turps

You got it. This is sort of a follow on from this



Mikey's on watch when he hears the explosion.

Heart thundering he runs toward a sand-dune, one where the sky's glowing red behind it. Scrambling to the top, Mikey drops to his knees, raygun drawn, says, "Ryan?"

Ryan's standing on scorched ground, wildly firing at stationary targets. A barrel, a rock, a pile of cans.

He looks up, yells, "They're still back there."

Mikey stands and holsters his own raygun, waving away the others. "I know."

Ryan stills, gun held lax and skin cast red by a flaming barrel. "I miss them."

"Well find them," Mikey says, and means every word.