Unbroken

Chapter Six

We set up camp next to a stream that night. I wrapped Brian in a blanket and put him in front of the fire- he was shivering even though it wasn't cold. I hoped he wasn't getting sick.

I took Gracie over to the stream and washed the blood out of her hair. Then I put it in a single braid that went down her back so it would be easier to deal with. Her hair looked really pretty after it dried, shining golden in the light of the dancing flames.

Ever so slowly, the hopelessness of the situation caught up with me. We had no clue of where we were going and almost no food left.

"Where are we gonna go, Sunny?" Brian mumbled, falling asleep against my side. "I don't know, bud. I don't know." I'd wasted my breath. He had already drifted off.

I needed a plan. I didn't know where to go, I mean, where was there to go? The whole freaking world had been blown apart, there weren't many options left.

"Sunshine?" Gracie interrupted my thoughts.

"Yeah, kid?" She seemed uncomfortable and unsure of herself.

"Why did you bring me with you? It's not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but not many people would do that nowadays. Besides, you can't afford to take care of me. I'm slowing you down and there obviously isn't enough food for the three of us. So why?"

Gracie's words shocked me. Yes, there was a ring of truth in them, but how could I have not helped her? She couldn't make it on her own.

"First of all, I have a six year old little kid who hates walking on my hands. It's gonna be slow. Second, you needed help and I wasn't going to leave you to face this crap on your own. My grandma taught me that you should always help out when you can. She never turned down anyone who needed her and I'm gonna do the same. This is just the way I was raised. Sure, it's easy to be selfish in times like these for survival, but I'm stubborn so it's not hard for me to push that impulse away. If you want to know more, we'll continue this tomorrow. Sleep now, talk later. You're gonna need the rest, so take my advice and go to bed.

She gave no reaction to my words. Eventually, though, she consented to going to sleep.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do the same. I closed my eyes, but mind was too restless. My thoughts flitted round my head like anxious birds before settling on the home I'd had not that long ago. No. I stopped myself. I couldn't lose myself. Brian and Gracie needed me.

My mind wandered off again. This time the topic was school. I relaxed. Okay then, safer thoughts.

I'd have given anything for my only worries to be tests and projects again.

I thought about my friends and pictured their smiling faces once. They waved at me from the other side of a glass wall that I couldn't pass through yet.

If only they we're here. If only there were a few other people to share my responsibilities with.

Mark would try and keep everyone positive; he was a glass half full kinda guy. Mal would help me come up with a plan, going through all of the logical possibilities in her head. Terry would joke around and get on Sam's nerves as much as humanly possible. In turn, Sam would do her best to beat Terry to a pulp, while I tried to keep them from killing each other. And Dherek...
What I'd give for him to be here. For him to encourage me, keep me sane.

A memory sparked in my mind. Dherek had told me he lived on a farm. His parents grew all sorts of crops. There's a very microscopic chance that Dherek is still there - it's not safe to stay in any one place too long. But if we could make it there, then our food problem is solved. Sure, it might be a little overgrown and some animals could have had a go at it, but it's our only option. And it's a pretty good option at that.

I fell asleep assured that Gracie and Brian wouldn't starve.

★★★

Hello! So, I've randomly decided to start leaving comments.

First order of buissness: sorry for any grammar/ spelling mistakes, auto correct hates me with a passion.

Second, if you have stuck with this story up to this point THANK YOU!!!! I know it's kinda depressing, and I hate it but that's the way it has to be for the plot to develop right. I'll admit that I just want to skip ahead and write some of the happy, funny chapters but I'll get there soon enough.

Leave a comment:

What would you do if the world ended?
(It doesn't have to be specifically dealing with what happened in this book. Zombie apocalypse, alien invasion, whatever- I want to know)

Later peoples 😄