Lost But Not Forgotten (NaNoWriMo 2013)

12.

I didn't realize it but I had fallen asleep on Cameron's arms, he cradled me until Jesse came back half an hour later. The slow crunch of snow under his walking boots woke me up. Cameron had been watching me the whole time, he said that he did occasionally get up to add some more wood to keep the fire going but preferred to stay and let me sleep on him. It makes my heart melt like marshmallows when I hear about how much he cares for me.

When Jesse approached, my eyelids fluttered open; I yawned and stretched until I felt as awake as I do in the morning. It was about eight pm now and I was actually about to drop off. Most of the kids had drifted off while I snored like a pig except for Andy who lay quietly crying while pretending to be asleep but it was quite obvious o the rest of us that he wasn't.

I guess Andy had a lot of things to be sad about, much of his family resided in the town as they were actually one of the first to find it log before I arrived six years ago. He had three older brothers and tens of relatives; so many that I couldn't count. I felt bad for him but was glad that I didn't have much of a big family to care about.

Jesse came back with a solemn look on his face which only meant one thing.

There were no survivors.

The three of us (Cameron, Jesse and I) walked for about five minutes before coming to a stop in a deserted area where we could speak in private but could still see the glow of the fire and the kids who were asleep. We didn't want the others to hear the bad news and panic, they were only kids after all.

Jesse took my arm while Cameron took the other. I braced myself for the bad news, I can survive it.

"The whole place is deserted. Destroyed completely" Jesse said.

I started sweating and my palms were as wet as the ocean "What do you mean by destroyed?" I asked nervously.

"April" He gripped my hand tighter, squeezing it and stopping the blood from flowing, it soon became numb "The whole town is now just a big crater... I'm sorry, there's nothing left".

He looked away and unwrapped his hand from mine. I immediately turned toward Cameron and buried my face in his chest, sobbing so loudly the children could hear but I didn't care. Everyone I love, everyone who cared for me, they were my friends, my family. They were all dead. I bawled and bawled into Cameron until his coat was soaked in my sorrowful tears. He patted my silently on the back, all I could hear was the quiet thump... thump... thump... of Cameron's hand against my back and the crackling of the fire, fighting against the bitter wind of the air, trying to survive but was slowly fading out. The fire kind of represented the lot of us. We were trying to survive in a word that was a no longer our own.

All of a sudden I heard a high-pitched scream, Bethany! I shoved Cameron and ran for my life to save my sister. He went tumbling down the hill behind him but at that moment, I didn't care about anything except getting towards my little girl. Jesse followed closely behind me, shooting worried glances in my direction. I heard the slow moans of Cameron but I knew he could handle himself, he was strong but Beth was not, she needed my help.

My heart thumped hard and we sprinted for our lives through countless trees, they looked all the same, no change. My head was spinning as we made our way through the forest, hundreds of branches were coming in my direction but I dodged them easily like it was nothing.

We got back to camp in a matter of seconds as we were pretty fit. I glanced to where Beth was sitting; her expression was frozen in a terrified look. I could barely see the sliver flicker of a knife being held to her throat, it pressed in slightly, realising beads of blood down her throat while she cried as silent as she could waiting for rescue.