Hero - Book One - Journey To The East

Chapter 14: Help

Hero

I pull over to check if it's safe to continue our journey. I go to Falcon's trunk to grab some water.

To my surprise, the Freaks left my belongings. They didn't consider them edible or valuable. Even my eggs remained unharmed.

"And?" Emily calls out from her seat, her door open.

"I found it. They left most of my stuff, including your filtered pee. I suppose the water didn't meet their taste or utility standards," I say, looking her way.

She shrugs and grins.

"They made a mess," I add.

"You should clean it."

"I know."

I walk over to her, leaning against Falcon's passenger door.

"Hey, they also left your bag between the front and backseat," I say.

"When we're finished, remind me to take it with me," Emily replies.

Can't she do that herself?

Suddenly, memories of the camp race before my eyes.

All those losses.

Questions arise. We didn't have a choice, did we?

"We came close," she remarks. "Do you think we made the right choice?"

As if she read my mind.

"I don't know. Did we have any other options?" I question.

"No, we didn't," she says. "Even though we saved many people, it still feels like a failure, don't you think?"

"I know what you mean," I acknowledge.

These memories weigh heavy on my mind. I wish I could erase them all—the dog I had to kill, the bearded man with his men, the decapitated Freak, and even the unfortunate incident with the chubby kid. I also ponder whether we can rescue Emily's parents as we did with those men.

Will it be possible?

"The children will be fine," I assure her, trying to comfort both of us.

She nods, but her wavering smile reveals her inner doubts.

It's hard to believe my own words.

I return to Falcon's trunk and sip filtered pee to calm my nerves.

As I walk through the sand, my head is dizzy. The images of the camp flash through my mind like photographs.

I tried to suppress them, but all is coming back.

"Hero?" Emily interrupts, causing the camp memories to fade. "Are you okay?"

"I... I don't know."

Each step I take becomes heavier, increasing the pressure on my chest. I turn around and return to the driver's seat, relying on Falcon for support.

I sit down, exhaling the used oxygen through my nostrils.

My stomach churns, and everything around me fades.

"Hero?"

____

Emily

I gently tap his cheeks, hoping he'll wake up.

This is not happening!

"Hero, please wake up!" I plead, my voice trembling. Tears stream down my face, and my breaths come out in uneven gasps.

I check his neck for a pulse with two fingers.

Nothing!

I jump out of Falcon and run to the trunk. As I make my way to the back of the car, the soft sand makes me lose my balance, and I end up falling on my side. I shake off the fall, refusing to accept that Hero could be gone.