The Land After Tomorrow (Completed)

Chapter 16: The Boy

Drops pattered onto the ground in unison forming a puddle beneath their feet. The drop let out a sound like that of a clicking but at a more lower pitch. This sound broke that of eerie stillness that seemed to wonder over the group, however it was still morning. The clouds fulfilled that of the eerie sensation bringing a shadow of darkness that loomed over them.

It had been a month since they left the place of security and hope. Now, they were fighting all over again to a place of uncertainty. Ryder stared out into the darkness of the storm listening to the rain drop before him. A drop once whole and full of force become that of a particle of water. Who could tell how many drops were in that puddle, but that puddle is just another representation of how we see the world. We don't see what's in it, but by what it has become to be. Nobody cares to know what the individual must say or even do. They only care unless they become a puddle otherwise the drops just get washed into the dirt of the earth. It's part of nature to fall and combine with the drops of others. That could be said with human nature. Natural instincts tell us to never be alone and to follow that of others. Why? We are afraid of being alone otherwise we wouldn't be in a constant state of searching for companionship. It makes us as humans feel safe, fulfilled, and a part of something. Our cause of being afraid of something so great is the feeling of disconnect from being a part of something better and greater. Better.... greater...terms of human nature that devour us and cause our destruction.

Ryder tapped his foot against the puddle letting it ripple in unison. He let the rain fall from his jacket while he stared into the storm. He could hear screams calling out to him through the wind howling with the rain. They echoed within his head with no chance of release. Screams haunt him in his sleep and throughout the day. Ryder tried to block them out, but he can't face the guilt that lies within him. Everyone else was sleeping, except for him whom struggled to find sleep without the screams and terrors within himself. He could feel his guilt eating him as the days passed by. He couldn't find sleep for he woke up sweating with guilt and fear. This constant circle of distress caused his mentality to seep into a mood of despair. He struggled to find a sense of laughter or a slight ray of sense of feeling within himself. All he could feel was guilt that seemed to never pass. He felt trapped in a cage of darkness unable to reach or scream for help, but it's not like he wanted to. He wanted to suffer for he thought he deserved it. The suffering and the pain might help him redeem himself for the suffering he created. The suffering of screams and death of when he pulled the trigger. Those few seconds between pulling the trigger defined his life of years to come. Years of torture and guilt haunted by screams.

Ryder turned his head to the rustle of a tent opening behind him. A young boy emerged from the tent holding the hood from a jacket above his head. The boy looked around catching an eye on Ryder, whom was staring at the boy. The young boy walked over to him as his flip flops splashed the puddles below him.

"Do you have any water? My throat hurts," the boy asked holding his throat.

Ryder bent down to the bag that lied next to him searching for his canteen before handing it to the boy. The boy smiled gleefully before taking a seat next to Ryder. The pair sat in silence for minutes listening to the rain fall around them.

Ryder turned to look at the boy who looked in need of sleep as rings formed beneath his eyes. He looked solemn and without feeling like Ryder himself. "You should go back to sleep," Ryder suggested to the boy.

The boy continued looking straight ahead into the storm, "I don't sleep."

"I'm sure you can. Go back to sleep and try to get some rest before we head out," Ryder commanded.