Disappearing Ashes

The Plan

Sun glared through the windows and into my field of vision. I wondered what time it was. 9? 12? I searched for a clock in my room. I guess they can’t have everything. I prepared for pain in my head but was relieved to find that I could sit up without wincing.

I felt something under my pillow. Oh right, the journal… Should I keep reading it? Maybe later.

I got up and walked across the room and held my hand on the door wondering what was behind it. Then I turned the knob and looked at what was in front of me.

Everyone was gathered in a circle; some sitting in chairs or on the floor, others standing. They each turned around and looked at me.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Planning,” Reese Clark said. “Come join us.” He smiled. Okay, don’t judge me but I’ve always had this weird crush on Reese, even if he is 5 years older than me. He just has this look that makes me want to look at him forever… I’m sorry but it’s true. He has this perfect black hair that’s straight in kind of a messy way and milky brown eyes and tan skin. Okay, I’m going to stop before I get too into detail…

I half smiled and sat down in a chair next to him and someone I didn’t know… Harrison something I think. 

            “Okay, these people are on search duty, basically searching for anything you can find and taking note of it.” Mike started listing people and the location they will be in. “-Davis Hyland, Marie Harris and Landon Stacey are on the streets, and James Stone and Elle Lighthart underground- wait, what?” A light bulb turned on in my mind. This could be perfect. I would take the journal with me and look for anything that matches. “There’s no way you guys are doing this alone… Here how about-“

            “No,” I said. Everyone lay there eyes on mine. “I want to be a part of this. I want to know what’s going-“

            “Elle, no it’s way too dangerous,” my mother added. Then everyone pitched into the talk saying, “you’re only 13”, “you could die,” even “there’s no way we’re leaving you alone with a boy your age so far away from us, “ which made me shudder.

            “You could go with us Mike,” James said.

            I shrugged. I actually thought that might be a good idea.

            Mike raised his eyebrows and paused. “I- I guess. But don’t get too excited, we won’t be going too far.”

            Good enough for me.

            We continued talking about what was going on. When we’re able to use electricity, we’ll try to connect with the government and talk about what’s going on and all that, we’ll try to start a “civilization,” even though it might be tough and we’ll feel like people from ancient times without today’s technology and farmed, used the irrigation system, fished, etcetera, which was okay because my life has been simple like this for the past 2 years.

             After talking, I’d realized I hadn’t seen what was outside this building so I decided to see what we had in store for us. As we debated and wrote down a system on when and where we will get food I left the group and walked out of the door to the left of us.

            It was the same, but it wasn’t the same.

            I saw the same buildings I saw before, only there wasn’t that same feeling to it.

            But only one question was in my mind.

            How did they know Dustwood looked like this?