Just Us.

Chapter One

The loud roar of the helicopter blades startled me awake, it must have been around midnight since it was still pitch dark out and I had been asleep only for what felt like a few hours. 

I waited till sunrise, I could see the peeking beams of golden light shine through the blinds of the window. I had scanned the house up and down one last time making sure there was nothing I had left behind. 

It was still cold out, I could see my breath as I stepped out on the front porch and closed the front door behind me. I was anxious to step out into the world once more knowing I was leaving behind the very thing that made feel safe but I had to find food and I knew I couldn't stay here for long.

I walked down the road that led into the city, luckily I had been there a few times before so I knew my way around.  

The city was dead quiet and empty, almost every store and restaurant was boarded up or had been broken into by scavengers. It was a ghost town, the streets that had once been filled with fast cars and busy people on their way to work were now just a memory, a distant echo.

I finally reached back to the woods and felt a sense of relief,  I had walked along the narrow trail, as dry leaves crunched beneath me and the smell pine needles lingered in the air. I followed the sound of rushing water ahead until it led me to a creek that looked safe enough to swim in. 

I set my bag down and started to undress, I was hesitant to jump in considering how cold it was but I hadn't had a bath or shower in weeks and knew I'd probably wouldn't get to again for awhile. I slowly got in as the stinging sensation of cold water hit me.  

My clothes hung right where I had left them, I felt a lot warmer as soon as I started walking again. It must have been my lucky day, there was a blackberry bush that seemed to be untouched. I filled as much as could in my pockets and bag. I enjoyed them as I listened to the gentle singing of the birds. 

The day had quickly went by, I knew I had to find shelter before it got dark. I set up my sleeping bag in an empty cave. It some how felt impossible to fall asleep, I kept thinking about mom, dad and charlie and how much I missed them. The sounds of the night got louder as I slowly drifted of remembering their faces.