Outcasts, by Kyle

Lightning flashed across the ash filled sky, it seemed to go on forever in this world. The boy lay peacefully sleeping in this foreboding world. His father had died years ago before the war and he had laid in his crib much like he did now unaware of the hardships to come. Every time a child reached 13 they were given the choice whether they were going to stay in the city, or venture out and explore. This child had chosen to explore the world and try to survive. The thing he didn’t know was that almost every explorer had died before him if they didn’t run back first. The days had seemed to slowly creep by while he starved unwilling to try the plants knowing they could be poisonous, and having his rations run out. But as he awoke he heard the almost silent footfall of this newly exiled girl. The boy struggled to get up, the hunger draining all of his last energy. The one thing he did manage to do is get a croak from his dry mouth. The girl startled at hearing this and wondering what had made it, wondered over to his rock. She almost stepped on him, having trouble seeing him through the layer of sand and silt on his face. “What… who are you!” She exclaimed after seeing him. In his rough dry voice he replied “I need water” sounding rather pitiful and weak. She backed up for a minute then her humanity winning over her logic allowed her to give him a sip from her canteen. She had a father who frequently left the city and now knew all there was to know about surviving in this barren oasis because of him. Her skills had allowed her to forage from the plants and knew ways to gather water from bone dry soil. She had decided to stay for the night and help him, there was no harm that it could do. They said nothing after those first words knowing there nothing to say and being content just knowing that there was someone else around. Soon they drifted off into a deep and dreamless sleep not waking till afternoon. She was about to leave when she thought of how nice it was to have someone else around for once, in this filthy, solitary desert. Once she left him she knew she would never find another person to quench the loneliness that this place starved her of. She slowly drifted off into a happy unperturbed sleep.
The boy awoke next to the very girl who had just saved his life, and now seemed peaceful even elegant in a way. He noticed his strength had come back to an extent that pleased him, knowing he had the ability to do something without the constant starvation pains. To his surprise she woke up moments after he did. She startled used to being alone at all hours of the day. She then came to her senses grunting some form of a hello before wandering over to her pack. She checked the pockets thoroughly until she found what she wanted. She pulled out some sort of plant and something that resembled a pocket knife but with a flashlight at the end. She strolled back to the boy who seemed stunned at the fact she had food other than the rations they started out with. She spoke up then and said” here eat this it’s good for you” she handed him a piece of the brown plant. The boy prodded at this newfound sustenance at first, then savoring every bite it was gone. “My name is Tess what about you” asked the girl. the boy thought whether he should tell her for a second then cautiously said”My name is Luke and I never thought I would have to be saved when I left the city” “ Don’t worry It’s better than dying isn’t it plus, if I didn’t have my father to teach me I’d be in the same place as you” Tess added reassuringly before sitting down again. “Anyways” said Luke trying to shrug it off ”you’re going to have to show me how to survive out here and get stuff like that plant.’ So she did over the next months he mastered the skills that she learned. He harvested plants found small crabs hidden in the sand created a packed shelter and more it seemed they would make it as long as they kept moving. They talked about their old lives about the decision to leave the city and what life could have been like if they had stayed. One day they decided to make camp so they setup the small tent and made a fire from her flint. Halfway through the night they heard a meek grumbling faint but loud enough to just barely be audible. Tess looked around wondering what the noise could have been or if it was just her imagination. Then it happened again the muffled noise seemed slightly quieter this time. She woke up Luke so they could go find whatever it was that was making it. The night seemed dreary and blurred from lack of sleep but they soon found the cause of the sound. It was a teenager slightly younger than them with brown hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in a t-shirt with a thin coat, over it they put one of their blankets over him and hauled him to the fire. Luke soon wondered” so will we keep him?” “I don’t know but… we can’t just leave him here I mean I didn’t leave you, and were much more stable now then I was when I brought you in.” Tess said determinedly “ so it’s decided then where keeping him and we can teach him just like you taught me, I mean it’ll be nice to have someone else around no offense” Luke added, so they kept him.
“what where am I who are you” the newly adopted boy murmured only half awake “ you’re safe and taken care of there’s nothing to worry about. Do you want breakfast.” Tess once again said reassuringly treating the boy just like she had treated Luke. But she knew they were both very different…….. Luke just waking up mumbled around for a bit then remembering the new boy got up to observe him. Tess had served him breakfast and made him comfortable she was now up and about setting up a more permanent camp. Luke found it an opportunity to talk to the new boy so he walked over to him and sat down then said “ what’s you’re name” “It’s john, what’s her name.” replied the boy seeming eager to figure things out so Luke soon replied “ She’s Tess we’ve been surviving out here for months how’s the breakfast?” “Um it’s good she just made it for me with this weird plant I’m still starving though if you don’t mind could I have some more” So with that Luke walked over to the sack reached in an outside pocket and took out some more of the delicious plant, which happened to be named sugarcane. He walked back over to john gave him some and slumped over on his hay bed wondering. How could I help him but most importantly what’s gonna change now that he’s here.