Chapter 4A Chapter by tiffanyreneeDays pass since we decided to settle near the remains of the bridge. Zach’s leg seems to have mostly healed. He can walk by himself now. “Do you think
we have been in one place for too long?” “Josh, I don’t
know.” I try to hide my depression that’s started to engulf me. “We should be
fine.” “We have been
here for almost a week.” “I know. We
haven’t encountered anyone yet have we?” He quiets down. Why is my life so
boring? I think. I don’t think I want it to be not boring though. Not boring
here consists of trouble. “Zach, will you
stay here while Josh and I go off and scavenge around? He sighs, “Why
not?” Before he even answers, I grab my backpack and knife. I tell Josh to
hurry up, and Zach gets farther out of sight. I keep my ears
open. My noisy brother decides to drag his feet every step he takes. “Will you
please stop?” “Why should I?”
Although he asks this, he stops. We trudge over debris. Buildings in pieces and
few in slight disarray. I hear a rock move and turn to see Josh on the ground. “Are you ok?” “Yeah, just
fine.” He sighs and gets up. “That’s going
to bruise.” I say “Oh, Joy.” I
laugh at his response. The first time I’ve laughed in a week. He notices and
smiles to himself. My eyes keep straight, and we keep moving. What are we even
doing? I’m not even sure. Looking for stuff? Finding what? I find higher ground.
I crawl up the large concrete slabs stacked on each other to get a better look.
I turn all the way around and every angle the view is similar. Broken concrete,
no people, trash, and blackness is all I see. Most of the people reside in
Black Homes. The gangs live in abandoned building around the food supply. The
only area not paved over grows fruit trees, wheat, potatoes, along with other
things. They try to keep a close eye on it, but some brave people sneak in when
they take their unauthorized breaks. That is how Josh and I survive. We go by
once a month and stock up as much as we can. Some months we get short and just
have to space it out. Some people in Black Home attempt it too, but if you are
caught the results are not good. “What are you
doing?” Josh shouts up at me. I lose my
balance and slide down the tilted slab. “Holy crap. That could have been bad.”
I stand up and dust off the dirt. “I was just looking. Let’s head back.” Where we
stationed out “camp” was approaching in view. Zach is asleep. I sigh. “Wow, he
is great at watching the place.” I comment to Josh. I look again and see a
figure getting closer. “Who is that?!” Josh looks frantically. “I don’t know!
Zach!” Josh yells to wake him. Zach startles and looks at us. We point to his
left, and he sees what we saw. Did he just start talking to that person? Josh and I run
up to him to see him in a conversation with this woman. She must be in her
thirties, at least. “Hello guys.”
He seems calm. “Hi, baby
dolls!” Her voice shatters the quiet with a scratchy and quite frankly annoying
sound. “Hello.” Josh
and I exchange look with each other than Zachary. We sit. The woman dressed in
a skin tight leather top, bikini-like bottoms, and knee-high boots, maneuvers
herself onto the ground. Her shoulder-length, worn out brown hair lays lifeless
on her face. The make-up caked on her face makes her look orange. “Who is your
friend?” I ask. “This is Rose.”
He says. “She is a….uh es- uh, an escort” he whispers to me. “Oh, hi Rose.”
I take a deep breath. “How do you know Zachary?” “The gang.” Her
voice sends shivers up my spine. “Of
course.” I think to myself. “How lovely.” I
think I am obviously being rude and sarcastic, but Rose seems to think I am
being seriously nice. “It was amazing
getting to meet this amazing piece of strong male body.” I glance over at Zach
and see him avoiding my eye contact. “He is such a sweet boy. He is the only
one that ever treated me nicely.” “Huh, really.
How so?” I ask Rose. Even though I don’t want to hear her voice, I still want
to know as much about Zach as I can learn. She may be the only person from his
past that we will ever encounter. So I better ask the questions now. “Oh you know.”
I tilt my head in acknowledgement that I do not. “He actually talked to me. He
didn’t use me like the others, even though I offered a few times. He is so great.” Her voice got squeaky on
“great”, and she clears her throat. I smile at her.
“The offer
still stands.” She winks at Zach and I pretend to not notice. “How nice that
is, I still have to say no thank you.” She sighs,
“Okay, although it wouldn’t have just been for you.” I can see out of the
corner of my eye Zach’s face getting pinker every word Rose says. “So Rose,” I
interrupt her moping about being denied a good time, “Where do you come from?” Her eyes light
up. “Oh, wherever business is, you know?” I think to myself, “I guess.” “I’m here, I’m
there, I’m where they are, you know?” Well, I’ve found her catch phrase. “That must be
tough.” “Oh,
definitely. Very tough. They just want me for, well, you know.” “Yes, I know.”
I look at Zach for guidance. “So, why are
you here, Rose.” He saves me from an embarrassing silence with this stranger. “I’ve decided
to take a vacation. My body needs some rest. I’m tired.” She sighs. “Life isn’t
easy.” “No, it’s not.”
Zach says as I think it. My saying that would have sounded much more sarcastic
than his sincere response. “She must be
privileged.” I whisper to Josh who has stayed quiet for the entire conversation.
He just kind of awkwardly smirks. It gets darker
as the sun sets. “Would you like
to stay here to sleep?” Zachary asks before asking me or Josh. “Oh, baby! You
know I would!” We settle down.
Josh makes a fire, and Zach finds some food we have in our bags. I sit next to
Rose. Perfume radiates off her body. It smells of strong citrus and liquor. I
hide my distaste, and I don’t say a word. I’m not very good at hiding my
reactions or feelings very well though. She just sits
there unzipping and zipping her boots. Zipppp Zipppp
Zipppp Zipppp I finally get
up. She looks at me and I smile. “Zach would you
like some help?” “Why not.” I
grab my bag and shuffle through its contents. Shirt, shoes,
blanket, lighter, knife, water, slice of bread, apple, and another slice of
bread is what I find in my backpack’s many compartments. Zach finds an orange
and another bottle of water in Josh’s backpack. Luckily, when he left the gang
awhile back, he brought a bag full of food with him. He still had some left
over, but we decide to save it until our guest has left. “Do you think
this will do?” I shrug. “Who wants some
bread, fruit, and water?” Josh starts the fire, and we let it get larger in the
night. Zach hands Rose some food for her. “This isn’t
what I eat back home with the boys.” She complains. That is all she seems to be
good at. “I know Rose,
but it is all we have.” Zach explains. I nod. Josh has already scarfed down his
bread and half an orange by the time I grab mine. We haven’t eaten today. We
ate last night. Noticing my stomach, I grab it to quiet its roars of hunger. The bread
tastes so stale, yet satisfying. I sit there and try to savor it as best as I
can. My half an apple has slightly bruised being tossed around so much, but it
is still extremely sweet, and my teeth chomp every bite, absorbing the juices. “I think it’s
time to call it a night.” “Kristen is
probably right. We all should get some sleep.” Zach agrees. I begin to
settle myself onto my area with Josh. We give Rose her own blanket and Zach his
own. Once an hour or so has passed, I wake up Josh. “Hey, Josh.” I
whisper. He stirs and looks at me. “What now,
Kristen?” After I get over being offended, I reply. “It’s time….” “To?” he
interrupted in a drowsy tone. “To leave.”
This catches his attention and makes him keep his eyes open for more than two
seconds at a time. “We need to pack up and leave.” “When?” He
asks, but I know he doesn’t want to know the answer. “Tonight.” He half glares at me, but I
think he was hoping it would just look like he is still tired. After a minute
of silence, he turns over. “Wake me when
you’re ready.” I sigh. “Okay.”
I stay awake the whole time waiting for it to be late enough that everyone is
asleep but not so early in the morning that everyone will awake soon. I hear
Rose snoring, and I hear Zach breathing. I listen a little longer. When I think it
is the right time. I shake Josh and get up. I begin to retrieve most of our
belongings, except the ones that are being used or if moved will awake the
others. Josh gets up and walks. I guess he expects me to grab everything. I do,
not wishing to argue. Silence is
golden, but not in this situation. I look at him, and I see him with his chin
up and eyes fixed forward. “We had no
choice. You know that right?” “You always
think that, but, sis, we do.” I look down.
© 2013 tiffanyreneeAuthor's Note
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StatsAuthortiffanyreneeMOAboutI'm 17 and have been writing for quite some time now. I'd truly appreciate it if you would look at, review and or give constructive criticism on my writing. Thanks! more..Writing
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