*Caution May Cause Depression*

Annabel And The Donner Pass

Who Will Die And If Anyone, Who Will Survive?

We were coming up to the Rocky Mountains, half of us believed the rumor going around that their is a short cut through the rocky mountains, it'll get us through it in two weeks less than if we went the normal way. The others merely thought it was just a false rumor.

Just for a little heads up, the kids and woman had no say in it so, if our father believed in the rumor we had to go through the rumor way but, if he didn't we went the normal way. So, you'd hope that your friends wouldn't be split up from you and you'd hope that you and your enemies would be split up from you.

It was getting dark and we were almost at the foot of the mountains so, we pulled the wagons over to make our circle of comforting, yeah thats what we called it. I don't know about others but, thats just what WE thought of calling it. The kids could run around inside the circle of comforting while the parents set up for the night, got dinner all ready, and discussed who would be going down the rumor trial and who would go down the normal trail.

Matthew called me over to him. Matthew's my boyfriend, he has short blonde hair with sapphire colored eyes. He's quite a nice young man and he is always caring and helping others.

Matthew took my hand and kissed it, bowing to me when I got over to him. "I sure do hope that we both go down the same trail. No matter which one we went down, we'd make it through, together." Matthew said raising up from his bow and grabbing my other hand. "I promise." He put a friendly smile across his face that made me believe everything he said.

I know that my words could never come close to heart warming as his and that my smile wouldn't come near the friendly one he has. "I do hope we get put together as well, as long as we are together we'd be able to make it through anything. I promise you that we will make it through anything as long as we are together and that we will be together forever." I know that my words weren't anywhere near as powerful as his are but, I still wanted to comfort him as he does to me.

"I promise we'll be together forever as well and that, we will make it through anything as long as we are together too." He said, looking deep into my soul making it that much more heart warming.

"Annabel come, it's time to eat." My mother called out to me.

Matthew looked at me smiling. "And I bid thee farewell." He kissed my hand goodbye.

"Pray, pray for the best. I will pray tonight that we be put in the same trail." I said walking away, waving him goodbye.

"I'll pray, pray for thee best. I promise you we will pray so hard god, he'll hear our prayers and he'll answer them." He hollered back at me.

I went to my wagon, a happy smile across my face.

"So I take it everything went well with Matthew? I really do like that boy, he's sweet and innocent." Mother said cutting my slice of bread for my dinner.

"Yeah well, I don't like him. That Matthew boy. He seems a little too sweet and innocent. Plus he's a Clark's boy." Father said, then put a mouthful of bread into his mouth.

"Father why must you judge him because of his parents? Just because you're enemies with Mr. and Mrs.'s Clark Why must it make you hate Matthew?" I wiped the crumbs of bread off my blue dress.

"Clarks are no good and you best stay away from them young lady. I will not have any daughter of mine marry some Clark's boy." He looked at me straight in the eye. "Do you hear me?"

I looked father in the eye. "Yes father." Of course, I wouldn't break up with Matthew because father doesn't like him, Our bond is way too strong for that.

We soon went to sleep but, me? Well, I prayed more than I slept.

I woke up, the morning dew was enough to last us for the day. Now, now was the scary part. Will Matthew come on the Rumor trail with us or, will he be going down the regular trail? Those questions kept buzzing through my head. I would have gone and seen him but, he was busy packing his and his families stuff up.

Soon we got out of the circle of comforting. My wagon was at the front today and Matthew's wagon was behind mine.

In no time at all we were at the beginning of the mountain, we took the left trail in the fork of the road, the rumored trail.

I whipped my head around and leaned on the side of the wagon to see where Mathew's wagon was heading. I was so happy when I sow that he took the left trail as well. He was happy as well. He didn't know I was watching him but, I was. He jumped like six feet in the air and then did a little happy dance.

I laughed as I turned around, facing forward.

"So, you're still seeing that Matthew? Oh and don't you worry, I wont tell father anything." She asked, facing forward steering the ox.

"Well..." I hesitated. "Matthew and I have a special kind of relationship, an unbreakable one. Fathers words could never break us apart." I looked up at her.

She closed her eye's for a moment and smiled then looked at me for a quick second. "I know how you feel. My father never liked yours. He always told us to break up but, your father showed my father that he was well suited to become my husband and sure enough he became my husband."

I was quiet the rest of the way. I was wondering of Matthew could ever convince my father that Matthew should become my husband some day.

The sunset was approaching, and fast. We got into our mini circle of comforting.

I ran up to Matthew and jumped on him, hugging him. He stumbled back a little from the force but, then hugged me back. I pushed away, avoiding eye contact, fiddling with a loose strand of hair that came out of my ponytail. "I'm sorry, that wasn't very ladylike of me."

He put the loose strand of hair gently behind my ear. "It's fine. I was about to do the same except, I would have leaped into your arms." He smiled.

Yep theres the moment ruining Matthew. I laughed.

"Annabel." My father called, not knowing where I was.

"I have to go Matthew. Goodnight." I turned around.

Matthew grabbed my arm and I whipped right around. He hugged me. "Bu-but you just got here~." He whined.

"I know but, my father is calling me and I really have to go. I will get in trouble if I don't go now." I said trying to break free but, he only squeezed me even tighter.

"Fine~. I will get your father to like me one of these days and I will get him to say that I can take care of you even, even if it's the last thing I do." He gave me a tight squeeze and let me go.

I quickly ran over to my father who lucky had his back turned the other way.

We got set up for the night and soon fell asleep.

I woke up in the morning, I woke up seeing something I wouldn't have thought of seeing. I woke up to 5 ft of snow covering the ground.

Oh no, we're trapped! I hope that we don't stay trapped for too long!

We could still move around a little bit outside in the snow but, we wouldn't be able to make it too far because the ox couldn't more thanks to the snow.

We soon ran out of food to eat so we had to eat dirt, grass, leaves, bark, sticks, and anything else we could find.

A man came up with an idea after the first person died. "We should eat the body of the person who died of starvation or because of the cold weather!"

It was the only thing we could do. Nobody was all too happy about the idea but, there is no other way for us to survive.

We started to do that. They labeled bags with the human flesh with the persons first and last name because honestly I doubt that you'd want to eat someone dear/close to you.

Trust me when I say, the flesh of a human was the worst thing I have ever tasted. Dirt tasted better than it. Maybe it wasn't the flesh that tasted bad maybe it was the thought of eating another person that made it seem like it tasted horrible.

Soon, my father was starting to die. Mother couldn't do anything but, cry. He told me to hurry and get Matthew so, I did. Matthew came over in a hurry.

"Matthew." Father could hardly get the name out of his mouth. "I, I want you to take good care of Annabel for me. Make her happy. I know, you're the only one that can." Father coughed out his last words.

Matthew grabbed fathers hand, "Don't worry Mr. Marston. I will take great care of your daughter! I will do anything in my will to make her happy!"

"Thank you Matthew. You're not such a bad boy." Fathers words got weaker and weaker. His hand soon fell out of Matthew's hand as his eyes drifted close into forever sleep.

They took him away and put his flesh inside of a bag labeled, "Ben Marston".

Mother soon died from the weather and the shock of father's death and they took her away as well.

We have been stranded out here for almost two months now and both, Mathew's and my family have died. We sometimes hear the voices of the few others that are still alive but, we don't hear much of them.

The weather seemed it was getting worse and maybe it was or maybe we have just been out here so long it feels like its getting worse.

Soon Matthew even started getting sick.

"Matthew! You can't get sick!" I hollered at him, tears rolling down my eyes. It may have sounded rude but, what else could I have said in that situation and at that time.

"Don't worry Annabel, I'll be just fine." He coughed a horrible cough.

In the next week it got so bad he couldn't walk. He could hardly talk and soon, he would be entering heavens golden gates.

"Matthew! Don't die on me! You promised we would make it through this together! You said we would be with each other forever!" Tears couldn't stop rolling down my face.

Matthew wiped some tears off my face and I held his hand right on my cheek. "I guess that I'll have to break that promise but, I need you to do at least one last thing for me."

"What is it?! I'll do anything!" Even more tears rolled down my face.

"After I die you will eat my flesh and survive. You'll make it through this." His words got softer and softer.

"I couldn't eat you!" I couldn't even stand the thought of eating him.

"Annabel, you must. If you don't you'll die and plus if you eat me, I'll always be with you. My blood with become one with yours. If you eat me, we'll make it through this, together. Annabel, please. I love you." His hand fell from my cheek.

As much as it hurt I had to eat him. It was his last wish.

Soon I heard peoples voices come from outside. It was a rescue party! They came to save us!

They got me and a few others and we left.

The moment I touched the warm grass at the bottom of the cliff I looked into the sky and said, "We made it Matthew, we made it, together."

A soft breeze drifted through me and I swear I heard Matthew say, "Good job, I knew you could do it."