The Pause

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Family was always a strange concept to Nathan, mainly due to the fact he had very faded memories of what a family was, he does remember a happy life with his mother and once happy father, but that all changed one night in October back when he was four. It's never been the same since then, growing up without a mother, and a father who was constantly depressed and blamed The New Government for her death, wasn't easy. Nathan never had any friends and felt isolated most of his life, until Elinor came. Though not blood related, Nathan and his sister were incredibly close and always there for each other. Elinor was orphaned as an infant and would've died out there alone if Mr Hendrix didn't hear her crying for a pile of rubble where the bodies of her parents where, Mr Hendrix took her in and has been part of the Hendrix family. If you can call it that. Elinor was Nathan's one thing still left in this world to fight for and he wouldn't give up until she lived a relatively normal life.

Nathan sat, staring at a picture of him, his mother and father. A time they all went to the beach, he doesn't remember much of it, other than... happiness. He tied the laces of his muddy old combat boots and looked in the mirror, road worn jeans, old black t-shirt and the trademark torn jacket. Hero he thought, one day I'll make it, I'll prove to my dad that I can be a hero, wait and see. Elinor stood in the doorway "Nathan" she said looking worried "dad'll be waking up any second, if he sees you're still here", Nathan turns and sighs "I know". He walks over to Elinor hold hugs her tight "promise me you'll come back" she says to her brother , "I promise, I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you" Nathan responds, "I love you too" Elinor let's go of Nathan, she hands him a letter folded up, written on it is "Read this when you need me". Nathan stuffs the letter in his bag along with the picture and leaves saying a final goodbye to his sister, the only family he ever knew.

The Rut District is massively divided by class, those who were lucky enough to have their property survive the outbreak ended up the well off and higher class, wheras those who had to rebuild from scratch were treated like dirt. Nathan walked past the poorer areas of the Rut District and saw this for himself. Tin huts barley able to fit more than one person were being used for parents with five children, people begging in the streets, and you just had to look a little to your left to find a pile of dead bodies, not murdered by "Mutts" as Nathan first thought, but dead from disease and starvation. Nathan didn't think it ever occurred to him just how real and dangerous nature could be, and just how lucky he was, even with a jackass for a dad. Thinking about home was not good for him, he missed Elinor even more I promised her I'm coming back he thought. I am coming back.

Nathan kept on his trail of the Rut District, passed the ruined shopping centre, the makeshift school, an The Forrest that was once a small play park. He soon reached the border, the area between safety and the wasteland. The New Government headquarters was near, he was able to make it out from far away, once an apartment tower block was now the office for the head of the new world, and a massive military trading facility. This is it, Nathan thought. No turning back now