Unbroken

Chapter 4

As I look at Ryan, I think of the long and thin white scar on his arm. How we have been through hell together, and still made it out as best friends.

"You know, starring is considered rude." he says with his back still turned to me. I swear that boy has eyes in the back of his head. I laugh and go sit next to him. I take out my knife and start sharpening it beside him. "I was thinking about you today." I quietly say to him. "Oh really? what about?" He asks. Even though he is bent over his work I can see a perfect smile appear on his lips. Now that I think about it, everything about him is perfect. He's tall, even taller than me, very strong, because you have to be when you live here. He has short black hair, and bluish green eyes. "I was thinking about the day we met." I say, still looking at him, wondering what his reaction will be. He stops what he is doing and looks directly at me, deep into my eyes, like he is searching for something. Then he looks down at his long black sleeve and roles it up, reveling the scar that I gave him. I look up at his shoulder, where it starts, and follow it down to his wrist. I reach my hand out and place the tips of my fingers on it. I shiver at the warmth of his skin. I lay my palm down on it after a while. I trace over the white skin and his arm relaxes under my hand. When I reach his hand he grabs mine. "I will never remember that day as when I was forced to fight against my will, or as the day my arm was permanently scared, but as the day when I met the most beautiful and strong girl in the entire world. The day I met my best friend." he says.

His words flow like the wind into my heart. "I love you Ryan." I say and lay my head onto his shoulder. "I love you too Kate." he says back.

We sit there for a long time, enjoying the silence. We love each other, true. He is like family to me, the brother I never had.

"We should probably hunt now." Ryan says with a hint sadness in his voice. "I know, but I wish we could just sit here forever." I say. "Me too, but we need the food." I sigh and sit up, pulling my crossbow off my back and stand. I put an arrow in and we begin our day of hunting.

After about 30 minutes of walking and seeing nothing, I hear a rustle in the trees. I grab Ryan's arm and roughly pull him behind a tree. He raises an eyebrow at me and I press my pointer finger to my lips. he nods and I peak around the tree and my eyes widen. A dear stands with its head bent to the ground eating it's lunch. They're so rare now that barley anyone sees them in there lifetime.

I cant do it, and I wont do it. I will not harm this creature. Even if I starve this is more than just food, this is hope. I look at Ryan with bulging eyes. He turns around and peaks to to see. When he turns back to me I see the same look of shock on him that I guess is on me. I look at him and shake my head. This is not right, we cant kill it. Ryan seems to get the massage and nods his head. He reaches down and picks up a stick, then he throws it right next to the dear. It runs away, completely unharmed. I let out a breath and sigh in relief.

We move on and eventually, after about three hours, we kill two large squirrels. One for each of us. I have mine laying over my shoulder, Ryan does the same. We walk out of the woods and make our way back to town. We find and empty building and go inside to try and escape the cold. When we get inside we sit down and both start to skin and gut our squirrels. we sit silently, both if us concentrating on our work. A long time ago I would have been afraid to even touch a dead animal. Now I'm used to it. You would be amazed at the things starvation can do to you.