Test Subjects #Wattys2015

The Road

-•~Rose's POV~•-

I stare into the young, eager face of my little brother, yearning to know about our parents. How can I tell him about what happened? Maybe I should wait for his memories to return... No, I need to tell him about what happened to them when we were taken away. "I...um..." I look down at myself. My clothes are wet and I'm battered up moderately. I'm pretty sure the water saved me.

"Rye..." I take a deep breathe and sigh, "Rye, our parents were murdered by the people who worked for the Goldmans. They knocked down our door and killed Mom first then started to take us, but Dad tried to protect us and got killed while attempting to save us." I spit out the words like they were a bad taste in my mouth.

My eyes sting with tears as they begin to flow down face. I'm the oldest of the group, so I remember more of my past than the others except Diala who is only a year younger than me. Rye and I's parents were killed, Diala has been an orphan since she was three-years-old, Don lost his mom during his kidnapping, and Isla is the only one with both her parents still alive. It's unfortunate that they were so young that they don't even remember them. Don was taken when he was four-years-old, Rye and Isla were six, Diala was eight, and I was nine. We'd been locked up in that place for six years.

"I-I... I feel so terrible that most of you don't remember your parents," I wipe my eyes. "You all were too young to."

"Then we'll have to search for them," Don says, "That's all."

"Don, you don't know what happened to you family, do you?" I ask. He shakes his head then I say, "Your mother was killed like our parents were, but your father still lives."

Silence. That's the only thing that is making sound: silence. No one says a word for the rest of the day.

***

We found a heavily wooded forest that morning (far away from the closed off area the Goldman's set up) thick with vegetation and full of life. Bees are buzzing around and squirrels are gathering nuts, scampering about the trees and ground. The clouds seemed to have vanished since yesterday and the sun was shining so bright, it was hard to see. A clear, fresh morning to start our new lives.

Diala inhales the savory warm air with delight, but winces when she breathed in too much. Her wound was healing up nicely since the battle a week ago. She had transformed into a crow to fetch breakfast; she caught a few squirrels to cook up into a stew. Don took over the cooking because he has a natural talent for it.

Unfortunately, Rye is still upset at finding out that his parents had been murdered. Everyone always tries to cheer him up, but nothing is making him happy.

After breakfast, we set out through the forest with trees that stretch on for as far as the eye can see. Isla leads the way in her doe form; she says she has a sense of direction having the ability of the earth element. When everyone gets tired, they transform into their animal form to get a load off their feet. I'm like a fish out of water since my animal is an actual fish. Now that I think about it...I have never transformed into my animal form. Huh, I forgot all about it.

Diala stops suddenly and flops onto a large, flat rock then pants out, "I can't...take another step...further..."

"Same," I agree, plopping down right next to her, sprawling out.

Don turns back to human and does a cartwheel, jumps around, and jogs in place. "You guys are tired?"

"I'm not," Rye and Isla say in unison.

"I'm pumped up! I could keep going; what's the matter with you guys?" Don asks, staring at us like we are old women who are drying out on a rock ready to be dead.

"I don't think you and I will ever get used to Don's ten-year-old boy energy, Diala," I say breathlessly.

Diala tries to say something back, but all that comes out is a wheeze. "Lets....camp...here..."

***

Three more weeks have passed since we escaped. Isla is treading along ahead with Don and Rye by her side. Diala and I are lagging behind because our feet are worn out to the bone. The two of us try to keep up with the rest, but with their child-like energy, we can't do it. I stop to sit and stretch my feet. "Rose, what are you doing? C'mon, let's go!" Rye calls.

RrrrrrVRRSSSSSHHHHhhhhhhh! A noise comes from the West, the direction we have been heading for the past couple of days. I wait to hear the sound again. "Guys, did you hear that?"  The sound happens again.

"I definately heard something," Isla replies, still moving foreward.

I get up. I don't care if this wastes the rest of my strength, I need to get there... Now! I blast into a full sprint, whipping past Isla in the matter of seconds, dashing to the road. I know it's the road. That's the sound of a car. I remember that sound. Please! BE THE ROAD! I tumble out of the forest into a cleared out area where a tar road stretches across horizontally. I let out a triumphant shriek that turns into a joyful scream that I exhale at the top of my lungs. The others come rushing out after me.

"Rose!" Rye calls, "What's the matter?"

I smile widely and laugh hysterically, "It's the road. It's the road!" I twirl and skip and dance around so merrily I might just explode with happiness. "This is where our new life starts, today!"