Famished

“You slapped me!” she cried as she rocked back and forth.

“I promise I didn’t mean to.” I twitched my head to the side. “Now, come over here and lie down with me.” I scooted closer to the dirt wall and patted the empty side of my cot.

Frankie hesitated, unfolding herself from her ball as my mother rushed through the door. “What’s going on?” she gasped, winded.

“I was having a nightmare and I accidentally slapped Frankie across the face,” I admitted.

She looked at Frankie solemnly and rushed to her bed side. “Oh, baby, are you okay?” she asked, whispering in a comforting tone.

Frankie dug her balled up fist in her eye and dried her tears. “Yeah,” she murmured.

“I’m sure Georgie didn’t mean to slap you.” My mother glared at me. “Right, Georgie?”

I rolled my eyes. “I already apologized, Mom.”

Her eyes shifted to the end of the bed and zoomed in on something. “What’s that?” she asked as I followed her gaze.

At the end of my bed was a white envelope and my name had been scrawled across the front of it. “I honestly don’t know.” I crawled toward the edge of my bed and picked up the envelope.

“Oh, a love letter,” she teased. “I bet it’s from Colin Martin.”

Just my mother mentioning his name made me want to hurl. Colin Martin was a coward and not only that, he was involved in a conspiracy to commit murder, my murder. I bet my mother wouldn’t think so I highly of him when I told her that. “It’s not from Colin Martin,” I corrected. “It’s from someone else.” I knew very well that it was a letter from Owen.

Considering how rushed he was last night, when he dropped me off, it tickled my heart that he took the time to write me a letter and drop it off. I wondered where he was at that moment, just how far he had traveled or if he wound up stopping somewhere that wasn’t too far away. I knew he couldn’t have ended up anywhere in the west because California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona were gone.

“Well, who’s it from then?” my mother inquired.

I hugged the letter to my chest to keep her from seeing it. “Nobody important.”

Frankie giggled. “I think Georgie has a boyfriend.”

“I do too,” my mother said to Frankie. “But let’s let Georgie worry about her own boy problems, okay.”

Frankie hopped to her feet. “Okay.”

My mother rose from the bed. “Get ready for breakfast girls.” She walked out of the room and Frankie followed her.

I waited until I couldn’t hear their footsteps anymore and then I tore into the letter, pulling the paper free from the envelope.

Then I scanned each word, like I was permanently embedding

them in my mind.

Georgina,

I’m sorry our conversation got out of control at some point yesterday. Believe me, that was the last thing I wanted. Mark has given me clear instructions on where I’m supposed to go. Somewhere East. According to him, there is an area close to where Canada used to be that has been untouched by The Great Famine.

I guess he and his family will begin their journey there tomorrow—which is today for you by the time you actually get to read this letter.

I’ve truly enjoyed the little time I spent with you and I will think of you always .And if the place where I’m headed really hasn’t been touched by the asteroid or The Great Famine, I will

come back for you, I promise.

Yours,

Owen

Folding up the letter, I shoved it under my bed before any one of my family members had the chance to come in and catch me with it. Then I remained in bed soaking every word in.