Human

Sadie

"Margaret, don't worry. I promise to be safe. I've taken this route dozens of times. Allison is expecting me, I always go this time of month."

"I know, I know...but I'm just so worried. Especially since The Rebels raided Sector 8 just 3 days ago. They might have gotten something out of the hostages...they might come looking for the rest of us." , Margaret wove her hands through a rag that she was twisting into knots nervously.

"Someone has to go Marg. I'm the most able-bodied. I'm fast, and I know good hiding places. I have a fighting chance. We need the supplies, Mr. Richard's fever is climbing; I'm scared we will lose him. Plus, Sophie's toes are hanging out of her shoes and the food stash is low..." 

"Oh alright alright.", Margaret sighed with tears in her eyes. She stepped up and put her hands on either side of my cheeks; her hands were soft yet frail. "Did I ever tell you how brave you are?"

"Please Marg, I'm just doing what needs to be done...for Sophie, for you, for our Sector.", I blinked back tears and pulled her hands down into mine, squeezing softly. "Take care of Sophie for me. Tell her I will be back in 5 days and that I love her."

"Of course sweetie. She will be safe here. It's you we will worry about." She walked over to a wicker basket on the floor and pulled some pieces of cloth from it. "Here, keep your face covered and your head down if you see anyone." 

"No need to worry, I got this." I accepted the wraps for my face and kissed her forehead. I took one last look at the place I called home, and started on my way.

              It wasn't much. An old underground parking garage that had ramshackle rooms made from flimsy cardboard or old chicken wire. We were considered Sector 7. There were only 20 people living in our Sector, most of them older or middle aged. My younger sister Sophie and I were the only teen girls here. There was a 20 year old named Tyler who was shy, but nice, we became good friends over the years. He had an 10 year old brother named Zak who loved to hang with Sophie even though she was 13. Overall, it was a quiet and pretty safe place to grow up. 

              I met Margaret and her husband Dave when I was 11. They were a middle aged couple with no kids who came from Rockford, IL. When The Rebels got a hold of the military weapons and bombs, many fled for large cities or bodies of water. My neighborhood, on the outskirts of Chicago, was one of the many targets of the air raids. Mom and dad entrusted me to get Sophie and myself to the shuttles in downtown Chicago. Dad said they would find us there. The shuttles were taking refugees to rural communities to hide. I don't know what happened to them. They never made it to the shuttles. The last I saw of them, they were breaking into the fiery wreckage of our neighbors homes to save them.  Margaret and Dave were on our shuttle, Sophie was crying and Margaret tried to comfort her by striking up a conversation.

             We were attacked by one of the Rebel branches as we crossed what is now considered The Badlands. In the commotion Marg, Dave, Sophie, and I miraculously were able to run off. They practically raised us as their own. We hopped from shelter to shelter for months. Dave had the idea that we could go back to Chicago once things died down...his reasoning: bad guys won't retrace their steps. By the time I turned 13, we figured it was safe to try for Chicago. It was a wasteland...but to four tired and dirty people...it was the most beautiful thing. We soon came to discover many of the underground places in the cities became Sectors, or  mini community housing quarters. There were 8 Sectors that only members from the other Sectors knew about. Secrecy was the key to safety and survival. If a Rebel caught you, you were sworn to not speak of the Sectors even if death was your fate. Dave was the first...Margaret was devastated; we all were.

             Sector 7 was nice enough. We had a somewhat decent water and food supply. People helped gather old mattresses or blankets or clothes for all the members. Life was as good as it had been for awhile now. I met Tyler, a shy boy of 15 at the time. He had dark wavy hair and mostly kept to himself. Zak and Sophie hit it off immediately. Over the years we became close and would often go on supply trades between Sectors. As demand grew, supplies thinned.  That's when we started traveling to other communities outside of the Sectors. Some were close, but depending on what was needed, you had to walk sometimes for days.

            Allison lived in a large community a good two days walk from us. They were the local hub for lots of different things if you asked and knew the right people. They had large groups collectively called the Salvation Corps that would purposely seek out the Rebs and hijack their supply trucks. Talk about bravery! Once Sophie was old enough, I really wanted to join the Corps. But for now, Allison expected me every month around this time and usually had my needed items packed and ready to go. Of course I would spend the day helping where I could and resting up for the two day journey back home.

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             I found a hidden crevice between two flipped cars in a ditch off the road. I used my knife to rip some cloth from the seat to use as padding. "This will have to do" I muttered to myself. My birthday was tomorrow, big 19. Too bad I won't get to spend it with the people I love the most..." Sophie's innocent smile flashed across my memory, then Dave and Margaret dancing to an old radio we found, closed out by Tyler and me joking and laughing on one of our trade walks. Hopefully Allison won't be out with the Corps and I can spend some time catching up with her at least. My eyelids became heavy as the soft night breeze whistled through the broken car windows.