Survival

Skyrah

I duck behind the crates and take a deep breath. I hate this, I hate it, killing people, it’s wrong but I know I don’t have a choice if I want to save this city. Bullets pierce the walls all around us. A voice shout out telling us all the guards are dead. We each grab as many guns as we can hold. I shove boxes of bullets under my arms. I see a large cart across the room, I drop everything and run to get it. Everyone throws their guns inside and we end up piling more on along with boxes of bullets and swords. Why they would need this many guns leaves me wondering; maybe we aren’t the only things they are fighting, what if something else is coming. We run back out of the door we came through, Emory in the lead with me following with the cart and everyone else behind. Emory opens the trunk of the car and I start throwing the guns and bullets inside. I see everyone is helping, but I don’t see Alaric.

“Where is Alaric?” I say panic arising in my voice.

“He said he forgot something and would be right back” Raine says shrugging.

“And you let him go?” I shout.

“Yeah”

“Are you stupid?” I shout and run back down the side alley. I turn my head back and shout “Keep loading the car”

I run and turn the corner and go through the door. Alaric has a bow in his hands and is frantically looking for something.

“Alaric, we have to go, more guards are going to come and we will get caught, we have to go, come on” I say grabbing his forearm.

“I need to find arrows, I have to Skyrah” he says searching the boxes with a desperate, wold look in his eyes.

“I know what this means to you Rick, but we need to go” I say pulling on his arm.

“No” he shouts “you don’t understand Skyrah”

“But I do Rick, you feel like an outsider, you don’t feel comfortable using guns because you are used to what you know, you want this bow so badly because you need to feel closer to home and closer to your family, am I right?” I say holding his face in my hands forcing him to look at me.

“Yes, I’m sorry, I just-I miss them you know?” he says closing his eyes.

“I do, remember when we were outside and I had no family, that’s exactly how you feel now, I will always understand you, always” I say and I pull him in for a hug.

“Now let’s go” he says and we run outside. Everyone is in the car. I get in first, sitting on Emory’s lap and Alaric gets in the front. Jaunie hits the gas pedal and we speed off, just in time because I hear the shrill ring of sirens drawing near. We pull up to Emory’s house and go inside. His parents sit on the couch, Cyrus is reading on his HoloRead and Maxie is watching television.

“Do you guys have a basement?” I ask and they both nod. Cyrus and Maxie follow us back out to the car. We open the trunk to reveal a lot of weapons.

“What do you guys need all of those for?” Maxie asks.

“Actually, why did we get so many?” Astraea asks.

“Because we are going to need a lot more when we get our army together, better to start now” I say and they all agree. We each take as many guns as we can carry and follow Maxie down the stairs. She drops all her guns and lifts up a rug to reveal the faint outline of a trapdoor. She pulls the metal ring and the door comes up. We all drop our weapons. Maxie climbs down and switches on the basements light. Raine climbs down next standing at the bottom. Then Cyrus, then Emory and Alaric and then me. Alaric and I stay on the ladder as Astraea hands down the guns. I hang on to one of the rungs with one hand as I pass the gun down to Alaric. The line is flowing smoothly. Aster to me, me to Rick, Rick to Raine, Raine to Em, Em to Maxie and Maxie to Cyrus. The guns are hidden in an old storage box. Aster and I go to get the bullets and other weapons and we go through the same routine of passing things down the line. We finish and Astraea goes home. I pull Alaric to the side and say “we need to talk” he nods his head and we go into the room both of us slept in the night we arrived.

“I’m sorry for everything” he says.

“I am sorry too”

“I’m over it now, I honestly, I won’t, I just, sorry” he stammers.

“I know” I say smiling.

“I just, I don’t know what came over me”

“I thought about it”

“Thought about what?” Alaric asks.

“This” I say and step forward leaning my head in towards him. I feel his hands slip around my waist gently. I wrap my hands around his neck and smile before our lips make contact. I swear to god the whole world stopped as our lips moved together in perfect synchronicity. Fireworks, bombs, explosions, perfection. His lips taste like salt. I was intoxicated by him, I could have died then and there and I would have considered my life to be complete. I love him. His eyes, his lips, his smell, his crooked smile. Everything. The kiss deepened and I felt myself falling into the unescapable pit that is love. I knew I would never be able to save myself because I had fallen in, so deep and I fell so hard, but I did not break. I did not break like I was supposed to. Our souls came together to make one. We are not different, we are exactly the same. I know what life means, what I was born to do. I was born to save this city, I was born to survive, but most importantly I was born to find him.

I pull away, breathless. He looks at me, sparkling green eyes crinkled around the edges. We both smile and he gives me a small soft kiss on the lips.

“I am in love with you Skyrah Faria Thratch, hopelessly and eternally in love with you” he says taking my hand, our fingers entwined.

“Alaric Elrick Emmerson, I am in love with you, heart and mind and soul” I say.

“I think we need to make a pact” he says smiling.

“Hmm, okay” I say rolling on my heels.

“You have to promise me, that through all of this you will not be reckless and irresponsible” he says.

“As long as you promise not to break my heart” I say.

“I promise, I am going to love you forever, nothing can stop that”

“Forever” I agree. Forever. In life and death.