The Wanderers [Old Version]

Chapter 38: Home

Bryn's POV

We walked down the snow covered road. The wind was picking up again, and we couldn't see more than 15 feet in front of us. Rain held my hand, "Careful. Low visibility. There could be anything in this snow."

He was right. We were stuck in the middle of a blizzard and would just have to hope nothing killed us in the two miles before we reached New Rome. We came too long to die now.

We walked very slowly. The wind howled around us and my bow on my back fought to stay on my person. These winds must've been at least ten miles an hour.

After a few minutes, I heard the sound of a rhythmic, metallic bang. Rain noticed it too. He pointed, although I couldn't see at what, "Over there. It's coming from that way. I think it's the wind blowing on a metal shed or something."

"Should we check it out?"

He shook his head, "I wanna find New Rome."

I stopped walking, "Please? Rain, my hands are freezing and my feet are numb. We can just walk over and see what it is. Maybe there will be some warmth in the shed, or whatever it is."

He sighed, "Fine. Maybe we can find some ammo, I only have three shots."

We walked towards the sound of the banging. It was a small shed with a metal door hanging on for dear life as the wind blew against it.

Rain grabbed the door and pulled it until it popped off the frozen hinges. He dropped it in the snow and we walked inside.

I immediately kicked something in the dark. Rain stopped me and crouched down the feel what it was. He stood up, holding an old gas powered lantern. He messed with it for a few seconds, then it turned on.

The light was dim, but provided some warmth and enough light to see the rest of the inside of the shack.

Two human skeletons laid in the snow and rubble, they were holding hands. The skeleton of a small dog laid at their feet. A little book laid near one of the skeletons.

I grabbed it and read the note written inside. "Jack's wounds finally caught up with him. He didn't wake up this morning. His dog, Zero, won't eat or drink anything and he won't move away from Jack's feet. I loved Jack and now that he's gone, I don't have a reason to keep going. Without him I'll die in minutes anyways. Just gunna lay here, by his side. If Zero won't leave his side, neither will I. - Sally S., August 22, 2015."

I closed the book and set it back down.

Rain looked sad. I held his hand again, "You ok?"

He nodded, "I guess. Just made me think...you're my wife now. If this guy died and his wife knew she wouldn't survive without him...if I die, keep fighting. Don't give up so easily."

I felt a tear run down my cheek. I hugged him as tight as I possibly could, "Neither of us are going to die, ok? Don't think like that."

He kissed me, "Sorry. I'll try not to."

We left the little shed, and Rain stopped to put the metal door back against it, but he lodged it in the snow so that it wouldn't buckle from the wind. If this was out of respect, or fear, I didn't know.

We walked for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually, we had to walk up a slight elevation in the snow. At the top, we could see a little bit further ahead of us. About a quarter of a mile ahead of us were the terrifyingly familiar walls of a kingdom.

Rain set the lantern down in the snow, "Welcome to New Rome. This is our chance to start again."

Clara's POV