Lost Memories

Chapter 11 - Kennedy

Kennedy's POV

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked them angrily, my voice so harsh that Annie flinched away.

"I had to know you were safe, Kennedy, you can't expect me to have just stayed there waiting for you to come back and you never said goodbye. No, I had to come to know and see for myself that you were alive."

"I left early so that I could keep you safe! I didn't want you to come because it's dangerous, you could get hurt or captured or worse! Do you think I would have ever let you come with us knowing this?"

"I did, but how could you even think that I would abide by your reasoning and stay back, all the while you could be in loads of danger? No, I will not stay back and play the submissive girl, all because my best friend thinks it's too dangerous for me to go! I'm not going back Kennedy, no matter what you say or do." She stated stubbornly. I sighed, defeated in the fact that I knew I wouldn't be able to send her back without world war four breaking loose.

"Fine, whatever you say. I don't know about you, but I'm too exhausted to argue any further; so I'm just gonna sleep." I said tiredly, as I walked over to my mat and sleeping bag, before settling into it and passing out.

*****

I was running, through a desolated city with the skeletons of ruined buildings towering all around me, causing a sense of claustrophobia to set in, making it harder for me to breathe, as I sprinted down the streets, turning down all sorts of passages, as my chaser tried to catch up with me. My breath was running in short hard pants and my muscles were arguing with me as I pumped myself to go faster.

The thing that was driving me was the terror that was ravaging all my thoughts. That was until I heard a familiar voice screaming my name.

"Kennedy! Kennedy, help, I need you!" It screamed making me stop in my tracks, there was another painful, heart wrenching scream: Annie!

"Annie, where are you!?" I screamed out, the volume and effort making my throat raw, as I repeatedly screamed for her. I turned around, searching, but it was too late. The chaser had caught up to me, his face hidden in the shadows. I was too late.

*****

I bolted up into a sitting position, my head and heart pounding. Sweat beaded on my forehead and the back of my neck, whilst I panted and looked around at the people around me. Everyone was there, Sade and Annie were sleeping and Onix sat there, looking at me with wide eyes. He moved over to me and rubbed my back.

"Are you ok?" He asked, tentatively.

"Uh, yeah, just a bad dream is all." I muttered back, showing that I didn't want to go into details about it.

"Ok, if you want to talk about it, I'm here." He replied softly, before moving back to a tree he had been leaning on before he had come over to me and rested back. It was obvious that he was tired but had stayed up to keep watch, so I got up and brushed myself off and went over to him.

"Go, get some sleep. I will keep watch until sunrise."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, don't think I could sleep anyway." I said. Onix yawned, signaling his complacence with my order to sleep and got into his own sleeping back and was snoring as soon as his head hit the pillow.

I rolled my eyes and sat down in the place where Onix had just been sitting, looking out at the surrounding forest. I wasn't staring at anything in particular, just the forest in general as the shadows hid and skewed thing from my line of sight, just enough so that all I could see were the silhouettes of objects.

The fire that had been in the middle of our camp, had obviously gone out a while ago, as all that was left of it was a pile of ashes and some bones, showing the only evidence that there had ever been one there.

I mulled over the thought of my dream, of all that had happened in its entirety: the screaming, running and fear. It was a fear that I never wanted to experience in the real world, the ever-growing panic that a loved one is in so much danger and there is nothing that can be done to save them. It was like my subconscious was telling me to make Annie go back to the boys, that something will happen to her if she stayed with us; however, I knew I wouldn't be able to get her to leave, no way in hell. She was far too stubborn to be persuaded to go back, so I guess I just had to accept it, even though I hated the thought of her being in any kind of danger.

After it few hours, the skies began to lighten a little and the bird began to chirp all around the camp, signaling daybreak and the dawning of a new day. As the sun shone through he trees, Onix began restlessly tossing in his sleep, as if he were in between the stages of sleeping and waking.

The birds got louder overhead, so it wasn't long before everyone was awake and ready to set off again. We had collectively tidied up camp and helped prepare the morning meal to speed up the process and help us on our way. Throughout this period, I had been sending Annie a lot of disapproving looks, in hope of her wanting to go back to the cavern, but she ignored me and kept her face blank. Onix, on the other hand, kept giving me reassuring smiles, with the promise of us all being all right by the end of this.

"Ready to go?" Sade asked us all, as we packed up the cooking equipment.

"Just a second, Sade, I just want to have a quick word with Kennedy," Onix said, tugging on my arm.

We made a short way through the trees, Onix trying to make sure the others couldn't here us. We stopped abruptly between some sycamores, and then he turned to face me.

"Kennedy, it's ok, Annie will be safe." He stated, looking me in the eyes to show his honesty.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked hesitantly.

"Oh come on, there are three of us who are highly skilled in combat traveling with her, do you really think someone could take us down?"

"You never know, it's better to be safe than sorry."

"So you're just going to live in fear all the time? Never take risks or live in the moment?"

"When you have nothing, then someone comes along and gives you something to keep on living for, you're going to want to protect that thing, so that you don't slip back into having nothing again!" I argue, tears welling up, threatening to overflow. Onix sighed.

"I know, I've been through it too, but you need to accept that Annie is in a similar position, she doesn't want to lose you and the only way for her to know you're fine and alive, is to be there with you." He replied softly, bending down a little to look at me, before straightening up and pulling me into a hug. We lingered there for a while, neither of us willing to let go from the other. My arms tightly around him, whilst his wrapped around me with his head resting on top of mine. His warmth engulfed my own, as I clutched his shirt, thinking that he would anchor me down back to reality and the world we were really in.

"Thank you," I said quietly, my ear pressed against his chest, so that I could here his pulse and how it raised slightly as I gripped him harder.

He pulled away slightly and looked down at me. He was so close and handsome, especially in this close proximity; I couldn't help but look down at his lips. One of his hands raise from my back to cup my cheek, stroking his thumb back and forth across it. I looked back up into his eyes, which were focused on my own lips. I felt my cheeks heat up self-consciously. Then he leaned down slowly, his eyes flickered up to meet mine, questioning me, before leaning down further and trapping his lips with my own. Instinctively, my eyes closed as our mouths connected and softly moved together.

It wasn't long before he pulled away, looking at me tentatively. I smiled back and stepped away, to put a bit of space between us. He smiled back and grabbed my hand, pulling me back the way we just came to meet back up with Annie and Sade, a blush still covering my face.

I hoped Annie wouldn't notice or I would have some serious explaining to do.