Music

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

   Milla opened her eyes sleepily. Only a little light was streaming through the windows. It was earlier in the morning than she expected. Milla yawned and stretched her arms. She pushed off her thin blanket and rolled out of her make-shift bed. She padded, still half asleep, into her children's room.

   Her three eldest daughters were snuggled up together underneath one blanket. She rested her gaze on her other three children, the twins and her only son. They were snoring peacefully. Milla smiled. They all reminded her of her late husband. She sighed. She missed Hugo. Every day, she wondered why it had to be him that died. Why he had to be sent off to fight in the War.

   Milla then started thinking about Xavier. He was her former employer, way back before the War started. Kind, handsome, funny, everything a woman looked for in a man.

   Mentally, Milla blushed. How had she gone from thinking about her late husband to Xavier? This was shameful.

   Milla walked quietly downstairs and left the rest of their food on the table for her children. Her elder ones were old and responsible enough to share the food out properly.

   She grabbed her gun and walked out the house to the back. Her car was hidden under camouflaged sheets of tarpaulin and rubble. She pulled the disguise off her car and started the car. The engine purred like a cat. Milla pulled away from the house and drove off out of London, towards the countryside. Her car had fully recharged, because she had left the solar panels uncovered. There was a lot of sun. In fact, the only two weathers were huge storms or the powerful sun. Any cloud in the sky would be pollution. Even a couple of years after most of the factories had closed down, pollution still hung in the air.

   Milla was driving at full speed so she had almost arrived in the more remote parts of the countryside. Where the remaining wildlife lived. Edible wildlife.

   She got out of the car and grabbed her gun. Killed the engine. Stopped and listened. No sounds so far. She would soon sort that out.

   There was a rustle in the bushes in front. Milla crouched down, hidden by the long, reedy grass. Two very stupid pheasants waddled out. They pecked at the ground, looking for a tasty morsel. Milla crept closer, trying not to rustle the grass too much. The pheasants froze and looked up, but couldn't see Milla, so carried on with their business. Perfect. She pulled out her gun and shot them both. She leapt forward and grabbed them, then trudged back to her car and slung them on the seat next to her. She got out again and began collecting some roots and berries. Milla knew what was edible and what was poisonous because her father was a botanist and always taught her a thing or two.

   Once she had gathered enough to feed her large family for a couple of weeks, she hopped on her car, turned the engine on and drove away. Only one more place to go. Aletti Springs to collect water.

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   It was midday when Milla finally arrived back home. Her children were sitting around the table, some chatting, Abigale drawing as usual, and Mattie hitting the table with a spoon.

   "Mummy!" Immie exclaimed, jumping up from her seat. She raced forward and hugged Milla then gasped at the sight of the food. This was the most food she had ever seen.

   All the other children gathered around Milla, shocked at the sight. Just then, there was an all too familiar sound of stomping.

   "Hide!" Milla hissed at her children. The younger ones looked confused, so she pushed them into corners and under the trapdoor. The elder children knew exactly what to do and launched themselves into cupboards and slid behind furniture. Once all her children were safe, Milla herself hid in a wardrobe. She had just gently closed the door before three soldiers came into view. She peered out the keyhole at them. They used their guns to poke and prod at things.