Left Alone

Barbarians

Chapter Four

Kane and I walked for another two days, avoiding the towns closest to the desert for as long as we could. It was too risky, since the agents were probably waiting right by the welcome sign.

Silence consumed us, which I was fine with. The less I said, the safer Star and I would be. Every once in a while, I would leave Kane by himself and look for food. It was difficult, but I had to. I was low, my energy depleting by the second. I needed to get to a town. So, I led Kane to Block 9-C. It had minimal security, providing enough cover for Kane and I to slip by unnoticed.

"Why are we doing this again?" Kane wanted to know as we crouched down beside the entrance to Block 9-C. Four agents stood guard and three more stood in watch towers. That was it.

"We have to go through here," I whispered to him. "I already told you."

"There's an easier way," he whispered back harshly. "Block 7-I is nearly in ruins. It's a no-man's land and it would be perfect. It's only a half day away!"

I sighed, exasperated. Since when did he like traveling? I knew I couldn't wait another sunset, unless I risked Kane's life. I wouldn't do that. "This is better, trust me."

He still looked doubtful. I waited for him to challenge me, and that wait nearly killed me. Finally, Kane nodded and we took off, veering to the left of the gate. The positive side of only having three watch towers is that there are blind spots. The downside is that this particular blind spot was seven feet tall and concrete. Still, it wasn't impossible to run from one block to the other. After all, we had done it several times.

In no time, both Kane and I were over the wall and still remained unnoticed. Continuing our crouch, we inched forward to the main road leading to the heart of the town. No one spotted us, despite being so visible. I preferred the alleyways; it would be easier to see someone coming. Unfortunately, the agents knew this and so they camped out between the buildings. So we stuck to the pavement, tense and wary.

There were no agents about, no gunshots, no screams. It was quieter than any deserted town we'd been to. Even the wind refused to blow and make noise. It was as if this was sacred land, and we were trespassing. We were, but still.

"This is freaky," Kane whispered. To say anything louder would ruin the eerie atmosphere. "I don't like this. Something's wrong."

I agreed, and was tempted to just go. But then I began to tremble. My vision blurred and I became dizzy. I gasped. "Oh no!"

"What's wrong?" Kane asked, alarmed. He looked around frantically for any sign that we were in danger.

With effort, I shook my head, pushing myself to move forward. My watchful eyes sought out people. We needed to find someone's hideout, and fast. Sudden movement to the left caught my eye. A rustling of the bush revealed a small child, no more than four years old. I gulped. Slowly, I moved toward the girl, who only stared at me, wide-eyed. She didn't move, and I couldn't tell if she was being brave or if she really was that scared. When I reached her, I extended my hand, showing that I wouldn't hurt her. She nodded, and then took my hand, leading me away from the main road. We moved silently, not even disturbing the grass.

I took the time to study this girl. She had short, filthy blonde hair that stuck up in places. Instead of proper clothing, she only wore a long shirt that was bloodstained and filled with what looked suspiciously like bullet holes. Dirt clung to her cheeks, eyes and mouth in long strands. The girl's fingers were ruined with years of hard labor, leaving chipped remains instead. She gently wipes those fingers on her shirt, which was a breath away from falling off of her. Through the holes for the arms, I could see her ribs, more pronounced than I thought possible. How was she alive? I had known hunger before, but I had never experienced the dull, lifelessness that starvation brought to this child. An ache filled me as I continued to stare at her. I pushed it away.