“Do… do you want to go by the pond?”
“There’s a pond?”
“Outside…”
“It’s been a while-.”
“I know, I should have-.”
“No, you shouldn’t have… you did what you had to do…”
“I was trying to protect-.”
“Felix?”
“Yeah, yeah…”
“Anne, you have no idea-.”
“I know; you don’t have to remind me.”
“Did you miss me?”
“What do you think??”
It’s been ten years…
“We were kids, Dan…”
“So that’s a no?”
“Dan-.”
“Are you married or something?”
“… Are you kidding me?”
“Eh… You could be…”
“Felix doesn’t even know what a goose is. Do you seriously think we’ve been around many other people?!”
“I know, I know.”
“Don’t give me that… you know you know… You don’t know anything… you’ve been up in this bunker for something-odd years while I’ve been out there…”
Echo finally lost it. The two had been sitting on a large rock at the edge of the pond awaiting a sunset that was hours away. Echo collapsed into Daniel’s arms and he held her there, preventing them from falling into the murky water.
“I know…” He whispered. “I know…” Hoisting Echo up a little, Daniel looked into her eyes. “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”
“Daniel,” A voice arose from behind the two. “No matter what you say, she’s going to feel the-.”
“-the same way I do right now…” Echo shot up and Daniel almost fell into the pond. Mouth hanging wide open, the girl stared at the man’s dark face. The poorly kept beard irritated his cheeks, causing them to blush. He had gained weight and lost hair. Body worn by the blades of time, hunched over, as if he had to carry around the sky for the rest of his days. “Happy birthday,” Echo muttered, taking a step forward. She completely ignored Daniel.
The old man smiled, “You know it’s not my birthday.”
“Yeah…But I’ve missed ten of them…”
YOU ARE READING
Yonder
Teen FictionA babysitter rescues an infant after his parents are murdered by once-men infected by an imported disease. After ten years have gone by, the babysitter has raised the child and the two of them must continue on a quest band together with others who a...
