explains.

This time Reese noticed that his scowl is gone. Replaced by a thick smug grin matching his arrogant aura.

"In conclusion, vampires are animals." Reese rode his joke.

"So are zombies."

The two didn't notice how senseless their discussion was. But it helped them calm down and remove the stress from being trapped in an abandoned city.

Knowing that there are zombies nearby is better than not knowing the unknown that awaits them.

_______________________

At some point of their long walk, Isaac tries to open one car door at a time.

Just so he could check if there is anything they can scavenge from there.

"Not a pillow, not a cigarette, nothing." Isaac slams the door of one SUV in disappointment.

"Keys in the ignition but no gas?" Reese speaks from the white sedan he is in.

Reese is moving the wheel, hitting the pedal and changing the gear as if driving the car of the white sedan.

"Enjoying your immovable bump car?" Isaac mocks with a grin.

"Imagine how young boys enjoyed driving a car without actually moving." Reese said and chuckled.

Isaac shakes his head at him and checks another car.

"You poor child." he tries to impersonate an old woman with an Old English accent. "Must I educate you that driving isn't driving if you're not moving?"

"Hey! Our Home Zone is one of the most deprived among City Zones." Reese defends.

Isaac bobs his head coyly.

"Stop that!"

"A nun raised you, huh? Did I get her right?"

Reese chuckled and throws a bottle of polluted water at him. Isaac dodges, striding forward and entering the minivan in front of the convertible he stood next to.

"I wasn't raised by a nun. She was a priestess." Reese bragged. "And she is beautiful."

"Mother of roses, tell me all about your pretty priestess."

"I don't remember much. She sent me to army camp for boys when I'm old enough to fit in."

"Doesn't hurt to reminisce someone pretty." Isaac licked his lips as he sat in the driver's seat.

He spots a car phone charger and a black chord. He smiled as wide as Cheshire's smile.

"Reese! Come over here, I found something!"

Reese hopped over cars and joins him. "Did you find food?"

"Who needs food? Food is for the hungry."

"We are hungry."

Isaac ignores him and raises the black chord. "Give me the phone and let's call for help."

"You are one crazy, hungry genius!" Reese compliments.

Reese gives the phone at once and Isaac attempts to charge it but it wouldn't fit in.

"Oh come on!" Isaac groaned in frustration.

"What? It doesn't work? Car battery's dead?"

"No, it's a micro. Yours is Type C." Reese shows him.

Reese frowned at the difference. "Who invented these anyway?"

"Why must these nerd-balls make our life so difficult?" Isaac is as disappointed as he is.

"Did you check the dashboard cabinet?" Reese offered.

Isaac tried to reach for it but it wouldn't open. Reese slides over the car's hood and enters the car to try and open the cabinet.

"Fishy." Isaac smirks.

"Check for any tools."

Both of them checked under their seats and at the back of their seats for anything useful.

Reese bumps the cabinet with his knee and the dashboard cabinet bursts open. A series of tangled USB chords falls on his lap like little snakes.

"I found a knife. It's so rusty though." Isaac raises the rusty little knife.

"Keep it. We may be able to use it in the future."

"You keep it." he threw the knife. "I have a shotgun."

"Shotguns rely on bullets. Let's see you so brave when you run out."

"Better than that blunted piece of trash."

Reese chuckled and folds the knife, keeping it in his pocket. He goes back examining the tangled chords on his lap.

"Does any of those fit?"

"What's micro again?

"Micro has a rounded top and a flat bottom. Kind of like a round pentagon." Isaac tries to explain.

"A round pentagon?" Reese repeats confused.

"Forget it. Give me some, let me help."

The two untangled the chords and examines them all. Checking them one a a time.

"They're all micro." they both utter in disappointment.

They both sigh in defeat.