“I can’t,” I mumbled. The spots of blood were all I could look at.
“We have to. The rest of the cannibals will be here any second.
I peered at Owen, with desperation in my eyes. “But my parents.”
“Would want you to get out of here and stay alive.”
Owen helped me up and led me to the ladder. He took both of my sacks out of my hands and I put both of my hands on the rope. One more look, all I wanted was to look at the spot where my parents died one more time.
I glanced over my shoulder for a moment and made a promise to myself. A promise that my parents wouldn’t be disappointed in what became of me. They’d be proud of what I’d accomplished
. Proud that I watched over Frankie, with motherly intentions and proud that I survived outside of the colony.And lastly, they’d never be dead to me. Because I’d keep them alive forever, in my heart.
I didn’t know what the future had in store for me and the others. New earth was desolate, terrifying, and barren. A place where surprises lurked around every corner. A place that hated survivors and wasn’t satisfied until their bones lined the covered streets.
New earth reminded me of a monster we learned about mythology class, the Kraken. A massive beast that wasn’t satisfied until he defeated the Titans, and humanity.
New earth consumed people, just like the Kraken, but I knew one thing for certain, it would never consume me or anyone I cared about ever again.
I was strong. I was a survivor. And I would never, no matter how difficult it might have been, go down without a fight.
Owen placed his hand on my back and urged me up the ladder. “Come on.”
Then I climbed up the rope ladder, out of the hole, and out into a vast, dangerous world that could literally eat me alive.
Epilogue: Wasted
The earthly desert was quiet at night. The only visible light was the blazing fire in front of me. The fire snapped and crackled as it burned the fallen debris Owen gathered to make it.
The group decided that while everyone else slept, two of us would take turns and keep watch. I volunteered for the night shift. And so did Colin.
We hadn’t spoken to each other since we left the colony. I liked it that way. I didn’t have anything to say to him nor did I want to say anything to him.
When we fled the colony, he invited himself to come along on our journey to the untouched place. In the heat of the moment, there was too much going on and it hadn’t fully registered with me, that we’d be stuck together. At the time, I figured that we could use as many strong people as possible. Now I regretted being agreeable to him joining us.
We sat with our backs facing each other’s staring, out in opposite directions. Frankie laid at my feet and her soft breathing filled my ears. I brushed my fingertips along her forehead. “It’s just me and you, sis,” I whispered. She moaned and rolled over. I didn’t know how much I longer I should have waited to tell her about our parents. It had only been a few hours since their deaths. Tomorrow, I told myself. I’d tell her tomorrow.
My head whipped around when Colin spoke. “What did you say?” he asked with a low voice.
I glared at him and scowled. “I wasn’t talking to you.”
He looked down at the ground. “Oh.” He paused. “Georgie, listen.”
I cut him off. “Don’t even go there.”
His eyes burned into mine. “You don’t even know what I was going to say?”
I narrowed my eyes. “You were going to apologize, weren’t you?”
“Yeah,” he said quietly.
I harrumphed. “Well, you can save your breath because I don’t want to hear it.”
Closing my eyes, I saw myself again, on the ground screaming for him. My arms were outstretched as I clawed at the dirt and tears filled my eyes as I struggled to get away. Colin was ahead of me, still running, not even glancing back.I shuddered. If Colin thought that me forgiving him was going to be easy, he was out of his mind.