Chapter 1-
A little girl, at the age of about five skipped down the street. But no ones sure about birthdays anymore, and they're not celebrated. Frost coats her lips and stings her eyes, but neverless she is smiling. In her small hands she grasps a woven basket. She looks down, at her tattered wool coat and sighs. I'll be needing a new one soon. She thinks thoughtfully. People stare at her, her smile, her rosy cheeks and the way she skips around with out a care in the world. They stare in amasement, for joy is no such thing, well not anymore. Ah, young innocence at it's finest. Not in this world. As she skips she sings a song, in this gray quiet place she tries her best to be happy.

"Twinkle, Twinkle little star." She sings, and giggles all the while. She looks around, seeing hungry, sunken faces, grimy people with no food. Their bones have begin to show. She wants to help them, she does. She wants to open the basket and feed them the bread in her basket. The warm, fresh bread, that no one seems to have anymore, but she cant. She looks down at her own dirty self, and pulls up her shirt to see her ribs sticking out. She doesnt understand why everyone is so hungry all the time. She doesnt understand where all the food went. She doesnt understand why her mother has fallen ill, she doesnt understand why at dinner every night her brother babbles on about war. "What is war?" each night she asks him. Yet he does not answer, instead he eats the rest of his soup and goes to the room they and her twin sister share, which hurts her deeply. She does not understand, why everything is the way they are. All she understands is that nothing will be getting better any time soon. She holds the basket tightly to her small torso, and beady hungry eyes follow it, as if they can see it's contents. She begins to sing again.

As she nears her street, her blonde hair bounces while she walks, and she tucks a loose strand safely under her cloaks hood. She shivers. The cold here never goes away, the seasons never change, and the sun is but a memory. She walks by the market, and see's an old lady sitting in a rocker outside. "Child." the lady calls, adressing her. She freezes in her tracks, knowing from experience not to trust anyone. She grasps the basket tighter, her knuckles turn white.

The old lady smiles a toothless grin. "Come now, child I won't hurt you." She moves a foot back, ready to run. "What is in the basket?" The lady says greedily.

"Nothing." She says, with all the might a five year old can possess. The old lady opens her mouth again, but she is already off running, her small thin legs pumping. She trips over cracks and rocks in her wake, but soon her house is in sight, and she slows her pace. She hugs the basket, glowing in the warmth of it. Once she gets to the small, paint chipped house, she hops up the two small steps.

Creakkkkk, Creakkkkk. She looks inside the small, cracked window to see her mother, pale and ill as ever, but still her mother sitting on a rocker by the fire, and her father leaning down to give her a gentle kiss. She does not know how long she stands out there, watching her parents in the cold, but a rush of happiness flows through her and she rushes inside.

When she walks inside, her father beams at her and she smiles. "Daddy!" He strides over and picks her up, kissing her square on the nose. "Anna!" He says in his gruff voice. His nickname for her, her name is Annabeth. She hands him the basket, and digs her small hand in her pocket, fishing out one small gold coin.

"Here's the extra money I got for you, Daddy." She smiles and he takes it. She inhales deeply, and smells stew. Something they have every night, it is bland and tasteless but it keeps them alive, for a while, atleast.

"Real bread, Daddy." She whispers, and he twirls her around, his brown eyes like tiny pools of warm milk chocolate, and his dark gruffy beard rising at the edges. "We have real bread!" He agrees and goes back to tend to the stew. She turns around and bounds over to her mother, looking into her sick, tired eyes. Once a bright dark blue, like the tops of snow covered mountain tops now a dull gray, but her mother still smiles at her.

"Mother." She says sweetly, and kisses her cheeks. "Oh Annabeth." Her mother whispers, her voice frail, "I am so proud of you." She feels the grime layered on her pale white skin. She smiles, her dimples showing, her blue eyes sparkling, and twirls a strand of blonde hair around her finger. Just as she began to take off her cloak, her brother, Adam, and her sister Sarah walk in, looking cold and tired. She looks at her twin sister, at the resemblance they have, same blue eyes, same long blonde hair. Then Adam, with his black shaggy hair and his thin, lean body. Then of course, his eyes, always a mystery with its bright blue milky insides and its fierce black outline. She had always loved his eyes, being so mysterious and unnatural. Their mother shakily got up, and went to her bedroom, holding her hands on each side of her head. Another migraine. She sprinted up to Adam, holding her thin arms out and waiting for him to enfold her in his daily twirl around hug. He picked her up and spun her around, kissing her on the head lightly, then setting her down.

"Father, I need to talk to you." Adam said softly and Anna watched as her father and her brother stepped out of the door. Anna hung her cloak up quickly and watched Sarah slide out of hers.

"What happened?" Anna asked, curiosity overwhelming her. Sarah shook her head, even though she was the older twin, it was only by three minutes.

"I dont know, I was out trying to trade for a new cloak, when Adam ran into me. He looked..." She plopped down, her small body looked even smaller on the big overstuffed chair. "Sad, And he said I could find my cloak another time, no need in waisting the money while I had a cloak already." Sarah whispered "But when I said it was falling apart, he didnt answer me. He never ignore's things like that."

Anna thought about all the possibilities of why her brother would be sad, or mad. Maybe a friend of his died. Maybe he lost his favorite hunting knife. Maybe he was looking for a cloak for Sarah and couldnt find any. Maybe he had a hard day at work, cutting tree's for firewood is hard work. Her thoughts were endless as she went to go put a piece of firewood in the fire, being careful not to get any splinters. She glanced out the window to see her father's brow creased, and her brother looking angry, and holding his hands up, gesturing towards the hungry townspeople. Her father shook his head, and squeezed his eyes shut, looking to the ground. Adams face turned red and he whirled around, opened the door, running inside and down the hallway to his room, well the room they all shared. Anna winced as she heard the door slam shut. The house shook. For being only 14, Adam sure was strong. Her father stood outside for a long time, looking sad. Finally Anna walked outside with her fathers coat and went outside and wrapped it around him as best she could, considering she only came up to his waist.

"Daddy. Please come inside." She pleaded, and he snapped out of his sad trance. But as they walked inside, her spine prickled with unease. Somethings wrong. Somethings very wrong. she thought. That night, Adams usually loud mouth about going to war was shut, except for opening it to shovel food in. Everyone was quiet. Except for Anna, she babbled on and on about her days adventures, the new song she learned from the baker at the bakery while he was baking her bread. She sung the song for them, and it made them smile. She tried to coax her family into conversation, but ended up being the talker for the whole night. She also talked about the old lady at the market, and her father praised her.

"Good, Anna, it was good for you to run. You never know anyones intentions nowadays. With the shortage of food." Adam shot him a look, which he kindly ignored. As the night died down, and the candle lights were lit, Anna, and Sarah were sent to bed. Adam was already in the room reading his old, aged book about America. Anna had once questioned him about this so called "America" when he first saved his money and bought the book.

"America, was a great Country hundreds of years ago. With pleanty of food and electricity and everything anyone could ever ask for." He replied. She stared at him wide-eyed. "Where was America?" She had asked. "Well, it was where we live now, Anna." She didnt need to ask anymore. She knew that somehow America turned out to not be so great anymore and a rebellion started, against the Government. Hence their present situation.

Her and her sister dressed quickly into their flannel nightgowns, they were worn and ripped but still provided warmth and comfort for the long night ahead. Sarah went right to bed while Adam continuted reading by candle light. Anna got comfortable and took a deep breath, and looked up at Adam reading. "Adam?" She asked, her shaky voice seeming smaller than ever. He looked down at her, his reading glasses cracked and faded, he pulled them off.

"Yeah kiddo?" He said, his fierce eyes illuminated from the candle's glow. She put her hands up to eachother, rubbing them up and down. When she talked again, her voice was quiet. "I-Is everything gonna be okay?" She whispered, her lip quivered. Adams face dropped, he couldnt crush this little girls dreams, so he went with a safe answer. "I dont know, Anna, I dont know." He said gruffly and went back to his book. Her eyes flooded with tears, she wasnt sure if she believed him. She gently untucked herself from the covers, careful not to wake her sleeping sister. She walked down the hallway, tip-toeing on creaking boards to the warm living room, with its over stuffed homemade chair and it's badly made table, then the books stacked around everywhere it was a wonder she knew where everything was, but she did. Then her mothers wooden ancient rocker, that sat powerfully beside the fireplace, to keep mother warm. Her mother now sat in it, half asleep. But when Anna slowly shuffled in, her eyes opened. Anna was surprised sometimes how your couldnt even tell her mother was sick, by the way she just looked so normal. Her long raven black hair was pulled back into a bun on the back of her head like she used to wear it, and her blue eyes had their shine again, she sat there looking normal but just a bit sleepy, and for an inch of a second, Anna thought her mother had miracuously healed. For that inch of a second, the five year old was the happiest she had ever been, in her life. But then her mother spoke, and all her hopes faded.

"Anna." She said, her voice frail and weak, sounding its worst yet. "My dear, dear Anna." Anna waddled over to her, feeling cold all of a sudden. She picked her up with all the strength left in her body and she pulled Anna onto her lap. Anna's lip quivered.

"Are you going to be okay?" Anna asked, in a shy soft voice. Her mothers smile faultered for only a second, but she noticed. Her question hung in the air without an answer, instead her mother smoothed back the messy bunch of curls on Anna's head.

"I need to have a very important talk with you." Her mother said softly after a few moments. Anna stared at her mother, with her big eyes, blinking once, and waiting. Her mother coughed and took a deep breath. "I want you to know, sweety, that even when I'm long gone, you need to keep moving on. You're destined for great things, Anna Brookes, I just know it. And sometimes I wish I could stay with you longer, and that this Godforsaken world wasnt the one you lived in. I wish sometimes that you had the childhood I did. With plenty food and sunshine and flowers, you've never seen a flower have you Anna?" Her mother asked. Anna shook her head. Her mother reached over to one of the old tattered books stacked in the corner closest to her chair and grabbed the smallest one, with tiny swirly prints, now faded decorating it. She opened it up to reveal a collage of flimsy aged photographs. Smiling faces, dark from sun exposure and white teeth, perfect hair. Anna ran a small hand over the faces, stopping on one of them in the middle. She was beautiful, her hair cropped short, her face so happy it looked like the smile was about to crack the girl wide open, and reveal more happiness underneath. Anna smiled. "Who's she?" She asked in her small voice. Her mother smiled, misty-eyed at the memories returning to her.

"Why, Anna darling, thats me." She said, and almost sounded better. Anna did a comparison and saw it appeared to be her mother. She turned a page in the tiny fragile book, to see something hard and crusty, pressed down in the page. But it was the most beautiful thing Anna had ever seen. Anna smiled as she ran her fingers delicatley over the unknown object. It was red, and appeared to fold over itself quite a few times on the top, on the bottom a long dark green, thin cylinder stuck out, and off of it two crunchy circles were attatched. Her mouth gaped open. "This is a real flower," Her mother whispered, caressing it. "A rose."

"Rose" Anna said slowly, liking how it felt on her tongue. "Rose!" She smiled and clapped her tiny, thin hands. Her mother smiled. "Now you've seen a real flower." She handed her the tiny book, closing it with a tiny thud. "It's all yours now." She sighed, as thought her last wish had been granted.

"I love you, Annabeth, never forget that, and always pick good over evil. Even when your totally alone and defeated, I know you could beat the world if you tried." And the love Anna felt for her mother then and there kept her going for the hard years to come, through starvation and hypothermia, through loss and moving on, through growing past her years at an early age, her mothers last words to her rung clear and strong, and every time she even thought about quitting, those words entered her mind. That night Anna went to bed, with a clear mind, feeling as a five year old should she clutched the book to her with all her might and slept peacefully, when she woke up early that morning to find her mother cold and lifeless in her rocker, Anna's life begun its descent into a downwards spiral, in a world full of hunger and death and pain.

Chapter 2-
I took a deep breath, as I sat up straight in my cot, a sweat beaded my face and chest. A nightmare, an awful nightmare had come into my vision. I put a cold hand over my chest, to notice that I was shaking. I looked over at Adams old bed, that had been empty since he left for war, two years after their mothers death. My father, my sister and I hadnt seen him in nine years, but knew he was still alive and fighting, because we got a small envelope every month with a payment, for his voluntary action. Thats why he went to war afterall, right? Money. I grimaced. It was times like theese I missed my brother the most, with an aching pain similar to the one perminantley implanted into my heart after my mother died. I looked over to see my sleeping sister Sarah, black circles lay under her closed eyes. I stood up carefully, and walked over to my brothers bed. I stared down at the plain white bed, stripped because the blankets could be used for warmth for the rest of us. I wanted to cry, the look of the empty bed made my eyes fill with tears. I sat down on the bed, it made a loud creaking noise. Creeeakkkkkkkk. I sat there for a long time, even after all the years it still smelled like him. I thought about life without my brother, all the years of facing poverty and starvation. I had nearly died quite a few times, and it reminded me how fragile life is.

I looked around the dark room, inhaling. It smelled stiff and old, like everything smells. Overused, and a hand-me-down. Being a sixteen year old girl, I tended to look at things with a different light, than those around me. I pondered on things normal people didnt think about once in their lifetime, let alone every single day. I closed my eyes, and imagined a beautiful lavender room with fluffy pillows and large beds, windows that sunlight shone through. But I did not know what sunlight looked like, so I imagined it with what my father and mother had described. Golden, warm, like a golden blanket falling in through the window, making everything glow. I sniffed, and I imagined I smelled fresh cookies, home-made of course. I had only had cookies once in my life-time, and that was when I was very young. I imagined my mother was sitting in a golden rocker, brand new in the corner, looking as young and vibrant as she did in the picture in the notebook she showed me on her last night of life. I saw roses, everywhere around the room. In vases, in boquets, laying sprawled across surfaces, petals in bowls with water, glowing by the sunlight. It was a large room, with polished hardwoods. Golden, like the sun shimmering through the windows. I smiled and opened my eyes. I sighed once they were opened. Back to the dark room with the old stale smell, and no roses, or sun. I thought gloomily.

"If only If only." I said aloud, and immediatley clamped my hand over my mouth, but it was too late. There was a rustling sound and soon I saw my sister Sarahs petite shape sit up in the dark. I heard a yawn, then a groan. "Anna?" I heard her whisper.

"I'm here." I replied, patting Adam's bed absently. "Just taking a stroll down memory lane." I said coldly. I heard Sarah chuckle a little. Then saw her get up, and blindly make her way over to the bed, feeling on all the surfaces on her way. "Aw c'mon Anna, our childhood wasnt that bad." She said and inhaled quickly. I rolled my eyes in the dark. "You know daddy tried his best." Sarah persisted, and I couldnt help but smile, Sarah always was a daddys girl. I always thought of herself as being more of a.. a brothers girl. I smiled at the thought, and the missing of my big brother came stronger.

"Do you ever miss Adam so much you cant even breathe anymore?" I asked suddenly, then bit my lip, wishing I hadnt said it aloud. Sarah thought for a moment. "Sometimes, when I miss him, and mom the most, I pretend they're just down in the town trading for new cloaks, and that makes it better, just a little." She whispered. I frowned, you could only pretend they were gone for a few minutes for so long, then you'd have to face the facts. Mom was never comming back, and who knew how long Adam would be gone? I shivered, in the cold dark, stale air. I began to hum the song I hummed on the day of my mothers death. "Twinkle, Twinkle Little-" I paused, trying to remember the words.

"Star." Sarah chimed in, remembering. I thought about stars, and how they never showed in the night sky thanks to the pollution hiding everything more than a few feet above their heads. I walked over and picked up the old book my mother gave me so many years ago, I opened it up to the Rose page, and ran my moon white fingers over the rough, aged flower. I bent down and gave it a gentle kiss. May you be with me through thick and thin.. I thought sadly, as I laid back down on my cot, hugging it tight. I slept soundly that night and had no more nightmares, except the one waiting for me when I woke up.

Chapter 3-
When I woke up, I heard faint screams echoing through my eardrums and the smell of smoke filled my nostrils. As I came to my senses, knocking the sleep out of me, my eyes widened. I felt the far off sickening thud. Bombs. I shook her head in horror, shaking all the sleep off of my mind.

"Sarah!" I screamed, shaking her raggidly and I was up in a flash making my way down to my fathers bedroom, fast. "Bombs!" I threw open my fathers bedroom door and shook him out of his sleepy haze. "Wake up! Bombs!" My breaths were coming in short pannicky pants now. My father wasnt waking up. "Geettt Uppp!" I screetched, shaking and hitting his broad strong shoulders, finally, his eyes fluttered open.

"...Wha..." He muttered, confused. "Bombs!" I screamed at the top of my lungs for the third time, just as another one, closer, shook the house so hard I fell to the ground with a Thud. My back ached from hitting the stone-hard ground, but I got up quickly, running to the kitchen and packing food, all kinds, but steared clear from the fridge. Fridge food spoils, I remembered my mother saying that ages ago, when she was still alive. "As if" I thought coldly, "There isnt even any edible food in there anyways." I slung the knap sack over my shoulder, being weighed down by the cans but not caring in my adreniline rush. I ran down the hallway to their room, to see Sarah hastily slipping on her shoes, two small packs filled with all their necessities. I slipped on my own shoes quickly, and was shaken harder by another bomb, even closer. I was expecting it and grabbed onto the abandoned bed, but Sarah fell to the ground, wincing. I hurried over and helped her up, and soon ran back to check on my father. I found him, with no bags packed, standing in the middle of the room, crying. Pity filled me, over-ruling my anger of why he wasnt ready. I sprung into action, packing all of his clothes, some picture frames, anything. He sobbed while I did this, looking like a train-wreck. I rubbed his back, and tapped his hand gently, until he snapped out of his emotional breakdown. He looked around, panicked until another bomb shook the house. This one caused vases to fall off of shelves, and ceilings to crack.

"Go,go,go,go!" I screamed, pushing my father out of the deteriorating room and thrusting his knap sack in his hands. He listened to me, hesitating for a moment before remembering I wasnt a little kid anymore, she could take care of myself. Once again I sprinted down the hallway to my room. I found my sister looking around the room, as if saying goodbye. I put a light hand on Sarah's shoulder, she understood, and sprinted out, trying to conceal the tears leaking from her eyes. Another bomb, more shaking, more cracking. I watched as a picture of my mother and I fell to the ground. It cracked in the middle, seperating the two. I wanted to kill whoever sent these bombs, and send them to whatever hell would suit them. I looked around, for anything Sarah forgot, finding nothing, I burst out of the door, leaping over the two steps with ease, onto the grey gravel below the porch. I squatted under the porch, something I had only done as a child exploring, never in a case of emergency. I searched blindly through her pocket for her rusty keys.

"Hurry up!" I whispered sharply to myself. Another bomb rang off then, knocking me in the air, and slamming me back into the hard ground. As I hit the concrete all the air rushed out of me. "Oof" I breathed, pain radiating throughout my whole body. I sat up, hearing more screams and seeing people lying on the ground, covering themselves. I saw smoke in the close distance and held my breath, flaming metals and debrees rained down on me, scorching my hair and arms. I jumped up and ran back to the porch, finding the keys and opening the tiny latch to inside. My fingers fumbled as I opened it up. "Its so good that daddy built this bomb shelter." I thought thoughtfully, as I opened it up, and moist, cold air blew into my face, I looked down the dimly lit stairs, mildew stains lining their corners. I saw my sister and my father crying. I took in a deep breath, and closed the door behind me, locking it securley. I carefully walked down the stairs, in the pitch dark and dug around the room for the emergency candles. Once I finally found them they were wet and I hoped they'd work. Another bomb set off, shaking the walls around them. I steadied myself in the dark as I lit a couple of candles. Digging through my bag, my heart stopped.

"Where's the book?" I asked sharply, not making eye contact with Sarah and digging through the bags, checking everywhere. Sarah stared at me with questioning eyes. "What book??" She said, confused. My head whipped around to stare at Sarah, my eyes filled with fear. "The.Book." I ground my teeth together as I searched. My sister still stared at me, clueless. I jumped up and tore up the wet stairs, two at a time. "The one with the rose! You forgot about it, didnt you?!" I turned around to say coldly. Then flung open the door and ran out into the cold, smoke filled air. I took a deep breath, and began choking, tears streamed down my face. Another bomb rang off. I faintly heard my father screaming my name as I slammed shut the bomb door and locked it. The radiations of the bomb slammed me into the wooden steps. I got up and sprinted inside, looking around the dim smokey room. I ran down the hallway into my room, and dug around franticlly. Another bomb hit, and it landed near the house, I went flying into the wall, and hit a picture frame. My neck jerked to the side as I hit the ground. The pain was so intense I almost blacked out. But got back up wobbily and dug through the book shelf. Nothing. More tears began streaming down her face. Smoke filled the room heavier, I couldnt see but two feet in front of me. My neck felt bruised badly and I sank down to the floor in defeat. Smoke continued to flow into the room. I took a deep breath and coughed violently. I looked down to the cot in front of her, and saw a light, faded notebook on it. I smiled faintly, and reached for it. Just as another bomb rang off. This one actually hit the house, and set it aflame. I grabbed the book just as I was hit by flying debrees. I closed my eyes as glass shards rained over me.

"Gotta get out of here." I muttered to myself, as I blindly found my way to the door. Only to have my leg scortched by the growing flames. Fear ignited me. No way out! My mind screamed, and I whirled around, looking for something, anything. Then I remembered. "The window!" I choked out, through the heavy smoke. I stumbled over, burning and cutting my feet on hot debrees. I clentched my fists, and ground my teeth. With a sudden burst of bravery, I slammed my fist into the glass window, and stared as it shattered into a million pieces onto the floor. I whimpered as I looked down at my bloody, hand. I climbed through the broken window, holding my mothers notebook tight to my torso. I glanced back, and whispered a silent goodbye to my home, just as it was engulfed by flames. I turned around to make it back to the bomb shelter, as another bomb rang off, not a yard away from my.

Chapter 4-
I stared, transfixed, as the bomb hit the ground in front of me, it was if everything was in slow motion. Then I realized that it would explode any second. I smiled, because I knew I would die. I also smiled, because I knew I would be with my mom soon. So I closed my eyes and embraced death, with cold pleasure. When the bomb went off the impact hit me like a million brick walls, and tossed me aside like a rag doll, about twenty feet in the air I felt no pain, just numbness. In mid air, my eyes fluttered open. I silently prayed my family was still alive, as I saw my house steadily smolthering in the hot flames. Looking like a defeated soilder. I wanted to run back and wrap up my life before the bombs, actually, before my mother died and my brother went to war, and keep it in a box, to live in forever. After what seemed like ages, I hit the hard bark of a tree, the edges of my vision went black, and I slumped to the hard, cold ground, as the world began to spin. Then went completely dark.

When I woke up, a permanent smokey tint had filled the air, and I noticed I was shivering. The cold went deep down into my bones, into my core. I sniffed in, and the air burned my throat and nose. I opened my eyes, and blinked to clear my vision. When I saw the soil around me, stained a dark red, I didnt understand. "What the.." I muttered, sticking my fingers in it, and a dark sticky liquid seaped through my fingers. My stomach churned as I realized what it was. "Blood." I whispered, as I franticlly wiped my hands off on my dirty, torn, old jeans. I swallowed hard, and squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened my eyes again, I steared clear of the puddle of blood around me, and sought to find the source of the blood. I checked my chest, nothing. My head, nothing. My arms, nothing. But when I looked down at my pants, I realized the inner thigh of my jeans on my right side was soaked in blood. My eye brows knit together, as I painfully twisted my leg a bit, to get a beter look. What I saw horrified me. A large, grotesque gaping wound, the size of a basket ball, on my inner thigh, slowly trickled blood down my leg. i bit the inside of my cheek to keep from screaming my lungs out. I took a deep, shaky breat and gathered the courage to rip off a patch of my shirt, and lay it over my wound. I pressed down hard, trying to stop the bleeding, and looked away to keep from having to see it. The blood soaked my fingers. I lay like this for a long time, until the blood slowed, and wasnt bleeding nearly as much. I took off the soggy, red piece of cloth and flung it into the nearest tree. I took a gulp of smoky and looked around, seeing I was near my house. My mouth flopped open, as I stared at what was left of it. Lumpy, burnt ash. I almost screamed.

"No, Oh, Oh no." I whispered, as I stared. My childhood lay in the walls of that old place, my memories in the sturdy hardwoods, my roots in its layout. I dont cry alot, but seeig that place gone made me feel so empty tears absently streamed down my dirty face. Making streaks in the dirt covering it. I stared, at what was once the only home I'd ever known, the only safe place in the world, once my tears slowed I ripped off some more of my shirt, and wrapped it around my thigh tightly, incase the bleeding started again. I painfully sat up, and had a sudden wave of nausea overcome me. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. Without opening my eyes, I slowly, and painfully got up, feeling my wound gush out blood. I opened my eyes and ripped off more cloth to wrap around it. I heavily leaned against a tree, as my breathing became labored, so I sat back down farther away from the puddle of blood. I shivered violently, and began to drag myself to the smolthering house. As I dragged myself I felt rocks and pebbles on the ground scraping my skin, I felt my clothes being stained brown by the dusty dirt, but as I made it closer to the house, my hope faded.

"Please let them be alive." I whispered, through clentched teeth, and dragged myself closer. It seemed like ages before I made it to the pile of ash that had once been my life. I sighed slightly, as I made my way over to the bomb shelter. The metal door wasnt burned to ash, which gave me hope, but it was singed, and black from the licking flames. I dug through my pocket, and found the keys. Holding my breath and closing my eyes, I slowly turned the key and unlatched the lock, and slowly pushed open the door. A wave of smoke and dirt and dust puffed out into my face, and I coughed, wiping my face.

"Daddy? Sarah?" I croaked. No answer. My stomach clentched, and I gathered all the courage to drag myself down the stairs. "Daddy?!" I shouted. "Sarah?!" I waited for a few moments, and coughed from the damp, dirty air.

"Anna.." I heard a male voice mutter. I stood up, feeling my wound gush blood, but I didnt care, I ran down the stairs two at a time. "Daddy!" I said, my voice thick with tears. I found him in a mound of dust and dirt, with a wooden plank over it. Weakly I pulled it off of him. Tears were trickiling freely out of my eyes now. I leaned down and hugged him. "Oh Daddy.." I whispered.

"Anna. You're okay." He coughed out, and I wiped the dust and dirt off of him. "Where's Sarah?" I asked, looking around in the dim light. But before he could answer I went over and lit a few candles. "Sarah?!" I called, and heard light coughing over in the corner, I ran over to notice A puddle of blood had formed under me. I cursed under my breath as I pulled debrees off of my sister, who lay under them like a rag doll. "Anna." She smiled and put a dusty hand up to me. I grasped it in my hands. "You two okay?" I asked, loud enough for my father to hear.

"I'm okay hear." Sarah said softly, but she sounded fine. I waited for my fathers answer. "I'm fine, just a little bruised up." I squatted, feeling dizzy all of a sudden. "What about you?" Sarah asked, looking at me with a worried expression on her face. "I'm- I..." I said wearily, and the walls started spinning. "A-Anna!" I heard Sarah shout, as her words turned to mush, and darkness overcame me.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. I groan, and roll over, to feel smoothe sheets under me, and I smell the sharp, tangy scent of antiseptic and then the metallic smell of blood. It's hot and I hear moans and groans. Wait. Soft? And what the heck's beeping? Blood? I swallow hard, and try to breathe out of my mouth. Memories flood back to me, like a dam cracked, and I remember the flaming house, the bombs, the pain, the emotion of it all. I open my eyes quickly, looking around. What I see horrifies me. People, damaged people sprawled across beds, they're dirty and bloody. I see nurses, and doctors, with bags under their eyes and blood spatters on their tattered grey clothes rushing around. I see dead people, that no ones bothered to despose of. I see people suffering, and I bite my lip. I look down at my wound on my leg, and the bandage wrapped around it, and for some reason I'm clean. There are people laying on the ground around my bed. They're bleeding. Sarah walked in, just then, a look of terror on her face. She has blood spatters on her aswell. "Sarah." I say, and ask her whats going on, and where I am.

She bites her lip for a moment, then replies. "You passed out, and I saw the blood.. and I just, we brought you to the hospital, and then all of this." She swept a hand over the hot, over crowded hospital. "We got you here first, and they took good care of you. Then more people started coming, and we, we just had to help. The bombs hit real hard, Anna. Real hard. All over the place. Even all the other hospitals, and the other healers, all gone, destroyed, like our house." She babbled. Her big blue eyes looking wide as saucers. "And I just- I dont know what we're gonna do. With no house and all, and you've been in here, asleep for two days. Hard to believe, huh? And I just, I uh. You should probably know somethin'" I raised a questioning eye brow. "Well," she continued "I, um, I've been thinking, so has Daddy. I think it's time we do something. Because we cant go home and all, maybe we should uh.." She twirled her blonde curls around her finger. "I just-"

"Spit it out, Sarah." I said, curiosity overwhelming me. She looked startled, and shook her head, pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "I think it's time we moved on. I, I met someone, Anna. Here at the hospital, he's great, and he said I could have a job, and I gotta take it. Daddy says he's thinking about going to war. And I told him he should. I dont know what your gonna do, bur I know you'll figure out something, you've always been that kinda' girl. I know it'll be hard, it's been hard for me too, and Daddy. I just, I just.." She trailed off. Looking weary and exausted.

"It's okay. I understand." I said slowly. "It's about time we moved on, anyways, right?" I laughed weakly. She nodded. "Uh huh." I looked around, akwardly. "So who's the lucky fella?" I asked, and she held up a finger and slipped behind the curtain. After a few minutes she came back. An average thin, young, but tired doctor wearing grey trailed behind her. He smiled at me, a rough, sad smile, but still a smile. He ran a hand through his messy hair. "Hello-" He looked at his clipboard. "Anna, it is?" He said in a thick brittish accent. "Yeah." I replied. "I'm Dr.Robert." He said, sounding formal. I put out a hand, and he shook it. "Nice to meet you." I smiled. "The pleasures all mine."

"You better take good care of my sister, Robert." I said, with a hint of venom in my tone, but he didnt show he noticed. He just nodded, and his pager beeped. "Oh, I'm sorry, but I have to go, Emergency." He said hastily and slipped out of my make shift room. "Well, you coulda done better, sissy." I joked, but she frowned. "I have to stay with him. It's the only way I'm gonna make it. I mean you, you're strong, you'll make it without a guy. But me? Pssh, no way."

"Do you love him?" I asked simply, and she pursed her lips. She shook her head slightly, and looked at me, with piercing eyes. "But it doesnt matter, anways, does it? Even if I hated his guts, he's gonna be my only chance. He's gonna keep me safe, Anna." She whispered, on the brink of tears. I held my hand out, and she took it. "Dont worry, it's your choice, I'm not here to stop you, anyways, no matter where you are. Or what kinda things you decide I'll always be your sister." I smiled.

She nodded and wiped her nose off with her sleeve. "Well, I gotta go help Rob with the patients, we're way under staffed." She said as she bent down and kissed my cheek. "Good luck." She said, and her eyes got glossy with tears. "Daddy'll be back in an hour or so." She said, and slipped back behind the curtain and out of my life. I closed my eyes. "Adam wouldnt approve, at all. He always said I should keep the family together. No matter what." I thought sadly. "But Adams not here right now." I thought about what I would do once Daddy left for war, once Rob and Sarah got married, or whatever they were planning to do. "I mean, I could always find a guy to keep me safe." At this thought, I burst into laughter. Someone else take care of me? Yeah right. When pigs fly, or atleast when I'm as good as dead. I waited for seconds, minutes, hours. I closed my eyes, and rubbed my temples, until a gruff cough filled the room. My eyes fluttered open, to see my father smiling at me, a small, frail smile, but every smile counts. I smiled back, and waved him over to the bed, he shuffled over, looking about a million years old. "Dad." I say, feeling like a little kid again. He frowned, and put a hand on my arm.

"Anna- I, I'm going to-" I cut him off, mid-sentence. "I know, Sarah told me." I said, biting my lip and not making eye contact, instead I glanced over at the beeping machine beside my bed, it was cracked on the top and its beeping was uneven. I held my breath, then looked up at him, his eyes were filled with tears. "Why is everyone crying today?" I laughed weakly. And he hinted a smile.

Chapter 5-
I'm stuck in the hospital for about three more days, until they just cant hold anyone that'll be okay without medical care. I move out of my bed, and soon others have been assigned to it. I sigh, as I look around the hospital, at Sarah's new home. I turn around to look at my father, shaven and ready to go off to war. "I thought Sarah hated blood." I say, squinting my eyes, to focus on my father and not on the bloody corpse of a woman that just gave birth and died a few moments before. My father shrugged, his muscular shoulders looking over sized and akward. "She'll get over it."

I looked around, at the dirty hospital, at the bloody tiles, at everything this world has become. Yet, I still manage to smile, a fake one, for Daddy that is. He looks like he's about to change his mind about leaving, but he stares at me for a moment, with his intent brown eyes, and his large, broad smile, and he enfolds me in a long, lingering hug. I swallow hard, because my throat feels tight. "I'm gonna miss you, Daddy." I whisper into his shoulder, inhaling deeply. He still smells like Daddy. Even though now that his gruffy stubble and his gun belt are gone, he doesnt look like Daddy, just smells like him. He trails a cauloused hand over my hair, smoothing my unruly curls. He sighs. "You'll be okay without me, Anna. I always knew this day would come. Just didnt know it would be this soon." He smiles weakly, and pulled me outside, after hearing a man screaming in agony, with his leg hanging at an odd angle. "Remember, If I never come back, you'll be okay. You can manage, actually do better than manage. I always knew, knew that you'd be the one who didnt need anyone. But, dont do what Sarah did and be unhappy with a man for your own safety." He did air quotatin maund the word safety. The Army recruting van pulled up just then, and I fought hard not to cry. My father started to head off, but turned around quickly and kissed my forehead. "You'll always be my little girl." He said as he slipped a dark gold necklace into my hand, it had "I'll always love you" carved into it his voice strained, and he turned around and jogged to the camo vechicle. I sighed, as I watched the van speed away, into the sunset, into whatever fate lay for him. I rubbed the tears out of my eyes and ran a hand over the necklace, but a pang of lonliness strung through me, and I headed back into the hospital. That night, I slept outside, in the cold night air, wrapped in nothing but my cloak. As I laid outside, the air was smoke-filled but not as bad as the bloody tang of the hospital. I thought about life, about choices, when an idea hit me.

That morning, I woke up with a start, and ran inside to find Sarah working over a grotesque looking child that was as good as dead, considering he was covered in blood. His pale face clentched in pain. She worked on him for about three minutes, before he took his last breathe and passed away. She sighed, and looked at the floor, ashamed. When I came close to her, I saw tears streaming down her face. I hugged her hard and murmered, "You've seen so much death the past few days. I'd thought you'd be used to it." She looked at me, with her watery eyes and sniffled. "It never gets easier." She said with venom in her voice. "But the thing about him-" She said as she gently shut his eye lids. "He reminded me of.. of..." She closed her eyes. "Adam." She choked out and put her head on my shoulder, she went on. "Back when he was- was just a little boy." She was sobbing now, and shuddering in time with the racking sobs. I looked down at the little boy laying on the bed, his resemblace to our big brother. I closed my eyes, trying not to think about Adam dead on a table. "It's okay." I whispered. "It's okay." The good thing about telling someone it's okay, is even though if you know it wont. Someone who has totally lost hope, might just believe you.

After Sarah stopped crying I told her my plans. "I've decided, I'm going to talk to the president." I said, with a mischevious gleam in my eyes. She raised an eyebrow, as she folded some mangy looking sheets. I giggled, then pursed my lips. "Last night, as I watched and looked at everything, all of this-" I moved my arm in a sweeping motion, including the whole hospital. "And beyond it, I realized someone's gotta do something about this. Or we'll all be dead in a matter of years, maybe weeks. So, I'm gonna go talk to the president. Tell him what's going on in "his" country." I rolled my eyes as I said "his." She glanced around nervouslly.

"What if he knows and he just doesnt want to go to the trouble of fixing it?" She whispered, and pushed some hair out of her eyes. I shrugged. "I'll make him" I said simply, but my voice rung with regret and anger. I sighed, as I picked up one of the sheets myself and folded it precisley. She closed her eyes, and rubbed her temples quickly, then went back to folding, but she sent worried looks in my direction. "What?" I said, hastily. "You said yourself, I need plans."

She shook her head, jerkily. "Thats not, at all what I meant, and you know it Anna." I shrugged, ignoring her. "Whatever." She grit her teeth, and stormed off, I smiled to myself, I finally had a plan, my own plan, and it would be good for everyone else too. I looked down at my grimy, old, clothing, and my bony, saggy body, and sighed. Not exactly the body of a hero. That night I slept well, with a purpose. In the early morning I arose before all the patients, and I slipped my notebook into my knapsack, and put the necklace around my neck. I walked into the kitchen and slipped a few cans out of the pantry. "They wont be missed." I told myself, as I got a pang of guilt when I plucked them off the shelves. I walked into the dark quiet hospital, my worn shoes squeaking on the cracked tile. And I made my way over to the meeting room. I creaked open the door and peeked inside, smiling at what I saw. Robert and Sarah lay sprawled across the floor. Roberts arm draped over Sarah, and her head on his chest. I smiled. I tip toed over and leaned down quietly to give her a goodbye kiss on the forehead. Just as I leaned down Roberts eyes flew open. Him tensed, and I made eye contact with him immediatley, and put a finger over my mouth telling him to be quiet. I gave her a kiss on the cheek and got back up, he stared at me, and I pointed to my knap sack. "I'm leaving." I mouthed the words, making sure not to wake Sarah. He smiled, a genuine smile and gave me a small thumbs up, then waved goodbye. "Bye" He mouthed, and relaxed again, melting into Sarah. As I backed up slowly, and slid out the door, I felt my stomach ache, as I left the last of my old life in the dust. I quickly shook my head and ran down the hallway out the door and into the still night air. I inhaled deeply, smelling smoke and wood. I looked at the hospital once more then took off, my strong legs pumping, and my cloak flying behind me like a cape. I ran and ran and ran, feeling free and joyful, until the hospital, my sister, and my life, were nothing but a memory.

Chapter 6-
I ran for hours and hours, until I began to feel the burn in my thighs. I wasnt even exactly sure where I was going. "Ugh." I muttered as I looked at the dirt hole of a town that stood around me. I scanned the rundown place for a market, or a bar or something around here, to get some water. The few coins in my pocket felt heavy, and I shifted my weight onto my other foot. Then I spotted something called "Sallys Saloon." I raised an eyebrow, never having heard of a "saloon" I walked towards it, and pushed open the narrow door. Empty, except for a bar and a few broken chairs. I looked around the dusty place and sighed, then sneezed. Dust rose all around me. "Why hello lil' girl. My names Sally." A man, with only two teeth and a lump in his throat said directed at me. I raised an eyebrow. Little, yeah, right. "Hi. I'm, I'm Anna." I muttered, and held out some coins.

"Got any water?" My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. He looked around the place for a second and shrugged. "Depends how much ya' got, an' how much yer offerin' for it." I grimaced, and shook the coins in my hand impatiently. "I've got enough." I shot, and he raised a grey eyebrow. He then shrugged and went to the back room. I heard some clattering, running water, then he came out with a large water bottle full of water. "How much?" I asked, licking my lips at the sight of water. He looked at it for a second, sticking out his one tooth in the front. He looked at the coins in my hand, which I had a tight grip on. "Two of those thingies el' do it." He muttered, and held out his dirty hand. I dropped them in and greatfully took the water from his hands, and took a tiny sip. He looked at me for a second then shrugged and turned around, and sat on the edge of the bar. I stared at him for a second, then slid the water into my knap sack and turned around. "Wait." He said gruffly. Then pointed to one of the broken chairs.

"What?" I muttered. He kept his finger pointing at the chair until I sat down. "What?" I asked again, annoyed. He shrugged. "Wanted some company. That's all." He twirled a finger around in his water cup. After a long time of akward silence, he muttered. "So where you commin' afrom?" I looked at him for a moment, and brushed off some fuzz off my cloak. "A little town up North called Ivory." I said and smiled, taking a small sip of water. He raised an eyebrow. "Lumberin' town, eh? Well now your in the food district. Well, whats left of it, that is. All the foods dyin', but ya know, I dont think we'll last much longer anyways. I swallowed hard.

"Ivory's been short on everything for a long time. But, I dont have to worry about my family anymore, it's just me now." He sent a pity-filled look towards me. "All dead?" He guessed. My eyes widened, I shook my head quick. "No!" I said, as my heart slowed down. Then I relaxed, and explained.

"Dad went to war. Mom's dead. Brother went to war. And my sister found a.. a guy to take care of her. I was the only one left with nothing to do and nowhere to go, that's why I'm here." He took a sip of water and after a moment frowned. "So, yer big plan is to come to the food place, to do-?" He said, a question lingering. I pursed my lips. "I'm not staying here." I murmered, as I traced the jagged dark lines of the wooden table. "I'm, I'm going to see the Dictator. I need to tell her what's going on in her country." He shook his head sadly. "Yeah, like she'll listen. She just cares about gettin' herself out, girl. She dont care 'bout none of us. Why I heard the other day she's makin' escape plans, and she's gonna be safe an' fed and good while we all rot and die." He leaned back in his chair, and pulled out some old looking tobacco. I stared at it, thinking about my father and how he used to chew tobacco before it ran out in Ivory. He puffed out his gut while he popped in some tobacco. He sat there for a few seconds, totally content, in this rundown place with it's dusty shelves and it's empty cabinents. How could anyone be comfortable with all of this? Well, I guess once you accept it it becomes something you get used to, and come to know, and maybe, just maybe, love. "Urg." I grunted, and put my head into my hands, he cocked his head.

"What?" He asked, looking at me oddly. I put my head down on the table and took a few deep breathes. "I dont even know where the dictator lives!" I muttered, as I groaned. He laughed. "You may not, missypoo. But oh, I do." I pulled my head up and brushed a piece of hair out of my eyes. "What's the cost?" I asked, instinctivley putting a hand over my pocket full of coins. He smiled his toothless grin. "Not everything has a price, you know." He said thoughtfully, and went back to the back. After a few minutes of curses and clashes he came back with a stubby pencil and some already written on paper. He sat down and huffed, and begin scribbling messy words onto the back of the paper. "What's that?" I asked, watching his hand move along with the pencil. He muttered something I couldnt hear, then once he had about a half a sheet of paper written he handed it to me, and smiled. "I looked at it, trying to desiper the writing. "Directions." He replied, looking at my confused face. I smiled, "Thanks!" I said, as I slung my bag over my shoulder, and he sighed smiling with me.

"Good luck girlie," He muttered as I walked out the door, with the directions in one hand and my fate in the other. I ran through grey forests and jumped over dry streams, and tripped over uneven ground and jagged dusty rocks. Until my breathing became labored and I just couldnt run anymore. When I came to a stop I looked around at the grey landscape surrounding me and tried to make sense of the directions. "Okay.. and go right until.. Mills." I frowned, as I stared down at the flimsy paper and the chicken scratch. "Mills?" I said as I ran a hand over the word, and sighed and put it back in my sack. That night it was so cold I couldnt feel my toes, or hands, or anything on my body. I shivered until I was so cold I was beyond shivering, and I went into a sort of hibernation. When I woke up the dim, thin, grey light shining through the grimy sky was through the air. I looked down at my pale, still shaking body, and I rubbed my hands together, then took off again, following the directions to Mills.

It took hours, before on the horizon I saw a small cluster of coal black buildings. There looked to be about eight of them, and they were lumpy and run-down. I ran, breathing in my nose and out my mouth, as I stared at the big, rocky building at the edge of the tiny town, and it's teeth looking things coming from the middle. It spun every time the wind blew. A stream ran through the center of the town which I thought looked odd, it seperated the town almost like a game board. When I reached the edge I took a deep breath and looked around. I looked down at the small stream for a long time, squatted down near it. I was just about to stick my fingers in it when a small, wispy looking girl bounded up to me. Her hair looked so blonde it was almost white and her eyes were gray like the sky. "You're not supposed to touch the stream!" She said quickly, and took my hovering hand from the river. I stared at her puzzled, and she explained. "The river is the towns main water supply, and if you touch it, it can get all yucky." She bit her lip, as she picked up a stone from the ground and ran it through her delicate looking fingers. "Dont," she whispered "tell anyone, but I've been in the river before. At nighttime, when everyone was asleep and it was cold outside." She giggled. I smiled at her.

"I'm Ashlyn, whats your name?" She asked brightly. Ashlyn, what a weird name. I thought as I introduced myself. I looked at her small frame, and her thin body but, I noticed I couldnt see her ribs. She looked overall clean except for a bit of grey dust on her dark tan overalls. I suddenly felt self concience as I looked down at my ratty old cloak and my grimy body. She looked as if she was bathed regularly. I put a hand to my chest and felt my ribs. She watched me do this. "You're not from here, are you?" She asked, cocking her head. I didnt answer for a moment then I bit my lip and shook my head. She took my hand and led me through the town to the opposite edge. "Here's my house," she began, and said shyly. "Welcome to Mills."

When I walked in I saw a small looking woman working over an assortment of papers, she looked frazzled and stressed, but through it all I could see she looked alot like Ashlyn. When she looked up and saw me she looked startled. "Oh!" She exclamed. "What do you need? Are you hurt? A family memeber?" She rambled on as she pulled on a coat, and grabbed a few jars. She slid on her glasses and stared at me expectintily. I was about to shake my head no when Ashlyn spoke up. "Mummy, she's not hurt, neither is anyone. She's not from here." Her mother opened her mouth and quickly closed it, then set down the jars and pulled off her jacket. "This is Anna." She began, and her mother gestured to a sunken chair. I sat down greatfully, but hesitantley and then relaxed. "I found her out by the stream, she looked hungry." My cheeks flushed but I just bit the inside of my cheek and nodded, looking at her mother innocently. She looked at me for a moment then clumsily made her way over to a doorway which I assumed was the kitchen and she made her way inside.

Ashlyn sat down gracefully, and blew a white strand of hair out of her face. "What is that thing?" I asked, as I pointed at the large teeth building. She raised a small eyebrow and stared at me oddly, but she answered. "It's the wind mill, it gives us energy from the wind. That's why, here in Mills wind is a blessing. Gives us running water, sometimes even power in the ancient buildings that still have light bulbs." I stared at her. "Lightbulbs?" I asked, feeling ignorant. She smiled, her eyes looking wide. "They're tiny balls of light. They're amazing." She said dreamily and I suddenly wanted to see this tiny ball of light. Her mother came back in with a wooden bowl and a spoon to match, inside was some lumpy gooey looking white stuff, but my hunger overcame me and I greatfully shoveled it in. It had an odd texture and I could feel it as it slid down my throat, but it wasnt bad, and it burned my tongue as I bit into it. "So you dont have wind mills where you're from?" Ashlyn asked curiouslly. I shook my head as I swallowed some more of the gooey stuff. Her mother raised an eyebrow and stared at me. I looked down self conciescely and she frowned. "Pardon my staring, but we dont usually have alot of outsiders come to Mills. I mean, I've been out of Mills. So where are you from again?"

I took a big bite of the white stuff and smiled at her. Once I swallowed I replied. "I'm from Ivory. Logging country. You know, wood chopping and stuff." I said, suddenly feeling homesick in this odd, small place. I looked around the room and noticed there wasnt a fireplace. My mouth flopped open. "Um, do you guys have like.. a fireplace?" I asked shyly. Aslyn and her mother shook their heads in unison and before I could ask how they kept warm during freezing Ashlyns mother answered my thought. "As you can see, we dont have many trees-" She gestured to the wide bay window and I looked at the bare landscape, with a few clusters of small weak looking trees here and there. I cocked my head as she explained. "And I'm sure Ashlyn has told you about the wind mill and how it gives us running water and sometimes electricity. Well, it also gives us something called heat. And we're so lucky because around here in the freezing days it's almost always windy. And when it isnt, well, we get through it." I stared at the "wind mill" outside.

"Just one more question." I murmered, and she looked at me intently. "How does the wind mill work?" Ashlyn looked sad while her mother rubbed her hands together, looking distant. "That, Anna, we don't know. We know somehow it works together to give buildings with lightbulbs light, and that occasionally it makes the houses that arent wired in with the stream have running water. All we know is, that if one day it stops working we're all doomed in this town." I watched Ashlyn glance nervouslly at the windmill, it looked as if it could break any moment, and I felt pity for them. "But." Her mother started. "It's okay, because we have people watching it, trying to improve it. I smiled as I looked out at the fading light, it was getting dark. I got up. "Well, it's time I got going, I have to get some... Uh, busniess done." They both frowned.

"Not in the dark." Ashlyns mother said, looking, well motherish. I snorted and glanced at her, she shook her head. In the end, I lost the battle, and stayed the night, I took the only running shower I had ever taken in my life. It was cold, but it was amazing. And at the end of the great night I sunk into a goosedown bed, that felt like heaven and was asleep in minutes, clutching the notebook to my bony chest, and feeling warm and better than ever since my mom died. Morning came too soon, and when it did I woke up to the smell of carrots and potatoes. I smiled and jumped out of bed, looking down at my clean body and feeling my brushed out hair. I looked down at my skinny jeans and t-shirt. The pants fit fine but the shirt was big considering it was Mrs.Bechams. (Ashlyns mom, I found out earlier." I tied it back with a piece of spare thread from my cloak and then pulled up my hair with a tie. My shoes were some of Mrs.Bechams old ones, they had the faded words "All Star" on them, and I giggled. Name brand, heehee." I laced them up as tight as I could and went down to find Ashlyn digging into her food and swallowing.

"I havent had carrots in ages!" She said breathlessly and took another big bite, wincing as she bit in. "We should have guests more often." Mrs.Becham smiled at her, and ruffled a bit of her hair. Ashlyn groaned and fixed it. I laughed weakly and sat down, taking a small portion for myself, then trying not to look like a wild animal as I dug in. Mrs.Becham came behind me and plopped some more on my plate. "Long journey ahead, need nutrients." She said, nodding to the carrots and potatoes. I ate it all and gulped down some fresh water from the stream. When I began packing my bags and thanking them atleast a million times Ashlyn frowned and came up and tugged on my shirt, I looked down at her innocent, thin face. "You're not leaving yet, are you?" She said, biting her lip. I nodded my head slowly, and held my notebook for a moment. Her eyes filled with tears. "You can't!" She said, her voice sounding weak and small. "I dont have any friends here, you're as close as I got." She said, as a tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away furiously. "I put my hand under her chin, then rubbed her hair back.

"Have you ever seen a rose before?" I asked quietly, sitting down. She shook her head, still trying not to cry. I took her onto my lap, finding she weighed less than a feather. She sat and looked at my notebook. As I opened it and flipped past the photo of my mother, she stopped me. "Who's that?" She asked, pointing at my mother. I bit my cheek, and swallowed. "My mother." I said, my voice sounded rough. "Before she.. uh, died." I said, and Mrs.Becham took a quick intake of breath. Ashlyn put a small hand on my cheek and smiled. "She still loves you." She said so quietly I could barley hear it. I flipped the page to the rose and her eyes got large, her mouth gaped open, but she looked amazed and happt, like a little kid should. She ran her fingers over it, much like I had as a young cild and she smiled.

"What is it?" She asked, still staring at the rose. "A flower, a beautiful flower, probably the last one left in the world." She smiled and sniffed it, I knew it didnt smell good, I'd sniffed it before. It smelt stale and old, but she still closed her eyes and smiled as she inhaled. After a long time of watching her do this, I pushed back my emotions and offered to let her have it. "Oh no," she replied, looking calm and happy. "You need it, Anna. In school they taught us importance means power, and power means hope." I smiled, and inside I silently thanked her mother for raising her right, then with a tearfull goodbye and a bag of packed food I was on my way, with new directions that, according to Mrs.Becham the Dictators house was nearby. As I ran I sung Twinkle Twinkle little star, and felt the farmiliar burn in my thighs, the stinging of my throat inhaling cold air. But I smiled as I ran, I smiled bigger than I had in a long time. I finally had some friends, that werent family that is.

Chapter 7-
When I made it to the Dictators house, it was getting dark, so about a mile away, I hid in some bushes and fell asleep, as I fell asleep a sudden worry filled me, and I wished I had chosen another path to call my own. But then I remembered the people in the hospital, the starvation of everyone, the bombs, my brother going away. It was all the dictators fault. All her fault, and that fueled me and gave me bravery. When I awoke in the morning I was ready to make the world a better place. One step at a time. As I trudged on, my palms got sweaty and my pack felt heavier. But I put it on my other shoulder and wiped my hands on my jeans, then hummed a little. Before I knew it, I was at the big rusted gates of an ancient white building. It looked old, and more grey than white, some of it's windows were broken and the backyard, that I thought could look so nice, now was a field of black, as if burned. I put a hand to the gate and it creaked open, I swallowed hard and made my way through the overgrown yard, pushing away the stalks of burnt grass taller than me and coughing. When I made it to the entrance I knocked quickly, and stepped back.

After a moment or two the door swung open and a tall man wearing black stood in front of me, he had about a foot on me, and I looked up at him. "What do you want?" He asked gruffly. Looking annoyed and glaring at me. "I uh, I came to talk to the dictator." He almost smiled but caught his composure. "Why should I let you see Dictator Marilyn?" He asked harshly, and I almost took a step back.

"It's important." I said urgently, and he hesitated for a moment. But I guess the sound of my voice convinced him and he motioned inside. When I walked in I looked around in awe. This place was huge, like, bigger than the hospital back where Sarah was. Yeah, huge. It looked old, and the wallpaper was peeling, the orange hardwoods now looked dusty and splintered, and there were old looking pictures on the walls of old crotchity looking men. I almost giggled at one of a man with a bunch of rolls on his head, frowning in a painting, but I followed the guard into a red room with a large fluffy couch and a small table, then a large desk at the head of the room. A large book sat on the small table, and he pointed for me to sit on the fluffy couch, I did. He then gave me a stern look and dissapeared through one of three big white, peeling doors in the room. When he left I sighed, and sat back. After about ten minutes I got up and went to look at the large book. I opened it and blew the dust off, as it puffed in my face I sneezed. The book looked ancient, and I swept through the turn pages. Everytime it was missing something I tried to picture what. I read about all the "presidents." I read about world war one, two, and three, that caused the disaster and made us all live how we are today. I read about the dictators that took after the disaster, and how they failed. I read about escape plans.

Once I got bored, I went back and sat down, and pulled my notebook out of my knapsack, and hugged it. Then there was a shuffling outside the North door and I heard muffled talking, so I inched closer, holding a cupped hand around my ear. What I heard shocked and terrified me. "Do you have the escape plans ready for me yet, Bruster? You realize, it's only a few days before people stop recieving what little food is left, and we're leaving?" A farmiliar female voice murmered. I heard a gruff agreement. She continued. "I know, you don't feel right about leaving everyone, but really. Them dying will be our start. We can start our own world. The way we want it to be."

"But Dictator, what if they rebell? No one likes dying." I heard him cough as my eyes widened. I heard her snort. "They'll get over it, plus, they'll be dead in three weeks maximum." She replied. I heard his startled reply. "We're leaving next week remember?" She said quietly, and I heard him mutter yes then shuffle away. Soon the rusty knob to the door was turning and I backed up quickly, tripping over my shoes. But I made it to the fluffy couch and tried to look natural. But my heart was racing, my ears pounding, and my throat felt dry. I tried not to scream, as the dictator came into sight. She looked in her mid thirties. But she had a grey streak running through her hair. She held her chin high and at her tall stance she radiated power. She came in wearing a grey busniess suit with a patch in the side, she was trying to cover it with her old looking clipboard but she failed miserabley. I tried not to look panicky as she sat down, looking stiff and emotionless. I waited for a moment before she looked annoyed and tapped her foot.

"Well, are you a mute? Introduce yourself already." She said, narrowing her dark, almost black eyes at me. I coughed and got up quickly. "I'm, I'm uh Anna." I said quickly, feeling terrified. She didnt smile, she just stared blankly at me, looking impatient and annoyed, as if I was a pesky bug she just wanted gone. "Well go on with it, What are you here for?" She asked, looking uninterested.

I gathered my composure and began my long, well thought speetch about starvation, and bombs, and war, and life as we know it, and how everything is going to go bad, and how Mills would be doomed without it's wind mill, and how the food export town is running out of food, and how the wood in Ivory was running out because no live tree's grow anymore. You just find old dead looking ones in forests, but those dont burn well. I talked about shortages of water, and how the sun never shines anymore, I talked about everything that worried me about the world, and wether we'd live till tomorrow. Throughout my whole speetch she looked bored and detatched, she even yawned a few times.

"We're working on it." She replied, sounding like a recording. Anger flooded through me, how dare she lie right to my face? I bursted out then and there. "No you're not!" I began. "I heard you, you're leaving us all to fend for ourselves, you said we'd live three weeks best, and you dont even care how many kids will starve to death, how many people will suffer. You have no clue that you escaping will do this to all of us. Well, actually yeah you did, didnt you? This was your plan all along, wasnt it? Leave us all to die while you and "Bruster" whoever that is! Go live safe and sound. Remake the human race why dontcha? Oh wait, you werent going to were you? You were gonna live happily ever after till you died off then didnt have to worry about it anymore. You would exstinct the earth, all so you could live?" I took a deep breath, feeling my cheeks flush pink. She stared at me, a look of disbelief on her emotionless face.

"You, my dear, may think you have me figured out. I'm helping you by killing you, I'm helping all of you. Making you not suffer anymore." She said, lowering her head and speaking quietly. I smiled evily. "But you're little plan wont go through if I tell the whole world, will it, Marilyn? I sneered. Her eyes turned to slits and she leaned closer to me, I tried not to flinch. "Not if you die first." She whispered, and smiled as she snapped her fingers. "Guards!" She shouted, and before I knew it atleast a dozen stunned guards were bursting into the room. I held the notebook to my chest, and got up abruptly, knocking over the small table and momentarily stunning a few guards. This was my chance! I bound through the few guards and made my way towards the nearest door. Almost there... Then I felt a jerk and wheeled around to see a guard grabbing onto the strings of my sack and I quickly slid it off, still holding the notebook close to me. I burst through the door, slamming it behind me and I saw that I was in a stairwell. I went down two at a time, and tried to control my uneven breathing. I heard clumsy, heavy footsteps behind me, they were getting closer, and closer... I saw a door infront of me, and I glanced down to see atleast two more flights of stairs, but the guards were gaining on me and I couldnt afford to take the risk of more guards down stairs. I burst through the door to find myself on a balcony. I swallowed hard as I looked down at the equivalent of three flights of stairs below me.

"Well, here goes nothing." I muttered as I jumped off the balcony, trying to tuck my feet under me, to break my fall with my butt. Just as I jumped I heard the door being swung open and the stunned intake of breath from the guards. When I hit the ground a shearing pain went through my foot, and it knocked the breath out of me, but I ignored it and jumped up, running as fast as I could with my injured foot, and hearing heavy footsteps behind me. I slammed through the rusty gates and headed for the forest. The footsteps followed me. I ran and ran through the dead forest, until I saw a clearing at the edge, I sighed in relief as I saw it but kept my fast pumping legs going because I heard the guards footsteps crashing through the forest. When I reached the clearing I made the unfortunate mistake of looking behind me, and as I turned my head back around, I skidded to a stop, nearly falling off of a cliff that ended in dark rushing water below. I caught my footing, but I fell to the ground with a thud. "Well, I guess this is how I die." I said aloud, trying to keep my eyes from tearing up. I heard the footsteps getting closer, as I looked over the edge.

..Maybe... I heard crashing through the tree's. I glanced over the edge again. I bit my lip. Just maybe... I held my breath, as I saw them crashing out of the tree's, looking like wild animals. Worth a try. I heard a hoarse female voice shout at me, "It's okay! We dont want to hurt you!" But by that time I'd already flung myself off of the cliff, after muttering through clentched teeth. "Bite me, Marilyn."

"Oh!" I exclaim, before air fills my lungs at a fast pace and I choke, trying to breathe. For a moment, I feel free and wild and amazingly happy. But then I remember I am hurtiling down 70 feet to the swirly unknown depths below. I try hard not to scream. Soon I am so close to the waterfall it's fine mist coats my face. I try to bunch myself up but I end up thrashing around wildly in midair probably looking like a crazy person after jumping off of a cliff, oh wait. I closed my eyes as the water came into view, it's glassy black cover looks like cement. 10 feet. I wish I hadnt done something so stupid. 7 feet. I try to calm my nerves and I squeeze my eyes shut tighter. 3 feet, I hear the rushing water and I hold my nose tightly. And BAM! The icy cold water slams into my side, knocking my hand off of my nose. I thrash around wildly, opening my eyes and panicking when the water pulls me under, about 5 feet. Water fills my lungs and eyes when I try to gulp for air. It burns and I choke underwater, making things worse. All I can see is white bubbles rushing around me. So I relax, close my eyes and try to hold my breath as best as I can. But I am still choking wildly, and being thrown about, into sharp jagged rocks. It seems like an eternity before the water calms, I am already feeling dizzy and detatched from no oxygen, black fuzzys dance around my vision. I feel the rough sand under my body, and I sit up. To find I have floated ashore. When oxygen hits my lungs I gulp it in as fast as I can, and it burns terribly. My nose and eyes are still full of water and it's straming down my face, my eyes feel heavy. I retch violently into the sand as I drag myself feebly to land.

I wipe my nose on my wet sleeve, and find that my eyes are watering. Not tears, just water leaking out. I cough and sputter and sneeze for a long time, before I dont feel like a giant soggy balloon, and I lay down on the sand. I look at my pale hands and notice that I am shaking like a leaf, and I am so cold my fingers and toes feel numb. I crawl over to the water and look at my complexion. My hair is soggy and droopy. My lips are a dead looking blue, and my eyes are red and itchy looking. I put my head in my hands, noticing I am incredibly tired, and feeling the sharp pain in my foot, I had the dignity to drag myself over into the cover of a bush, curl up, and cry myself to sleep. My mission has failed, my only plan in life, saving the human race has ended in failure. I always knew I'd be a failure.

When my eyes flutter open the next morning, a bright golden light is shining in my eyes. I squint, trying to adjust. I groaned, as I regained feeling in my limbs. Feeling stiff and sore and my foot felt like someone ran over it with their cart. I squeezed my eyes shut, and tried to breathe evenly. I opened them again and dragged myself over to a large tree, I tenderly gripped it for support and wobbily stood up. Grabbing one of the long thick yet droopy leaves and wrapping it around my foot, like a sort bandage. I winced as I put weight on it, but it felt a little better. I snapped a large thin branch off of the tree and used it to support myself. I swallowed hard, as I realized this would be my life now. I looked at the tree's, that were still a little bit alive, and I shivered feeling a little bit warm here, it scared me. For days I wondered around the forest, unable to find food or water, I began to fade, and wither. Looking like a dead leaf. I licked my dry and cracked lips as I tried to remember how long I'd been here, three days? I still had a sip of water in my bottle left, and I hungerly drank it. Then put my head in my hands. I'd bought this death for myself.

I stayed like this for a while until I heard a rustling in the bushes. I whirled around seeing nothing, and coughed. "W-Who's there?" I asked, sounding weak and frail. No answer. I sunk to the floor rocking back and fourth on my heels, and moaning as I felt the sharp pain in my right heel. I sat back down slowly, biting my chapped lip and feeling blood seap into my mouth. It tasted warm and deep and metallic. I gagged. Another rustling. Then a tall dark man dressed in the Dictators guards' clothing stepped out of the grey covering. I swallowed hard, looking behind me to see a steep drop, a closer look revealed a cliff, ending in water like the one I'd jumped off of in the previous days before. I weighed my options, deciding I probably couldnt survive another jump, I backed up a bit, baring my teeth at him. He just smiled at me. "I am here to terminate you." He said in a dull voice, but he was smiling, his grey teeth crooked and messed up.

I backed up another step, and felt dizzy standing so close to the ledge. "Do not try another jump attempt. We will capture you." He said, pointing to a net stretched over a good part of the water. My heart dropped, as I stared at him with the coldest eyes I could muster. I watched him slide out a pocket knife, and run his fingers over it. Black tufts of hair grew in odd spots on his head, and around his mouth appeared to be deep folds that most people would call smile lines, but with him, I think they're frown lines. I took a deep breath, trying not to shiver, I gripped my large stick in my hand tightly until my knuckles turned white. Just as I took another deep breath he lunged at me, knife extended making a sort of grunting noise with his deep dead voice. I swiftly jumped out of the way, almost falling off the ledge in the process, I winced as I felt my foot bone shift on impact, but I grit my teeth, and as he regained his footing I slammed the stick into his chest. It made a hollow noise, and he almost growled at me. I jumped back as he lunged at me once again, but his knife got a good swipe on my arm, blood quickly formed a thick red line on the cut and began dripping down my arm. I stared in horror as he made another quick swipe at my head, and I ducked just in time to keep him from beheading me.

I wanted to scream and run, but I knew I couldnt, cautiouslly I backed up to the ledge, having nothing but moist air on my back. I swung my stick back quickly and slammed it's thin trunk in the side of his head, right where his jaw and skull met. His eyes opened wide, then grew dull, as he began to wobble and fell to the ground with a thud. Assuming he was dead, I carefully crouched beside him, reaching for his pocket knife, when WHAM. All of a sudden I was down on the ground near the ledge with his humungous body on top of me, and his knife raised to sink into my kneck. I quickly dislogged one of my arms out from under him and firmly grabbed his hand holding the knife hard, holding the knife away from me. Although he struggled, adreniline energized me and I held his arm over my head, staring at the knife tip shining in the dim, gloomy light. I felt my grip on his arm loosing just when I heard a young male voice, of about my age shout. The man turned his head for an inch of a second, and loosened his grip an inch of a grip and I yanked the knife from his meaty fist and lodged it into the side of his neck. His beady, dark brown eyes widened, then got small, his pupil shrunk to the size of a needle point then his eyes went dull, his body convulsed and he coughed blood into my face, then his dead weight was on me.

I shook, horrified at what I had just done, I quickly wiped the blood off of my face, trying not to throw up, and I heaved his body off of the ledge, after slipping the knife out of his neck and wiping it off, I looked down at my blood covered arm. It was covered, and when I say covered, I mean covered in blood, like someone gave me one sleeve of a long red shirt and put it on my arm, the blood seaped through my fingers too and I looked away, at the ledge just as the guys body hit the net and bounced back up, his arms flailing from impact, then hitting it again. I bit my lip and sunk to the gound, dragging myself back where there wasnt a puddle of blood. I breathed through my mouth for a long time, closing my eyes tight, before I remembered the male voice shouting that saved me. My head whipped around, to see a guy, about my age maybe a few years older sitting near where the tree's began.

My eyes widened, and I jumped up and began to reel backwards. But he didnt move, didnt pull out a knife, and didnt lunge at me. He just stared at me with the kind of eyes you see on the face of a logger trying to figure out where to cut his wood. I swallowed hard, and stared back at him, holding the knife tightly in my hand. "W-what do you want?" I asked, my voice cracking. He shrugged as he got up, and wiped off his black skinny jeans. When the dim light shone on his face I noticed how handsome he was. Brown shaggy hair with ocean blue eyes, taller than me by about a head. My heart began fluttering in my chest, and I tried to keep it under control. I backed up a bit more, to find I was at the edge of the ledge. I caught myself before I tumbled over the side, but as I was falling backwards I saw him extend a hand to me and began moving towards me, try to catch me. When I looked at him closer to me, I cocked my head to the side and he turned his head, his hair falling into his eyes.

I stared at him, shaking a bit, and he smiled a warm smile. "I'm not going to pull a knife on you, like that... uh, guy." He said, pointing down at the ledge. "I'd end up down there on that net with a knife in my neck too." He said jokingly, and I gave a half of a smile. "Were you the one that screamed?" I asked, suddenly but gently, looking at the floor to avoid my cheeks turning pink. He put his hands in his pockets and looked around us. "Oh I dunno, maybe, maybe not. It was a long time ago." He said and winked, and I blushed, sadly.

"Thanks." I said softly, twirling my hair around my finger. He shrugged,
looking embarassed. I almost giggled, then realized what I sissy school girl I was being, and I straightened myself up, and pulled my finger out of my hair. "Well uh, I better get going.. Thanks alo-" He shook his head, and pursed his lips, pointing to my arm, I looked down and my eyes widened, blood was still pouring out of it, and all of a sudden I felt really dizzy. I sunk to the floor, feeling weak and defenseless. He cautiouslly crept over to me, holding out his backpack, and kneeled beside me. My breath was coming in tiny little pants and I tried not to pass out, or throw up, or, um, both? He dug through his bag for a few moments, then pulled out a jug of water, or what appeared to be water. "Well dont waist your water on m-" I began, as he poured some of the liquid on. I jumped up, gasping as it burned my arm, and I held it close to me. He looked taken aback, "It's rubbing alcohol, havent you ever used it on say, a cut before?" He said, screwing the cap back on. I bit my lip, still holding my arm close to me, I sunk back to the ground. He next pulled out an already dry, bloodied towel and wiped my arm off, I stared at the bloody towel.

"Get in fights before?" I asked casually. His face crumbled for a second, then he regained his composure and wrapped some bandages around it. "That bloods not mine." He said, his voice and face showing no emotion. I raised an eyebrow. "Well than who-" I began, and I noticed his face was a little red, and his eyes looked angry. "My sisters," He said in a thick voice. "She died, a while back, thats her blood." He said, still not focusing on my eyes. Pity overwhelmed me, and I tried to find a way to comfort this stranger boy. I decided to change the subject. "What's your name?" I asked, trying to sound possitive, he paused for a moment, pulling out some cream.

"Well, I go by alot of names." He said modestly, and winked at me. "Just call me Nick." He said, as he rubbed some of the white cream on the edges of my bandage. "And who might you be?" He asked, hinting a smile as I stretched out my arm, it felt stiff, but no really bad damage. "I'm Anna." I said, trying to sound bored, and not stare at his beautiful face. He scooted back and looked at me, "Pretty name." He mumbled, and I smiled, and stretched out my leg, wincing at my foot. He glanced down at it and his eyes widened.

"Woah.." He said, just as I looked down at it for the first time since I hurt it, All of it, and I mean all of it was black and purple and blue, and the heel looked lumpy and shifted. I groaned, as I saw him looking through his bag. "What are you gonna do with it?" I asked, coughing and swallowing hard. He ignored me, and kept rummaging through his bag, then came out with a small looking cane. He looked down at me sitting on the ground and inhaled quickly, looking pained. "This is gonna hurt." He said softly. "Do you want to uh, fall asleep first or something?"

"What are you going to do?" I asked, backing up a little. "Well, it looks broken, or dislocated, I'm gonna have to break it again to put it back in place, or it'll grow all wrong and you wont be able to walk on it again." I got a lump in my throat. "Can't you just like wack me across the head with that stick so I pass out or something?" He pursed his lips, and looked at me then muttered shyly "I dont hit girls." My heart felt all fluttery again, good looks and a gentleman? Can it get beter? I sighed, "Just do it while I'm awake, it needs to happen anyways." He looked pained, as he swiftly and quickly raised the stick over his head, and brought it down precislley on the break in my heel, shifting it and making a crunching noise. When pain shot through my foot I yelped in pain, and fell over on my side, clutching to the ground, and breathing hard. He quickly came over and brushed the hair out of my eyes, as I blinked fast trying really hard not to cry. I clentched my teeth and made little choked sounds. He looked pained, rubbing a hand over my sweaty forehead. After a while the pain dulled a bit. "Tell me your story." I said, still clentching my teeth but feeling oddly sleepy.

He looked down at my face, hesitating. "It'll take my mind off my foot, plus, I'm feeling really tired right now and if I fall asleep I need to know wether or not I can trust you, or if you'll kill me in my sleep." I tried to smile, but failed, keeping my mouth shut tight. So he began the long story of his life, why he was out here, and just how his life had been turned for the worst.

"Well, when I was about 12, living on a farm was really depressing work, when we didnt get crops we knew food was running short, and people would starve. So I told my father I wanted to go work for the army, he dissagreed, saying I was too young and I needed to help on the farm. So I plotted ways to leave him and my family, and considering I had seven brothers, I decided the farm would be fine without me. So I set off, with nothing but a few crops, and a large jug of water. I went days, weeks, searching for the Army bases, running from roamers, and trying to steal whatever food and clothes I could. I always had so much fun, feeling free and being able to do whatever. But being a kid with no family didnt have many perks. The winter was a really cold one, and I got lost a few times. Once the winter ended and it was hinting spring, I came to a small quaint town where I met a girl. She said she wanted to go to war but no one would let her, she sewed quilts all day and she said she felt restless. So I brought her with me, we got really close, and had a great brotherly sisterly relationship. We spent years looking for an Army base, but never found any, but we did, however run the dictators house about two years ago, and we told her what was wrong with the world. Selaimeists threatening her and had her big bulky guards hunt us down, we got away, and for weeks we lived on this forest, and when guards came we ran, and we felt so free. One day, I was out looking for firewood, and my sister was back at our camp, skinning fish. When I was a far distance away, I heard her scream, I went running back, to find her dying with a knife in her stomach, and a guard looming over her, I killed him easily and ran over to her. She died in my arms that night." He told me, sounding gentle and regretfull. "I just didnt wanna see someone else die that same way, and I'm glad you made it." He said, looking at me patiently.

"I'm sorry about your sister." I murmered, and he just nodded running his fingers through my damp hair. I smiled at him, but he didnt smile back, he just looked content, as if a weight had been lifted off of his chest. "What was her name?" I asked thoughtfully. He didnt answer me for a moment, then pursed his lips. "Mina." He murmered, the word lingered in the air around us, and a hollow feeling seeped into me, and my breathing was still in little pants. When a hunger pain shot through my stomach, I needed food, but I couldnt ask him for any. So, I moved a bit, and pain shot through me again, my eyes rolled back into my head and I closed them, trying to regain composure. I saw Nick looking mad, but I dont think it was at me. I hope not, atleast. I closed my eyes again, and tried to breathe through clentched teeth. He put a hand on my shoulder, and gently ran it down my arm. I shivered, and opened my eyes again, to see his angellic, oh boy, did I just say angellic? Well, his angellic face staring at me, his eyes darting around.

"You don't have to stay, I'll be fine." I said softly, after a while. Then realized how ignorant I sounded. Fine? With a broken foot, a huge gaping wound in my arm and no food, or water in my stomach. He raised an eyebrow, and waved a hand at me, as if dismissing the subject. I let out a small shaky laugh, then grimaced as my stomach rumbled, loud, too loud. He heard it, and frowned. Then pulled out some goopy, crispy looking cream stuff. "Oh dont wa-" I began, and he cut me off, opening the container, and pulling a spoon out of his bag.

"Have some," He said, nodding eagerly. I sniffed it, and it smelled surprisinglly delicous. My mouth watered. I took a small bite and handed the container to him, looking at it longingly. "Eat the rest. It'll go bad soon anyways, time I went hunting, havent been in a while, no animals were around earlier time of year. Well, any time of year, but 'specially not that time. I bit my lip, then tried not to eat it like a starving wild animal, and failed miserabley. He watched me eat, which made my neck feel warm, and my cheeks turn pink, but I ignored him and continued pigging out. "How longs it been since you ate?" He asked, letting me lick the plate then gently taking it out of my hands.

My fingers fumbled nervouslly, and my throat was so dry it ached. I counted the days in my head, having a hard time remembering. "Um, well it's kind of just a blur, with all the pain, and uh, hunger, and you know, people trying to kill me and all. But I think um.. 3, or 4, or wait, no 5. Definitley not 6, well maybe. And I havent had water since the, um, 3rd or 4th day." I said, trying not to get on my hands and knees and beg for water. He murmered something I couldnt hear, and pulled out a water bottle, handing it to me, and smiling. I hesitated, and he nodded, winking at me. I took a few sips, and sighed, then handed him it back, which he greatfully put it back in his bag.

"Hmm.. Well since that guy came here, I say we should move camp. Somewhere safe." He said, glancing around the small open clearing. I stared at the ground hard for a few minutes, and yawned. Realizing my tiredness, I began to tell him okay, that we could move but he just smiled. "We can stay, you should sleep." He said, and I hesitated, but then curled up into a ball, pulling up my hoodie, and slept beter than I had in days.

I squinted. Slowly opening my eyes, dim morning sun shone into them, and I sat up. Yawning, feeling rested and happy. I rubbed my eyes, to see trees, with real, alive leaves. I inhaled quickly, and stared around in awe, at the not dead trees. Just then, Nick came through some, holding a rope and his hair a tousled mess. He smiled at me, then sat down, looping the rope in tight knots, and looking at some scraps of metal very seriouslly. "Uh, how'd I get here?" I asked, my voice thick with sleep. He didnt answer for a few minutes, looping the strand of rope around the scraps of metal, and carving the scraps into sharp points. Then he answered.

"Well, you fell asleep as you know. And you sleep, um, alot. So I picked you up, and found a new camp. Which as you can see, I found one." My cheeks felt warm, what if I was heavy when he carried me?

"You carried me?" I asked, trying not to sound totally mortified. He grinned, and pushed some hair out of his eyes. "Yep, you weighed a ton." He said, laughing loudly. My cheeks flamed, and I put a hand to them, trying to turn around. I swallowed hard, feeling embarassed. He winked at me, continuing to knot and loop and carve his various objects. My cheeks still felt hot, but I tried to ignore them, and stretched then sat up. I shot a glare at him, and walked over to the nearest tree. Placing my fingers on the rough brown bark. I smiled, and ran my hand over it. "Where are we..?" I asked, still looking at the tree.

"Dunno." I heard him call. "I'd guess... about 10 miles from where we were? Maybe more?"

"So you hauled my fat ass 10 miles?" I asked, my tone filled with venom, and I turned around and stalked off into the forest feeling angry at him for no good reason. "Aw Anna.. c'mon I was kid-" I heard him call, but I kept walking, and soon his voice faded. As I walked, the trees became thicker, and the scraping of metal on metal became more and more distant, until I couldnt hear it anymore. I ran my hand over the leaves, they were tinted brown and yellow on the edges, but the unmistakable green was there in the middle, popping out like the first flame of a fire, and making me feel calm and happy. After a while, I began to feel cold, and wheeled around, only to see no tracks, and a whole lot of woods. My heard thudded unevenly in my chest, as I began to walk the way I came. Or thought I came.. I began to shiver. I heard a cracking noise, and jumped, turning around to see a small animal sitting on a twig. I put a hand to my chest, and took a deep breathe. Then turned around and began to feel hopeless and frusturated. A tear escaped the rim of my eye, and rolled down my cheek, I wiped at it furiouslly. "Stop being a sissy." I muttered to myself, turning on my heel, and wincing. The pain then, came to me. And I remembered my foot was broken. I bit my lip, trying to think of other things, but soon I began limping, and my head spun. I sunk to the ground, trying not to break down into heaving, choking sobs.

I began to argue with myself, glad no one was there to hear my mental break down. "Why'd you have to get mad at him?! For no good reason either! It's all your fault! Urgh!" I put my face in my hands, noticing my face felt hot and moist. I took a deep heaving breathe and pulled myself upward. Wiping the moisture off of my face, and trying to breathe evenly. I behan to walk again, blindly weaving through tree's and wiping my nose on my sleeve. When I saw any animal, my eyes widened, and I froze. Just staring until it noticed my presence and waddled or flew away. My stomach rumbled, and I ignored it kindly, then my throat began to ache. When I sat down again I felt translucent and exausted, my hair was damp with sweat, my throat and face raw from the piercing wind. I shivered, feeling numb and cold and sad. Just as I began to lay down, closing my eyes, hope diminished. I heard a faint voice, and being in the state I was, I ignored it, telling myself the wind was just playing tricks on my mind. Soon the voice was clearer, and it was shouting something that resembled my name. "Anna." Or maybe "Bananna." I giggled, imagining the wind screaming bananna.

"Maybe it's hungry." I giggled aloud, and covered my face with my hoodie sleeve. "Anna!" The voice was clear now, and I opened a sore eye, to see nothing but dead leaves on the ground, and tall tree's sorrounding me with brown leaves hanging off. I sighed, and closed my eye back. "Anna!" The voice, that now sounded alot like Nick's screamed, faint from the wind, but still loud and clear. Then I heard a crunching noise, and a sharp intake of breathe. Before I could open my eyes to investigate, two warm hands were on my cheeks. I politley ignored them, "It's just a dream." I thought to myself. Then I heard a zipper being undone, and it was put over me. I was lifted off the ground, and a warm firm wall was put against me, I snuggled close, radiating in the warmth. And lips were on my ear, and Nicks' voice whispered to me. "It's okay, we're almost to camp." My eyes fluttered open, well, half way open and I looked numbly up at Nick, he glanced down at me and sighed in relief. "Shit, Anna. You scared me half to death." He muttered, looking down at me. His lips looked blue. I groaned, then found my voice. "Take your jacket back." I tried to mumble, but it came out as. "Fake acker ba." He laughed, careful not to jousle me, and I glared at him, atleast tried to. My body felt incased in ice, but I stopped shivering, feeling oddly warm, and closed my eyes. "Anna!" I faintly heard, and I ignored it. Then I felt a hand on my chest, and the hand rubbed back and fourth. I began to feel cold again. "Stop it. I'm cold." I grumbled, with my eyes half opened. He ignored me, and kept rubbing, and soon we were back at camp, and I slowly glanced around to see a large, home built looking tent. I also noticed a fine white material had lined the ground and was still falling, landing on me and coating my eyelashes and lips. I reached up to touch one, and noticed my hand didnt move. "When did the sment get her'?" I mumbled, sounding sleepy.

He ignored me, probably unsure of what I was saying, and shoved me inside, warmth flooded through me, and candles were hanging on rods lining the tent. As I began regaining feeling, Nick climbed in, and zipped the tent behind us. He had on a tee shirt, nothing more, and I noticed I still had his jacket covering me. His lips looked blue, and I suddenly felt guilty. I began to slowly shimmy it off, but he put a large hand on my shoulder, and made me lay down again. I grimaced, feeling weak and dizzy and tired. He rubbed his hands together near one of the candles illuminating the dark tent. I did the same, and began to feel my hands again, I wiggled my fingers and tried to wiggle my toes. My fingers wiggled slowly, as if in slow motion, and my toes didnt budge. When Nick settled down in the far corner of the tent. He barley unzipped the tent, and nippy wind blew in, blowing out one of the candles. He quickly zipped it back, and turned around facing me. "Worst blizzard I've ever seen." He said, still rubbing his hands together. I nodded and rubbed my legs too.

"Hey Nick, I'm Sor-" I began, and he glanced up, his eyes wide and cut me off. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldnt have been so insensitive. I dont know why I said that, but it was stupid, and so pigheaded of me to have. I really didnt mean it, you're light as a feather, Anna." I laughed, then bit my lip. As I lay down, Nick came over and sat beside me, so close I could feel his heart beating and the warmth coming off of his body, hesistating only slightly, I scooted near him, cradling my head on his leg, he smiled at me, and rubbed my forehead like he had the day before, when I had been in such pain. I sighed contently and melted, my facial features relaxing, and my breathe slowing. I fell into a deep, deep slumber. And just as I close my eyes, I see him looking at me with the deep, warm looking eyes my father gave my mother, full of love, and trust. And my heart speeds up the tiniest bit, and I know that love at first sight is real, because two days with a person can change your whole look on life.

Moving On-
Days, weeks, months go by, all a blur. As Nick and I learned each other's everything, and became best friends I realized I could put my love into our friendship, that's all. Nick gave me no signs to sudgest he had an attraction to me, so after a while I gave up. I began to despise our friendship, but I didnt show it. Well not all the time, at least. I snapped on any chance, and took out my frustration on him, and felt bad afterwards. But it felt as if he had broken my heart, just by not saying anything. As the days drove on, it got colder, and at night we had to use each others warmth, but he didnt make it intimate, or romantic in the least bit, instead we sat back to back in the middle of the tent with candles around us and we talked. Some nights I silently cried myself to sleep, wishing desperatley that he would just love me. Then one day I realized what a pathetic, desperate, petty girl I sounded like, and I moved on, but still felt that jolt in my heart when he walked near me.

Over the head, swing, miss. Over the head, swing, miss. Over the head, swing, crunch! The log split in half, and I stared at it happily, nodding in approval, and turning around to see Nick watching me trying not to laugh, his whole wood pile around him. I glanced down at my two logs, and grimaced. "So, I'm a bit slow." I said sarcasticlly, and pulled another limb and sat it down on the concrete block. Swung the axe over my head, and brought it down, too far to the right, it didnt even touch the piece of wood. I gently sat down the axe and pulled off my work gloves, feeling the cold winter sting I quickly slid on my fur ones. Pure bear coat. I felt guilty when Nick made them for me, but they were just so warm. I went over and crouched down by Nick, his rosy cheeks were raised and he was looking with his hand over his eyebrows, his eyes squinting tightly, and looking into the far distance. His mouth was slightly open and his white teeth looked small and perfect. As his eyes knit together I frowned, and looked into the distance too, just seeing trees, and white. Lots of white. I looked to the sky, to see snow clouds forming, I grimaced, just as fine white drops started to lightly swirl down onto my face. I sighed, and buckled my jacket to it's tightest, and wrapped my old ripped scarf around my neck. Nicks face turned pale, and he staggered back, grabbing my arm and tugging me behind him. "Ow!" I exclaimed. "What the-" I began, and he pushed me, hard. Into the tree coverings. He began to follow, but a knife wizzed past him, right in his path. Then another. My eyes opened wide, as I glanced to see a man, in a guards uniform. "Oh no.." I whispered, as Nick gestured for me to hide, or run. Or both. Another knife went flying by, missing his torso by an inch. He stagged back again, trying to get into the cover of the tree's, but another knife went flying, and it was as if in slow motion. He tried to twist out of the knifes aim, but it went flying into his leg, and buried deep, he moaned and dropped to the ground like a rock. I began to come out, but he glanced over and spat sharply through clentched teeth. "Stay." The man sulked over, holding a gun in his contorted hands, his face looked scarred, as if burned by a fire. He pointed the gun down at Nick, whose eyes looked glazed over. He twisted the gun, a kill shot right at Nick's head.

I made a split second decision, that could end up killing me, but I didnt care, just as he began to pull the trigger, I hurled myself out into the clearing, at the contorted man, slamming into his body with all my weight, we tumbled to the ground, and he let out a stunned "oof." The gun fired, and I glanced over to see Nick with no shot wounds, just looking shocked. The man's gun was about a foot away, and he dug his hands into my shoulders, then he picked me up easily, as I dangled above the ground, frozen with fear, he held my arms so tight it felt as if he was breaking them, and slammed me into the closest tree. My eyes rolled back into my head, as I heard a crunching noise, and I sunk to the floor. My body felt like your foot feels when it falls asleep. Like pins are sticking into it. I choked and gasped until I could breathe again. When I opened my eyes I looked up to see Nick and the man struggling with eachother, then the man held him down, and put two large hands around his neck, and began to squeeze. Nicks eyes bulged, and he feebly tried to pull the hands off. A nauseating feeling overcame me as his face turned a pale blue. I quickly pulled myself up, and began making my way over to them. Nick's eyes pleaded with me. "Run." He mouthed, and I bit my lip and shook my head. I looked around for the gun. His pupils began to shrink, smaller and smaller. I knew time was running out. I crawled over to the dirt, and dug around franticlly until I felt something hard, I pulled it up. The gun! I ran back to the tree I was slammed into and pulled the gun up, trying not to quiver, I aimed for the center of his back, praying I would hit just right and not hit Nick. I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled the trigger, the back fire jolted my body, and I crumpled onto myself. Quickly, I jump up, grabbing the gun and tucking it into my coat pocket, making sure to set it on safety first. I want to go and make sure Nick is okay so badly, but the guard man is feebly, and shakily dragging his way over to the tree's. I tell myself he tried to kill Nick, he's working for Mariyn, and that he deserves to die, but my stomach has a tight knot in it, and I hesitate.

I think about my mother, my brother. Why they're gone. Because of Mariyn, and that man there. I stomp over, and kick his side, hard. He gasps, and rolls onto his back, revealing his chest and stomach, and face. I take a deep breath, and press my boot down on the center of his throat. He gags and chokes, and weakly tries to pull it off. I loosen my pressure, but dont let go. "Who are you working for?!" I ask harshly, pointing the gun at his face. He just stares at me, with cold grey eyes. I squat down, my boot still pressed firmly on his throat. I put the gun to his head. "Who sent you?" I spat out, knitting my eyebrows together. He doesnt tell me who, or where or anything as a matter of face. Instead he spits out the words "Time's running out, sweetheart." And it oddly sounds like Mariyns voice. Hearing her cold, icy voice startles me, and I pull the trigger. It blasts s head with nothing but a pop body jerks and blood splurts out. It hits me in the face, and I double over, quickly wiping off any blood spatters on my face. I spit out some blood and breathe out of my mouth in an effort not to throw up. Second kill, Anna. Your turning into quite the criminal. My mind whispers, I back up, tears forming in my eyes, I sniffle and wipe off my nose with my sleeve. Then I remember Nick. I spin around, to see him laying on the ground with his hands clasped around his neck, his eyes still a bit bulging. He's retching and coughing and a shean of sweat has layered his face, and his hair. I run over, and squat next to him, putting a hand on his leg.

"Nick?" I ask tensly, my voice thick with tears. He gags and chokes a bit more, looking like he's throwing up but nothings coming out. His stomach convulses and his breathing is labored. "Anna." He chokes out, coughing a bit more then stopping. He sits up, shakily but still sits up and I scoot closer, throw my arms around his neck, and put my head on his shoulder. "Oh Nick!" I cry, sniffling as big fat tears roll down my cheeks. "I thought he- I thought he got you! I dont know what I'd do without you! I thought you were- were-" I try to explain, but I hear him quietly comforting me. "Shhh Shhh." He whispers, and my tears turn into hiccups, then slowly subside. Once I'm calmed down I let go and pull back, and still slightly leaning over him, we make eye contact, I'm sure my eyes are irritated, red and splotchy, my skin too. From crying, but the way he looks at me, like he never has before, makes warmth come to my cheeks, and I stare back at him the same way. Just as I'm about to pull away all the way, he puts one of his large hands on my cheek, and just holds it there.

"Oh Anna.." He whispers, still looking into my eyes. His voice sounds hoarse and scratchy, but it's still Nick. The Nick I fell in love with, then slowly pushed my feelings back from so many months ago. I don't say anything, I don't know what to say. But I lean in the slightest bit, and so does he. Then before I know it our lips have met and our bodies are entangled in one anothers. His lips taste good, like cinnamon and apples. We kiss for a long time, hungry, yet soft and light kisses. My first kiss, and a good one at that. His arm wrapped around me, and both of mine around him. One of his hands is at the back of my head, tangled in my hair. I can feel his heart beating loud and fast against my chest, in time with mine. Then the light white snow flakes start to fall again, after stopping sometime during the fight. We stay like this for a long time, until me, or him, or both of us finally pull away, gasping for air. But as we pull away, the taste, the feel of his lips are still on mine, and I place a finger to my lips, smiling and turning around to go retrieve the gun.

I hear him breathing loudly, as I shove the gun into my sack, shivering from the cold snow falling on me. I turn around, to see his cheeks pink, and him getting up slowly, and stiffly. Then walking over to the man, the snow around him is now pink. Stained by blood. Blood that I caused. I look down at my hands, and I see a splotch of blood. I bite my cheek nervouslly, and watch Nick. He crouches down by the man, and pulls off the guys bag, then shoves his body back down into the snow, cursing under his breath, as he digs through the bag. "Holy mother of.." He says, as he pulls out atleast four sharp shimering knifes, some food, two jugs of water, and three large books that have dust on them. I walk over, and squat next to him, looking at the treasure sprawled in front of us. I pick up the food. I count. 1,2,3,4...5. I count to myself. Five real sandwhiches. I inhale deeply smelling hickory ham, not fresh, but still ham. Pigs have been exstinct for years. Blown out by some sickness before I was born. "I wonder where they got this." He clears his throat, looking over all the knives, touching them delicatley. "They said there were a few pigs left. Lived deep in the country, so they coundnt get the virus that spread. Maybe they multiplied them or something, for some rich people. It's kinda like Noahs Arc if you think about it. With... pigs?" He chuckled absently, still looking wide eyed at the weapons. I open one of the sandwhiches, to see cheese. Yellow smoothe cheese. "Look!" I exclaim, showing Nick them. "All we have at home is the white crummy stuff." I say absently, and he nods. "Me too."

I run my finger over the water jug, getting my finger wet, I lick it, sighing in contentment. I set it down, and push away the books for later, long reading night by the candle. I dig through the bag, finding an extra pair of clothes I could turn into a hat, or some gloves. Handy enough I find a sewing kit, and I giggle at why a man would have a sewing kit. Then, finding some pencils, scraps of paper, and one quill, I reach the bottom of the bag and sigh. But as I'm pulling my hand out I feel a pocket and a large bulging rectangle sticking out. I dug my hand in, and grabbed it. When I pulled it out I saw it was a diary. My eyes widened as I stared down at it. The words engraved into the front page were scrawled and loopy. "Marilyn Manson" were the words. My heart sped up. "Nick." I said, my voice calm, but my eyes wide. "What?" He replied, still engrossed in the knives. After a few moments of not answering he turned around, his big blue eyes wide. "Wha-?" He began, and crawled over, looking at the book and the words carved in.

"Its... hers?" He asked, and I nodded slowly, remembering seeing a book similar to this one on her desk in the white house so long ago. I could see my breath in the cold air and I realized my body was shaking, violently. "C-can we go i-i-inside?" I stammered, holding the book to my chest, and stuffing everything back in, except for the knives. Nick put those in for me, and helped me off the ground, wiping the snow off of my jacket and head. I smiled at him, and trudged over to the tent, stuffing all the cut wood in an air pocket under the tent. As I pulled myself in and turned around to zip the tent up, I heard Nick's labored breathing, and whipped my head around to see him crumpled in the corner, his face pale. "Nick?" I asked, confused, seeing blood on the sleeping bag closest to him. Then I remembered, the knife flying, hitting his leg like a bomb. I put my hand to my mouth and gasped, then crawled near him. "Where's your first aid kit?!" I cried, digging around. He smiled a drunk, dazed looking smile at me. "S'not important." He said slowly, frowning. Then looking down at his leg, and straining his eyes. "How'd that get there?" I pushed some hair out of my eyes, then felt something hard in the bag. I pulled it up and saw the farmiliar red cross on the front. Pushing his leg out from under some blankets, I noticed the knife wasnt there anymore, and Nicks head slowly bobbing from side to side, with a bloody knife in his hand. I grabbed the knife, staring in horror at the dictators name engraved in it, I flung it as hard as I could at the opposite tent wall. I grabbed some of the stuff that burns when put on an open wound, but keeps it clean and poured some on his leg. He moaned, then twisted his body so his head was on my leg. "Anna Banna." He slurred, then he let out a gruff laugh. I put one of my hands in his hair, rubbing back and fourth, he closed his eyes. Slowly, I got a paper towel soaked in the stuff and wiped all the blood off. The knife wound was deep, a short slit in his skin, but it was like a crevace in between two rocks in a river, deep and neverending. I closed my eyes as I realized I'd have to give him stitches. I pulled out the dark black stitching thread, and grabbed a needle. Then, holding my breathe I sunk the needle into his skin. His eyes flew open, as he moaned, and frowned. Then closed his eyes tight again as I stitched the rest together. His skin looked red and puckered. But it wasnt bleeding anymore. I took out a bandage, and wrapped it around as loose as I could without it slipping off, and took some of the white antibacterial cream, and smothered the wound, and the bandage, and it's edges with it. Then I slipped out some pain pills, tucking all the other stuff back into the bag. I grabbed the water bottle and popped the pills in, making him gulp a mouthfull of water and rubbing his neck, making sure the pills went down. I grabbed the bloodied sleeping bag, and went out into the cold, shearing wind and snow, and tied it down on two tree branches, hoping the snow would clean off some of the blood. I shuffled back over to the tent and climbed back in, zipping the door back. I took off my boots, and replaced them with three pairs of thick socks, and did the same with Nick, then stuffed both our dry pairs of boots on us. Then took off our wet, old, homemade snow jackets and put on our wool ones made out of sheep wool.

I hummed a song, as I folded them, and put them neatly in the corner and as I turned around, I saw Nick sheepishly, and sleepily looking at me, smiling. I didnt blush, as I would have normally, instead, I smiled back and crawled over. As I got closer, he relaxed a bit, holding out an arm, I tucked myself in safely beside him, with his arm around me, and I fell asleep, entwined in his body, my heart still beating loud, and a sweat beading my forehead.

Fiction: 09/26/10 | Posted By: OmgItsMandaPanda | 0 comments | Tags: N/A