Part 2 (2/2)

I grabbed a piece of paper from the entertainment cabinet and quickly scrawled a note.

Dad & Mom, I've learned about a better place. I don't know if you'll ever read this, but if you do, don't worry about me. I'm fine and living fully. I'm not alone either. I found a friend. So don't worry, and maybe someday, we'll find each other again. I know we will.

I love you forever, Your Sweet Little Elle ”I'll take that as a 'yes'.” Tex looked down at my letter. I placed it on my bed, beside Teffy. I didn't even want to think about having to abandon him, but it was time to leave childish things behind.

”Fill up the rest of the water bottles,” I ordered. ”I'll stick as much food as I can in my backpack, along with the obvious necessities.”

I refilled my first aid kit with creams, ointments, bandages, needles, thread, and alcohol wipes. I stuffed it into the small front pocket of my pack. I packed my tampons and a few changes of underwear. I wanted to bring a brush, but that would have taken up the s.p.a.ce of a perfectly good, life-saving water bottle. Each side pocket had a bottle, and the smallest front pocket had the rest of my batteries, lighters, matches, and my single candle. In the main pocket were seven more bottles, most of my dehydrated food, and the canned foods that I had emptied into plastic baggies to allow for more room and less weight. I stuffed what else I could into Tex's bag. I put on my last clean pair of thick socks that came up to my knees. My brown leather knee-high boots were tied securely around my ankles and calves. I made Tex turn around a put on a black sports bra. Over that was a loose, brown half-s.h.i.+rt. I stuffed a pack of gum into the pocket of my corduroy shorts and then buckled my makes.h.i.+ft utility belt around my hips. It had the flashlight and knife already in place. A metal canteen was hanging from my left hip. I had almost forgotten the tiny, wallet-sized portrait of my mom and dad. I tucked it safely away in my pack.

”Ready?” Tex secured his backpack around his shoulders. It looked heavy, especially since the axe was attached to the back of it.

I nodded and took one last look around the bunker I had called home for so many years. I said a silent goodbye and took the time for one last look at my parents' bed, Teffy, and the note I left beside him. I wiped my eyes and followed Tex up the ladder, not looking back.

Chapter 5.

[ Tex ]

It was quiet and I hated the silence. Silence meant that I'd start to think about things that I didn't want to remember. Even though it happened over four years ago, it still felt raw, like a fresh wound that would never scab over. The way Elle held on to her stuffed bear reminded me of my little girl. She would be eight now and would have been smart like her mother. She had her mom's eyes and hair, but my nose and sense of humor. It was so easy for me to make her laugh, but even simpler for her to crack me up.

I closed my eyes tightly and balled my hands into fists. Desperate for a distraction, I pulled my map out even though I had looked at it only minutes ago. I surveyed the surroundings, deciding that we only had about four more miles to go and two hours to make it there in. Blondie and I had drained a single water bottle each since we left, trying to be as conservative as possible.

We were walking side by side, but with enough s.p.a.ce between us so the kid could have her own bubble. It was sort of comical walking beside her, with me being so tall and her being so short. She barely reached my sternum, but it didn't seem to affect her. I was sure she had come to terms with being a munchkin years ago, I inwardly snorted.

There was no rush since we had plenty of time to make our destination, but I was sure she was on the same page as I was: we just wanted to get to the safepoint and sleep.

We were enclosed by darkness with only the moon and our flashlights to guide us. It was bright enough to see the outline of the mountains and hills which helped immensely in following the map. For once, the b.i.t.c.h of a sun was good for something, even though I would never admit it out loud. The temperature was, as always, uncomfortably high. I was sweating profusely and the dirt we would kick up while walking was layering itself on my skin. Blondie didn't look like much a of prom queen herself, with her hair going every which way and dust smudged on every inch of her body-not that I was looking. There was no one to impress anyway. I covered my dead eye, suddenly feeling insecure about it.

I was kicking a stone with the toe of my boot, entertaining myself, when I noticed our next landmark: four, gently sloping hills with a pathway between each two. I informed the girl and we were on our way again.

I heard crackling and looked over to see her opening a bag of chips. By the smell of it, I could tell it was barbecue and it made saliva pool in my mouth. Without having to ask, she offered me some. I willingly obliged and took a handful. I realized that she was probably warming up to me, which, since we were to be making this trek together, should have been a good thing. To be honest though, I didn't want her to warm up to me. It would only lead to complications. I didn't want Eden to be complicated.

Chomping on the stale chips, I imagined Eden. To be called that, it must be something spectacular, or maybe it was just a code name for somewhere to start anew. Maybe it was something similar to Blondie's bunker except exponentially larger. I prayed it was green. I wanted fruit trees and vegetable gardens. I needed fast-moving streams and fish-inhabited ponds. Somewhere cool and damp, for once, was all I could ever ask for. For that to be my Eden would be an answer to all my prayers-if I ever decided to send one up to G.o.d, that is. There was only one way to find out, but I knew it was a pipe dream just like Blondie's dream of her parents coming back some day. Nothing like that could survive in this climate. I wondered what the chick beside me thought of it.

”Hey, Kid,” I said as we finally made our way out from between the hills.

”Elle.” She spoke as if she was talking to a child.

”So, Blondie, what do you think this Eden will look like?” I ignored her and plastered my face with a toothy grin.

”You mean you don't know?” She emphasized don't a little too much.

”Just answer my question,” I finished off the last chip.

”I just imagine it in the biblical sense,” she shrugged. ”Earth, natural, lots and lots of trees. Maybe a devious snake.”

”I hope you're right sans the snake.” I sighed and ran my hand over my hair, feeling sweat build up in my palm.

”You do that a lot.” She pointed out.

”Do what?”

”Run your hand over your head. Is it a nervous tick or something?”

”More like an anxiety tick.”

”Is there such a thing?” She narrowed her eyes. Was she being playful?

”There is now. I suppose if there was ever a time to create words and phrases it would be now.”

She laughed and so did I. It felt good, like some sort of weight was lifted off my chest-almost freeing. We continued to walk for quite some time in silence until it was broken by her.

”Hey, Tex?” I watched her comb her fingers through her hair. It looked white under the moonlight. She separated it in three even parts and began to braid it, starting at the crown of her head and ending at her waist. She fastened it with a loose elastic hair tie that looked like it had been stretched too many times. It was a French braid. I knew that because my wife used to do that with our little girl's hair.

”Hmm?”

”Do you know what day it is today?”

Her question surprised me. It was random.

”No, but I think it's February.”

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