The Refugees

Chapter 26: Ash

Edited

"Do you have a new plan?" Amber asks softly beside me.

"Hmm... We still need to get to the Dome to stock up but we'll review our plans when we're there." I assure her.

She stays quiet for a little while.

"What... What if we don't make it back out?" She questions, her mind seeming to go elsewhere.

I turn to look at her, she's shivering although she acts tough. I place a hand on hers and the shivering stops. Her blue eyes flash to attention as she looks up at me in worry.

"Ash... What if you don't make it back? You're the last of the Filmans left to live... I know your mother would have wanted you to live. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"It's the only thing I want to do. I have sacrificed myself and trained just for this moment. The Destruction of the World was never right. It wasn't until Robert took me in and introduced me to the idea that I really thought about it... Either way, are you doubting my abilities? You know, I've gotten a lot stronger in those 3 years."

She crackles up a laugh, her smile true and sincere.

"I can tell. I knew one day you would grow taller than me and become stronger than me. I mean even today when we were running from the army, your speed had gotten better than the last time we raced each other."

"Well I was still rather inexperienced back then. I mean I was 13. Now you're tiny compared to me."

"I wouldn't call it tiny. Yes, slightly smaller but don't stretch it. I mean I still come to your nose which is already taller than that girl." She says pointing at Savannah.

"Yea, Savannah's definitely tiny."

She slowly comes closer to me and although it's not something I normally wouldn't notice I pretend that I don't. Instead, I question her intent.

"Hey... Have you ever thought about what would happen if we never went into battle?"

"What do you mean?"

"If everything was peaceful with no wars or conflict..."

"Not really... I'm not one to dwell on the impossible or imagine the 'what ifs' of life because you can't change the past. That's why I'm do to do what I'm going to do. I'm going to shape the future for those who can't so that the next generations can be grateful for what we did."

"I know what you mean..." She says so quietly, it's barely a whisper.

I turn to look at her and she at me. Our faces are now mere inches away from each other. For a second, just a second, I think about everything that would happen if I were to kiss Amber right this moment, but then the memories of how I let myself use women for an escape come surfacing and I turn away. I don't want her to be regrouped with one of the many women I've used to satisfy immediate needs. I'm not that despicable. I care about Amber enough to not do that to her.

It's not like I raped anybody because I'm not as low as my father but when they came towards me, or tried to seduce me, I'd let them even though I didn't particularly want anything beyond physical interactions with them... Maybe I was lonely, maybe I simply didn't care, but for some reason I would never push them away. Amber deserves better.

"You should go to sleep." I finally let out, avoiding any more intimacy occur between us.

It's as if I could see the happiness drain from her eyes. I simply look away, avoiding the hurt expression she has and she simply nods, lying her head on the other side of my shoulder.

~~~

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Song: Dahlia Sleeps - Breathe

Side Note:
Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I had my end of year exams just thought I should have to curtesy to tell you why I'm not updating at the moment. I'll be back from now on!

Either way, thank you so much for giving me almost 1k views and for all reading this version which was probably edited for like the 500th time (I swear I won't edit again). ❤️