Alice

All of our eyes were locked on Brunswick when he asked us that question. "Is what happening?" Murucho asked the burly man. The fire in the middle of our group danced around with the light breeze that blew it around. Without making a sound, Marquis stepped out from the shadows and stood behind Brunswick. He said, "The cleansing. Has it started?" I was surprised. How did they know about the cleansing that was taking place back in the City, which was miles and miles away from this place?

"How do you know about that?" I asked without realizing it. Brunswick stroke his beard and said to himself, "So it is true." How had word of the travesty taking place back home, reached this place that nobody even knew existed? The man with the scar on his left eye, Val, approached our group as well.

He took a seat next to Brunswick, while Marquis continued to stand. Our bearded friend told us, "We've long been expecting the day that the cleansing happened. After the nuclear war destroyed much of the Earth, our group of survivors found this lake and made it our home. But not two months after we had settled in, a man came walking into our city, carrying word of a mass killing that would happen a long time from then. He said when it happened, a group of people would come here first and get us out of harm's way before the Officials could show up and kill us as well."

He cleared his throat and continued to speak. "This was way before any of us were born, but the story has been passed down from generation to generation in order to make sure everyone stays informed and ready for that day. When we saw you lot, we assumed that you were the people that man was talking about from all those years ago. So, are you?"

There was a hint of desperation in his voice. He wanted to know, but I wasn't sure how we should answer him. If we were the people that this man told them about all those years ago, then we didn't know. All we had was a map that told us where to go next. It wasn't like we had a meeting and decided to become the bringers of safety; we could hardly keep ourselves alive, so how did they expect us to save an entire city of people?

"I don't know if we were the people mentioned in your story, but we were fortunate enough to leave the City before the Officials got a hold of us. Some people we knew gave us a map that we needed to follow to get to safety, but that's all they told us," said Murucho while he dug the map out and handed it to Brunswick.

The man took it and unfolded it, holding it towards the light of the fire so he could see it in the dark. His finger traced along the path that was drawn out for us to follow. "The man had mentioned that all the towns that had been created by the survivors of the war, would be at risk when the cleansing happened, and that the group of people would have to stop at each of those places and get those people out before the Officials could find them."

Murucho took the map back and put it away in his pocket. I didn't know what to think of all of this. The map was nothing more than a directional tool for us to use, right? The stops along the way were to make sure we didn't die out in the Wastelands.

Or, at least, that's what I thought they were for. Was it possible that there were some things that weren't mentioned to us when we left the City? What if we really were the people mentioned in Brunswick's story? If we were, then why us? Brunswick looked at us with serious eyes.

"That map is telling you where to go and who to help next. I just know it." We all exchanged looks with one another; none of us knew what to think about this. We just thought that we were being helped. The thought that we were being sent out into the Wastelands to help others, never once crossed my mind.

"Well, I don't know if we're really the people that you're talking about, but that doesn't mean we can't help you," I told them. It was true. We had a map that told us exactly where we needed to go to get to safety. So, why should we leave these people behind and let them go up against the Officials by themselves?

Brunswick nodded and stood up from the log he had been sitting on. "Very good. It's getting late, and I'm sure you lot are tired from your travels. You all need rest. We can finish discussing this tomorrow." He, Marquis, and Val turned and walked off.

That was when I noticed that almost all of the people that had been sitting around us and eating, were gone. Their fires were still going, but nobody was around to occupy them.

Shun

After that strange conversation with Brunswick and his pals, we took their advice and went back to the house that they were allowing us to stay in. The walk back was quiet; nobody mentioned about what the man said back at the dock. A wind blew from the lake, bringing to us the smell of water and mud.

It was so much different here than what I was used to seeing. There was actually life in this place. The people weren't struggling to live or suffering. It was almost taboo for me. We walked up the steps and returned back to the house. It was just as we left it.

Each one of us took a bed and laid down. My body let out a thankful sigh of relief now that it could finally lay down. I rolled over onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. One oil lamp hung in the center of the room, a small and tiny fire flickering from the oil chamber.

Dan reached up and turned it off, then retreated to his bed and laid down. Now, darkness fell over the entire house, the only light coming from what little of the moon that was in the sky that night. I let my eyes close, thinking about how nice it was to be able to sleep on something other than ash.

I rolled over onto my side and faced the wall. No matter how tired my body was, it felt like my mind wasn't going to let me sleep. I had been suppressing my thoughts all day, and they were now screaming to be let out. I didn't want to though. I knew what they were about, and I had made it my goal to leave all that behind me.

Alice

For some reason, I woke up during the night. It wasn't from a nightmare or anything like that. Something had just told me to get up. I sat up in my bed and looked around the room. Everyone was still asleep, but my eyes stopped on the bed that Shun had taken. It was empty.

I started to look around the room, but only saw my sleeping friends. I have an idea of where he is. I tossed the covers off of me and slid out of my bed. Quietly, I padded towards the door and walked down the steps. A cool breeze hit me, one that could only come from the waters of the lake. When I was at the base of the stairs, I began to look around for the missing Shun.

The half-full moon provided me with enough light, so I could see whatever I was looking at. Beside the house, I heard the plopping noise of something being thrown into water. I followed it and found Shun sitting down in the sand and staring out into the lake. He didn't seem to hear me walking up to him from behind, because when I said his name, he jumped.

"Oh, it's you, Alice," he said when he finally registered who I was. "Yeah. I woke up and saw you were gone. What are you doing out here?" I asked, taking a seat next to him in the sand. He held a rock in his hand, kind of like the ones he was throwing into the Wastelands before we left his home, and he tossed it into the water in front of him. It made the plunking noise as it hit the surface and drifted to the bottom of the lake. "I couldn't sleep. Too many thoughts were keeping me up."

I sighed, thinking we were past this by now. But I knew that Shun would never be able to truly leave his old home behind. It would always haunt him in his thoughts. Thanks to the moonlight, I was able to see a fish swimming around near the surface of the water. When a small bug touched the water next to it, the fish swam back down into the dark depths of the lake.

I didn't know how to help him anymore though. I had told him all I could, but none of it seemed to have helped him come to terms with what was happening. There was nothing else I could do. It was up to him to put away the demons that were plaguing him. But I couldn't help but think that he would never be able to do that. I hated the thought of him living out the rest of his life, tormented by the dwelled on thoughts of his old home and what had happened to it.

I stared out into the water, and watched the reflection of the moon dance in the ripples and waves. It was so distorted compared to the actual thing in the sky. Like all of us. We may have looked normal and fine, but we were all actually distorted in some way.

Especially now with all of the things happening. The past events only added to the flaws we had. I glanced at Shun. He was still staring off into the distance. There was no telling at what though. "Shun, I've done all I can to try and help you get through this, but it's up to you to get through the rest of it." Shun lowered his head and sighed. "I know. I just don't know if I can."

Doubt. We all had it right now, so it wasn't shocking to find out that Shun did as well. He was as much of a victim to all of this as we were. "I know you can. It may take some time, but you will heal." I leaned over and placed a quick kiss on his cheek and told him, "You can stay out here if you think it will do you some good, but I'm going back to bed."

I got up, brushing the sand off of my clothes, and walked back to the house. Shun wasn't going to get any better if I kept trying to heal him. I needed to be there for support, and that was it. I walked back into the house and returned to my bed. Now, I felt like Shun did; all the thoughts running through my mind.

But they were put to ease when I heard the door open again. I looked up and saw Shun going over to his bed and laying down. He covered himself up with his blankets, and I was able to see his chest starting to slow as he fell asleep. I smiled. Him sleeping meant he was trying to fight through his thoughts. It was a start, but proof that time heals.

i dont want to go to school tomorrow. -.-'' i'd have to deal with the French teacher that i don't like (and for very justifiable reasons) well, read, review, and other things. ~Copperpelt~