The World We Once Knew

Chapter Two

Logan

If you haven't guessed by now I live in the United States of America, rather what was the USA (for the short name). I was born here. So were my parents and their parents and so forth. This used to be a safe haven so I'm told, but it's not so much a safe haven now. There's constant fighting, this of course is all I have ever known. I grew up learning how to fight because if I didn't I would die. The rest of the world doesn't talk to us, not even to try to give aide. My grandparents say that this is what the USA used to do for other countries. But if we did it for them so long ago why won't they help us out, I once asked. They said it was because we had no true form of government anymore. I said that that was stupid and they should still try to help us out, but my parent told me that they were. There were countries and private organizations out there that would sneak people in through tunnels and different networks to try to rescue people, especially the ones aged 0 – 30, because they were the ones who could most benefit from help. He also said that it was hard because Dr. O'Connell and the soldiers, back before the camera's broke, were always watching. I don't really believe him but I don't want to tell my dad that.

So I clean up where I was just eating and go into my tent. This tent is my whole life. If I didn't have this tent I wouldn't have any protection against any of the climate conditions I have to deal with. I always put my bike in the tent with me as well. My grandparents thought I was crazy to do this but then one night a group of people came and stole my dad's bike. Needless to say now my whole family puts their bikes in their tents with them. In case you were wondering 'bike' is the slang term for motorcycle. We have these instead of the things called cars because bikes can get through a lot more. We can go on rough terrain with them unlike if we had a 'car'. I've seen them on the side of the roads we travel. They are sometimes flipped over, sometimes not. Sometimes they are charred as if they had been in a fire or something. I'm told that once anarchy ensued a lot of people tried to drive to the ports and got into accidents. It's sad to think that that could happen, but it did. No one nowadays has a 'car', they just aren't practical. We have to get to places fast and quick, especially when people are chasing us. I've been in plenty of chases, they aren't too bad, but sometimes they are scary.

Anywho, I go in and change into a t-shirt and very short shorts, and grab my toothbrush and toothpaste and brush my teeth outside of my tent. My grandma on my dad's side looks at me and tells me to cover up because I "look like a little whore who sells her body on a corner". I just roll my eyes and walk over to my other grandma. She loves me to pieces. Apparently I remind her of my mother. I don't much remember my mom. She was killed when I was three by a soldier who wanted her to sleep with him but she wouldn't. My dad and grandparents always tell me stories about her. She seemed like a cool person to have known. (But I don't need pity from you, I am doing perfectly fine without her.) I sit down between my grandma and grandpa. They smile and my grandpa gives me a hug. "You better get some sleep child. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow." he tells me. So I nod, spit the excess toothpaste out, gurgle water and spit that out too; say my good nights and go into my tent. I close my eyes and try to get some shut eye.

I wake up in the early morning and get dressed. I put my jacket and boots on. I grab my shotgun and nine millimeter glock that can hold 17 bullets, along with my bow and arrows and set out into the woods. I track and then proceed to kill a deer, making sure to use my bow and arrows so I don't alert people nearby about my presence.  I then say a prayer over the dead deer, tie it up and then drag it back to the campsite. I go back and make my footprints and the drag marks disappear. I have the animal all bleed out, cut up and cooking by the time my family wakes up. We eat our breakfast pack up the remains of the meat and the rest of our stuff. We tie our tents onto the back of our bikes and sling our backpacks over our backs. Then we set out. My dad's parents in the front, then my dad and I, and lastly my mom's parents, we usually travel like this. 2 by 2, so we can watch out for each other as well as have some company. We pass some settlements along the way. We are going down to a port city called New Orleans. It was in a 'state' called 'Louisiana'. We don't have 'states' anymore, instead we have territories. North, South, East, and West, right now I'm in the Northern Territory, and I'm trying to get to the Southern Territory.

So far I'm halfway there, but it has been a long journey. I really don't know why we have to go there, my dad says that it's safer there but I don't think one place is safer than another at this point. I look up and see the sun and clouds. They are so free, I want to be like that, free, but instead I'm caged and I feel as if I'm being watched constantly. There are cameras all over the place, it's almost as if they still work and they are still watching our every move, it's unnerving.