Waterfall by Amber Garr

Author:Amber Garr [Garr, Amber]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mystical Muse Publishing
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Hunter’s parents had died several months ago. Just like Zach and mine. Or, soon to be me. I knew my mom wouldn’t be alive much longer and that’s why I walked back to camp with heavy feet and a slow gait.

I didn’t want to see what was waiting for me.

“You okay?” Zach asked just before we reached the hill overlooking our temporary home.

I shrugged, unable to speak for fear of losing it in front of him. Zach grabbed my hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

“You should go be with her,” he whispered. “She shouldn’t be alone.”

He was right. She shouldn’t have to die alone. No one should. Although in the world we now lived in, too many people faced that fate.

“What’s going on?’ Hunter asked us.

“Nothing,” I said with a forced smile. “Our camp’s just right over there.” As Zach led us forward, Hunter wrapped his tiny hand around mine. Surprised, I glanced down to see him looking out ahead; ready to take on whatever faced him next. If only I could have that kind of hope.

As our feet crunched over the dead leaves and rotten sticks, we started to hear a chorus of shouts and profanities. Sharing a quick look between us, Zach and I picked up the pace and jogged to the edge of the embankment that would lead us home. There, amidst the trees and sick bodies, our once cohesive group stood divided. With Sasha in the middle, shouting back and forth to those that had circled her, it appeared that the tempers boiling at the surface for weeks had finally exploded.

“We can’t risk it!” A man shouted as the three of us scrambled down the hill. His name was Jonathon and he constantly challenged Sasha’s authority. Older than our parents, he already had about half our group standing on his side in support. With graying hair and a formidable height, he towered over Sasha. “How many more have to die before you get it through your thick skull? Raiding a government facility will only get us killed!”

“We need the medicine,” Sasha yelled back. “Look around, Jonathon. It’s spreading.”

At her words, my attention focused on the bodies lying on the ground behind everyone. My mom was the sickest, but two others had fallen ill within the past day. My heart clenched a little when I saw Josh kneeling next to my mom and coughing every few minutes. Was he sick too?

“Then we’ll find some place new to live,” he stated.

“And leave them behind?” Sasha spat, pointing at the sick.

“Yes!” The clearing fell eerily silent with Jonathan’s words. “Look, I know that’s not ideal, but it’s the best option we have right now. There’s no cure for them. There’s nothing we can do.”

“I’m not leaving my mother,” I said without thinking. Stepping forward, I pushed Hunter toward Zach and walked right up to Jonathan. He liked to intimidate with his size and his attitude. But today I wouldn’t be intimidated. Not by anyone. “It’s our responsibility to take care of the sick.

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