The Breeze (F)

[Blah!?]

Hey everyone! It's time for something a little different...

By now I honestly can't remember how I came up with this idea in the first place, but after quite a long time slaving over it, it's finally ready. Before I begin, however, a few warnings:

1. This story is pretty darn long. I won't even tell you how many pages it is in Word because it will make you leave.

2. This story is extremely messy. If mess isn't your thing, I feel I should recommend that you leave now. Then again, mess isn't my thing either and I wrote this story anyway. Try it if you want, but I'm not responsible for any scarring.

And away we go...

-----

Shirley and Gwen dragged themselves down the side of what was once a highway. The sisters felt as if they had been walking for weeks, but in reality only a few days had passed since they left the last settlement. By now the sun was just beginning to set, so the sisters stuck to the edges of the road to look for a suitable campsite.

"How are you holding up, Shirley?" the younger sister asked, glancing over at her sibling. A lock of Shirley's bob-cut blonde hair stuck to the sweat of her brow, and she shook it away before responding.

"I'm doing alright. How about you?"

"I could go for a bed right about now," Gwen answered, trying her best to smile. Shirley let out a breathless laugh. She removed her glasses and wiped the sweat away from her eyes, blinking a few times to clear her vision.

"You and me both," Shirley chuckled, putting her glasses back on. "Hell, I'd even share one with you."

The sisters laughed, and then they continued on in silence. Shirley occasionally sipped from the water bottle she kept in her backpack, but otherwise the only sound the travelers could hear was that of their own footsteps. Not even crickets made a peep as the sun began to creep below the treetops. The siblings were a bit dismayed that they never found a good campsite, but the side of the road would work just as well as anywhere else. However, to her surprise, Shirley caught sight of a familiar shape on the horizon just as they were about to stop.

"Hey," Shirley said, tapping Gwen's shoulder, "does that look like a car to you?"

"Yeah, yeah it does," Gwen replied, squinting out into the distance. "Think it still runs?"

"Maybe, but even if it doesn't, it'll be a safer place to sleep than out in the open," Shirley said, smiling at her sister. She unslung the hunting rifle from her back and pressed the stock to her shoulder. Cars were a rare sight, and nearly all the ones that hadn't been claimed by settlements turned out to be traps. That is, if they were even still functional.

Shirley and Gwen crept around the car, keeping their footsteps as quiet as possible. They checked the tree line for any signs of life, and once they were certain they were alone, they finally peered in through the windows.

"No keys," Gwen sighed, leaning against the car in dismay. Shirley shook her head, smiling at her sister.

"Well, I didn't learn how to hotwire for nothing. Give me a minute, I'll figure something out," the elder sister said. She tugged at the cuffs of her tattered suit jacket, and then she tried the door handle. By some miracle, the car's driver seat door simply swung open, unlocked. Gwen rolled her eyes as Shirley stuck out her tongue.

"Will it even start?" Gwen asked, opening the front passenger door and sitting next to her sister. Shirley shrugged, and then she broke away a plastic panel under the steering wheel.

"Any cars that run on fly-by-wire were fried in The Arrival, same as anything else with a microchip. Cars from the 90s and before are generally good, but it's anyone's guess with cars from the early 2000s like this one. I just hope it's analog," Shirley rambled, pulling out a few wires.

"You're such a nerd," Gwen laughed, running a hand through her blonde ponytail.

"Rude," Shirley pouted, glaring at her sister over her glasses for a second before getting back to work. Gwen watched intently as Shirley dug around in her backpack and removed a pair of wire cutters. After stripping a few wires, Shirley began to tap them together, and after a brief struggle, the car came to life.

"See? I got this," Shirley said with a smirk, folding her arms. Gwen stuck out her chin and applauded sarcastically. Then, Shirley's eyes widened and she leaned across the car's center console toward her sister.

"Can I drive, Gwen? Can I? Please, please, please!" Shirley pleaded, clasping her hands together. Gwen rolled her eyes, putting her hands on her hips.

"How's your Breeze?" she asked, giving Shirley a serious stare. The elder sister sniffed twice and then squished the flat tip of her nose with a finger, testing her nasal passages. Even Gwen couldn't help but smile at how silly it looked. Giving Shirley a clean bill of health, Gwen nodded and buckled her seatbelt.

"Woo hoo!" Shirley cheered, pulling her door shut. After shifting the car into drive, she put her foot to the floor. Gwen yelped, glaring at her sister for her recklessness. Shirley gave Gwen a goofy smile, and then both sisters began to laugh. Eventually their giggles died down as Shirley flipped the headlights on, and Gwen snuggled down into her chair.

"We can drive in shifts," Gwen yawned, scratching her belly. "Wake me up if you get tired, or if-"

"Yeah, I know," Shirley interrupted, staring out at the road. She shook her head irritably, preferring not to talk about the ever-present elephant in the room. Gwen decided not to press the issue, so she closed her eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Gwen was usually able to get a good night's sleep, but she always wound up having dreams about the horrors of the past few years. Not necessarily nightmares, just vivid dreams and memories. It all began with an event known as The Arrival.

Three years ago, an alien presence descended from the sky, bringing death en masse. Every unshielded microchip on the planet was rendered useless in an instant, and the human population was reduced from seven billion to just a few hundred thousand over the course of three months. There was no war, no struggle, and very little noticeable destruction. People simply died and disappeared by the thousands every day. Then, once humanity was rendered an endangered species, the invaders disappeared as quickly as they had come. They were never even given an official name, so the survivors of the event simply referred to the aliens as "Them." The one detail of the invasion that scared Gwen the most is that no one knew for sure if They were gone, or if They were simply waiting to finish what they started.

As if the invasion wasn't bad enough, They brought suffering as well as death. The first confirmed case of The Breeze was documented within two weeks of Their arrival. The Breeze was a never before seen disease of otherworldly origin. It was completely undeterred by any treatment known to mankind, and it almost always resulted in death. At stage one of infection, the victim would occasionally get the chills or suffer an attack. When a Breeze attack happens, the victim expels vast quantities of mucus through the nose in a debilitating and dehydrating fit. While the attacks aren't directly harmful, they become more common and more vigorous as the disease progresses. By stage four of infection, the victim's fits are constant and they quickly die of dehydration.

Shirley and Gwen were largely unaffected by The Arrival. They were away from home on vacation with each other, and the town they were visiting was lucky enough to be overlooked by the invaders. Though the news from the rest of the world didn't give them much hope, the sisters decided to band together with other survivors and help in the creation of a new settlement in the wake of the disaster. Slowly but surely the settlement grew into a safe and stable town, and the residents began to grow accustomed to their new lives. Then, just under two years ago, Shirley caught The Breeze.

No one was quite sure how The Breeze was transmitted, but some people seemed to contract it at random with no prior indication. Shirley was one such case. Luckily, other people seemed to be completely immune to the disease, such as Gwen. Furthermore, most Breeze victims died within five months of infection. Somehow, Shirley had managed to live a year and a half without progressing beyond stage one. Her fits were few and far between, and she could sometimes go for weeks without showing any symptoms at all, but The Breeze still hit her just as hard as anyone else. Shirley was determined to be strong for herself and her younger sister, but Gwen worried about her constantly. In some rare cases, The Breeze would stop before reaching stage four, leaving it a dangerous but still much less threatening ailment. Shirley constantly tried to convince her sister she was one of the lucky few, but Gwen wasn't quite so hopeful.

Gwen awoke to the sound of chattering teeth and heavy breathing. She immediately sat bolt-upright and stared at Shirley to find her hunched over in the driver seat, her knuckles white on the steering wheel. Her skin was pale and clammy, and she was shivering uncontrollably, causing the car to jitter back and forth across the road.

"Shirley!" Gwen shouted, causing her sister to jump in her seat. "Stop the car!"

"I'm not having a fit!" Shirley protested, shaking her head. "I'm just getting the chills, that's all." Her voice was horribly congested, and she had to sniffle almost constantly to keep her nose from overflowing. She wiped her nostrils on her wrist and pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose, staring intently out at the road.

"Stop the damn car!" Gwen repeated, nearly screaming. Shirley shook her head, even more vigorously than before.

"No! I'm fahh... Haahhhh... HAAAASCHHOOOOOH!!!"

Shirley sneezed powerfully, sending a mess of thick, opaque mucus blasting out of her nostrils. The mucus splattered across the inside of the car's windshield, obscuring her view of the road. Squeezing her eyes shut, Shirley cringed as she felt even more mucus starting to drip onto her lap, falling from her nose in globs.

"Shirley! Stop!" Gwen shrieked, wrapping a hand around the car's parking brake just in case her sister continued to object. Thankfully, Shirley nodded in dismay, gently easing her foot up off the accelerator.

"Hah-Haah-Haaahhh... HAAEEESCHHHOOOOOH!!!"

Shirley sneezed again, coating the windshield with another layer of snot. She accidentally slammed a foot down on the brake, and the car skidded off the road. The vehicle thumped over the grass for a few feet and finally came to a stop, leaving the sisters jostled but unharmed. Gwen pulled the parking brake to keep the car from rolling as Shirley threw her door open and leaned outside.

"HAEESCHOOOOOO!!!"

Shirley sprayed the ground with mucus as she sneezed again, and then she took a deep, ragged breath through her mouth. Gwen leaned over the car's center console and placed her hands on her sister's back, cringing at how cold she felt. She could feel Shirley's freezing skin even through her shirt and jacket.

"Gweh... Gwen, I'm... Hahhh... HAAASCHHHHOOOOOH!!!"

"It's okay, it's okay," Gwen said softly, rubbing Shirley's back. "Just take your time. Let it all out, then drink some water."

Shirley nodded weakly before spraying another sneeze into the grass outside the car. She coughed as Gwen gently patted her on the back, and then she resumed hosing down the ground outside with a near-unending fit of sneezes.

After what must have been at least half an hour, Shirley's sneezing finally came to a stop. Still, she was shivering and wheezing, and mucus continued to pour from her nostrils in sheets, piling up on the ground under her head. Gwen dug around in her backpack for a blanket, draping it over Shirley's shoulders and wrapping her up as best she could. Shirley's breathing calmed, but she continued to shiver.

"Want some water?" Gwen asked, pulling a fresh bottle from her bag. Shirley nodded weakly, and Gwen crept around to the other side of the car. She unscrewed the bottle cap and dropped a straw into it, allowing her to hold the bottle away from her sister's dripping nose as she drank.

"Thank you," Shirley whispered, taking a sip of water. Gwen nodded, trying her best to smile. She was furious with her sister for being so stubborn, but she was too concerned for Shirley's health to yell at her.

"I'b so sorry, Gwed," Shirley snuffled after another sip. "You're right, I should have stopped."

"Just shut up and drink," Gwen said with a weak chuckle. "I'll yell at you later."

Shirley quickly drained the water bottle, and Gwen put it back in her bag in case they had a chance to refill it. The mucus pouring from Shirley's nose eventually slowed to a drizzle, then a trickle, and then it finally stopped. Gwen opened her travel pack of tissues, dismayed to find less than a dozen left.

"I hate to say it, but we're going to run out soon," Gwen said, handing her sister a tissue. Shirley took it gratefully and wiped her nose, starting to sniffle. She folded the tissue, held it under her nostrils, and then gave a long, wet blow.

"My greatest fear," Shirley joked, smiling up at her sister. Her voice was weak, but it had regained some of its usual playfulness. Gwen gently patted Shirley on the back and returned to the passenger seat. She didn't have quite the same stomach for morbid humor as Shirley, but she tried to enjoy it while she could.

"Reminds me of hayfever season back home," Shirley continued, wiping her nose again. Gwen chuckled and leaned her seat back as far as she could. She could already tell they weren't going to get any more driving done that night. After blowing her nose one more time, Shirley tossed the used tissue out of the car, closed the door, and leaned her own chair back. The sisters noticed for the first time that the car had a moon roof, and Gwen leaned up to pull the cover open, revealing the glass.

"Just like camping," Gwen said longingly. Shirley grunted, taking off her glasses for the night.

"Camping was lame, Gwen. You were the only one who liked it."

"You were the only one who didn't!"

"Was not! Shut up!"

"Were too! You were always 'ew, there's so many bugs,' or 'brr, it's too cold,' or 'boohoo, my allergies are acting up.' Nerd," Gwen teased, slapping her sister's shoulder.

"Rude," Shirley murmured, rolling over to face the side of the car. Her sister began to laugh, and sure enough Shirley did too. After the giggling came to a stop, Gwen wanted to wish Shirley goodnight, but the soft sound of snoring silenced her, and she fell asleep a few minutes later.

The next morning, Shirley slowly opened her eyes to the bright sun, feeling groggy but overall much better than she had the night before. She squinted through the car's window, a blurry shape filling her vision outside. After slipping her glasses on, Shirley gasped as she saw another car sitting alongside their own.

"What is it?" Gwen slurred, woken up by Shirley's gasp. Gwen rubbed her eyes and rolled over, not wanting to get up yet, but Shirley's hand on her shoulder startled her a bit.

"There's another car," Shirley whispered gravely. Gwen tensed up, and she slowly, calmly reached a hand for the pistol strapped to her waist.

"Looking for this?" an unfamiliar voice butted in, starting a scream out of both sisters. They turned toward the source of the sound to see a smirking figure with smooth, Asian features crouching just outside the open passenger door. Gwen's pistol hung loosely from the woman's left index finger, and she held a weapon of her own in her right hand.

"Morning, sleepyheads," the woman said, her smile widening. "Let me tell you how this is going to go down. I already siphoned your gas, so you can forget about this car. But, I'm not completely heartless, so I'll tell you what. I'm heading for the next settlement, and you can come with me if you want. Just no funny business, okay?"

"Okay," Shirley answered, nodding her head slowly. Gwen glared at her, but both sisters knew they didn't have much choice.

"Good," the woman said with mock glee. "Now, let's get your things."

Gwen slowly stepped out of the car as the woman quickly made her way around to the driver's side before Shirley could get out. She stuffed Gwen's pistol into her pants and then held out her empty hand as Shirley opened her door.

"Rifle, please."

"What!?" Shirley stammered, clutching the weapon to her chest. The woman rolled her eyes and pointed her revolver straight at Shirley's forehead.

"Put a sock in it, four-eyes. Give me the gun or I'll leave you here. I like to stick with handguns, so I promise to give it back when we part ways," the woman said, no amusement in her voice.

"Can't I just keep it then?" Shirley asked, feeling a bit confused.

"Look, you seem like a friendly little dork," the woman said with a groan, "but even still, I can't say I trust you not to shoot the nice lady who just stole your gas. Now, give me the gun or take a walk." She narrowed her sharp eyes, waiting for Shirley to respond. Eventually, Shirley took a deep breath and begrudgingly handed her hunting rifle to the woman.

"Will you at least tell us your name?" Shirley asked as she stepped out of the car. The woman shrugged, figuring there was no harm in it.

"Call me Hyun," she said, slinging the rifle over her back. Shirley nodded, and then she and Gwen loaded their backpacks into the trunk of Hyun's car. Gwen was ready to climb inside, but Shirley stepped up next to Hyun, admiring the vehicle.

"1972 Gran Torino," Shirley mumbled, talking to herself. Hyun smiled, glancing briefly at Shirley.

"Damn right. She's a beauty, isn't she?"

"Yeah," Shirley said, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "I'm a bit of a car nerd."

"I'm lucky my boyfriend was too," Hyun said, stepping around to the driver's side. Shirley glanced up at her and then looked back at the car.

"Is he still around?" she asked, though she wasn't quite sure why she cared.

"Not anymore. He had The Breeze."

"Oh," Shirley said sympathetically, putting her hands behind her back. "I'm sorry."

"It's long done," Hyun said, unlocking her door. "But, thanks for reminding me. Which one of you has it?"

A chill ran up both sisters' spines. Some people didn't take too well to meeting Breeze victims. Even though the infections seemed to be completely random, many people were still convinced the disease was contagious.

"How do you-" Gwen tried to ask, but Hyun cut her off.

"I siphoned your gas, short stuff. Don't you think I paid attention to your car? Something tells me that slime all over the windshield isn't just decoration."

"It's me," Shirley spoke up, raising a hand weakly. "I have it."

"Shirley!" Gwen stammered, a bewildered look on her face.

"Hey, don't sweat it," Hyun said, holstering her weapon. "You just sit in the front so you can stick your head out the window if you have to. I don't want you snotting all over my car."

Gwen frowned silently to herself, but all three travelers climbed into the car without any trouble. Hyun turned the key and the engine came to life with a roar. Smiling to herself, Hyun slipped a pair of aviator sunglasses onto the bridge of her wide nose and shifted the car into drive. Shirley stared out the window as they left their old vehicle behind, and once it disappeared from view, the only things she could see in any direction were trees and pavement.

After the invasion, there simply weren't enough people left to maintain the world's large, urban areas. As such, most cities were slowly being reclaimed by nature. It certainly made things nice to look at, if only in a gloomy sort of way. Every so often, Shirley spotted an overgrown house through the trees. Her eyes widened when they realized they weren't driving through a forest, but rather the remains of what used to be a town.

"Ah..."

She wasn't sure what was causing it, but Shirley suddenly felt a tickle in her nose. It wasn't a fit, she could tell that much, but she knew even one sneeze would probably send Gwen into a panic attack. Still, Shirley knew there was nothing she could do, and even though she wasn't having a Breeze fit, it would probably still make a mess. Ever since she caught the disease, even her regular sneezes had become rather disastrous.

"Ahh... Ah-Ahh-Ahhh!"

Shirley hurriedly rolled her window down and stuck her head outside. The rushing air threw her blonde hair all around her face, and she was worried she might lose her glasses. By now it was too late, so Shirley simply let it out.

"HAAEESCHHHOOOOH!!!"

A thick glob of mucus splattered on the side of the road, blown from Shirley's nose by her sneeze. She settled back into her seat, holding the back of her wrist to her wet nostrils and earning a concerned glance from both Gwen and Hyun.

"Shirley!" Gwen cried, sliding over in the car's back seat to sit behind her sister. Shirley sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve, starting to feel better already.

"You okay, Breezy?" Hyun asked, glancing at her passenger for a second. Shirley nodded, rolling the window up with one hand and adjusting her glasses with the others.

"I'm fine. I can sneeze without having a fit, you know. Jeez."

"I know, just be careful, okay?" Gwen stammered, reaching a hand into her pocket. "We're almost out of tissues, remember?"

"I'm sure you'll be able to buy more in town," Hyun interjected, rolling her eyes. "We'll be there soon."

Shirley nodded, accepting one of the last tissues from Gwen. She gave her nose a wet blow and then reclined in her seat, letting out a content sigh. Shirley yawned deeply, and both she and Gwen realized how tired they still were. Neither of them fully trusted Hyun, but despite that they managed to fall asleep anyway.

"State your business."

Shirley and Gwen were awoken by the sound of a man speaking through a gas mask. They turned to Hyun to see her leaning out her window, talking with a uniformed soldier. A large metal gate obstructed to road ahead, and two more soldiers stood on either side of it. Most settlements had one or two armed guards, so this one appeared to be doing very well for itself.

"Just passing through," Hyun explained, adjusting her sunglasses. "Picking up some supplies and then continuing on our way."

"Any infectees?" the soldier asked, glancing inside the car.

"One," Hyun said, gesturing to Shirley. "The rest of us are immune."

The soldier handed Hyun a pair of q-tips. She took them and passed one to Gwen, who simply stared at it in confusion. It was probably some sort of test to check for The Breeze, but she'd never seen one before. Gwen watched as Hyun inserted the q-tip into her left nostril and swabbed the inside of her nose. After frowning in displeasure, Gwen did the same and then handed her q-tip back to Hyun. She noticed it change to a faint green color as Hyun took it, and she assumed that meant she was free to go.

"We're not allowing infectees into the city proper at the present," the guard explained, looking through the window at Shirley. "She'll have to stay with your vehicle in the loading area. The two of you are free to go about your business."

Hyun nodded as the guard stepped back, and the gate slowly slid open after he gave a signal. The car slowly pulled into a large, walled-in parking area, and Hyun took the first free space she could find.

"I'm staying with Shirley," Gwen said, folding her arms.

"No you're not," Hyun said with a cheeky smile. Gwen raised her eyebrows and leaned forward.

"Yes I am."

"No, you are not," Hyun repeated, turning around in her seat to face the younger sister. Gwen glared at her, but Shirley leaned in between them and held up her hands.

"Gwen, it's okay. Just go with her and buy whatever we need. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," Shirley said, giving her sister a smile. Gwen sighed, hanging her head.

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Hyun rolled her eyes and stepped out of the car, and then she tipped her seat forward, allowing Gwen to climb out after her. Shirley settled down comfortably in her chair and waved as Gwen followed Hyun into town, but once they were out of sight, her teeth began to chatter.

Gwen pouted as she followed Hyun through the town's main shopping street. The first thing Hyun did was buy a canister of gasoline, probably the most expensive commodity in the entire town. Gwen wasn't sure where Hyun got that kind of money, but something told her she had a habit of robbing her acquaintances. Next, they headed for what appeared to be a general store. There, Gwen hoped she'd be able to buy some food, and more importantly, some tissues for Shirley.

"Oh, great," Hyun muttered to herself as she stepped through the door, seeing a medium-sized dog sitting next to the counter. She rubbed her wide nose and sniffed irritably, quickly heading for the far side of the store. Gwen smiled at the dog, crouching down next to it to pet it for a moment.

"TSHH!"

Hearing a sneeze, Gwen glanced around the store. It clearly wasn't the shopkeeper, and Hyun had already disappeared behind a set of shelves. Shrugging, she scratched the dog under its chin one more time and then she stood up to peruse the store. Gwen immediately grabbed the first pack of tissues she could find, but she was dismayed to discover it was the only one in the entire store. Happy to have found at least one, Gwen headed for the food section.

Hyun was already there, browsing a selection of bread. She sniffed, her oval-shaped nostrils narrowing for a second, and then she rubbed her nose again. Gwen slid up next to her and gave her a devilish smile.

"Hey," Gwen said, grinning like an idiot. Hyun glanced at her for a second, but she didn't respond.

"You see the dog up front?" Gwen asked, feeling awfully clever.

"Yes," Hyun grunted, scrunching up her nose.

"Pretty cute, wasn't it?"

"If you sahh... Hi'TISH!"

Hyun turned her head away from the food and sneezed, her dark brown ponytail swinging from side to side. She straightened up and rubbed her wide nose, feeling a dry itch filling her nasal passages. Grabbing the largest loaf of bread she could, Hyun grumbled to herself and brushed past Gwen.

"Look, I'm allergic. Now stop talking about it, you're making it wuhh... Hih-TSHHH!"

Gwen giggled triumphantly and followed Hyun up to the counter, paying for the tissues and food with what little money she and Shirley had left. Hyun held her nose shut as she stepped past the dog and out the door, but she couldn't help but sneeze as soon as she got outside.

"TSHHHOO!"

"Here, blow your nose," Gwen offered sarcastically, holding up the last tissue from her old pack.

"Blow your nose!" Hyun snapped, quickening her pace and heading back to the car. Gwen smiled to herself, following Hyun out to the loading area. However, her smile vanished instantly as she heard a familiar sound.

"Ah-Ahh-Ahhh! AAEESCHHHOOOOH!!!"

"Shirley!?" Gwen stammered, hearing her sister sneeze. She ran ahead of Hyun to find Shirley on her hands and knees beside the car, visibly shaking. Mucus drained from her nostrils, adding to an ever-growing pool on the pavement. Feeling a dozen conflicting emotions, Gwen dropped her bags on the ground and ran up to her sister.

"Shirley!" Gwen shrieked, falling to her knees next to her sister. She put a hand on Shirley's shoulder, feeling her freezing skin again. Gwen threw her arms around Shirley even as she felt the thick mucus starting to creep under her legs, giving her sister the best hug she could.

"HAAAASCHOOOO!!!"

Shirley sprayed the ground with a noseful of mucus as she felt Gwen's arms around her, and she did her best to acknowledge her sister's presence. However, all she could do was cringe as her nasal passages immediately filled with more of the same thick mess The Breeze had been giving her for the past 2 years.

"It's okay, I'm here," Gwen whispered, stroking Shirley's hair. "I'm here now. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"HAAAEESCHOOOH!!!"

"Just let her sneeze it all out," Hyun said, opening the trunk of the car to drop off her bags. "That's all you can do for her."

"Shut up!" Gwen screamed, glaring up at Hyun. "Don't even talk to us!" Shirley wheezed and coughed, drizzling even more mucus on the ground and gaining her sister's attention again. Gwen gave her a hug, and then she stood up and headed over to the trunk of the car.

"Out of my way," Gwen snapped, shoving Hyun aside. She grabbed her backpack, tore it open, and yanked out Shirley's blanket.

"Warming her up isn't going to make her stop," Hyun said, blunt yet insightful. Gwen knew this was true, but she didn't care. She shoved Hyun out of the way again and returned to Shirley's side. Hyun put her hands on her hips and tapped a foot as she watched Gwen bundle her sister up. Just as she predicted, Shirley's fit continued.

"Ahh... Aaahhh... AAAEEESCHOOOH!!! HAAASCHHHOOOO!!! Hah-Haah-HAH! HAAAAEEEESCHHHOOOOOOOOO!!!"

After several sneezes in a row, Shirley began to cough and wheeze again. Gwen gently rubbed her back, glad that the sneezing at least appeared to be over. She leaned against her sister, smiling softly as the wheezing began to die down, but she suddenly shot up when she heard the sound of bags being dropped on the concrete. Gwen watched in horror as Hyun laid Shirley's rifle on top of the sister's backpacks and then closed the trunk of her car.

"What are you doing?" Gwen asked, barely able to keep her mouth from hanging open. Hyun stepped around the back of the car and opened the driver side door, and then she leaned on the roof and scowled down at Gwen.

"If you're not going to show me any respect, you must not want my hospitality that badly," Hyun stated flatly, holding up one hand. Gwen's face contorted with rage, but Hyun didn't seem to care. The older woman simply slipped behind the wheel of her car, shut the door, and started up the engine.

"You can't just leave us here!" Gwen shouted, jabbing a finger at Hyun. Rolling down her window, Hyun stuck her head out of her car to respond.

"I can do whatever I want, short stuff."

"But what are we going to do?" Gwen pleaded, putting an arm around Shirley. "They won't let us into the city!"

"That's a shame," Hyun said unsympathetically, leaning back into her car. "Maybe you should have thought about that. Go camping, or something."

"But..." Gwen began as Hyun's car began to pull away. She watched the vehicle disappear through the settlement's front gate and then turned back to Shirley, giving her a hug and resting her head on her sister's back.

"But Shirley doesn't like camping," Gwen murmured to herself, rubbing Shirley's back.

"Oh, be quiet," Shirley whispered, coughing a few times in the aftermath. She had regained her ability to speak, if only barely. "Don't get all sappy like that. You'll make me depressed."

"Rude!" Gwen half-laughed, half-cried into Shirley's back. She tried to give her sister a full-on hug, but then they both realized Shirley's nose was still leaking mucus like a faucet. They laughed weakly, and then Gwen stood up to retrieve the bags she had bought in town.

"Here, I got you more tissues," she said, offering them to Shirley. The ailing young lady gratefully accepted one of the soft paper squares, gently wiping the underside of her nose to stem the flow of snot.

"Thanks, Gwen," Shirley breathed, folding the tissue over. She gently cradled her nose and then blew powerfully, finally starting to regain her strength. Once Shirley had taken a moment to clean up, she pushed herself to her feet and the sisters hugged each other as tightly as they could. They both lost track of time as they continued their embrace, and they were only brought back to reality when one of the settlement guards told them they were going to have to leave before nightfall.

"Are you feeling alright?" Gwen asked as she and Shirley made their way down the road. Shirley appeared to have completely recovered from her Breeze attack, but she seemed more tired than usual.

"Yeah," Shirley lied, clearly out of breath, "yeah, I'm fine."

Gwen could tell this wasn't true, but she knew neither of them wanted to argue. Instead, she tried to find a way to let Shirley down more gently. Glancing up at the sky, Gwen saw the sun starting to set already. They had lost a lot of time waiting around in the settlement parking lot, and without a car they were back to their old, slow method of traveling.

"We haven't gotten very far, have we?" Gwen asked rhetorically, running a hand through her hair. Shirley shook her head, taking a deep breath.

"No, but there aren't any good places to make camp around here."

Gwen nodded in agreement and hung her head. Shirley was right; the trees on either side of the road were far too dense for settling down for the night, and sleeping on the road would either get them robbed, run over, or both. Letting out a sigh, she scanned the tree line for a suitable campsite. By some miracle, however, Gwen found something even better.

"Hey, look at this!" Gwen called out, pointing to the side of the road. Shirley slowly followed her sister's gaze, too tired to move quickly, but what she saw filled her with newfound strength. The sisters could just barely make out a door between two trees, and once they saw it, they could clearly see the rest of the house around it as well. Almost every inch of the building was covered in vines and moss, leaving only the windows bare. Smiling to each other, the sisters ran up to the front door, hoping it would be unlocked.

Fortunately, the door swung right open. In their haste and glee they forgot to check the house for traps, but it appeared they were the first people to find the building since The Arrival. The front door opened directly into the house's living room, which offered more than enough space for the sisters to sleep in. They wanted to explore the second floor, but a tree had grown directly through the staircase, blocking any access to the higher areas of the house. Even still, the house offered more than enough accommodation for the night. Perhaps best of all, something had broken a hole in the middle of the living room floor, creating a perfect fire pit. Shirley stayed inside to set up the sleeping bags while Gwen ventured out with the hunting rifle to find some firewood, and with any luck, something to eat.

"I'm back," Gwen announced, stepping through the front door with an armful of firewood. Shirley glanced up at her sister and waved, putting on a cheerful smile. Gwen dropped the wood next to the hole in the floor and fell down on her rear, letting out an exhausted sigh.

"Sorry, I couldn't find any food," Gwen breathed, lying down on her back.

"That's okay," Shirley said, shuffling around with a few of her things, "because I did!"

"Wow, really?" Gwen asked, sitting upright again. Shirley held up a box of cereal, still sealed and in as close to perfect condition as found food could be in. As good as the box looked, however, the sisters held their breath as Shirley unsealed it. If the plastic bag inside was broken, the food would be useless to them. Once the cardboard top was open, Shirley held the box out at arm's length and slowly began to remove the bag.

"Just take it out!" Gwen shouted, going mad from her sister's forced suspense. Shirley yelped in surprise, simultaneously ripping the bag right out of the box. Luckily, the bag proved to be undamaged, and the cereal inside appeared to be in mint condition.

"Awesome!" Gwen beamed, removing a metal cup from her backpack. "Give me some!"

"Rude," Shirley grumbled, carefully opening the bag of cereal. Gwen pouted, folding her arms, and after a few seconds of staring at each other, the sisters began to laugh. Shirley poured some cereal into Gwen's cup, careful not to spill any of the precious flakes on the floor. Then, she removed a similar cup from her own backpack and poured some of the food for herself.

This was the first time the sisters had eaten pre-Arrival food in such good condition, and as such they savored it, eating in silence. By the time they finished their first servings, the sun was just about to disappear below the horizon. Not wanting to be stuck in the dark, Gwen and Shirley took a break from eating to light a fire in the hole in the floor. Once the fire was going, the sisters huddled closer to it and finished off the cereal. Both of them knew they should have rationed the food and saved most of it for later, but they were just having too much fun together to care.

Once the last of the cereal was gone, Shirley and Gwen sat in silence, smiling at each other over the fire. They both had so much to say, but at the same time they said nothing, knowing their expressions were conveying their feelings. They tilted their heads in the same direction and giggled, but suddenly Shirley's eyes narrowed and her chest began to heave. Gwen panicked for a split second, but she remembered what Shirley's attacks were usually like. She always got the chills first, so Gwen knew this was just a sneeze.

"Ahhh... Ah-Ahh-Ahhh! HAEEESCHOOOOOH!"

Although it was just a sneeze, Shirley's nose still managed to eject a large glob of thick mucus that splattered right on top of the fire. The flames went out with a pitiful hiss, plunging the sisters into darkness. They stared at each other in silence for a moment, a bit of moonlight reflecting off of Shirley's glasses, and then they both began to laugh hysterically.

"I think that's a sign," Shirley giggled, scrunching up her face and rubbing her nose. Gwen nodded, rolling over to her sleeping bag.

"Totally," the younger sister agreed, slipping her feet into her bedding. "See you in the morning, Shirley."

A ray of sunlight fell across Gwen's eyes and she slowly forced them open. She blinked once to clear her vision, and then she smiled as she saw Shirley lying next to her, still asleep. A transparent bubble of snot inflated and deflated from Shirley's left nostril as she breathed, causing Gwen to hold back a giggle. This wasn't a sign of a Breeze attack, just a benign side effect of Shirley's increased mucus production. It happened to her a lot when she slept, and Gwen just thought it was funny. She was about to grab a stick from the fire pit and pop the bubble, but then she noticed something was amiss.

Shirley always put her glasses next to her head when she slept, but this time Gwen noticed they were gone. Fearing the worst, she reached a hand out the other side of her sleeping bag, grasping for the hunting rifle. A chill ran up Gwen's spine when she found the weapon was gone too. Trying to stay as quiet as possible, Gwen rolled onto her back and tilted her head upward ever so slightly. A beam of light coming in through the open front door revealed a hunched figure, quietly rummaging through the sisters' supplies. The hunting rifle was slung over his shoulder, and another gun hung at his waist.

Not sure what to do, Gwen looked back to her sister and swallowed a gasp when she saw the state Shirley was in. Over the course of just a few seconds, Shirley had gone from sleeping peacefully to shivering and wheezing. Her nostrils flared desperately and the snot bubble retreated back up into her nose where it finally popped. Shirley's eyes popped open for a second, and she gave Gwen a pleading glance before scrunching up her face.

"No, Shirley!" Gwen mouthed, too afraid to make a sound. "Don't sneeze!"

Shirley reached a hand up out of her sleeping bag, extending her index finger from her clenched fist. She placed her finger under her nose but she quickly drew it back, a tendril of snot following it from each nostril. Gwen winced; she could already this was going to be an attack, and probably a bad one at that.

"Ah-Ahh-Ahhh..."

As Shirley's breath hitched, Gwen could hear the bandit turning his attention to them. She recognized the sound of a pistol being drawn from its holster, and she began to consider the very real possibility that they were going to die right then and there. Gwen wanted to curl up inside her sleeping bag and cry, but she forced herself to keep watching Shirley. Even if they had no chance to escape, she wasn't going to turn her back on her sister. Then, Shirley sneezed.

"AAAEEESHOOOOH!!!"

"Oh shit!"

The man screamed and jumped back as Shirley sprayed a wave of mucus across the floor. Gwen thought some of it was going to hit her, but it fell into the fire pit before reaching her side of the room. Shirley's face relaxed somewhat, but Gwen could tell she was far from finished. Worst of all, she heard the distinctive click of a gun being cocked.

"You have The Breeze, don't you?" the man exclaimed, already hysterical. Shirley nodded weakly, unable to do anything else before sneezing again.

"Ahh... Hhaahhh... HAAEESCHHOOOH!!!"

"Shit! Shit, stay away from me!"

Gwen sat up, watching as the bandit frantically waved his gun around. He wasn't even pointing it at either of the sisters anymore, but Gwen couldn't quite tell if this made him more or less threatening yet. Narrowing her eyes, Gwen glared at the man, deciding to act aggressive.

"The Breeze isn't contagious, you idiot," Gwen growled, unraveling herself from her sleeping bag. The bandit jabbed his gun toward her, but his hand was still shaking erratically.

"I don't care! Stay away from me!"

"Ahhh... Aaahhhh... AAAEESHHHOOOOH!!!"

Shirley let out another helpless sneeze, at this time the bandit's nerves got the better of him. He whipped his pistol toward Shirley and fired, but his aim was far from true. The bullet slammed into the floor, sending a shower of wood chips into the air but causing no harm. Filled with a sudden surge of adrenaline, Gwen braced herself and charged right at the man, sending both of them flying through the house's open door.

Gwen struggled to pry the pistol from the bandit's hands, but he kicked her in the stomach and pushed her away. Slumping up against the door frame, Gwen watched as the bandit backed up and took aim. His hands were still shaking, but he had regained enough of his composure by now that Gwen knew he wouldn't miss this time.

"You really screwed up, kid!" the bandit shouted, taking another step back. "If you had just laid there without a peep, I was only going to take your stuff and leave. But now you're dead! My friends heard that gunshot, and now they're going to come get you!"

Gwen placed a hand on her bruised belly and breathed deeply, trying to calm herself down. If she did anything rash at this point, she and Shirley would both end up dead. Just when she was starting to gain some clarity, Gwen heard the sound of a car approaching in the distance. The bandit smiled, taking another step back onto the road.

"Here they come now!" he announced proudly, quickly gesturing in the direction of the noise with his gun. "I was going to let you go, but when they get here they're going to make you wish you'd never been bor-"

Gwen gasped as she watched an old sports car slam into the bandit at forty miles per hour, sending the man flying down the road for a few yards before landing in a crumpled heap. She placed a hand over her mouth and watched breathlessly as the car's reverse lights came on and it slowly backed up to stop in front of the house. The car's engine switched off and a familiar woman stepped out of the driver's seat, her brown ponytail billowing in the wind.

Hyun gave Gwen a quick glance to make sure she was okay, but the sound of another car approaching turned her attention back to the road. Her sharp eyes scanned the horizon for a second, and then she reached under her jacket and drew her revolver. Leaning against car's open door to steady herself, Hyun took aim at the approaching bandits' vehicle. Gwen jumped in shock as Hyun fired, and then she could only watch in stunned silence as the bandit raid came to a close.

Even from this distance, Gwen could see everything with surprising clarity. The bullet punched straight through the windshield and snapped the driver's head back. He slumped over the steering wheel, simultaneously slamming on the gas and swerving off the road. The bandits' car bounced over the grass for a second before wrapping its hood around a tree. Just as Gwen thought things couldn't get any more gruesome, the impact sent the car's passenger flying straight through the windshield, and the final bandit sailed through the air for a second before slamming into another tree with a dull thud.

"Dented my grille. Asshole."

Gwen looked back at Hyun to find her kneeling in front of her car, inspecting the damage caused by her reckless driving. Blurred vision finally made Gwen aware that tears were streaming down her face, and when she reached up to wipe them away she noticed her hands were trembling uncontrollably. Hyun pushed herself back to her feet and approached Gwen, carefully reaching a hand toward the young lady's shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

Squeezing her eyes shut, Gwen screamed. She slowly sank down against the house's door frame, screaming again and again until no more sound came out. Then, she simply began to sob silently, her muscles going weak. Although she and Shirley carried weapons, they'd never had to shoot anyone before, and they'd never even seen someone be killed before, especially not in such a violent fashion. Gwen felt she was fully prepared to kill the first bandit to protect Shirley and herself, but actually seeing it happen was something different altogether.

"Hey, it's okay," Hyun said, gently putting her arms around Gwen. "It's okay, it's over now."

Gwen struggled at first, but Hyun only tightened her embrace. Eventually, Gwen gave up and returned to her silent sobbing, completely at a loss for what to do.

"I'll be honest with you, I have no idea what to say to make you feel better," Hyun said, beginning to rub Gwen's back. "So I'm just going to hug you until you stop crying, okay?"

Gwen nodded weakly, and then she threw her arms around Hyun and squeezed as tight as she could, not letting go until she felt herself starting to pass out from stress and exhaustion. The last thing she remembered before falling asleep was being laid down in the backseat of Hyun's car.

"I told you already, I'm nearsighted. I can see you just fine."

Gwen awoke to the sound of Shirley's voice coming from a foot or two in front of her. Her sister sounded a bit raspier than usual, but she appeared to be in good humor. The surface Gwen was lying on suddenly rumbled, and she became aware that she was still lying on the seat of Hyun's car. Running into Hyun again would normally have made her more than a little suspicious, but she was too tired to be afraid anymore. Besides, if Shirley was alright with it, Gwen supposed she was too.

"I know, but I'm just disappointed I can't call you four-eyes anymore," Hyun said, glancing at Shirley as she drove. "Sorry about your glasses, by the way. I guess I didn't have to hit that guy so hard."

"It's alright," Shirley replied, snuggling down under her blankets. "I'd rather have broken glasses than a broken... Everything."

She and Hyun laughed, and even Gwen managed to put on a little smile. She decided it would be best to keep quiet for now, and just let the other two have their conversation.

"Seriously though, I'm a compulsive nicknamer and I have to call you something," Hyun chuckled, drumming her fingers on her steering wheel. "The only things I can think of right now are Breezy and Snot-Bubble."

"Oh gosh!" Shirley yelped, pulling her blanket up over her mouth. "Please don't call me Snot-Bubble!"

"Oh, oh!" Hyun cheered, pointing at Shirley and giving her a smile. "You've just sealed your fate. I officially dub thee Snot-Bubble."

"But why!?"

"The more you hate a nickname, the more likely I am to use it."

"Rude."

"How are you two so happy at a time like this?" Gwen asked, suddenly sitting up. Only a day ago she would have been asking that question rhetorically, but now she was genuinely curious. Hyun had already lost a loved one and Shirley was more than likely terminally ill, but both of them regularly seemed happier than Gwen. Easing off the gas pedal, Hyun briefly smiled back at her youngest passenger and pulled the car off to the side of the road.

"Alright, now that you're both awake, I think we need to have a little talk," Hyun said, glancing back and forth between the sisters. Shirley nodded right away, and Hyun turned to Gwen with a faint smile.

"You ready?" Hyun asked, casually rubbing a finger under her wide nose. Letting out a sigh, Gwen finally nodded back.

"Being so close to all this death has made me very aware of my own mortality," Hyun began, turning forward to stare out the windshield. "This is just me guessing, but I think it has for Shirley too." Putting on a solemn face, the elder sister nodded, nervously glancing at Gwen.

"I might not have The Breeze, but ever since my boyfriend died, I've tried to live each day like it could be my last. I wanted to think I'd be content with my life if I were to die at any moment. I got selfish and stupid; everything was about me, me, me. After I left you guys, I realized I'd been going about it all wrong. If I live every day just for myself, at the expense of everyone else, I'll have fun in the moment, sure, but when my time's up, I can already tell I'll regret everything."

The three companions sat in silence for a moment, all staring off in different directions. Shirley cleared her throat and Hyun rubbed her nose again, letting out a sigh. Suddenly, Gwen perked up a little.

"But it's still good to have a little fun every day, right?" she interjected, leaning forward between the car's two front seats. Shirley and Hyun both smiled, and Hyun suddenly ruffled Gwen's hair, making her cringe and recline back into her seat.

"That's right," Hyun agreed with a nod. "I can't believe it took me this long, but I think I realized the best thing for it is companionship. I try not to think about it, so I honestly forgot I was even there when my boyfriend died. It felt more like a thing that just happened rather than an event I witnessed. It took me until today to realize that even though he didn't have a particularly long life, I was there for him. And I want someone to be there for me, when my time comes."

"Me too," Shirley said, putting on a sympathetic smile. Those two words alone were enough to make Gwen want to cry, but she steadily felt herself coming to terms with that future, just as Shirley and Hyun already had.

"Don't worry, you've got plenty of time left," Hyun said, putting a hand on Shirley's shoulder. "How long have you been at stage one?"

"Almost two years," Shirley answered, clearing her throat again.

"See?" Hyun said encouragingly, gently shaking Shirley. "You're going to live forever as far as I'm concerned."

The three companions stared at each other for a moment in silence. After a second, they all began to smile, and then they leaned over the car's center console to give each other a three-way hug. Shirley closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and then she looked up at Hyun and Gwen, keeping them huddled together.

"For the longest time, Gwen and I wanted to try to find our family," Shirley explained, her voice simultaneously sad and hopeful, "but we've been separated from them for years, even since before I had The Breeze. We could keep looking, but I think we both know what we'll find."

Gwen gave a bittersweet smile. She and Shirley hadn't discussed this in over a year, but she knew they were still thinking the same thing.

"You lost your boyfriend, and we lost our parents," Shirley continued, looking Hyun in the eye. "We both lost our families, so why not start a new one together, the three of us? We'll all be there for each other. What do you say to that?"

Hyun stared at Shirley with a serious expression for so long that the elder sister almost started laughing. Finally, Hyun smiled widely and gave her response.

"You look weird without glasses."

"Rude!" Shirley shouted, pushing Hyun away. The car erupted into laughter, and as it subsided the three companions settled back into their seats, getting ready to head out again. Hyun chuckled and shook her head, putting a hand on the ignition.

"But in all seriousness, I accept," she said, glancing back at Shirley and Gwen. "Just don't start calling me Mom. You two make me feel old enough as it is."

"How old are you, anyway?" Shirley asked, pulling her seatbelt down.

"I'm not going to answer that," Hyun laughed, about to start the car. She looked back up at the road, and what she saw immediately made her roll her eyes. A trio of huskies were standing at the side of the road, getting ready to cross. The two larger specimens both wore collars, indicating they were pets forced to leave their home. The third and smallest by a large margin was clearly their offspring, and it timidly walked between them as they stepped out onto the pavement.

"I know what you're thinking," Hyun began, holding up a hand. "But don't you dare. Don't get out of the-"

"Puppies!" Shirley and Gwen shouted in unison, immediately undoing their seatbelts.

"There's only one puppy!" Hyun tried to object, but Shirley was already out of the car with Gwen close behind her. Hyun let out an irritated groan, resting her forehead on the top of the steering wheel. She looked up again a moment later to see Shirley and Gwen playing with one of the larger dogs and the puppy as the third kept watch. Hyun had never been terribly fond of dogs, but she had to admit it was a pleasant image. Rolling her eyes, she opened her door and stepped out onto the pavement.

"Hyun!" the sisters called out in unison. "Can we keep them?"

"Out of the question," Hyun droned, scrubbing her outstretched index finger under her nostrils.

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Hih-TISH!"

Hyun bent forward with an itchy sneeze, cupping her hands over her nose. She let out a groan and opened her eyes to find the third dog approaching her. An expression of embarrassed fear washed over Hyun's face and she began to slowly back away. However, the dog was still outpacing her, and before long it was only a few feet away.

"TSHH!"

Sneezing again, Hyun held up her hands defensively. She wrinkled her nose around in a circle as her nostrils flared, trying in vain to stave off her allergies. However, despite her efforts, the husky took another bound forward and suddenly leapt up, placing its front paws on Hyun's belly.

"TISHH!"

Hyun's next sneeze unfortunately wasn't enough to scare the dog away, and it continued to stare up at her. The husky began to pant, letting its tongue hang out of its mouth in an expression of friendship. Shaking her head, Hyun reached one hand up to her wide nose and squeezed it shut.

"He-help..." she breathed, lightly waving her free hand at the dog. Gwen and Shirley finally noticed Hyun's distress, and they began to laugh heartily as they hugged the other two dogs.

"What's the matter, Hyun?" Shirley teased, holding up one of the puppy's paws. "You're not afraid of dogs, are you?"

"Oh!" Gwen exclaimed, slapping a palm to her forehead. "I'm sorry, I totally forgot! You're allergic to dogs!"

"Yes!" Hyun snapped, releasing her nose and lightly waving both hands at the dog leaning against her. "I know! Don't remind me! Shut up! TSHHHOO!"

-----

That's all, folks! I really hope you enjoyed this little (read: big) experiment of mine. As always, thanks for reading, and I hope to see you all again next time.

[OCC]

Oh man, this is so great. The mess isn't really my thing, but I LOVE your allergy descriptions, and your writing style is wonderful, as always.

[Curiosity234]

Post apocalyptic sneezing extravaganza!

[Pilgrim]

This was most awesome. It really shows how long you've been working on it. Well done :nod:

[count tiszula]

As ever, a wonderful story, and now doubly so. Not only all that lovely mess [the obliterated windscreen being particularly fine] but also the strong woman who is at the mercy of her hay fever, works through it cheerfully, and of course, para prosdokian, has a girly little sneeze.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if it were discovered that all that yummy mess had some unexpected usefulness; perhaps to cure some other disease , or act as a power source. Or yes, if it fermented into a heady wine!

[Flower101]

Awesome, sequel please? Maybe?

[a_nonny_mouse]

Oh, wow. I hope you continue this into a larger project. It's really got a lot to be interested in.

[a red nine]

You've always had fun with world building, but this may be one of your more intriguing histories yet, given what you decide to reveal to your readers and what you purposefully leave out. I admire how you keep your story concise instead of overwhelming us with exposition - even the few paragraphs of description you do give is just the bare details to understand where your characters are and why life is as it is. You don't answer all of our questions about the Arrival and the Breeze, but you let us know that that isn't the important aspect here. This story is about learning how a pair of sisters come to cope with difficult circumstances and learn to trust in a time and place where affording to trust is steep.

"Any cars that run on fly-by-wire were fried in The Arrival, same as anything else with a microchip. Cars from the 90s and before are generally good, but it's anyone's guess with cars from the early 2000s like this one. I just hope it's analog," Shirley rambled, pulling out a few wires.

This is a nicely-crafted paragraph, hitting two birds with one stone: revealing information about the history of your world while neatly knitting in character traits.

The one detail of the invasion that scared Gwen the most is that no one knew for sure if They were gone, or if They were simply waiting to finish what they started.

Ambiguity is a major theme of the Arrival and of this story. Gwen and Shirley don't know where they're going, what they'll eat next, where they can find safety, or even what will happen if They come back. It makes the ending have more impact.

"Thank you," Shirley whispered, taking a sip of water. Gwen nodded, trying her best to smile. She was furious with her sister for being so stubborn, but she was too concerned for Shirley's health to yell at her.

What a great relationship between the sisters you develop. Later on when Hyun and Gwen leave Shirley in the car, we see Shirley hold back her feelings to protect Gwen too. Both have had to grow up and take care of each other in different ways with the absence of their parents, and they really rely on each other for all varieties of support.

"Morning, sleepyheads," the woman said, her smile widening. "Let me tell you how this is going to go down. I already siphoned your gas, so you can forget about this car. But, I'm not completely heartless, so I'll tell you what. I'm heading for the next settlement, and you can come with me if you want. Just no funny business, okay?"

I really liked this introduction - just a few lines of dialogue and we still don't even know who she is yet, but we know exactly what her personality is going to be. Good showing-not-telling type stuff.

Even though the infections seemed to be completely random, many people were still convinced the disease was contagious.

More nice world-building with mass confusion, going back to your themes of trust and uncertainty. The survivors lived because they counted on their common sense in this post-apocalyptic world, and that means people will fall back on superstition and estrangement.

"Here, blow your nose," Gwen offered sarcastically, holding up the last tissue from her old pack.

"Blow your nose!" Hyun snapped.

It's still funny the third time

"But Shirley doesn't like camping," Gwen murmured to herself, rubbing Shirley's back.

It's almost funny but it's mostly : (

They wanted to explore the second floor, but a tree had grown directly through the staircase, blocking any access to the higher areas of the house.

Sentences like this make me wonder exactly how long the world has been affected for, or if different parts of the land were affected before or differently than others.

"Here they come now!" he announced proudly, quickly gesturing in the direction of the noise with his gun. "I was going to let you go, but when they get here they're going to make you wish you'd never been bor-"

Gwen gasped as she watched an old sports car slam into the bandit at forty miles per hour, sending the man flying down the road for a few yards before landing in a crumpled heap.

This whole part is just awesome and, like I said before, great emotion control.

And then the rest of the ending was very heart-warming and funny and wrapped itself up nicely. The three women still have a story to tell, and a lot of the time it won't be a happy one, but you know right where to cut it off. Hyun is presented as a character who knows exactly what to do in rough situations, even if it isn't always moral, unlike Shirley and Gwen who know well enough how to survive but are youthfully careless enough to be robbed on two occasions. In the end we learn that they too have something to teach Hyun: they remind her of a time when life wasn't just about seeing tomorrow. I haven't actually mentioned anything about the sneezing, because there was plenty of story to go over. But it was also cute(?) especially in terms of Hyun, and in how Gwen cares so much about Shirley. I would say this is definitely one of your stronger works, and you should be pleased with what you accomplished

[zneeze]

You've always had fun with world building, but this may be one of your more intriguing histories yet, given what you decide to reveal to your readers and what you purposefully leave out. I admire how you keep your story concise instead of overwhelming us with exposition - even the few paragraphs of description you do give is just the bare details to understand where your characters are and why life is as it is. You don't answer all of our questions about the Arrival and the Breeze, but you let us know that that isn't the important aspect here. This story is about learning how a pair of sisters come to cope with difficult circumstances and learn to trust in a time and place where affording to trust is steep.

"Any cars that run on fly-by-wire were fried in The Arrival, same as anything else with a microchip. Cars from the 90s and before are generally good, but it's anyone's guess with cars from the early 2000s like this one. I just hope it's analog," Shirley rambled, pulling out a few wires.

This is a nicely-crafted paragraph, hitting two birds with one stone: revealing information about the history of your world while neatly knitting in character traits.

The one detail of the invasion that scared Gwen the most is that no one knew for sure if They were gone, or if They were simply waiting to finish what they started.

Ambiguity is a major theme of the Arrival and of this story. Gwen and Shirley don't know where they're going, what they'll eat next, where they can find safety, or even what will happen if They come back. It makes the ending have more impact.

"Thank you," Shirley whispered, taking a sip of water. Gwen nodded, trying her best to smile. She was furious with her sister for being so stubborn, but she was too concerned for Shirley's health to yell at her.

What a great relationship between the sisters you develop. Later on when Hyun and Gwen leave Shirley in the car, we see Shirley hold back her feelings to protect Gwen too. Both have had to grow up and take care of each other in different ways with the absence of their parents, and they really rely on each other for all varieties of support.

"Morning, sleepyheads," the woman said, her smile widening. "Let me tell you how this is going to go down. I already siphoned your gas, so you can forget about this car. But, I'm not completely heartless, so I'll tell you what. I'm heading for the next settlement, and you can come with me if you want. Just no funny business, okay?"

I really liked this introduction - just a few lines of dialogue and we still don't even know who she is yet, but we know exactly what her personality is going to be. Good showing-not-telling type stuff.

Even though the infections seemed to be completely random, many people were still convinced the disease was contagious.

More nice world-building with mass confusion, going back to your themes of trust and uncertainty. The survivors lived because they counted on their common sense in this post-apocalyptic world, and that means people will fall back on superstition and estrangement.

"Here, blow your nose," Gwen offered sarcastically, holding up the last tissue from her old pack.

"Blow your nose!" Hyun snapped.

It's still funny the third time

"But Shirley doesn't like camping," Gwen murmured to herself, rubbing Shirley's back.

It's almost funny but it's mostly : (

They wanted to explore the second floor, but a tree had grown directly through the staircase, blocking any access to the higher areas of the house.

Sentences like this make me wonder exactly how long the world has been affected for, or if different parts of the land were affected before or differently than others.

"Here they come now!" he announced proudly, quickly gesturing in the direction of the noise with his gun. "I was going to let you go, but when they get here they're going to make you wish you'd never been bor-"

Gwen gasped as she watched an old sports car slam into the bandit at forty miles per hour, sending the man flying down the road for a few yards before landing in a crumpled heap.

This whole part is just awesome and, like I said before, great emotion control.

And then the rest of the ending was very heart-warming and funny and wrapped itself up nicely. The three women still have a story to tell, and a lot of the time it won't be a happy one, but you know right where to cut it off. Hyun is presented as a character who knows exactly what to do in rough situations, even if it isn't always moral, unlike Shirley and Gwen who know well enough how to survive but are youthfully careless enough to be robbed on two occasions. In the end we learn that they too have something to teach Hyun: they remind her of a time when life wasn't just about seeing tomorrow. I haven't actually mentioned anything about the sneezing, because there was plenty of story to go over. But it was also cute(?) especially in terms of Hyun, and in how Gwen cares so much about Shirley. I would say this is definitely one of your stronger works, and you should be pleased with what you accomplished

I liked it, too!

Seriously, Blah, not only was it one of the most well-crafted stories I've ever read on here, but also it had its own kind of sexiness in spite of the mucus! 'In spite of' for me at least - those of us out there who like snot all just died and went to heaven. Masterful work as always, sir!