Deep Down

A Little Cash

"Devina, the hairband you made me broke. Is there any way you could possibly make me another one before we head out?"

We were preparing to go and see what the city had to offer us. After eating, we made a plan that we would split up, the twins will go and see the left, while Devina, Dakota, and I ventured to the right. The twins always stuck together and did everything side by side. Earlier when I was looking into the broken mirror, I realized that the hairband had snapped.

"Yes, I can." She responded.

I murmured a 'thank you' and followed her behind the rusted vehicle, where she went to look for stems. Finding a sturdy weed, her fingers glided over the leaves, making them turn brown then fall to the ground, leaving only the stem. Devina pinched the stem between her index finger and her thumb, I watched as the plant grew in length. Removing her fingers, she ripped the stem from the ground, then tied the ends together.

"Here, this should be good." She said, handing it to me.

Slipping the band onto my wrist, I reached up and bunched my hair so it was in a bun, then tying it all together with the band. We didn't have much to bring, and we all agreed to meet up at the same place before sundown. Walking towards the tarp-covered fence, we pulled our hoods up if we had them. Devina gave the twins half of the money, telling them to use it if they saw something that we needed; she kept the other half.

Devina hoisted herself over the fence, while Aiden lifted Dakota over to the other side, then me. Vale and Aiden scaled the barb-wire fence by themselves, landing roughly on the paved ground with ease. Taking one last look at each other, we headed our separate ways. Dakota's small hand connected to mine, while Devina walked in front of us. I patted his head, which was covered with the faded yellow hood.

"We're going to be going into the more crowded area, so try and keep your heads down and let me know if you see anything." She ordered; we nodded in response.

As we walked, more and more people started to appear. Although my head was low, my eyes scanned every detail of the area. We received a few odd stares, but they only lasted a moment. I started to notice vehicles that were similar in shape, but they ran perfectly, humming as they moved. Light's shown, shops appeared, we passed buildings big and small.

This area was different from the area we were in before, it was much more well kept, so that must mean that the twins were searching for the previous city. We walked past a park, where kids ran and played, while their parents sat on benches, talking to each other. The small boy stopped, staring towards the playground, he held a look of despair in his eyes that shown that he wanted to go play; bond with kids similar to his age. It broke my heart, but I had to tug at his hand, signaling that we had to keep going.

"One day you'll be able to go play with them, just not right now. Okay?" I said gently.

"Okay..." He answered, sadness in his voice. A pang of guilt shot through me.

The children screamed and laughed with delight, while they climbed on the contraption. Dakota's hazel eyes watched and followed their every movement. Even if I did try to comfort him, it wouldn't get rid of his desires. I squeezed his hand in mine. Devina was wearing the torn shoes, so Dakota and I had to be careful where we were stepping. The mismatched socks we wore didn't do much to cover our feet from the rough cement.

We passed buildings, big and small, shops that sold clothes, food, and other supplies. Everything seemed so big, making me feel small. People chatted, some wore nice clothing while others didn't, everyone seemed to be mingling with each other. Devina stopped us outside of a pharmacy, putting her arm out so we didn't walk ahead of her.