Fall Is Beautiful

S2 Chapter 5: The Walk Of Death

Not much fun of a title, am I right? *wink wink* Sigh... sorry not sorry.

I'm not as strong as I used to be. In fact, I'm all skin and bones at the moment. With all the little food given to me at the camp, I had grown weak, frail and ugly. I had to keep a balance on my meals, keeping it at one step at a time. I had already packed my backpack, given by Alibaba, with all the supplies I needed for my journey: Can foods, snacks, a sleeping bag, a rifle, a knife, warm clothing, and a radio.

Just an hour earlier...

"They found someone with your brothers physical description... near a PSI camp up north." Cassim explained, going straight to the point. My heart raced. My little brother was walking straight into a trap. It wouldn't have been a possibility that he worked in the camp since they never let any kids outside the walls of that place, ever. Jafar was going to be put into a camp, and I needed to stop him before he could get himself killed. I knew him. He wouldn't last a week in there. With that tiny frail body of his, the workload would kill him. I had to hurry.

"Give me his coordinates." I demanded, rushing to grab a backpack, which was gifted to me from Alibaba, and started to stack up on my supplies. Meanwhile, Cassim went over the radio again and asked the same question I asked to the team. Not a minute later, he answered my question.

"40.7178° N, 74.0431° W." New Jersey. He went back there. That was more than a few days away, almost a month with car. I wouldn't make it in time, even if I left now. Suddenly, my heart sank. I wouldn't be able to save him. Even once I get there, he'd be gone. I... failed as a brother. I clenched my hands into fists, teeth grinding. All those burdens I had lifted earlier by Seren were back, and it all hit me like a bolder. I let out a cry, loudly, and no one hushed me. Cassim gave me a saddened look, and rolled his chair over to me. He rested his hand on my back. "We can send you with a car. Have Sharrkan get you one... and you can go save him." I shook my head.

"I'll be too late. He's too far away... and right as we find him! Damn it all!" I punched the floorboard, my fist hurting. I stared down at my hand, seeing how skinny I had become. Would Jafar even have recognized me? Tears flooded my vision, and I tried to blink them away. None fell, I wouldn't allow them to. I didn't deserve to cry. If I couldn't protect him, then what right did I have to feel sad? It's my fault, my failure.

"Listen." Cassim's words broke through my thoughts, and I looked up at him. He wore a stern look on his features, almost looking mad. He grabbed the hilt of my shirt, pulling me up further. "For the past years, I've been searching for my little sister. I've found so many traces of her, and never once did I give up because it was too far or because I was afraid. Each time, I ran to get her, to find her, but I always too late. She'd be gone before I knew it. Last year... that was the last time I went looking by myself." I looked down at his legs as he did, and I realized. "I found her. But I had to protect her from those fucking bastards of adults. I did anything I could to protect her, but it led to nothing... She died in an explosion, and I lost my legs..." There was a long pause, before he spoke again. "What I'm saying is, you have to keep going. Keep fighting to find your brother, and eventually, you'll find him, and you BETTER save him." I took my time to cry, to nod and tell him okay, but I rushed to pack. I'd find Jafar, and I'd get him back.

...

Sharrkan pulled around the corner with an old SUV. It wasn't my style, but that didn't matter. Anything to get me to Jafar. He hoped out of the car as I started to put my backpack inside the passenger seat. "You headed out?" He asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah. Need to find Jafar." I glanced up at Shar, and saw the scar I had given him all those years ago. He wears it well, but I couldn't help but feel guilty about it. I stood up straight and faced him. "I'm sorry about punching you." Sharrkan gave me a confused look, before he realized what I meant and touched his scar on his cheek lightly.