Lost Memories

Chapter 21 - Kennedy

Kennedy's POV

Two days of torture, that's what they were. Luckily everyone agreed to have the one-day rest for us to recuperate and relax our muscles. When we were walking the last mile, it was like heaven to see the road just over the other side of this really rickety bridge that crossed from one side of the mountain to another. The bridge was made up of rope and planks of wood that were strung above a very deep gorge. I could see Annie practically having a panic attack before we crossed, but Sade was there to calm her down. They were the first to go across; Sade walked backwards, focusing on Annie, making sure she was looking at him and not down into the gorge. Annie had Sade's hands grasped her hands tightly, so much so that her knuckles were as white as her extremely pale face.

The rest of us walked over without any bother at all; the only thing that happened was that a few boards creaked here and there, nothing serious. Once we had gotten to the other side and walked over to where the road began, and then flopped to the floor, completely out of it and out of breath. My eyes closed, as I panted. My whole body was shaking from the over-use that my body had gone through. Why, oh, why did I have to insist on making this journey? Ugh.

Someone slumped down beside me and I opened my eyes into slits to see Sterling lying on his front next to me. I grunted at him and he grunted back, showing we were in silent agreement: no more walking, ever. We needed and deserved that day of rest - we had punished ourselves enough, not to have it. It was midway through the afternoon and we were nearly out of water, seeing as though the stream had stopped part of the way through the morning, to become sludgy puddles of mud, here and there. We decided to ration our water, sharing bottles between us and not using certain ones, so that we had enough water to get us to the Centre State.

"Hey, Kennedy, come look at this!" I heard Annie shout from a distance away, making me groan. No more walking! My mind and muscles screamed at me, but I relented and got up.

Annie was standing on the edge of the road, just as it was about to slope downwards into oblivion. She was looking out to the distance, with an awestruck look plastered on her face. I sighed, my back hunched over as I approached her.

"Look at that!" She said excitedly, pointing out over the edge. I glanced out to where she pointed briefly taking in the view, before doing a double take, standing up straight with my eyes wide.

We had made it. After three, and a bit, weeks of walking, running, hiding, being chased, getting injured, we had finally made it.

In front of my eyes, down from the side of the mountain, was the Centre State. For miles were stretches of skyscrapers, all looking like they were from another world. Glass panel after glass panel covered the sides of all structures, along with some type of light reflecting metal, blinding our eyes when the sun hit it at a certain angle. It was picture perfect, with all the pedestrians strolling lazily down the streets; the machinery that was building more new skyscrapers, bustling away and the crafts people were driving on they're way to and from places unknown to me. Picture perfect. Apart from the outer regions of the city, which were scattered in ruined buildings that were covered in graffiti. I frowned as I analysed them. Windows were broken and some were boarded up, roofs were tattered, falling inwards, along with some of the walls too.

"Hey, Onix, Sterling, what are those?" I asked pointing at all the ruins that made up the outer ring of the Centre State.

"Those are the remains left from saboteurs." Sterling said, with a hand on my shoulder.

"How come they haven't been knocked down or something?" Annie inquired, curiously.

"A reminder to everyone of the plague and the ruin it caused." Onix replied, looking out at the deserted out edge.