Inequality

Chapter|One

I picked up the heavy bucket that was filled with water. It was the last bucket water we had, the pump was empty, and knowing that the summers here were scorching and rain-free, we had to do it with this last bucket for a long time. I put the bucket on my head, while one hand held it,  and I started walking.

I had to walk around three hours to come back home, but it didn't bother me. I liked to walk outside for a bit because, then I could clear my mind and enjoy the fresh air.

It was already dark when I reached the old 'Welcome in Roseville' sign. The 'ville' was already wiped out, and there were spiders everywhere around the sign.

My feet hurt but I kept walking. I walked past the first few houses. There didn't burn any lights so I guessed most of the people were already sleeping. All the houses here were the same, grey and old. But no one cared about that, atleast we had something to live in. Most of the windows were shattered, there were bullet holes everywhere and even one of the houses had bloodstains on the wall.

From a distance I saw my mother waiting for me in the small doorway of our house. She smiled weakly at me, but since dad and Claire were taken by the Abundant, that was normal for her.

She tried to act as if nothing had happened, but I saw right through her, I saw the hurt and fear inside, even though she was very distant when you asked her about it. The sparks in her brown eyes were gone, there were deep circles around her eyes, and if she smiled, what was very rare, it was only a weak and fake smile.

"This is the last bucket." I told my mother when she took it from me. "Shush, don't be so loud Emily Sophia. The neighbours might wake up if you do." Still, after all she had been through, she cared about the neighbours, or any other person. But that was my mom. Always caring, nice and selfless.

That and many other reasons were there for me, to have her as my example.

I followed my mom inside the house and saw my blonde-haired best friend waiting for me. His face was full of relief when he saw me.

"Finally, you're here Em. I almost thought that the aliens might have taken you." He got up from the couch, walked over to me, and hugged me. I know he said it as a joke, but there was a grain of truth and worry in his words.

"Nope, and even if they had taken me, they would never be able to deal with this." I showed him my muscles. He laughed at me. "It's cute how you always think you're strong but you're actually not." He said in his Irish accent. Niall wasn't from here. When he was 7 years old, he moved with his family to Roseville, what was a very bad decision. But there wasn't a way back anymore.

Niall and I became best friends after he moved into the house next door. We became inseperable. Now, 10 years later, we still were. I knew everything about him, and he about me. We could talk about everything without feeling weird around each other. Sometimes we fought, but that was very rare. And if we fought, then it was about something little and stupid, like who was faster or something. -Which I was ofcourse.- Niall was always so nice to others, he was funny and carefree -but he cared about others, like his family and me, a lot- and he was very trustworthy. No one could compare to him, he was irreplaceable.

"Hey! I am strong. I've even beaten you once with arm wrestling!" I argued. He looked at me with that 'bitch please' face that he would do when I said something that wasn't true. "Okay, maybe I didn't. But you always cheat!" Niall still looked at me with that face.

"Okay, okay. Maybe you didn't. But what does it even matter? I mean. I'm still stronger than those aliens anyway." I said with my arms crossed. And still, he looked at me with that 'bitch please' face. I sighed.

"Okay! Maybe I'm not strong, but I have other qualities." I finally said.

His face still didn't change.

So I slapped him.

Yeah, he really was irreplaceble.