No Man's Land

Chapter 1

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      “Huff, huff” **steps forward and stretches** “ahhh that feels better” its early morning and I went for a walk. My name is Jennifer I'm 17 and i’m new here, my parents died and I was left with my little sister she is only 12 her name is Mei. I had no choice but to pack up and move to the middle of nowhere, some call it “the wild”, others call it “the forest”, but i like to call it “No Man’s land”. where we can thrive off of nature, to get away from the harsh life in populated area’s, of course we brought the essential needs such as tools, kitchen utensils and extra blankets, we also brought animals, such as a goat pair a pig pair, and a few chickens, my younger sister Mei spent some time collecting seeds and learning how to tend to crops. what more do you need? 

    "Well time to collect breakfast" I say to myself, every morning before my sister wakes up I go out to the forest to try and pick some breakfast, and catch some dinner. as well as get fire wood to heat the stove. its the middle of fall and we have been here for, 4 months, its starting to get colder, and all our animals have already had their babies. and along with fall, food is more scarce, so instead of eating our savings from the summer, I will try to make the best of whats left in the forest and the prairie, and scavenge off the small animals that are still around.

     There is a small brooke a few miles away from our settlement, I have just arrived and the water is cool and refreshing. I get out  the bucket from my rucksack and fill it up. then I pull out my bow and arrow and walk farther into the forest, hoping for a small deer or even a large bird will do. I climb a tree trying to get a better view, and in the distance I see a prairie chicken, I jump down with a thud and slowly walk over to the bird, “sigh” pulling the string to my cheek I focus on the bird and let the arrow fly, “thwack” the bird falls hard to the ground and I run over and pick it up. I skin and clean the bird in the brooke, then tie it to the outside of my rucksack, "ok next on the list is... breakfast!". I go back into the forest to look for berry bushes, ones like the northern bush cranberry, blackcurrant, or gooseberry, and some small plants like stinging nettle and the labrador tea tree. These all can be eaten or dried for the winter, and make a filling nutritious tea or trail mix. 

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      Walking along I come across many different plants, and pick the ones that are edible. " all right Next on the list is wood", so I climb a tree and shake some of the dead branches off “This should be good, Oh dear!" looking into the sky I notice quite a bit of time has gone by, "it's time to rush back!" I pile all the sticks together and tie them together so I can easily put them on my back, I run to the brooke and grab the bucket of water and run home as fast as I can. “Mei!..Mei!.. Mei!” is all i can say, “i dont want to loose you too Mei!”

   My parents died when I was out partying with my friends... I wasn't aloud and yet I still went, they came to look for me and got into a car accident, and now i'm afraid that I won't be able to see my blood and body in another person again. I burst into the cabin “MEI!!!” I scream with tears running down my face, Mei walks around the corner rubbing her eyes “what Jennifer? quit being so loud!” she said. “I was so worried!” I said balling, I run to her and give her a big hug and promise it'll never happen again. 

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  “oh get up!” Mei said rather rudely “ you dont have to act this way every time you show up a little late, not to mention i was still asleep, until you came bursting in.”

    “yeah i guess you are right” i said sniffling “ what do you want for breakfast? i gathered tons of berries and nettle.”

“ well i could eat some porridge with a salad on the side” mei said. “ok but not to much we need to save up for winter” i said. i set my stuff down and walk over to the pantry to put on my apron, then put the wood i gathered in the forest into the wood pile then take out the flint and steel and a fews small peaces of wood for the stove. after starting the fire in the stove i set a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil i scoop out a small amount of oats but big enough for the two of us, i put it into the pot and let it simmer for a few minutes for it to cook. mean while i get the berries and nettle out of my rucksack to make a salad. 

“Mei! get dressed and wash up, its time to eat!” i yell while setting the table.