Bleak Midwinter by Cassandra L. Thompson

Author:Cassandra L. Thompson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781958228135
Publisher: Quill & Crow Publishing House

Two days before, her eyes had been filled with anger as we’d quietly argued into the night about where to go next. Fights had broken out in every surrounding city, which meant only small towns were viable, but Serenity’s mother was still in Chicago.

“We can just swing by and get her,” Serenity had whispered as we made our way through the woods. It was heartbreakingly laughable to think that in the spring, we’d gone camping for fun. We’d talked about a camping trip across America, one last wild adventure before renovating our new and very small house. If only I could pull us back into the past and live there. More and more, I’d entertained the idea of doing that as we walked through forest after forest.

“No, we can’t just ‘swing by’ and get her,” I’d whispered back, laughing nervously in the darkness. “I know she’s your mom, I know, but we can’t risk it right now.”

The sound of light footsteps nearby had stilled ours as we looked for the source. I’d caught a glimpse of a squirrel almost immediately after, but we’d stayed frozen until we were absolutely certain the sound had been the little animal. Far too many times, we’d been too comfortable with the sounds of the forest. We weren’t always alone.

Once we could breathe again, Serenity had gone back to pleading. “It’s my mother. I can’t keep living like this, not knowing if she’s even still alive.”

“No. It’s not worth our lives. Just picture her alive and she will be.”

Serenity had bitten her lower lip the way she always did when she was being stubborn. It always weakened my resolve, and she knew it. “That’s not how reality works and you know it. I need to see her with my own eyes. We could bring her with us.”

“Chicago is overrun right now. Please, can’t we at least wait until things calm down there?”

“When would that be?” She’d quickly pushed her mouth into her coat to muffle her rising voice. She’d sucked in a deep breath before whispering, “Chicago probably won’t ever get better. Who even knows where we’ll be in the spring? What if we’re too far to go check on her then? We need to go now, while we’re still nearby. Then we can go north and try to survive in Canada.”

“No, no, no.” I grabbed her hand. “Please, we can’t go check on her. What if I swear in the summer we’ll come back and check? Let’s go up north, try to find supplies and weapons, then come back in the summer? We can come back in the summer.”

“We have a gun.”

“Two bullets!” I had to cover my own mouth. My God, what an idiot I’d been to raise my voice. “We only have two bullets in this stupid gun and then we’re done. Let’s go get supplies and then try this.”

She had studied my face and seen I was unwilling to change my mind. “Fine, you stay here and I’ll go check on her.

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