Parading through the streets

a new found life

"Helena, pay attention. Stop goofing off. We have to hurry," said my new found friend , the man who brought me to this camp.

After arriving I soon learned his name was Michael but everyone calls him Mikey. I have met many other new people but I'm taking a liking to a particular few who go by Frankie and Ray as well as Michael and Gee.

These are the heads of Camp appointed by our founder, Mother War. They are the ones riding the float. Usually the newly dead is greeted by everyone and a float but my drums weren't heard. That's how we know a newly dead is coming we start hearing drums.

Occasionally we hear the drums but they fade away which is when someone is close to death but then comes back to life. But I was one of the lucky ones whose drums weren't heard. People call me the Gift. I was lucky Michael saw me. When someone's drums aren't heard and they aren't collected then the Wilds come for them. The camp is far enough away that the Wilds don't come near it.

"Helena! What did I tell you!" Mikey yells to me.

"Sorry! I got a bit into my thoughts. I'll be right there," I yell back. We are about to go collect a newly dead. Gee heard drums this morning which mean they could be arriving at any moment.

We hurry to get the float set up. And we are off down the path. Everyone walking either behind or beside the float. The drums get louder and louder and we soon come up on a young girl sitting in the middle of the road. She is sitting with her back to us but is rubbing her head from the fall.

She slowly stands up and turns around. There are tears running down her dirty face with lines from where the tears washed off the dirt. The girl looks no older than seven. She barely had any time to live her life.

I look back at Gee and I never though his face could get more pale than it already was but right now it is.

All I hear him mumble was, "Bandit?"

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a very short update but hopefully I'll be writing more soon