When Tina and Summer came back from collecting firewood, Finn was sitting slumped on the porch steps, staring at nothing. He didn't notice them approaching until Summer crawled into his lap, pulling his arms around her scrawny frame. Daddy? she ventured.
He only gripped her tighter, and Tina dropped the wood she was carrying and ran into the house, her mind reeling with what she was afraid of finding. In the living room, Noah lay unmoving in his makeshift bed by the glowing embers in the fireplace, surrounding by more blood than she thought was possible to shed. Where his leg had been only a stump the length of his hand remained, sloppily bandaged with another sheet from upstairs, and Tina let out a hoarse cry when she saw the missing appendage lying a good ten feet away.
Tina?
Stay out, Summer! Go on! Go back outside!
Tina pushed Summer out of the room and slammed the door shut and then turned back around and dropped to her knees beside Noah. She avoided looking at what was left of his leg. When she finally saw that his chest was still rising and falling, the air left her lungs in relief.
Tina? came a hoarse whisper.
Hey. She smiled, her eyes watering slightly. How you doing?
Been better.
You'll be okay, Noah.
Promise?
Yeah. Promise.
I had a dream about Quinn.
Yeah? What was she doing?
I don't remember. He shivered a little, and Tina pulled the blankets closer around his shoulders.
You warm enough? she asked.
Yeah.
A week later, they left the house. Finn carried two of the bags with their supplies (his bag and Noah's), while Summer held onto his hand and Tina and Noah followed behind at a slower pace. Noah was leaning on the makeshift crutch and Tina was supporting his weight on the other side, the third supply bag slung over her shoulder. They followed along the road, heading south and camping in the woods during the nights. Slowly, their food reserve grew smaller, until they were left with only two cans of spam and they decided that it would be best if they ate only every other day, with half a can to split between the four of them. They saw no other people, but they were constantly on edge, unwilling to get caught by bandits a second time.
Late in the pitch black of night roughly three weeks after they'd abandoned the last house, Finn started awake, his eyes immediately wide as he listened carefully for what had woken him. Somewhere relatively close, there was an eerie creaking, moaning crack, and then a solid crash on the forest floor. After only a few moments of silence, there was another, and Finn shook Tina's shoulder.
Tina, wake up. The trees are falling.
In an instant, Tina was wide awake and shoving their blankets into the bags. Finn went over and woke Noah up, heaving him upwards until he was standing on his leg, leaning on Finn for support. Tina slung all three bags over her shoulders, snatched up Summer, and began to run just as a third crack began to echo through the woods.
Come on! Finn shouted to Noah as the two of them hobbled as fast as they could. Noah didn't respond, his breath heaving as he clung to Finn's shoulder. They could hear branches snapping overhead, and a loud crash to their left as a broken limb smashed into the earth. Finn held on tighter to Noah's middle, trying to move him faster as the trees groaned above. The soil trembled beneath their feet as the trunk of a giant oak collided with the ground.
TINA! they heard Summer scream.
They stopped in their tracks for a brief moment, hearts pounding. Summer! Finn yelled. Summer, where are you!
Daddy! she screamed.
Finn got them moving again, rushing over the uneven ground as debris fell around them. They followed Summer's voice through the blackness until, their pupils swollen in the dark, they could barely see her shape a few feet away. Summer! Finn shouted. Where's Tina?
I don't know, she was right next to me! Summer cried. I don't know where she went!
Finn took a deep breath, shifting his grip on Noah. Okay, we have to get out of here, he said, his tone flat and definitive. Come on, Summer, grab onto my coat. Do not let go. Okay?
Okay, she sniffed.
Noah, you okay?
Yeah, Noah wheezed, his voice strained as he grasped Finn's shoulder.
Come on, Finn urged, pulling Noah forward.
The trees continued to moan as they ran, a hollow echo of their mourning roots as they were torn up from the soil. The crashes grew more frequent and the earth shook with the strength of their impact.
And suddenly, just as Finn thought his legs were going to snap from the effort of trying to run while supporting Noah and dragging Summer, they were out of the forest and back onto the road, free of the trees falling to the ground. Finn let out an exhausted sigh as he lowered Noah to a sitting position on the far side of the road, sitting next to him and pulling Summer into his arms.
Are you okay? he asked her.
Yeah. Are you?
Yeah, I'm good.
Finn, Noah said. Tina has our supply bags.
I know. I'm going to go find her in the morning.
Why not now? asked Summer.
Because I won't be able to see her.
You could make a torch.
But Tina has our matches.
Oh.
It's okay, Finn promised. I'll find her in the morning. I'm sure she's okay.
In the morning, Finn did as he promised and disappeared into the forest in search of Tina. Take care of Summer, he told Noah as he left them by the side of the road.
Noah nodded and sent a silent prayer skyward that Tina was uninjured, not even realizing as he did it that he hadn't prayed since the world was still green.
Do you think she's okay? Summer asked, huddling close to Noah and shivering in the cold.
Yeah, he said, placing an arm around her scrawny frame. I'm sure she just got separated from us.
If she's lost, she might've gone off in the wrong direction.
If she got lost, she knows that she's supposed to stay put 'til we find her.
Summer frowned, deep in thought for a long time. Noah stared upwards at the ashes floating on the chilly breeze.
What's it like?
Noah looked down at Summer's wide blue eyes, a reflection of a sky that no longer existed. What's what like?
Having one leg.
Oh. It's, uh… kinda weird.
Why?
'Cause I can still feel it, almost.
Summer cocked her head to the side in confusion. How? she asked.
Just 'cause I can remember what having two legs feels like.
Does it still hurt?
No, it's okay.
Summer fell into her thoughts again, staring off down the dusty road. How long do you think it'll be before we get South? she asked.
I don't know, Summer. I hope it'll be soon.
An hour later, Finn reappeared, carrying their supply bags by himself.
You found Tina? Noah asked, his heart sinking.
Finn nodded, setting the bags down and pulling out a can of sardines for the three of them. Yeah, he said. I found her.
A/N: I'm sorry, please don't hurt me. I tried to argue with the muse, I swear, but...it was just time for Tina to die.