Breath Of Death

Welcome.

"Thank you." The girl said with tears streaming down her face.
   I stared at her. Noted every little movement she made down to the rhythm of her breathing just in case she tried anything. She was obviously scared but that doesn't mean she's a good person.
"Who do I thank for saving my life?"
   I stayed still with my hand placed on my gun.
"Don't talk much do you? My name is Serenity but people call me Serene." She wiped a tear from her face and pushed back her curly hair.
   It's been so long since I've talked to someone that I actually forgot how to speak.
"People?" I managed to get out.
   Her eyes widened as she finally heard my raspy voice. A smile creeped from her mouth too.
"Ah she speaks. And I'm not supposed to say anything but I live in a community about 10 miles from here. A farm."
    A community with real people on a farm. I never knew something like that could exist.
"I've never traveled this far from it before but I needed medicine for my brother." She said breaking the silence once again.
"Infected?" I questioned.
"No. Thankfully, but he has a fever and a cough that we haven't been able to get rid of for a while. Everything around the farm has been searched through or used that we haven't been able to find any cough syrup for him. It's not much but I just want to make him better." Serene put her head down and looked at the floor.
"His name is Gabriel and my grandmothers name is Georgia. They are the only family I have left on this world. Gabriel's only 6. He's too young for this." I could see right through Serene. She had to grow up too quick just like I did. Except she has a family to provide for. A family to fight for. A reason to live.
I picked up the shotgun and held it out to her.
"My name's Riley."
   She took the gun with a smile and stood up. She was tall and skinny. She carried herself respectfully. Like she had more strength in wisdom than muscle.
"Well Riley, what are you doing out here all alone? You must have someone out there too?"
"I don't."
   She sighed as if she had hoped that the thoughts in her mind weren't true. That I had lost people too.
"Would you like to come back home with me? I owe you a nice warm meal." She smiled softly.
"Okay."
    I followed her 10 miles back to her community. There were a lot of people there as well. The farm had a big old white house on the top of a hill down a long dirt path. There was a barn to the right of it and a corn maze and gardens to the left. There were people farming and others tending to the chickens and horses. It felt like I was in a dream.
   We got to the big white porch on the house and were greeted with an older woman. She had a cane and Serene embraced her graciously.
"Serenity, everyone had said you weren't gon' come back! I told em they don't know my child like I do!" This woman must've been Georgia. Serenity's grandmother.
"I couldn't leave my treasure behind now could I GG? Matter of fact, I brought someone with me."Serenity chuckled placing her hand on my back to bring me forward.
"This is Riley. She helped me get the medicine for Gabriel." She nudged me forward and smiled.
   Georgia held my hand and smiled as well.
"Thank you for bringing my sweet girl home! I don't know what I'd do without her! Now Riley, we've got some soup in the kitchen ready for ya. I have a feeling it's been a while since your tummy's been full. Look at her Serenity! She's almost as small as Gabriel! Come baby and let's get you somethin' to eat!" Georgia said guiding me to the kitchen to a bowl of steaming soup.
   I sat down and almost passed out from how good it smelled. I picked the bowl up and drank it like I was a cave girl. I should've checked to see if it was poisonous or something but everyone was so inviting, that I felt safe for once.
   Soup spilled from my mouth down my face onto my clothes. I think I finished the bowl in 30 seconds. I should've taken my time and ate properly though because when I sat it down, all I saw were eyes on me.
"S..sorry." I stuttered.
"Please! I'll make you another!" Georgia said picking the empty bowl up from me and filling it again.
"She even eats like him too!" Serene giggled.
"Oh I wish he would eat like that again, he can't even sit up on his own now." Georgia pouted.
"I'll go give him that medicine." Serene ran to her bag and grabbed the cough syrup.
"Here take this and change his rag, he's probably warmed up the last one." Georgia placed Serene a cold rag in her hand and she headed upstairs.
Georgia went upstairs shortly after Serene did. I finished my bowl and followed. Gabriel was lying on a bed. He was small and he looked so young. Serene was feeding him some medicine slowly into his mouth. I could see he was too weak to even open his mouth properly.
My eyes followed to Georgia. Her eyes looked so pitiful. All I wanted to do for them was to make him all better so that they can smile again.
"Riley. Come." Serene set the medicine down and held out her hand to me.
I took it and she placed it onto Gabriel's hand.
"Gabe, this is Riley. She's my new friend."
With his eyes still closed, Gabriel smiled slightly. Like he wanted to greet me properly but was too weak to do so.
"It's very nice to meet you Gabriel." I squeezed his hand and stepped back.
"Let's let him sleep for now and let that medicine do its magic." Georgia said heading out of the room.
Me and Serene came out shortly after she fixed his blankets and blew out the candle that was lit on the bedside table.
"It's getting dark now Riley. You must stay the night just to be safe!" Serene said excitedly.
"Okay, where do I sleep?" I asked.
"You can sleep with me! My room is right beside Gabe's."
I followed her into her room and sat on her bed. It was soft and comfortable. Something I haven't been used to in a long time.
Me and Serene talked almost the entire night before we ended up passed out on her bed. I told her my backstory and she told me how Georgia owned the entire farm with her husband when everything happened. Her husband passed from an attack trying to protect Serene and Gabriel. They've stuck together since and eventually allowed people to stay with them. With time, the farm became a community of people all trying to maintain the farm and live with the resources it created.