The Life of the Campbells'

The Life of the Campbells'- Part 4

-Lisa- 

"Mom, mom, mom..." Buster whispered quietly as he shook Lisa gently. Lisa sat up abruptly and looked at her son on full alert. 

"What is it?" she whispered. Buster pointed down and Lisa's gaze followed his finger to where he was pointing. It was the devil himself. Harold was walking under the tree they were in. he looked like he was tracking them. They heard a twig snap in the distance and saw a deer. Harold, with his gun at hand, aimed and fired. He hit the deer in the stomach, but it ran. Harold chased after it and when he was out of sight, Lisa quickly gathered everything, including Buster.  

Lisa and Buster climbed down and headed toward the opposite direction of Harold. They walked for hours. There were times where they ran. Lisa had to carry Buster from time to time, but they wanted far away from Harold. Only, Harold knew what he would do to them if he found them. 

When it started to get dark, Lisa spotted an old fire pit. It was covered pretty well, but Lisa could see the rocks. Molly had to be around here somewhere unless it was Harold's. Lisa kept walking and had to pick Buster up again. After a few hours, they finally stopped. It had to be around 11:30 at night. 

"Okay, Buster. Time for-"Lisa started until she blacked out.

-Molly- 

Molly and John were setting up camp again when they heard footsteps. They glanced at each other, pulled out their weapons, and stood back. They sounded heavy, but Molly wasn't sure. When they sounded close, they stopped. Molly looked left and right while holding her bow tightly with an arrow ready. Something shiny moved in the corner of her eye and quickly turned her head toward it in time to know it was a gun. 

"Duck!" Molly yelled and grabbed John's hand to take him down with her, but he wouldn't move. By the time Molly decided to duck, there was a bang and a searing pain was pulsing through her left arm. Molly fell to her knees and John finally moved. 

"Molly? Are you okay?" John asked as Molly looked back up to where the shooter was.  

"Don't get distracted. He got me in the arm. I'm fine." She whispered quietly. She quietly told him to get up again, but there was another gunshot. John laughed and yelled, "You missed!" 

"John," Molly called quietly, "John." He wouldn't answer her. Molly turned her head to see him backing away towards her slowly. There was someone coming through the trees. When the figure came into view, Molly gasped. 

"Buster?" Molly asked. She was shocked and couldn't believe he was there. 

"Sissy, run. Please. Daddy is going to kill us. Even if you try, he has Mommy and I don't think he is going to let her go..." Buster was crying now and was running towards Molly when another gunshot went off. Buster lunged forward and he screamed. 

"Buster! Buster!" Molly crawled toward him and saw a hole in his back, "Buster?" Molly felt her eyes getting hot and tears threatening to fall.  

"He was always a whiner." A familiar, gruffly voice boomed loudly. Molly winced at the sound of his voice and just bawled right there. She started pulling Buster toward her and held him. He was still breathing, but she knew he wouldn't make it. Buster was only taking in small, raspy breathes. Molly looked up and saw Harold walk through the trees. 

"You monster!" Molly screamed and glared at him, "He was only five!" 

"So?" Harold replied, "Didn't stop me from killing your mother." 

"Molly swore right then and there that she couldn't take this anymore. She looked down at Buster, trying to hold back tears, and brushed his hair out of his eyes. He slowly opened them and looked up at her with his shiny, blue eyes.  

"I love you, Sissy." He whispered. He made a small smile and Molly told him she loved him, too. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it, "I don't want to die..." he cried. He had tears coming out of his eyes. 

"Oh, bubby. I don't either. Just-just be a good boy. I love you." Molly choked on her sobs and hugged his small figure. When his grip loosened on her hand, she couldn't hear him breathing. She knew he was gone. He was in a better place with Mom. Molly looked at his petite face and laid him down gently. She rose, looked at Harold who was yawning, and turned. She grabbed her bow and arrow and faced Harold. 

"Let me guess, you are-"Harold started as a shocked expression crossed his face. He fell forward and revealed a short woman that Molly recognized at once. Her mother looked different. Of course, it was about two months ago since last time she saw her last. Lisa had a bloody leg and a knife in her hand dripping with red liquid. 

"Mom?" Molly responded quietly, almost in a croak. Lisa was looking at the knife and Harold, and then looked back at her daughter. She dropped the knife and ran for Molly. 

"Molly! Oh, Molly!" She started running until she saw a small body beside Molly. She stared, put her hand to her mouth, and shook her head in denial, "No, no." She took small steps toward her son and collapsed beside him. Molly saw John shift beside her and forgot he was there. She looked at him and saw a sad expression on his face. Molly looked walked over to him and he gathered her into an embrace. John stroked her hair and whispered 'I'm sorry' over and over.  

As they comforted each other, Molly started to calm down and pulled away from John. She looked up at John with tears on her face to see him motioning her to go to her mother and lost sibling. Molly couldn't believe what happened in the last twenty minutes. She walked towards her family members and stood by her mother. When Molly put her hand on Lisa's shoulder, Lisa looked up at Molly with her puffy, teary eyes that had the same shade of Buster's.  

At this thought, Molly got down on her knees and grieved with her mother with Buster between them.

-Lisa- 

After the mourning of Buster's death, Lisa and Molly decided to bury him. Using their hands, John helped the girls dig the grave. As John laid Buster's lifeless body in the grave, Lisa grabbed her daughter's hand and could feel sobs wanting to come but she swallowed them down. 

They recited Buster's favorite poem and prayer, and Buster's family dropped a handful of flowers with a handful of dirt on Buster before John finished the devastating chore. Being in the middle of an unknown forest, Lisa felt uncomfortable without Buster. She always had him by her side. Molly turned to her mother and they went back to camp. When they returned, Harold was still lying there; not breathing. 

"Mom, what are we going to do with him? I mean we can't just leave him there. I know he abused us, but he is Buster's and my father; your husband." Molly stated. 

"I know," Lisa replied with a slight nod, "we will bury him, too." 

So the chore was repeated and they returned to camp once again.

-Molly- 

As Molly collected her things, she was still processing that Buster was gone. Her little brother: gone. She put her bag over her shoulder and sat down on a log waiting for the others. 

"Mom, where have you always wanted to live?" Molly asked as Lisa stomped out the remains of their fire out. She grabbed her belongings and placed herself next to Molly. 

"Well, I always wanted to live in a log cabin by a lake." Lisa replied. She looked over at her daughter and asked her where she wanted to live. 

Molly just looked at her mother and said, "Wherever you and John are, I will call home."  

With that, the three travelers gathered together and continued their journey.