The Land After Tomorrow (Completed)

Chapter 22: Prepare for War

            Drew felt the pain rushing through his bones. Aching and soreness devoured his thoughts while Emily helped to support him.

"Do you think your dad will come to find us?" she asked. Drew shook his head in reply grunting in pain. She stopped for a moment halting them both in their tracks, "Well, why not?"

Drew turned towards her face letting her eyes search him, "He trusts that I can handle myself."

Emily smiled slightly, "You've done a bang-up job so far." She paused looking over Drew's injuries, "And I mean that literally."

Drew chuckled a laugh, "I guess so."

"Hey! Love birds!" one of the guys shouted ahead of them. They both turned towards his voice expecting more to be said. "We are almost there, keep up," he shouted.

Emily rolled her eyes in response, "Aye, Aye Captain Barf."

"Why do you call him that?" Drew laughed.

Emily started to walk pushing Drew along, "He's the dude that threw up all over Jake this one time. Puke was just everywhere. You should have seen Jake's face." Emily laughed, "It was absolutely hilarious."

Drew smiled, "I can imagine." They walked in silence for a moment taking in the nature around them. Emily looked at the boy who walked beside her from the corner of her eye. She chuckled a little. Drew gave her an uneasy look unable to tell what was so funny.

"Sorry," she smiled looking down at the ground.

"What's so funny?" he asked curiously.

Emily looked up ahead of her shaking her head, "It's just that when we first met, you had a bad ankle and burned shoulder and now that we are close to the end, you're about the same person beaten up and broken."

Drew looked down, "Yeah I guess, but..."

"Don't get me wrong," cutting him off, "You are the same person beat up, but somethings different." She smiled up at him, "You were this boy when we first met. Frightened, angry, and unable to understand who you are."

"Jee thanks," Drew responded coldly.

"You understand who you are now, and I think that's pretty cool," she said smiling.

Drew looked down at her, "I don't think anybody knows who they truly are."

"Why not?" she asked.

He looked up ahead feeling the wind glide around him, "Everything is constantly changing and so is everyone else. What's different from now and then is that I accept change, but I accept it for the better of myself. I will never be perfect, but I am constantly changing myself to get there. I will never fully understand my potential and capabilities, because I will always be striving for perfection. What I accept is that I know I can't and no one can be perfect."

Silence unfolded between letting Drew's words sink in for them both. "Wow," Emily awed. "That was beautiful," she smiled.

Drew smiled a little bit from the corner of his lips, "Whatever."

"What," she laughed, "It was."

"What'll be beautiful is when we finally get to camp," Drew smiled.

"Well looks like you're in luck. Look," Emily nodded.

Drew and Emily both gasped at the fortress in front of them. The wooded fence looked something out of an ancient city.