Powerless

Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: Mature language and Graphic Description

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I awoke, sore from exercising yesterday. It's day four in this apocalyptic world, and everyone around me is giving up and shutting down.

I'm especially worried about my mother and father, we were able to scavenge for some leftover food, it wasn't amazing but it was edible.

My father and mother both gave up the food for me and my brother, no matter how hard I tried to force them to eat, they wouldn't.

It would tide us off, but it wasn't enough.

I shook my head, it's no use sulking over it, for now, we need to find more food and potential water supplies.

My brother and I suggested we check the freshwater lakes around us. I grabbed a backpack full of water bottles, pails, and containers to store water in.

My brother busted into my room an hour later, I checked me phone as the cell towers were luckily still up. The time is now ten-thrity.

"Lola, ready to leave? We should go soon if we're gonna make it back anytime before noon," he puffed, looking exhausted and malnourished.

I simply just nodded, not in the mood to speak as my throat felt dry.

We exited my room and into the living room, making our way to the front door at a turtle-like pace.

We step out of the thick air inside and are greeted with cold, crisp air outside.

November brought tons of rain, therefore the grass was slick with dew, and the gravel was grouped up into small pieces and crunchy underfoot.

We walked for what felt like hours, grass stains on my pants from when I fell on the wet fronds and skidded my knees.

We eventually came up on a huge freshwater lake. We could see a few people nearby, probably for the same reasons we were there.

I dipped my index finger into the water. It was cold, and refreshing, it would definitely make our parents happy.

I nodded at Zakk, signalling it was okay. He gave me the look that someone was approaching, my eyes widened as I stiffly got our of my kneeling position.

I turned to face an aged man, his beard flecked with grey, showing his old age.

"You younglings are in for something fun," the old man croaked huskily, cracking his knuckles and raising his fists.

"Come at me bitch!" Zakk sneered, shoving me behind him protectively.

The aged man slumped closer, before I pushed my brother from in front of me and raised my fist.

"Move out of the way fucker. I'm not a princess, I don't need saving," I bark, punching the aged man.

I recoiled, "oh gosh, are you oka-" I was cut off by Zakk slamming his palm on my lips to stop me from finishing my sentence.

We both quickly grabbed whatever containers, bottles, or pails we had filled and scrammed off to our house.

When we got back I collapsed onto the couch, exhausted after running all the way back.