The Soldier

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Two days have passed since Leslie has been gone, and we escaped from Camp One. Since then, we have been riding through City One, trying to make it out undetected.

Near Jacob's house, yesterday, we set fire to it. We watched it burn his underground lair until the only the house outside was only left. When Commander Blue and the rest of them find it, all they will see is the houses outside.

"We have to find a place to bury her." I tell Jacob, trying speak through a sore throat.

"I know." Jacob drives the van smoothly. He hasn't spoken much in days either. "We're almost to the stop. When we get there, the van must be left behind."

I don't question him. Leslie's body is contaminated, and soon the bacteria could get to the both of our bodies. We cannot take the risk.

"Where are we?" I ask.

All around us, trees surround us, bringing darker shade despite the day light. It's the kind of sunlight where there is a stormy sky, but the sun is still shining white and golden. Good. It feels better this way.

"We're halfway through Ohio, we're almost to the Ocean River. To get to the South, there's three weeks of walking, another two of getting through the Northern colonies." he informs me. Then, he slows the van down, and turns down another path guarded by trees.

I stare at Leslie's corpse, trying to fight another threatening fit of tears. She looks so peaceful. Like she's asleep, her breaths slow and small. Her long blonde eyelashes with hints of brown. The small curves of her red lips that used to make half-moon smiles. They will be no more smiles, only in memory there will be. Never again will I see her alive; develop our friendship. Never again will Leslie and I will ever share stories again.

I feel like it's my fault. In fact, it is. Maybe if I hadn't tied the both of us to rope, she wouldn't never jumped in front of me to take the bullet. May if I would've believed her when she said she was going Home, she never would've died in the first place. It's so complicated that it leaves me with a throbbing fever.

Jacob comes to a stop to a bank, checking our surroundings for any Northern soldiers before he opens the van door to let me out.

It's when I step out that I finally breathe.

It's time to give Leslie Zester a proper burial.

Jacob and I carry her body, my arms around her legs, Jacob grabbing her arms through the spaces between his arms and his torso.

"Set her down by the river." I say, building up strength to carry Leslie's eternal sleeping body without breaking down into tears.

When we let her down gently, Jacob sits near a pair of bushes covered in violet blue flowers. "We've got to pick flowers for her, June, it's only better this way."

I begin to pick various flowers. - Pink, reds, blacks, blues, marigolds, daises, roses, and even peonies. When I was going to school, I used to pick flowers for my teachers every day, little did I know I'd be doing it for my best friend. No. Leslie was much better than that. She was like a sister to me. From there I go to work. I begin to weave the flowers through Leslie's pig tails, placing them into her hands, then resting her cold hands onto her stomach, clasping her cold fingers tight.

I take a deep breath as Jacob and I set her in the smooth river, watching her body float, flames engulfing her.

Jacob holds me in his arms as we watch her body float out of sight until all we can see is a tiny speck.

"I loved her. She was like a sister. I didn't even realize it until it was too late." I say.

Jacob turns around and kisses me, holding me tight. "I promise..." he whispering in my ear. "We will get to the South, and when we do, we will win the war."

I kiss Jacob back. "Jacob," I must spit it out. I must or else there is no way he and I will survive. "I will trust you. But you must tell me everything."

And...

He.

Does.

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