《Voices of the Wind》 Prologue The world itself has reached a near catatonic state. The soil has hardened in many places, refusing to give birth to new seed or form of life. Other places burn with a fever unknown and unimaginative to previous generations before us. The lakes of liquid fire corrode us from the inside and melt our skins on the outside if daring enough for a dip. We predict this will be the last generation of human kind on this planet, the one before killed us all. They had set this world on fire with a constant invisible threat. To survive we walk, to breath we labor, to hope¡­ it dies every¡­. Day.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Chapter 1 | Meeting One鈥檚 destiny My once notched arrow whistles through the air as it follows its trajectory to its target. The arrow hits with a thud, jamming itself into the rock hard dirt only a centimeter away from the oddly shaped rabbit that I was aiming at. ¡°Dammit¡± I mutter as I use my now free hand, that was pulling the string back, to wipe away the sweat that began to drip into my eye. I watch the odd rabbit race off with my other opened eye. I had been tracking that thing since yesterday to finally find its hole in the ground. I trekked back tens of yards away from its opening and camped out for the night, in hopes to add something into the tank for another long starving week. I waited silently until I heard it rustle its way out of its tiny little cave that it had made for itself. ''I should''ve risked setting a trap'' I think to myself. I sling my bow back over my shoulder and rest it against my back. I stand there for minutes or hours, it¡¯s impossible to keep time anymore. With my eyes closed, I steady my breathing with the ripples of the wind brushing through the trees. I listen to the quiet wind as it whispers around me, looking for any type of guidance. The quiet radiates the surroundings, the only thing that could be heard for miles is the once in a while hopping from the mutated rabbit and the pulsing shivers given off from my body. Temperature seems to mean nothing anymore. Everything is in a deep freezing state from the nuclear winter, the sun doesn¡¯t even dare kiss the dirt beneath our feet. The air is frozen and the atmosphere is grey. My body is always shivering for warmth, yet burning with a slight fever. The tainted sweat that shouldn¡¯t flow from my pores drip into the frozen fevered land. The rain that falls, when it does, burns as it soaks. Chaos is our definition now. I slowly open my eyes and turn to the tree that has my pack hanging on a low branch. I silently walk over to it and put it on over my bow. I make my way to a small clearing and plant myself in the center. I close my eyes and begin to rotate in place slowly. I stop on point where my being directs me to. ¡®Forwards¡­ time is in motion once again¡¯ a soft murmur lulls past. ¡°Ever onwards¡± I state. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I wake up with a jolt, my body on edge, something is coming. I lazily move my eyes around, the only thing my eyes are capable of making out is the ember glow from the dying fire that sits on the concrete floor. Even if the sun doesn¡¯t shine brightly anymore, there still should be enough to see some illumination through the high windows within the huge building I found yesterday night. Sleep is the natural reaction to such sight as the sun not being out yet. My body jerks me awake again; unknown time has past, though I can barely make out the windows up top. The atmosphere is uneasy, an eerie feeling resides in my bones, telling me to get a move on it. I grab the rest of the squirrel I had caught the day before, and throw it into my mouth to chew. Add what¡¯s left over fuel into my energy supply and allow the oils to moisten my mouth and lips. I stand up and stretch out my night¡¯s sleep from my body. I scatter what¡¯s left of my fire across the floor, it¡¯ll die the rest of the way on the cold rock. And if not, well¡­ civilization is dead anyway. I grab my pack from the ground that I was leaning on and make my way out of the building into the freezing outdoors. The air is stale, nothing moving or breathing around in sight. A feeling like the world stagnating its breath in suspense, waiting for the climax to show itself. It¡¯s dead and silent, not a sound to be heard, not the whisper of the wind for guidance. I stand and wait, listening closely and intently on what the nature of the present has in to for me. A very faint flowing white noise makes its way into my ears, a slow river is nearby. I have to fill my bottles and containers as frequently as possible, who knows when I¡¯ll come across it again. Everything is contaminated from the fiery rain that comes every few months, the best thing we can do is store what we can for a week or so until some of the radiation wears out. We filter and boil what we can, but our skins have become blotched and spotted, callused and harden. A lot of people died within the first days of the explosions, most others died of thirst or hunger. Those that have survived till now walk like ghouls and have a hunger like none other. I aimlessly wander where the wind tells me to stumble, looking for the next sustenance or misery¡¯s end.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. I cap off the last of my container that I use for water, my hands shaking from the icy water. A burning sensation runs through my nerves like the constant river in front of me. This particular burning is the better of the two options available. The burning cold gauges a safer drink, the fiery burn is to be cautioned. The melting of your skin is a huge indication of deadly water, or a way out of this¡­ state of living death. I walk along the slow moving water, heading north as the whistling wind pushes against me. I walk in a mindless state, waiting for something to change, when sounds of commotion begins to reach my ears. I stop my movements and pull out my bow into my hands, ready to strike those who dare stop me. I start in the direction towards the noise in large silent strides. My path takes me towards the edge of the small valley of the river. I begin to lower my body more and more as I ascend to the top of the hill. I perch myself next to one of the trees that spot around the valley¡¯s slope. I hide myself in the shade¡¯s shadow of the tree as I watch the commotion unfold before me down the other side¡¯s sloping edge. There stands four people below me in front of a concrete shed with metal double doors, which one of them is slightly ajar. It¡¯s too dark to see what¡¯s inside but something of value is to be assumed with the situation at hand. The older woman is aiming a pistol at the two men, while one of the men is holding onto a girl. The man alone tries to lunge at the woman, with a knife aimed at her. A bang echos throughout the surroundings, reverberating around and around the buildings until it finally dies off. The man¡¯s body slumps to the ground lifelessly, only a few twitches of the body are left behind. The woman then aims at the last man and he stiffens while gripping the girl tighter. An overwhelming sense of terror floods into my brain, it takes me by surprise for just a second. A chill runs down my spine as I shiver it out of my body. The man then slowly inches his way towards the woman. Her body grips, ready for the gun to go off, yet nothing happens. The next series of actions happen in just a brief moment. The woman throws the gun and reaches for a knife at her side, the man tosses aside the girl and lunges his knife at the woman¡¯s side, I pull an arrow out of the quiver and notch it to the bow while aiming down its sight. Adrenaline begins to pump all the way throughout my body instinctively. I steady my shot and release as the man takes a step back from the woman. The arrow lodges itself into the man¡¯s back, right where the human heart is suppose to be. I grab another arrow and notch it as I make my way down the slope slowly and steadily. The man stands there stunned, the woman in shock of the sudden intervention. The man turns around to look for me in a daze. He sees me and disbelief washes over me as he slumps to the ground also. I lower my bow to aim at the ground but not yet disarm, just in case. The woman just stands there staring at me as the girl gets up from the ground and starts brushing off the dirt from her jeans. ¡°Th-hanks¡± the girl stutters and coughs. The woman regains for composure as the girl attempts a sentence again. ¡°Thanks for the rescue¡± she gives me a weak smile, she looks at the two dead men on the ground and mutters something. In the next moment, the woman points the knife in her hand at me. ¡°Honey, get inside¡± she seemingly demands the girl in front of her. She tilts her head down and starts towards the door, only until about halfway back she stops. She turns around to the both of us, ¡°What about him?¡± she asks her. ¡°What do you mean? He could be one of them for all we know. Just get back inside and don¡¯t start throwing another tantrum¡± she commands back. ¡°Why would he shoot that ape if they were together?¡± she retorts back again. ¡°Why would I know why they do what they do? The outside has been lawless for years now. Just go back inside before anyone or thing shows up again¡± she states again but more tiredly. The woman doesn¡¯t move, so I just turn around and begin to walk away. ¡®No reason reason to stick around if I¡¯m not wanted¡¯. ¡°You look hungery, do you want to stick around for some lunch?¡± the girl asks my back. ¡°Honey! Get Back Inside. Now!¡± the woman practically yells at the girl as I turn around to look at them. The girl just stands there, not willing to move until she gets her way. The woman stares at her, then looks at me. She gives a deep sigh while putting the knife back into its sheath. I unnotch the arrow from the string and put it back into the quiver. She lowers her head and rubs her eyes with her fingers. ¡°Fine, bring the boy¡± the woman says defeated. The girl beams a smile and waves at me to follow her in. ¡®She¡­ is the key¡¯ the breeze notions to the girl. ¡°Whatever¡­ I¡¯m just hungry¡± I mutter softly. Chapter 2 | Getting to know one another ¡°Hey Love, grab the whiskey!¡± dad yells out to mom. ¡°Richard, that¡¯s the last bottle that we have¡± mom says back to dad. ¡°Yes. And now is the best time for it. My little buddy has learned everything I can teach him about living in the wilderness. This is cause for celebration!¡± he yells out to the whole world. ¡°That¡¯s great and all, but shouldn¡¯t you wait until he¡¯s at a good age to actually drink it?¡± my mom retorts back at him. ¡°Nonsense. He can have some now, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find something even better for the bigger occasions¡± he smiles back at her. ¡°Love, he¡¯s only eleven¡± she looks at him sincerely. ¡°It¡¯s okay, plus it¡¯ll help him get some good sleep¡± he stares at her back. ¡°Fine¡± she gives. That was the most disgusting thing I¡¯ve ever drunk in my life. But now everything seems lighter and a tad fluffy. The fire crackles along with our laughing. My parents become all smoochy and touchy. I look up to the foggy sky, barely able to make out the glittering stars up above. I hear some large twigs snapping in the woods around us and I look to see a large shadow move around the trees. My dad stands up, ¡°Love, I¡¯ll be right back¡±. He turns and looks at me with a smile and a wink. The shadow comes up behind him and bashes him to the side, he slams into a nearby tree with a loud thud. My mom lets out a shriek as the bear comes into the light of the fire. Its attention caught be the noise, it brings its focus to her. She backs away slowly while trying to stay quiet and calm, only to trip on a rock and fall to the ground. The bear stands on its hind legs then comes back down with force on top of her chest. All I can hear is the bones inside her chest crack and bust, her body ceases any movement. I sit there staring, unable to move. Not a single muscle listens to my brain. I turn my head towards a grunting sound as my dad picks himself off the ground. The bear loses interest in mom and goes back to dad. My brain screams at him, at the bear, at mom. The bear saunters over to dad and slaps him against the tree again. Several bones let out a audible snap, dad lets out a painful moan. The bear grab a clump of clothing with its mouth and launches him into the darkness. ¡®Noooo!¡¯ tears stream down my face. The bear then turns to me and slowly makes its way towards me. My body stiffens but doesn¡¯t budge an inch. ¡®Noooo! God, no!¡¯ the bear raises its paw and swings. Every muscle in my body jolts in fear. I try to shrink my body in as much as I can but something is restricting my movements. Someone pets my head, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re safe here¡±. As my mind begins to calm, I can hear thumping from a heartbeat. I slowly and quietly pull my head away from the person¡¯s chest and notice it being soaked wet, as well as my clothes and the sheets. I raise my head and see the girl, Ava, that I met today in front of me. She worriedly smiles at me ¡°you okay now?¡±. I look past her to the doorway full of people. All of them are paled and slightly sweaty, some have a face full of fear, while others are silently crying. I barely can ketch some of their mutterings, ¡°Is it possible?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other explanation¡± ¡°But how?¡± ¡°Tomorrow is going to be a busy day¡±. ----------- Earlier that Day --------- We walk down a series of stairs going down underneath the earth. I¡¯m in the middle of the two, the girl in front and the woman behind me. There wasn¡¯t much at the entrance, just some rubber boots and raincoats with a bench to sit down on. The stairs wrapped around against the wall while having a ten foot clearance down the center with cables hanging down. There seemed to be a gate connected to the railing at the beginning platform, but you would have fallen quite the distance if you opened it. ¡°Where are we?¡± I ask quietly. ¡°Where?¡± the girl in front stopped and turned around to look at me. ¡°The was a nuclear shelter that was owned by the military before someone bought it and turned it into a research lab¡± the girl smiles while explaining, seemingly happy to talk to someone new and of her age. ¡°Ava¡± the woman behind me says curtly. ¡°What?¡± the girl says as dispearingly as possible, ¡°It¡¯s not like he couldn¡¯t figure that out soon enough once we got down there¡± she gives off a smile mischievously. ¡°Oh Yeah!¡± she abrupts says out loud ¡°We forgot our introductions. My name¡¯s Ava, and she¡¯s Mary, my caretaker. What¡¯s your name?¡±. ¡°Name¡± I mouth out silently, ¡®that¡¯s something I haven¡¯t in forever¡¯. ¡°Um... ¡° I stand there for a moment trying to remember, ¡°Oh, Adam¡¯s my name¡±. I could feel the woman narrow her eyes at me, then shrug. Ava looks at me confused then smile, ¡°Adam¡­ well Adam, welcome to our home¡±. I just shrug my shoulders, as we continue our descent To go back to my first question, the bunker wasn¡¯t what I was asking. ¡°What town are we in?¡± I ask again. ¡°Hmm, you don¡¯t know?¡± she stops and turns again while tilting her head, ¡®cute¡­ wait.. what?¡±. She straightens back up, ¡°We¡¯re just outside of Mattawa in Washington state. Feel free to ask me anything while we eat¡± she turns around smiling. A hint of gleefulness washes off me. I ponder on these recent emotions that seem like a foreign entity within my body. They aren¡¯t mine, but I can¡¯t figure out how they¡¯re there if they¡¯re not mine. We come to a big metal door with a wheel attached to it. ¡®I faintly remember this from submarine pictures?¡¯ I run through my earliest memories that I can only remember fragments of while Mary walks forward to spin the wheel around. The wheel comes to a stop, air begins hissing out as the huge door slowly swings out. Ava walks into the small room behind the threshold and turns around to gesture me in. I walk in and Mary pulls the door closed and starts turning the wheel back. The a loud hissing, then jets of air shoot out from the ceiling, startling me. Ava begins to giggle, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the chamber¡¯s just pressurizing to the levels of inside and cleansing any germs we might have on us¡±. I just stare back at her blankly. The next area behind the door, one would expect to be a hallway, but instead was a big room with a rather strange layout. There was a few feet indention for the door, but you can¡¯t really call that a hallway. The was a clear indication of a pathway through the center of the room to the next door. Fake railing counters that reached almost to your chest lined followed several feet past the opening of the room that continued the wall on both sides. Then in the center of the room had a counter that was in the shape of a hollow square with the pathway continued through the center. The room looked symmetrical from the four corners excluding the center counter, only have one line through the middle. Beds and machines, fridges filled with bottle and vials filled the walls. I stood there in shock, looking around the room in wonder. ¡°Impressive right? Bet you haven¡¯t seen anything like this out there right!¡± Ava boasts about her home out loud at me. ¡°Enough, Ava¡± Mary rubs her eyes with her fingertips. ¡°First, let¡¯s give you some injections, just in case. I¡¯d prefer not to waste what we don¡¯t have to, but I have to be prepared more than anything else¡± she speaks to the open air. She guides me to one of the closer beds, then walks over to a fridge nearby. ¡°Guess I should ask if you¡¯re okay with me giving you some shots?¡± she looks over to me while opening the fridge door. I shrug ¡°If it¡¯s what gets me food. I can only trust that it¡¯s not going to be poison¡±. ¡®And well, if it does kill me, it kills me. At least I¡¯ll be able to rest from this life¡¯. ¡°Poison?!¡± Ava exclaims from beside me ¡°Why would be poison someone that just saved us?¡± she pouts at my statement. As Ava rambles on about something, I watch Mary grab some gaze and turn around out of our sight. She raises her shirt up and starts dabbing the gaze to her body. I flinch at the pain that suddenly shoots through my brain. Ava notices my reaction and turns to see where my gaze target resides. She sees the bloody gaze the Mary tosses into the trash can, she quickly gets up and runs over to her ¡°Mom! Are you alright?¡±. From what I can make out, there isn¡¯t enough blood to be spilling all over the place but there is a substantial amount to soak the gaze. Ava starts trying to prod at the wound but Mary slaps her hand away. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be concerned about¡± she points at the syringe, ¡°but since you want to help so much now, go give him shot. It¡¯s a broad spectrum antibiotic, should work on whatever he could have inside his body. Now leave me alone while I bandage this up¡±. She shoos away the troublemaker. Ava pouts while she comes towards me, then she puts on a evil grin while she looks at me. ¡°Time for your shots¡± she giggles at me. ¡°Now roll up your sleeve, it¡¯ll go into the side of your upper arm¡± she begins to pull on some disposable rubber gloves. ¡°You know, not to be mean or anything, but you kinda stink. You should have a shower before we eat, wouldn¡¯t want to ruin everyone else¡¯s meal too¡± she cutely skrunks up her nose ¡®what? Again?¡¯. She dabs a gaze with liquid in a clear bottle, I barely ketch the name on the bottle ¡®rubbing alcohol¡¯. She gently grabs my arm with one hand, then roughly begins to rub the gaze over my arm ¡°Just got to clean and sterilize a spot for the needle, and it¡¯ll only feel like a heavy prick. Shouldn¡¯t hurt to much for the big man, now should it?¡±. ¡®Is she trying to tease me, joke with me, or make fun of me? Either way, she¡¯s quite friendly with a stranger¡¯ I can only ponder as she tries to rub away the years of grime and crusted skin. She continues to try and press and scrape harder until I place my other hand on top of her hand. ¡°Why won¡¯t it come off?¡± she looks puzzled into my eyes. I give her a light smile, ¡°That¡¯s because that¡¯s my skin, not dirt¡±. ¡°But¡± she looks at her own clean, clear skin. ¡°It¡¯s due to the radiations expose to my body, it¡¯s actually more of a surprise to see clean people these days¡± I say as I let go of her hand. ¡°He¡¯s right, radiation poisoning has various different effects on the human body, but one of the common conditions is cancerous looking skin. But who knows, maybe we¡¯ll be able to treat those symptoms in the future¡± Mary explains as she wraps herself in bandages and pulls her shirt back down. ¡°Thanks, but this is who I am. I would be a stranger to my self if I were to change¡± I press my lips together. ¡°Ready?¡± Ava raises up the syringe up to my arm. I nod and she stabs me with the needle. I don¡¯t even flinch, ¡°Oh mister tough guy can take a needle uh. I hate injections¡± she pouts. ¡®Oh.. Is that the reason for that behaviour? Get someone new to experience her pain¡¯ I snort quietly.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go get you a shower and some clean clothes. Also, may I see your pack, bow, and quiver?¡± Mary walks up and reaches her hand out. I narrow my eyes and subconsciously take a step back. A polite smirk forms across her face, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not taking them from you. I just can¡¯t have you running around with a weapon in the labs. You¡¯ll get them back when you leave¡±. I stand there for several moments until finally I give, though instead of handing them to her, I walk over to the door and set them in the corner. Mary shrugs as I walk back to them, ¡°Whatever¡±. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I stand, leaned against the wall of the shower cell, letting the warm water cascade off of me. I stare down as I watch the water slowly turn from a brown tint into a more clear color. My body goes through cycles of shivering, then fiery sweat pouring out. Waves of nauseous sweeps my head multiple times, some of them become so bad that I begin to dry heave. I sit down on the floor, let the water splashes me in the face and chest as I ride the train of discomfort. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Took you long enough in there, did you fall asleep? I¡¯m starving now, let¡¯s go¡± Ava demands as she pulls me by the arm. ¡®You probably haven¡¯t the slightest idea of what starvation feels like¡¯ I give off a thought. ¡°Huh¡­ Did you say something?¡± Ava looks back to me. I give a confused look, ¡°no¡±. We walk through a series of hallways, passing by many rooms, ranging from smaller to bigger ones. A couple of the rooms had someone working at a desk or counter with illuminated screens. Some of them glanced back at us, only to give me a weird look (What¡¯s he doing here?). We walked down a shiny white tinted floor that was capable of some reflections. Each of the wall were a smooth white material, it doesn¡¯t look weak ¡®I¡¯d probably break my fist if I tried to punch it¡¯. It felt like we were walking through tubes of white, much like the rats they probably have. ¡°Where are you taking me? Where¡¯s the food?¡± I ask quietly, not even sure if she heard me. ¡°We¡¯ll get some food soon¡± she looks back at me with a giggly face ¡°But first I have to take you to meet the chief scientist, which is basically our leader now¡±. I raise my eyebrow, ¡®I can understand wanting to make sure I wasn¡¯t a threat, but why aren¡¯t any guards escorting me¡¯. She just smiles at me ¡°He just wants to make sure you¡¯re a good person¡±. I shake my head inwardly, ¡®She¡¯s way too naive of the outside¡¯. We reach a long hallway where I see two men standing against the walls towards the center of the tube. We walk up to the two that actually look like proper guards and stop in front of them. ¡°We¡¯re here to see the chief¡± Ava demands at them. She smiles at them when one of them rolls their eyes as they press on their ear. ¡°He¡¯s ready for you¡± the guard to our right notions us forward. A foot behind them, there¡¯s a gap in the square tube, looking like an elevator entrance. We proceed to the double doors at the end of the hallway. As we open the doors, we enter into a decent sized room. Bookshelves full of books on opposite walls to the sides, pictures and whiteboards line the back wall, and a desk with two chairs facing in front a in the center. A man stands to the left side of the room, rummaging through a couple of books. ¡°Welcome! Come and have a seat, we have some Things to discuss¡± he twists around an gestures to the chairs in front of the desk. He closes the book in his hand and places it halfway back onto the shelf so that it¡¯ll be easy to grab it again. Ava takes a seat on the left chair, leaving me to the right one. The ¡®chief¡¯ walks over to the side of the desk and leans against it while still looking at the bookshelves. ¡°So you¡¯re the child Mary has told me about?¡± he glances at me while moving to his own chair behind the desk. ¡°Forgive me if I don¡¯t shake your hand, I¡¯ve been known to be easily susceptible to illness. I try to keep to myself as much as possible. But first I do want to give my thanks for intervening when you did in the earlier struggle, not many would do anything of the such these days. Mary is a valuable part of this program these days, would be such a loss to lose her. As such, I will grant this gesture that Ava has proposed, while also adding one more just to ease the debt. Course, you don¡¯t have to accept, I¡¯m sure you have Very important things on the outside waiting for you¡± he smirks while making the snide remark. I frown at him, ¡°It would depend on what this option is¡± I state, annoyed. ¡°Simply, just for you to stay here for the night. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s hard getting a good night sleep out there. Here, you could get a warm dinner, warm bed, and not have to worry about someone attacking you in your sleep¡± he puts his hands together. ¡°And how would you even be able to guarantee such an action?¡± I question him coldy. ¡°We¡¯re not a bunch of barbarians Adam¡± Ava pouts at me, but the chief raises his palm to her. ¡°I do have quite the degree of influence here, but that¡¯s not one hundred percent for you, is it? People can be rogue elements. Word is also only air to someone that doesn¡¯t know or trust another.¡± he shrugs ¡°But like I said, it¡¯s up to you¡±. He gets up from his chair and walks over to the painting on the wall right behind him, it¡¯s different from what you usually see. Two thick lines spiraling down with horizontal lines connecting the two vertical lines. He turns back towards us, ¡°I don¡¯t know if anyone told you yet, but unprovoked or unsanctioned violence is punishable by exile, so these geniuses probably won¡¯t do anything. And I also have security cameras all over this facility¡±. ¡°What are you?¡± I ask him. ¡°Ooo¡­ That¡¯s privileged information. But I can tell you what we¡¯re not, we aren¡¯t the government. We began as a private organization, but well¡­ money has no purpose anymore. Now we are this¡± he raises his hands up in a grand gesture. I just give a small nod, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll stay the night¡± I turn to Ava ¡°Can we eat now?¡±. The chief gives out a laugh, ¡°Food¡­ tames him. Go, I¡¯ll see to it an area is set up for you tonight¡±. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We finally get to a giant room filled with good smells and lots of tables. Ava leads me towards the area radiating with fragrance. We grab some plates and continue down the line of prepared food. I grab some meat, potatoes, and a mixture of vegetables. ¡°So what does Mary, your mom?, do.¡± I ask simply to Ava as we sit down at a small table. ¡°Mom? Well she isn¡¯t my biological mother, but been my caretaker for years now. She was a part of the security team when I first came here. Then she came to look after me once my actual mom stopped coming¡±. Ava started to explain, not seeming sad though. ¡®Must have been a long time since. Maybe separated at the beginning of the war¡¯ I pondered a moment. ¡°What about you? Are you alone?¡± she asks with a slight worry to her eyes, afraid to step on a mine. I recall a dream I have often, one of many that tears away at my soul day by day. ¡°They¡¯ve been gone for years now. The world doesn¡¯t care about your emotions in the wasteland, so you just have to keep move or waste away¡± I look down and give a small shrug. Silence lingers a while as we eat. We edge closer to getting done with our food when I ask, ¡°You said you¡¯ve been here for a while. What is your part here exactly? Scientist I can see being hold up underground in the apocalypse, but a child?¡±. ¡°I was very sick when I was taken to the hospital. I had developed a tumor in my prefrontal cortex, it was inoperable. I was brought here because they said they had a way to treat it, and well I haven¡¯t died yet¡± she gives me a cute smile. We finish off our meal and walk around the halls a little. All we do is mill around at random, as everything is a ¡®secret¡¯ here. Most of the doors are closed, the ones that aren¡¯t usually have a person working at a desk. We walk by a couple of long windows showing rooms of either machinery around a chair or counters filled with sciency things. I just continue to follow Ava mindlessly. ¡°And this is my room!¡± she exclaims as she opens the door. The first thing I notice when I enter is, it is filled with beautiful looking flowers. If I didn¡¯t feel the same as usual, only burning up a little more than usual, I would think that I did die and went to heaven. I had almost all but forgotten what flowers and their smell was like. ¡°What¡¯s up with all the flowers? I can imagine a few, but there¡¯s¡­¡± I cut myself off. ¡°What?!¡± she asks curtly ¡°These are my friends. I talk to them everyday¡±. I raise my hands up in defense, ¡°Okay¡­¡±. She smiles at my reaction, ¡°But if you like it¡­ You can have this one¡± she hands me one that has a vibrant purple that almost boasts about itself. She then grabs a notebook from the small table next to her bed and sits down on the ground. She starts writing things down on the paper and murmuring to herself. I just sit down quietly in front of her and examine the newly found plant in front of me. I look up to the girl that¡¯s now laying on her belly while swaying her legs up in the air as she hums away a song long forgotten in my brain. I see her drawing scribbles within her notebook. ¡°What exactly are we doing?¡± I ask her while bored out of my mind. ¡°We¡¯re hanging out, killing time, spending quality time together. It¡¯s been such a long time, I almost forgot how fun in was to hang out with someone¡± she says nonchalantly while still scribbling things into her notebook. What does that even supposed to mean? ¡°With someone¡­ weren¡¯t there a bunch of people that we past by¡± I ask her. She gives a sigh like it¡¯s the end of the word, ¡°But they¡¯re adults. I mean being with someone around my age. The hasn¡¯t been another kid around for a couple years now. So this is what we¡¯ll do to form a proper relationship¡± she smiles up to me. ¡®What am I even doing here? This is not like me, to be pulled in by a bunch of strangers. Why did I even intervene in the first place? I am alone. I¡¯ve had no one, I don¡¯t need anyone any more. Everything¡¯s abandoned me already¡­ no¡­ maybe I¡¯m just scared now, rejection tears at me more than the other. That wasteland has taught me only one thing, to live and die alone. My civility died along with my parents that night. I don¡¯t belong anywhere anymore¡¯. She tilts her head side to side as she hums another song of hers. ¡°Why?¡±I whisper out a question on accident. But she replies back randomly, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ maybe if you stay here long enough, I¡¯ll be able to tell you¡± I look at her coldly ¡°I don¡¯t know what fantasy''s you¡¯ve dreamt up, but I¡¯m alone. I¡¯ve been alone, doing my own thing for years. I have my own rules to live by, not some sheltered people¡¯s rules that doesn¡¯t know or understand how hard it is to live and survive out there. I¡¯m only alive today because a bit of luck in the beginning and a whole lot of pain to learn by¡±. I stupidly take out my inward anger out on her. She stares back at me shocked and sad, trying to keep back some tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± she whispers out. ¡°No¡­ I just don¡¯t¡­ belong anymore¡± I get up and walk out of her room. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°Oh, that¡¯s where you went off too¡± Mary finds me at the first big room from the entrance, the only place that¡¯s alone and easily able to find. ¡°It¡¯s dinner time, let¡¯s go to the cafeteria¡± she tries to usher me to the door. ¡°I¡¯m still full. Unlike some people, I¡¯ve learned to deal with going without food for a week straight¡± I reply coldly, still in my brooding mood. Mary gives out a deep sigh, ¡°At least let me show you to the room you¡¯ll be staying in for the night¡±. ¡°I¡¯m fine with right here if it¡¯s all the same to you. Just bring me back my stuff¡± I say as I keep laying on the bed I¡¯ve been on for the past couple hours. ¡°God¡± Mary mutters out quietly ¡°It¡¯s hard enough dealing with one teenager, I don¡¯t need another¡±. She walks over to the bed, ¡°Come one¡±. I give her a weak smile as she approaches, ¡°I actually don¡¯t really have the energy to move right now¡±. ¡°Your skin is so pale right now, and you¡¯re burning up. How are you even sweating right now?¡± she puts on some gloves quickly and begins touching my forehead and skin all around. It takes me years back to my innocent childhood when my mom used to look after me at home, I tear up a bit. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything earlier?¡± she asks me with concern. ¡°Well for one, it didn¡¯t really hit until I was here alone. And I¡¯m used to fighting everything alone, even sickness¡± I look away from her. The next thing I know, she¡¯s picking me up in her arms. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s not good at all. You¡¯re way to light for your size¡± she states as she carries me with ease. She carries me to a small room and sets me down on the bed. ¡°You know, she was really hurt by what you said earlier¡± Mary scolds me while she sits next to me on the temporary bed, which is a cot. ¡°Reality hurts, this whole planet is hurting. Nothing changes by having fluffy feelings, imagining and waiting for a happy ending. The world is rotting away while you people sit here and play make believe. So tell me, what¡¯s harsher? A blatant truth that helps make a change, or a fluffy lie that rots a soul?¡± I look at her with inquisitive eyes. She sits beside me silently while going through a range of emotions on her face. ¡°I¡¯ve got to say, that¡¯s the most I heard you talk in the whole day¡± she settles for a moment ¡°you¡¯re a lot more intelligent than I first pegged you to be¡±. I shrug my shoulders, ¡°Intelligence isn¡¯t something unique, everything has it. It¡¯s the question of how you use it to your advantage¡±. She gets up from the bed, ¡°mmm¡± she starts towards the door then pauses then begins again ¡°well anyway, good night¡± she walks out the door. Chapter 3 | The Terrors One Goes Through I bend my legs inward to get past Ava and swing them off the cot onto the floor. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ava asks me in worry while she puts a hand on my shoulder. ¡°I just need some fresh air¡± I whisper, too tired to even care if it was heard. I stand up and get lightheaded, my vision goes pure white. I take a deep breath and wait till I can see properly again. Mary pushes her way through the doorway full of murmuring people. She stops in front of me but doesn¡¯t touch me, instead she puts her hands on her hips. ¡°And where do you think you¡¯re going? Your body still need rest¡± she says in a voice of past nostalgia for me. ¡°Outside. Got a problem with that?¡± I say it with much irritation in my voice, so many demanding people around me after years of nothing. ¡°You¡¯re in not condition to go outside right now. Plus it¡¯s in the middle of the night right now. Now lie back down and get some rest¡± she uses her hand to shoo me back to the cot. I shrunk my face in irritation and anger, but I push it down and speak in a calm manner ¡°I think I¡¯ll just leave earlier than agreed if it¡¯s all the same to you¡±. ¡°Nonsense. Upon recent events, new proposals are in order. I just had a quick chat with the chief, and seems like your able to stay for as long as you deem wanting¡± she states as she keeps her place in front of me. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that right now, I just want to get some fresh air outside¡­ please¡± I try to stay calm, but I¡¯m at my last thread. ¡°There is no ¡®fresh¡¯ air outside. If you must, we do have a green room you could visit. It¡¯s filled with beautiful plants¡± she tries her best to keep me inside. I give a past irritated sigh, ¡°Outside may be rough, but it is serene to me. Now. Let. Me. Out¡± I emphasis my demand. ¡°Like I said¡± she continues, but I snap ¡°Enough! I Am Going Outside! So leave me alone and stand aside!¡± I command out. Just about every head snaps straight, mechanically like a robot. Mary quickly steps aside and most of the people in the doorway move out of its threshold. Those who didn¡¯t act with the mechanical movements looked around in puzzlement before doing the same. ¡°Yes, as you wish. Would you like me to escort you to the entrance?¡± Mary asks in close to a monotone voice. I sigh ¡°Fine, but only till the stairs¡±. We begin our way down the hallways to the entrance. ¡®Shit. I forgot to grab my stuff ¡®cause the whole ordeal. Whatever, guess that¡¯ll give me time to say goodbye to Ava when I come back for it¡¯. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I settle myself down next to the water¡¯s edge, setting the flashlight and knife I got from Mary down by my sides. The one thing that¡¯s always been able to soothe me is the sound of lapping water. As soon was I outside, I went up to the tree I hide under today and down the hill to the river. ¡®I can see that you¡¯re angry¡¯ the breeze pushes past me, the sound reverberating as if both in my head and ears. I sigh out my complicated feelings, ¡°angry? Maybe¡­ no¡­ a bit, yes. I¡¯m frustrated¡±.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡®At them?¡± it whispers to me. ¡°Yes.. no.. Only partly. Don¡¯t you already know? You seem to always know¡± I say back to the wind. ¡®Of course. But I knowing, and you understanding is different. One must sort and reflect on one¡¯s self to truly understand. I am merely here to help guide you¡¯ It speaks in a gentle voice. ¡°What am I supposed to do then?¡± I ask away. ¡®I have already directed you in said direction. It is up to you to decide whether to follow¡¯ It states again. ¡°What? How?¡± I ask in despair. ¡®The world is in change again. The girl is a key component in this revolution, she is here to help the earth itself take shape. You, on the other hand, are here to¡­ well, it¡¯s a bit much for you to understand right now. Just stand by her. Take her hand and don¡¯t let go, for both your sakes¡¯ the voice goes just as fast as it came. I see another beam of light start to play on the ground around me. Soon after, a pair of footsteps calmly make their way from behind. They are neither rushing or trying to be stealthy, so either they¡¯re just plain stupid or they mean no harm. Either way, I don¡¯t take much effort towards trying to ready myself for a fight. Plus flashlights are generally rare these days, not to say they aren¡¯t around anymore. The thing that surprised me though was when the person draped a blanket over my shoulders. It¡¯s been freezing for years now, with the sun not shining like it used to, that normally you¡¯d want to cover yourself up. But my body¡¯s adapted quite a bit to the temperature, it doesn¡¯t affect me much. I look over to see Ava sit down a couple feet from me, obvious that she¡¯s trying to keep her distance. I stare out her for a minute, not that I can see that well anyway, and notice that she¡¯s shiver even with the blanket wrapped around her. I shake my head and roll my eyes. ¡°Come here you dummy. And put your blanket under you before you freeze to death¡± I reach my arm out with the blanket to pull her into my blanket. She does just that and I can feel her hands and arms wrap around my back and front, which sends an electric chill down my entire body. She keeps her head face down as she whispers, ¡°Wow¡­ you¡¯re really warm¡±. We sit there in silence for who knows how long. ¡°There¡¯s a small pier not too far away from here that I like to visit when I get a chance to slip outside for a while¡± Ava speaks up a little. ¡°Is that so? I¡¯d like to see it some time¡± I respond quietly. ¡°What¡¯s your ability?¡± she asks me in a shy manner. I try to look down at her face but fail, ¡°What do you mean, ability?¡± I ask in wonder. ¡°I mean what you did tonight¡± she looks up at me. I just squint my eyes at her, though not like she could see that very well ¡°huh¡±. ¡°Your nightmare. I¡¯m not sure what it was about, but everyone in the rooms around you could feel what you were feeling. The terror, the anguish¡­ the sadness. Are you okay? DId the outside cause such emotions?¡± I could feel the worry emanate from her. Did the wasteland cause this? The terrors that someone could come across in a blink of an eye. In a sense, yes it did. But then again, do we call the wilderness the wasteland because of the empty tundra or the maddening spirit of the people within it? ¡°Do you know what happened to your parents Ava?¡± I ask her in sorrow. ¡°My mom stopped coming after about a year of my treatments, but I can only assume that she¡¯s dead now. And my dad¡­ I never knew him¡± I hear her begin to sniffle. ¡°As for the dream tonight.. It¡¯s a recurring one for years. It¡¯s the night both my parents died and nearly me too¡± I whisper out. I feel her begin to tremble against my side. So I pull her closer to me, at least as close as one could get without being on top of each other. ¡®We are watching. You are free to release a burden without worry¡¯ the wind flows by.