The Final Hope: Awakening

Chapter Five

"Don't worry, we'll be back," I reassured her, before chasing after Ryan. He led the way with the torch and when we reached the corpse, we ignored it and took the left path. In silence we were contemplating the fate that awaited us. But the more time I spent thinking, the more terrified I grew. So I started talking.

"Look, I don't what it was that happened to you back on earth, but you can't keep letting it affect your life now," I said as we carried on walking. "After all, I know that each of us come from different backgrounds and so feel differently about our current situation. However, if you want to talk, Ryan, I'll listen." After his fight with Freya, I thought maybe letting it all out would cool him down a bit, and maybe even make the rest of our journey a bit more pleasant.

"I don't meddle in your business do I?" he asked rhetorically. "So don't stick your nose in mine." Without a glimpse, he strode forwards in a furious pace. We didn't speak after that. For hours, we walked when finally; we decided to take a break.

We stopped in the middle of a tunnel. Looking around, I spotted some dry logs that I brought together. Ryan used his lighter and soon, the whole tunnel grew bright. We sat across from each other.

"Catch," he said before chucking a loaf of bread my way. I caught it mid-air and started eating. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but my legs were thanking me for the rest and my stomach was quieting down. When I had eaten half of my share, Ryan spoke again.

"Back home, it was rough," he said. "My mom died when I was young, and my father followed soon after; so I had to look after my sister on my own. We had to live off the streets, nobody helped us. I had no way to make money so I joined a gang. I would give them information about whatever I saw in the streets; in exchange they would give us money for one meal a day. We tried asking for government support, but they were too busy with other things. No one had time for us. That's why I don't care about what happens to me anymore. Nobody ever did."

I stared at him, bread in hand, speechless. Ryan was staring into the crackling fire, unblinking. I didn't think that he had such a terrible past. I thought he was just another kid with attitude problems, but this was totally unexpected. It wasn't his fault that he was like this, it was society's. It had abandoned him, so now he was doing the same. The world made him into what he was now, but then, that was true for everyone. He happened to be one of ones that the world had forgotten, that nobody had tried to help.

"I'm sorry," I replied. "I had no idea..."

"Don't you go get all sentimental on me now," he said casually as he resumed eating. "I only told you since I'm going to be stuck with you for a while."

"Right," I replied. Then asked, "What about your sister? Don't you feel like you need to go back to look after her again?"

"Humph, don't talk about her like you know her," he retorted, before starting to walk again. I didn't dwell on his reply, but instead saw this as progress. If he started talking more and managed to move on, we would have the support of one more person in trying to find a way back.

We walked for a few hours afterwards, when we both began feeling very tired. Deciding to take a rest, Ryan volunteered to keep watch first while I slept. He quickly made a fire and sat on the other end, alert with axe in hand. Gratefully, I laid my stuff to rest, then using my rucksack as a pillow, I crawled up next to the fire.

Feeling the warmth spread throughout me, I was reminded of what it meant to be alive. If we failed, I may no longer be able to experience this gentle feeling. Knowing that filled me with gloom and I stared into the fire blankly, listening to its quiet sizzling.

"You know Ryan, I was just a normal kid, that went to a normal school and did normal stuff. I'm your average teenager, but if it helps you feel any better, I too grew up alone."