When we broke the news to the rest of the group a silent sorrow fell over everyone. We kept going, silent tears shedding over Melody. Roland decided to dig a shallow grave, leaving it unmarked. In the future, if there was one, nobody would know who Melody was or what had happened.
After several more hours of agonizing walking, we came across a stream by a clearing. The stream was cold and fresh, and the clearing was mostly flat. We began unpacking our stuff and settling down for the night.
Ingrid cleaned my wound with cold water from the stream, and the rewrapped it carefully. I still couldn't walk on my own, but I could manage to stand.
The younger kids quickly adapted to the new area, already running around and playing. Most of them were still too little to understand the loss our whole group had just experienced. Billy was playing with them, and I felt a bit better knowing he was not as sad as I was.
Hayden and Ingrid came over and sat next to me, their faces not looking as grim as they had earlier.
"We need to talk," Hayden said. "Travis is unfit to lead us, and Roland is obviously in no shape to do so. You're the oldest next to Travis, so that makes you the best bet."
"We asked around, and everybody seems to agree that you should lead us." Ingrid smiled weakly at me.
"Okay, I'll do it," I sighed.
"Which means we need to decide where we're gonna stay," Hayden said.
"I don't see the problem with here. It seems perfectly safe here, and we have natural resources here as well." I looked around, seeing how there were plenty of little animals running in the treetops.
"Then it's settled. This is where we'll stay." Ingrid said.
YOU ARE READING
Surviving
General FictionAdira was your normal high school girl. Until the apocalypse started. Now, she, along with her little brother and a group of children, must try to survive in a world that no child should have to live in.
