Chapter Five: Zoe

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I ran. I ran and I ran fast.

Tears were streaming down my face but blurring my vision but I didn't stop.

Maybe if I could keep going he'd still be alive.

Thorns and tree branches were cutting my arms and legs and face and soon blood was mingled with my tears, but I didn't stop. I'm a fast runner, faster than most, how else will you get away from bullies when you can't fight back?

I stumbled on a root and almost fell on my face but I was able to right myself and keep going. I tried to push back every memory of him but they kept coming back: us dancing, him teaching me to play the piano, us annoying Kris but Dad being able to pick her up and take the scowl of her face. I loved Dad, more than anything,

And now I'll never see him on this earth again.

He left us here to take care of Gabe and Mom and I couldn't let them down. I couldn't show weakness either, Kris had to believe that I was fine even if I wasn't. I made a promise then and there that I wouldn't let Kristy see how afraid I us.

After awhile I tripped on a another root and this time I did fall. I barely managed to catch myself before I hit the ground. I rolled over on back and looked at my hands. They were streaked with blood that ran down my arms.

Isn't that absolutely lovely?

Suddenly it dawned on me,

I know where I am.

It had been forever but you can't forget your favorite place in the world. I stood up shakily and walked a couple more feet and I saw it. A big old rustic tree house.

Most of the boards were rotting and the ladder had several rungs missing. I walked toward it and tested the rungs,

It's still stable.

I grabbed the ladder and climbed up. When Kris and I were five and six Dad made this for us. It's about a mile away from our house so I wasn't that far away. The door was jammed shut so I had to climb over to the window and get in there.

I looked around at the little room, it looked the same as it had been when we last came. Well, other then all the pine straw and decaying wood. Pictures were all over the wall, I saw me and Kris laughing together and little five year old me twirling in the backyard with a pink tutu.

I look so happy...

There was another one of Kris sitting in the flower bed.

Before the war Mom had kept one. It had lilies, roses, tulips, I don't even know all the other ones. In the picture she looked so happy and then I saw that one.

It was the day I had gotten a black eye because of some bully. I had come home crying and Dad picked me up and put me on his shoulders proclaiming I was the queen. He walked around the entire neighborhood until I was about to fall off from laughing so hard.

The picture had me laughing like an idiot with a big black eye and Dad making the weirdest face ever. I choked and a whole new flood of tears came. I walked over to the chest and stared at it. I remembered the code to the lock even after all these years.

I unlocked it and saw it. Dad's army jacket.

It was tattered with the sleeves torn off and grey ones sewed back on with a grey hood. I picked up like it was about to fall apart and held it to my face. It still smelled like him. I dropped to my face and sobbed into it,

It's over, he's gone.

How long I stayed there I'm not exactly sure, but when it started getting dark I decided to get back to the house.

I slowly walked back clutching the jacket. I had stuffed the picture of Dad, Kris, and me and the one with my black eye in the pocket. My brain couldn't wrap around the idea he was gone. I was so engrossed with my pain I heard them too late.

The bomb sirens.

NO NO THAT'S NOT FAIR

I started sprinting back to the house,

"KRIS, KRIS!!"

I ran in the back door and saw Kris trying to drag Mom out of the door. I had already put the jacket on and I bolted upstairs for Gabe. I snatched him in my arms from his bed and jumped down the stairs three at a time bursting out of the door and running for the bomb shelter. Kris had Mom in and I shoved Gabe in her arms,

"I HAVE TO GET HIS STUFF!"

I ran out and Kris grabbed my hand,

"ZOE NO!"

"I HAVE TO!"

I kept going and Kris followed.

"KRISTY, ZOE, NO! COME BACK!"

Mom screamed after us but I couldn't leave his stuff there. I jumped up to the ladder from our bedroom door and pulled up, I ran down the hall to our parents room and I grabbed the hat and letters and I heard the screen.

"0mi, brace for impact."

"UNDER THE BED!"

Kris screeched and shoved me under. I wrapped my arm around the stuff and my other around one the bars under the bed. Kris wrapped her's around another bar and one around me.

Then I heard the whistle and I a ringing in my ears and my vision went red and white as the bed was thrown through the wall and down the stairs.

I heard Kristy groan and felt a huge pressure on my ankle, then my vision went black.

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