Coming Back Down

Eden

  The bunker was covered in too much rubble for us to dig up after the tower had crumbled over it. We tried for days to dig up as much as we could, but our efforts were fruitless and completely erased when more of the building came down as we were digging through the rocks.

  We'd have to find a way around that in five years....

  Having to live off of what was left of food rations and water, it was looking as if we very well would starve out here with everything else being dead. The good thing, at least, is that we weren't alone. There were three of us, so the insanity of solitude never set in.

  There were a number of issues we had to face in order to stay alive, and when we lost most of the panels on the rover we dug up from the sand in a storm, we all nearly died yet again from starvation and dehydration in the desert. However, as if sent by some higher power, a vulture lead us to the last patch of life on Earth.

  It was bliss to eat something other than insects or spoiling food, and to see grass and flowers and life again was incredible. Exploring our Eden, we found a village with everything intact....including those that had died there. This land, as it seemed, had been a part of the Shallow Valley Clan.

  We burned the dead out of respect and drank to our hearts' content of water from the fresh source nearby. This place may have been the deathbed of those left, but it was our salvation.

  "....It's been 58 days. By now, Monty should have the algae farm producing. How bad does it suck? No offense, Monty." Clarke chuckled as she spoke into the radio on the table. Setting a bowl down next to her, she plucked up a few berries while smiling. "And we found berries, a whole field of them. They're not very sweet, but they're beautiful." Roan set a bucket with a few fish in it next to the berries. "I think that's what they used to make the paint for-" Clarke cut herself off as she paused her drawing and looked to the right.

  Raising a brow at her as she leaned forward in her seat, I followed her line of sight, and my eyes went wide.

  "Roan!" I hissed while tugging on his sleeve. He looked up, his brows furrowing with confusion.

  "What the-"

  "Wait. It's okay." The blonde stood while raising her hands to keep the kid a few yards off from running. "It's okay. Wait!" The kid bolted, and Clarke didn't even think twice before chasing the kid.

  "....Think we should go after her?" I questioned.

  "There's no telling what she'll get into." Roan sighed, and we set off after the woman and child. It wasn't hard to find them, and when we did, Clarke was talking to the dirty, wild-haired kid without getting any answers.

  "You're a Nightblood, right?" The blonde had her hands up again while speaking gently. "It's okay. So you can-"

  "Clarke! The ground!" Roan rose his voice, but it was too late as a clawed trap ensnared the woman's leg. She screamed in pain, and the child pulled a knife while running at her.

  "Die Fleimkeepas!" The child shouted while swinging her knife as I stepped in the way and caught the blade. Cringing from the sting of the cut, I also managed to grab the front of her shirt. She paused her screaming, seeing the black blood staining my hand. "Natblida." She mumbled, then as if a switch had been flipped, she went back to screaming as she punched me in the gut with both of her tiny fists, making me lose my hold on her while she ran off into the forest.

  "That little gremlin...." I groaned while holding my stomach and dropping the knife she had left.

  "Viper, hurry, and get the med kit ready." Clarke brought my attention back to her as Roan was helping her stand after freeing her from the trap. The wound on her leg was gushing, and I ran back to the village.