"This is a good location," Cade announced.
I threw the small bag on the ground and then slipped. Our main food source has disappeared with Aiden, and I'm not even sure if he still has it. However, when I recalled that before we left the tree house, I put the pitiful food into Cade's duffel bag with guns, my stomach gurgled eagerly. It seems more wise to spread the food and water between us, and I am very relieved. I was starving to death, but I was about to faint before I had time to eat. I wanted to take off my sports shoes, but in the end I decided not to take them off. I don't want to see that I know my feet have made a mess, and I don't want to be barefoot unknowingly.
Cade was digging the bag when I was lying on the ground and fainting with my head in my hand.
When I woke up again, it was already noon. Cade was the only person who was awake, and I began to suspect that he was not asleep at all, it was not just a bit scary. Does he have any weaknesses
I yawned and stretched as I stood up. When Cade looked at me, his eyes were blindfolded. He might not be asleep, but it was obvious that he had to rest. Dark circles appeared under his eyes, bags under his eyes began to form, and bloodshot.
His bronze skin was paler than usual, and the air at the corners of his mouth made him look painful. When I looked at him, anxiety filled me, lack of sleep or hunger began to affect him. Or his wounds started to be infected with some strange alien parasites.
"You should rest." I try to maintain a pleasant tone, but anxiety and tension are obvious in my tone.
"Not tired."
"fraud"
Smiling with his plump mouth, he put his arms on his knees and looked at me. "You must eat."
I nodded. "I know, it's time for you to sleep."
His fingers were idly playing with a stick. "I have about an hour."
This is more than I thought, and I know this is the only thing he is willing to give now. I took a peanut butter cookie from the bag. I should probably eat more, but I don't know how long it will take us to meet other people. I have to make sure that Abby has enough food. I can go hungry, but she won't. My stomach grumbled biscuits, trying to trick my stomach into thinking that it got more than it actually did.
I watched Abby sleep, she looked so peaceful and content. It's hard to believe that every waking moment in her life has turned into such a continuous battle, and it will continue to be so from now on. My thoughts were so ingrained that I didn't realize that I was on my last cookie until it disappeared. I wiped my legs with both hands, trying to ignore the feeling of hunger in my stomach. I leaned my knees on my chest and hugged them with my hands.
"We must leave right away," Cade said.
I nodded in agreement, squeezing my fingers, resisting the urge to get more food out of the bag. I am eager to move again, eager to go to the gas station, eager to do something more. Now that I woke up again, I felt that it was easy to get hurt outside, and it was easy to get hurt here. A faint rustle drew my attention back to Cade, who was digging in the bag. I closed my eyes, turned and left him.
"Bethany." When I opened my eyes, Cade knelt before me. He took a granola bar, an apple and a bottle of water and handed it to me. When my eyes turned to Abby's sleeping body, I shook my head. "We all eat early, you should eat more."
"I'm very good."
"If we are careful, it will last a few days. Hopefully, by then, we can find more food or rejoin the ranks of others."
"What if we don't?"
"By then, we will cross that bridge." I glanced at him angrily, not as amused by his words as he was. He grinned at me, his eyes full of joy. "If you don't have the strength to do this, you can't guarantee her safety."
I could have continued to protest, but his reasonable reasoning and the rumbling in my stomach were my fatal wounds. When I took the food from him, I smiled gratefully. While stretching his body, he stood up and studied the forest. "I'm going to see that place and see if I can find the best route." My gaze shè to him, I paused, and put the apple to my mouth. "I won't be long, but now you wake up..."
His voice became smaller. All I can do is stare at him. Finally, I swallowed heavily and nodded reluctantly. We will be fine, and he will be fine, but I can't stop the fragility that permeates my heart. "Of course. Okay, I will watch. Be safe."
He showed his charming, almost heart-stopping smile. "forever."
When he disappeared from the woods, my heart was full of anxiety. He will be fine, I kept telling myself while eating food and drinking water. It is warm, but it still relieves my cravings. I stood up and walked a little farther. When two squirrels eagerly jumped between the branches, I stared at the branches. When I watched them jumping and playing, I laughed. This is a very common thing that happens every day, but now it means a lot to me. While enjoying this moment, I took a deep breath; I was relieved to see the wild animals return.
When I looked back, I was surprised to find that Cade had returned. He was so concealed that I did not hear or feel his approach. In about an hour after he left, he seemed to regain some strength. His face recovered, and his mouth was not so tight. Maybe I just imagined that he was enveloped in fatigue and tension before. After all, I just woke up and I haven't been fully awake yet. I don't think so, but no matter what he found when he left, it must have injected new vitality into him.
His expression is usually tough and composed, but when he looks at me, it's not like that at all. Now it relaxes, with a desire that makes me breathless and trembling. I don't understand why a look in his eyes can have such a profound effect on me, but it is true. I found it was enough to make me feel almost back to normal. His smile is so beautiful and warm, I can't help but smile.
When Abby started to move, my attention shifted away from him. She groaned and stretched her arms and back. I sighed helplessly, not looking forward to our next journey at all, but I knew we had to go. Abby sat up, Cade strode over, and began to shake Jenna up.
We climbed to the top of the mountain with difficulty. Although I have done a lot of physical activity recently, I was still out of breath, and when we reached the top of the mountain, my legs were shaking. When the hillside sloped sharply toward the road, I stood up and looked down at the hillside. I struggled to breathe through my mouth. But it doesn't work. The smell of garbage and rotting is disgusting and cannot escape under the hot sun. Heat waves and methane float into the air, distorting the air in front of us.
None of us are eager to cross the dump to reach the highway; unfortunately, this seems to be the safest option, and we can move on throughout the day without having to stop. The stench of garbage can mask our smell, and if they happen to follow us through the smell, it will be difficult to track us. There are many places to hide in the mountains of garbage.
I used to think I was dirty and smelly, which is nothing compared to now. Not to mention the scary bugs we found in the piles of garbage. All the food in my stomach is now finished. I continue to retching, but I have nothing to lose. Abby has been crying softly, but now she is surprisingly silent. We are not so lucky for Jenna. From the moment we climbed over the fence and entered the garbage dump, she has not stopped complaining.
"I want to go home. I can't... I can't. I just want to go home."
"You have to tell Jenna. There is no home to go back," Cade said, not the first time.
I want to yell at her. I also want to collapse, begging to go home. I wanted to escape from the garbage dump, rush out of the garbage dump, and breathe in fresh air again, but I didn't. Although I am pretty sure I will never remove the stench from my body, or the slimy, creepy, creepy sensation of bugs crawling around on my body. As my eyes moved along this huge mound, I shuddered.
At least from here it is downhill.
Jenna cried again. "My parents," she whimpered. I turned my attention away from the endless rubbish. This was the first time she mentioned them in a while. Her voice was full of sadness, and her thin body was full of pain. Sadness tore my heart and my throat was burned by tears. "They may be dead."
We also lost our mother, but Abby, Aiden, I have experienced this kind of loss before. This did not make our loss easier, but we were better prepared to face it than Jenna or Brett. Now, Jenna's shock at the whole situation gradually disappeared, and she began to collapse in a lot of nonsense. She began to accept reality, and her grief threatened to devour her. Unfortunately, her collapse threatened all of our lives.
"Hush Jenna, hush, it's all right now," Cade comforted.
"That won't work!" she wailed loudly. "Never get better again!"
I believe Cade did not quarrel with Jenna. He didn't try to lie to her, telling her that everything would be fine. Instead, he continued to calm her down as we wade through the sucking, piling up, and rotting mess under our feet. Abby walked towards me and reached into my hand. Jenna was crying, her head buried in Cade's chest, and they walked forward. He seemed satisfied with this fact, as if he wanted to drink lemon juice, but he didn't push her away. (To be continued) (End of this chapter)