There by Denise Grover Swank

Author:Denise Grover Swank [Swank, Denise Grover]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fantasy, Young Adult, cookie429, Extratorrents, Kat
ISBN: 148125619X
Amazon: B00AR6AEBC
Goodreads: 13570258
Publisher: Bramagioia Enterprises
Published: 2012-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

I’ve slept in the same clothes for three days. I know that I stink—Jo has told me so multiple times—and my hair is a greasy mess. I can’t remember the last time I last took a shower. Still, I haven’t been this happy in days.

We’ve found a tree.

Not the dead, toppled stumps that litter most of the Midwest and Rocky Mountains. This is a real pine tree with green needles.

The four of us stand around it like Charlie Brown and his supposed friends gathered around his pathetic Christmas tree, but this thing is real. Jo reaches out a hand and slides her thumb and index finger over the needles. “I’ve never seen a live one.”

“I was fascinated by them in Julia’s world,” Evan says. “The trees had leaves and many of them were going through chloroform loss and changing colors. It was amazing.”

I realize what a sad world they live in, to go their entire life never seeing a tree. It’s only one of so many things wrong with their world.

“Now what?” I ask. “This is a good sign, but how close are we to the rebel compound?”

Jo picks off a pine needle and holds it in her hand. “If our information is correct, we could reach it tomorrow.” What she doesn’t add is if we had enough ethanol.

Evan looks around. “Maybe we should camp here tonight and then start out again in the morning. We can spend the evening working out a plan for how to approach the compound.”

The jeep is running on ethanol fumes, and Evan is buying time to figure out what to do. We were lucky to run across a town yesterday, but could get only enough fuel to fill up our tank and not our spare containers. We may have to walk, which is how most people make this trek. Only, my ankle still isn’t healed.

“Good idea.” Reece mumbles. “Let’s get mauled by a bear.”

“Look around you, Reece.” Evan grins. “If there were a bear out here, he’d be waiting to maul you under this tree.”

“I’m going to investigate the area.” Reece gets a gun out of the back of the jeep and heads off into the dead forest.

Jo laughs then heads to the vehicle to get our supplies. I start to follow when Evan calls, “Julia. Wait.”

I wait for him to approach, stuffing my hands into my pockets. We may have found a tree, but the weather is still frigid.

He pulls my hand out of my pocket and places something in my palm. I open it to reveal a small cloth-wrapped square.

“What is it?” My mouth drops and I look up at him in surprise.

“It’s a present. Happy Birthday.”

“It’s November second?” It’s my birthday, and I didn’t even know it. I lost track of the date days ago.

He smiles. “Yeah.”

I carefully unwrap the faded blue fabric. Inside is a silver chain necklace with an apple charm. “Evan, when did you get this? It’s beautiful.”

“Yesterday. At the store where we bought the ethanol and food.

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