Alone, Together

Chapter 3

~Lesley~

I've traveled to New York where Mikey was living and all the states he wished to see before he died and I have yet to see him. It's been a couple of weeks and I'm on the verge of giving up. Those people on Naked and Afraid were lucky to have another person around. I may not be naked but I am definitely afraid. In afraid that I may never find my brother and that I will die alone and never get to experience having a family.

The closest thing I have to my family is their graves so I might as well just go back home. Who knows? Maybe Mikey is there looking for me. I doubt that he is looking for me after all this time, but I still refuse to believe he is dead.

I'm sitting on a swing at Stewart Park in Ithaca just drowning in my thoughts. I hoped I would find someone during this trip whether it be Mikey or just some random stranger. I've come up with nothing so I came to accept that I may never find anyone sadly that includes my idiot brother.

If he is alive though, I will pray that he is safe, smart and with someone who loves him because he deserves to finally find love. He has tried so hard his entire life to make someone other than his family love him so I hope dearly that he gets his wish.

Even though he will probably not be there in driving back home to spend the rest of my days somewhere I know and love. I packed every item I thought was important into the bus. I got double sided tape and hung my pictures on the walls above the seats and my essentials in the seats. I don't have long to go but I'll get there eventually. Until I do arrive home this school bus is my home.

~Zariah~

Just a couple hours ago Dean, Cole and I arrived in Seattle. On the trip after his shower we learned so much about the guy, I think Dean got a bit jealous. He told us his name is Cole Green and he is from Texas. Cole is extremely shy and gets scared at everything.

Ever since we arrived I knew Dean knows something he isn't sharing with us. His face shows he is nervous and scared all in one. Either something happened here to him when he was a kid or he used to live here. He always refused to talk about his family and hometown but the look on his face tells me it's for a reason.

We haven't found a place to settle yet because Dean gets freaked out at all the houses we've been to. Finally I suggested we break into the rooms at a hotel. It was a five start hotel and it exceeds it reputation. I'm in a coin operated relaxing chair and it is definitely making my body feel better after driving so long.

I have my eyes closed while I relax in the chair and someone comes over and shakes me shoulder. I open my eyes and see it's Dean. He motions his hand to tell me to hurry up and says,"I have something to show you." I give him evil eyes but he just flashes me a smile of the century. He walks away and I decided to follow him to see what he is up to.

Soon enough we come up on a river. There's green almost everywhere and grey rock by the edge. The current of the water gives a beautiful sound. Dean sits by the edge with his knees up and arms on the tops of them. I sit next to him indian style and look at the water. "You know they used to say you can see your soul in the reflection of the water. I don't believe it but many people around here did, mostly the old ones but what does that matter. I remember every weekend when I mowed Mrs. Ellis's lawn she would pay me extra when I was done to come down here and so some soul searching. She told me i would become a great man if I did."

He stops to take a breath but instead of continuing he puts his hands over his face and runs his fingers up in his short brown hair. "Why didn't you tell us you lived here? We wouldve went somewhere else if you did." I start to pity him because he has to sleep in the same area all his family died in. Although he might see this as a good thing.

"See that right there is what I didn't want. Pity, it's not my thing. I wanted to come back because I was hoping my sister would be here." He let out a sigh filled with frustration. "I didn't know you were looking for family." Dean picks up a rock and lazily throws it in the water before saying,"My older sister I'm sure is dead because she died before the plague but my twin is a different story. She was always around the people with the torch and she was still sending me letters and call every Friday. I think she is still out there looking for me."

From the sounds of it his sister could be alive and I hope she is for his sake. He may be unbearably annoying my post of the time but I think I may be warming up to him. For the next couple of hours we just lay down by the Waters edge and talk. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we scold each other but overall it's the best hours I've had with him since we met.