Chapter Four
(Tori)
(8:15am, 21st April 2011)
"Jade, we need to move on. We can't stay here any longer."
"If we leave, we'll never see them again."
I didn't answer. Neither of us wanted to accept it, but the chance of ever seeing the others was a slim one.
All we could do now is concentrate on surviving, and getting back home.
She still blamed me for everything; that Andre and I had lured the soldiers back; that we weren't careful enough; weren't watching out properly.
Finally, though begrudgingly, I managed to get Jade to follow me outside. She suddenly seemed to want all the control, telling me that we should go through the forest, as out in empty land we'd be sitting ducks. I wasn't so sure, seeing as soldiers could hide much easier in the bushland, but I was too exhausted to argue.
So we trudged through the forest, Jade constantly speeding ahead, as if she was trying to lose me. My arms and legs were constantly scraped and bruised by hanging branches, and I was really vying to find somewhere or something viable. We needed a plan; we couldn't just keep wandering around hopelessly.
The trees began to thin out, a small gurgling creek separating the land. I was keeping myself on guard, straining to hear for any cracking twigs or rustling leaves, so I was completely unprepared for the sudden loud noise that sliced through my concentration.
I shrieked and whirled around to see Jade standing there, a gun pointed straight forward. The leaves rustled beside me; and a figure staggering out, sprawling out on the ground, a bullet imbedded in his chest, crimson blood oozing out of the wound.
I let out a choked sob, unable to tear my eyes away.
He was definitely dead. And Jade had killed him.
I stare at her, but she's not even shaking, and she just tossed the gun away like nothing happened.
"Jade… what did you do?" I whispered, bringing my hand up to my mouth. I was scared to ask where she'd picked the gun up, and why. I didn't want to know what had ran through her head.
"I just saved your life; a thank you would be appreciated." Her voice was clipped, cold. "Now let's keep moving, I think I can see a house through those trees."
Jade pushed me forward, and I took a few stumbled steps before regaining my footing. I closed my eyes as we walked past the dead man, though unable to get the image of his cold, staring eyes.
Jade was in fact right; there was a house through the gap in the forest. It stood in a bare clearing; lonesome and haunting.
It was very run down, broken. Many of the boards were hanging off the sides, and I could already spot holes in the roof. Any paint that was left on the wood was peeling badly, and it looked very, very tiny. But we didn't need a palace; all we needed was a place to stay.
I pushed open the door with the material of my skirt, cringing at the terrible creaking sound. It was pretty bare, but I could still see plates, cutlery, table and chairs, all in disarray, like someone abandoned it in a hurry. I opened the door to the side, revealing what seemed to be a bedroom; three grotty mattresses were cramped together, six or seven dumped blankets between them. Everything here was pretty revolting but it was a place to stay, and we could probably scrub everything clean with boiling water. Suddenly, I heard a scream.
"Jade?" The final door, one on the back wall, had been swung open, and Jade quickly ran back inside, swatting and brushing at her clothes.
"Jade? What's wrong?"
"There's a fucking vampire moth nest out there!" She screeched, visibly shaking with repulsion.
"Were you bitten?"
"No, but they still touched me!"
"What's out there?" I really didn't want to look myself, not until I'd found something to use as a bug spray.
Jade's lips curled up in disgust. "I think it's a bathroom. Emphasis on think."
"Well, at least it's something," I said, "And it's probably the best we're going to find."
Jade peeked through the bedroom door, and I knew she wasn't going to be happy. And I was right. "I am not sleeping there."
"You don't really have a choice, unless you want to just sleep on the ground. Now, some stuff needs to be cleaned."
Jade sulked the whole time, but she kitchen stuff outside; we took them out the front, neither of us willing to brave out the back off the house just yet. I figured the mattresses were a lost cause, so we didn't even attempt to drag them out. I found a large pot sitting in what seemed to be a fire pit, and at least there were some matches beside it. I filled it up with water and waited for it to boil. We didn't have soap or anything of the like, but this would have to do.
We managed to shove everything into the pot, and left them to soak. The sun is beginning to set, and my stomach started rumbling. I hadn't realised how starving I was until there was nothing else to really think about. I search through the cupboards and drawers, but find nothing except mothballs and what seems to be a can of mould.
"Nothing," Jade grumbled.
"Nothing here either." I sighed. "We'll just have to go hungry until morning, when it's safe to go out." Jade just rolled her eyes and stalked off into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
I guess that meant I was on look-out. My mind was still buzzing from this afternoon; seeing that body on the ground, suddenly no longer living. It was all too surreal; like a dream. He could have been sleeping, unconscious; if his eyes hadn't been open, lifeless. I shivered involuntarily.
After what seemed to be two hours or so, my eyes began to droop, and I decided it was my turn to sleep. I stretched myself out and walked over to the bedroom door. I was stopped in my tracks, however, by a sound coming from inside.
Crying.
Jade was crying.
For some reason, the situation suddenly felt all the more hopeless.
(Excerpt from Chapter One of 'The War That Left Us Broken' 'Part II')