We crashed through the bushes and the trees. Aaron took the lead and I followed closely behind, ducking and dodging the burning branches falling from above. I looked behind us, if only for a brisk moment, to make sure we had lost our pursuers, but as I looked back, Aaron ceased to lead me. In panic, I screamed his name, but immediately clamped my hand over my mouth and regretted calling him. Screeching that loud was like sending up a flare signal, 'I'm here, come and get me!'. Plus, I didn't want to draw any attention to Aaron in case he was close by. With a growing fear that something- someone- was closing in on me, I scrambled and urged my feet to move at lightning speed. The wind whistled through my ears until I stumbled and caught myself on a tree. I slumped down against it. The sudden burst of energy was drained from my body. Alarmingly, I heard a deep, muffled shout that sounded strangled, but I could just make out one word. Alexis. What does that mean? Help? Run? Aaron. As soon as the thought surfaces, I have a gut feeling its true. He's been taken. Overcome by a fresh course of adrenaline ripping through my veins, I darted around, searching frantically for Aaron. My only thoughts- I won't lose you. I can't. I froze when I heard noises beyond the light shed clearing. Not making I single sound, I crept hurriedly to a place where I could see the open area through the shrub, but was still concealed by the expanse of greenery. I inhaled sharply, my lungs failing me. I failed to hold back tears at the sight of the men in white dragging Aaron's unconscious body into the army truck. Aaron. One of the only things worth living for. Gone. The world spun and my legs gave out from under me. Pain enveloped my limp body.
...
I woke screaming like a mad woman, "Aaron! Aaron!" uncontrollable shudders racked my body until he burst into my room and fixed my under his gaze. He crossed the room and crawled onto my bed. Aaron began comforting me, telling me every thing was going to be okay. "Alexis, it's okay. You're safe here with me." He said whilst cradling me in his arms. I looked up into his icy blue eyes and he kissed my forehead. "Nightmares?" he asked bitterly. I nodded slowly. Nightmares. They had haunted me ever since this godforsaken war started. Of my family, my friends, people I once new, and strangers, whom I'd never met before, their lives flashing before my eyes as the essence left their's, as they died. I would drift away into sleep, only to be confronted by a new horror. Every night they found another way to take them from me. "If you don't want to talk about it that's fine, but if you ever feel like it, I'll be here. You can trust me," Aaron whispered to me. "Okay," I whispered back, "And Aaron, thankyou. For everything." I looked at him and he winced, at first I was afraid that I had hurt him, but then he ran a hand through his caramel-chocolate hair and spoke, "By the way Lex, the rebel leaders want us out of here by noon. Spies reported yesterday that the army are planning on another attack. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to worry you, but we better start packing before we have to leave," he gazed through the window and scowled. "Hey," I said softly, "It's okay. We should be safer if we move out anyway." He nodded silently and stood to leave but truth be told, I needed his solid embrace to calm my nerves. My skin tingled with chills at the loss of his presence and I almost called for him to come back.
After loading the rebel truck with the few worldly possessions we had, the driver of our escort truck revved the engine and we climbed into the black vehicle, which happened to be crammed with 4 others, weapons of war and several shells of armour. For what seemed like an eternity, we snaked down a dwindling dirt track to the next safe houses, heavily guarded by muscular men and women in rebel army uniforms. The houses were brimming with other warfare refugees. Outside of the buildings and in the quadrangle stood groups of children and the odd man or woman looking starved and sleep-deprived, with scruffy, blackened clothing and sunken red eyes. The children stood side by side, with no mothers, fathers, or any adults near them for that matter. All of the adults stood alone with a distant and vacant look in their eyes, their gaze shattered as if they weren't aware of anything around them.
I was hit by a sudden wave of horror and nausea as everything clicked into place. The explosions, the gunfire, and the sacrifices that had been made along the way. Those children had nobody but each other, their families gunned down or blown up by the army, leaving them with empty souls and broken bodies. The men and women had lost everything, and were probably fighting a losing battle to maintain their sanity, if they hadn't lost it already. Heartache, heartbreak and devastation. Shaken to my core, I let a small choke slip out of my throat.
"Alexis? Are you okay, Lex? Lex?" he questioned me with worry as I stood in shock, taken aback by the pain of these people. I had lost my mother, father and older brother to the war, but I still had Aaron. I still had dignity, I still had strength, and I still had hope. Hope. The little fire that never ceased to spark inside of me. The very existence of survival, but these tortured innocents had nothing. Not a single thing. I steadied myself and took a deep breath, surveying my surroundings. A barren wasteland, ashes apart from the few buildings of this small group. The thing that endangered us most though, was the little means of concealment provided by the empty landscape. We would be open to any kind of merciless attack from the government's army. I wasn't going to let this place get to me. I was going to remain unphased and that would get me through this. I was plainly, undeniably wrong. I burst into sobs loudly as the despair of these past months came tumbling down onto my shoulders, and I fell into Aaron's open arms. I hadn't noticed the redheaded girl who had walked up to me until I felt a cold hand tap my shoulder.
I could tell, just by looking at her rigid stance and the glint of determination in her green eyes that she was the one leading them. I realised that I recognised that expression; I would see that same look everyday. But it was not one of mine, not one that I could see in the mirror. It was one belonging to Aaron. He often wore a hardened, determined face with a locked jaw and an unforgiving gaze. But unlike this woman, who lead this entire community, gave it spine, Aaron only showed this facade for me. He was my leader, my backbone. "Elizabeth McNamara," she introduced herself. She held out her hand to shake. I returned the gesture, "I'm Alexis Sun, this is Aaron Whitekeeper," I uttered, somewhat composing myself and gesturing to Aaron. "You'll be bunking together. Room 47, the blue building," Elizabeth explained and handed over a key, continuing to introduce herself to the others. Aaron took my hand in his and together we set up our rooms, unpacking our bags in silence. We both needed rest and I was in no mood to discuss my problems. "Tomorrow, I promise," I said, looking into his eyes and he nodded. Before I could turn away he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his strong embrace. We let go, and I crawled into my bed, wishing that it would all just be over. And as I felt myself start to drift into the blissfully torturous land of dreams, I caught a glimpse of his shadowed figure, watching me, trying to protect me from the night. But alas, no one can save me from myself.
^^ Candace Patton, who I imagined playing Alexis
Thankyou dearly for reading,
TRGTS.
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Gone
General FictionMy mother. My father. My brother. But not him. I'd never lose him.
