Leave Me Alone

Bonds

"I... I'm okay now..." the girl said after a long moment. She sat up and brushed herself off and looked at Caleb. She had black hair and brown eyes and fair skin. "T-thank you." she whispered.

Caleb forced a smile, "You're okay at least." When awkward silence threatened to come down with a mighty hammer, he tried to think of something to say, but the girl was faster.

"What's your name?" she asked a bit shakily.

Relieved, Caleb replied, "Caleb Ainsley. What's yours?"

The girl smiled weakly, "It's... Loralei Tristan, nice to erm... meet you."

Caleb scratched the back of his neck shyly, "Thanks umm, you too."

Silence fell over them as they sat there, but this time, Caleb thought of something to say. He was proud of himself, since this was the first time he could remember successfully continuing a conversation, "Do... do you know where everyone went? Why they disappeared?"

Laralei shook her head and clasped her hands together, "I don't... But I'm glad I'm not alone anymore..."

Caleb nodded slowly, "How... how long were you stuck there?"

She shrugged sadly, "I don't know... one moment I was sleeping, the next moment I was stuck under there for what felt like days. I think it was at least a few days... my dad said he was gonna fix the roof and-"

Laralei put her hands slowly up to her face, "Oh my god... they... they're gone? Aren't they?"

Ah yes... family. Caleb just sat there silently, watching. He felt awkward as she started crying. He didn't know what to do. This was why he never made good friends with girls. They were always so emotional...

"I guess it's just us then..." he said in a quiet voice, trying to ignore the fact she was crying. Maybe if he ignored it, she'd stop.

It definitely worked a little, because she looked up at him a bit exasperatedly, "Didn't you... have a family?"