Survival

Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE (edited)

When morning came, Katherine and Katy woke up earlier than the others. They picked blackberries, partially rotten apples, edible plants, and pears at a nearby tree.

Katherine sighed. She knew this wasn’t going to be a simple trip to the west. The west was closer to the boundary of the state. This meant more government soldiers, more trouble. It wasn’t going to be easy. How would she pull it all off? Who would help her?

“Kathy? You’re not sure about it.”

“Wha-?” Katherine stopped. Katy knew her fear. There was no hiding it.

            Katy continued talking softly which was new to Katherine,“You not sure how we're going to survive? During our trip, I mean. You know, I understand, but I think the Lord will help us. Remember when Jack almost died in that canyon? You prayed, we all did, and God answered. He helped us and He can help again. I believe so.”

            The teen girl's words repeated in Katherine’s mind. How could she forget the Lord? How could she possibly not remember that He was there when Jacob was dying? He was there when she met the siblings. And He was there when Jack had almost disappeared before her eyes. Death. It was a scary thing. It scared them all. But the trust in God gave them hope for a real future. Katherine remembered the siblings, the Jonsens, Nedit and Miya standing with their mouths opened in horror and her scream ripping through the hills. It brought tears to her eyes seeing him tip off the rocky edge with nothing to hold on to. A day passed and she had to admit, she already missed him. Why did she have to be so hard on him? He didn’t deserve such rude treatment. He was trying to help in his own way. Guilt flushed over her. They have been through a lot as sister and brother. Why was she so stupid? If only he was here, he would know what to do at a time like this. Tears welled up and she couldn't hold them anymore. Katherine sobbed.

“Kathy..,” said Katy softly as she put her arm around Katherine’s shoulder. Katherine cried until her sobbing quieted down to sniffing. She weakly smiled at Katy.

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

Katy beamed. She was glad she could help. They stood there for a few minutes in silence, listening to the cheerful chirping of the carefree birds and to the warm breeze that dried up Katherine’s wet cheeks. For a second it seemed like the chirping stopped and something deadly hung in the air. Katy looked up. She narrowed her eyes and looked somewhere into the forest.

There was a gunshot that startled them both.

Katy screamed. Katherine turned pale. They grabbed the baskets with food and raced toward the cave. Will they get there in time?  Katherine wondered.