What Is Left

The Path

The moon did not give much light. Clouds and ashes covered it's bright light, not giving Olivia much to see. She stumbled around the trees, pulling a heavy Juniper behind her.
Not heavy enough, Olivia noted.
She could hear the howls and cries of the monsters behind her. She could hear the crashing through the dead trees. She thought she could smell their breath behind her, just far enough away to not be able to grab her.
Still she ran.
She ran until the sun started to rise. She knew they had stopped long ago but she still ran.
She did not stop until Juniper fell, crying in pain.
Olivia turned to see Junipers clothes no longer glowing. Her clothes now all black from mud and ash. Her knees and hands scraped and bleeding from her being dragged for miles.
Olivia's heart had still been racing, "we have to keep going!"
We?, She thought, when had I decided that she would stay with me? I can't take care of her I can't take care of myself?
She catched herself glaring at the child, the poor small child who had already been abandoned once by her own parents, about to be abandoned by a stranger.
She couldn't help but think, would it be better? Quickly kill her. Let her leave this world behind? Could I do it?
She looked into the girls eyes, no I can't.
Juniper held onto her arms, "can we please just rest?"
"Have you seen them before?" Olivia asked, sitting on the ground, sinking into the mud.
Juniper nods, but she said nothing. She was hiding something.
Olivia decided not to intrude. She looked into her backpack and grabbed her water bottle. Empty. She looked around, thinking on how she can get water.
It had recently rained so maybe a creek? She thought.
Juniper eyed the water bottle but sighed when she realized it was empty.
Olivia stood and held her hand out for Juniper, I can't leave this girl. Not like her parents. Not like mine, "let's go find some water."
Juniper gave a toothy smile and took her hand.
Olivia looked around and noticed a dry creek bed, "there has to be water down there somewhere. Let's follow that okay?"
"Like a path?" Juniper asked, full of life again.
Olivia nodded and led her down the 'path'.

They left deep footprints in the mud, soon Olivia had realized the footprints filled with water. She helped Juniper out of the path and filled her bottle with murky water. She then pulled out some bleach and added it into the water before stepping off the path.
They sat, waiting for it to purify, before drinking it all then refilled it.
After a few hours of drinking and resting, they walked on again.
It was hard work, walking in mud, but Juniper started humming, that entertained Olivia enough to make the work seem managable.
It was close to sunset when they made it out of the woods and onto a real path. A road that was filled with dead cars, smelled of burnt tires , and was sticky to the touch. Yet on the other side...the grass...oh the grass was green.
Olivia smiled, "the grass is greener on the other side."
Juniper giggles and runs to the other side.
Olivia blinked and the second she did, Juniper was hanging upside down in a tree, her leg caught in a trap.
That's when Olivia noticed the blood on the road. The bones. Mostly animal but she thought some were human. Could be human.