The End

Chapter Ten

"Wake up."
Although I hadn't been asleep, I had been very relaxed all night. I just closed my eyes, listening to the rushing water and the crickets.
I opened my eyes to Ash sitting next to me.
"Good morning beautiful." He smiled leaning down and placing a soft kiss on my lips.
"We are leaving soon, we only have a few things left to pack." He added before exiting the tent.
I stood up following him out of the tent into the warm misty morning. Sunlight seeped through the fog sending beams of sunlight onto the busy camp.
Catherine approached me handing me a crate, "Your aunt asked me to give you this." I smiled taking it before she rushed away.
I sighed, it was nice to settle down while we had the chance. I set the crate down next to the tent making my way back inside. Now that we had stopped running, even for just a day, just the thought of running again exhausted me.
My uncle entered the tent making his way over to me, "We have to take the tent down, it's the last thing we do before we leave."
I nodded, "How long is the journey?"
"A week at most. Once we settle down we will be there for another week before we move again." He answered.
I nodded again allowing a small smile.
We took down the tents and packed up the rest of our things into a wagon.
I stood with Catherine, Ash, Jackson, and Maggie while my aunt and uncle went over the list.
"Did you grab the extra blankets? We are gonna need those now." My aunt asked.
"Yes dear they were the first thing I grabbed."
I smiled at them turning back to Jacksons conversation about personal space while sitting on the wagon.
"Who said you get to sit on the wagon maybe I wanted to." Catherine pouted jokingly.
Suddenly the air shifted and gunshot rang out though the camp. Everyone went dead silent.
We waited for a second fear slowly creeping up. "Maybe it was a misfi..." Ash was cut off but the reign of gunfire that filled the camp. People dropped to the ground while others fled in terror.
I looked around in a frenzy trying to figure out what the hell was happening.
"Lydia! Come on we have to go now!" Ash called. I searched for my aunt and uncle my eyes finally settling on them. My uncle help my aunts body in his arms, a blank look on his face. He sunk to the ground in defeat as terrorists entered the camp and I ducked behind the wagon before rolling underneath it. The terrorists passed and I rolled back out running for the edge of camp.
"Lydia!" My head snapped in the direction of the sound of my name. Ash beckoned to me from next to a wagon of people. Maggie, Catherine, and Jackson were already inside and it looked as if there was little room left.
I ran for them making it just as a mother and daughter did too. There wasn't enough room for all of us, I knew that.
"Go." I told them stepping back. She nodded in thanks before hoisting her daughter up into the wagging and jumping in herself.
The wagon took off and as I watched it leave I knew I was watching my last bit of hope leave as well. I turned to Ash who looked at me sadly.
"We are gonna make it." He quietly reassured me.
I nodded taking his hand and gripping it tightly as if he would simply drift away.
"Over there, it's them!" Someone yelled and we both took off running. There had to be a place we could hide, but where?
The terrorists all approached from a distance pushing us to the back of the camp.
I turned slightly looking back over my shoulder. Suddenly I tripped over something losing my balance and falling. I frowned looking over at what I had tripped on.
Sadness flooded me as I stared into the cold clear dead blue eyes of a little boy. Ash's arm wrapped around my shoulder painfully pulling me back up to my feet.
"Ash." I whimpered.
"I know Lydia. But there is nothing we could have done. We need to move now." He urged. I took a breath trying to allow the air back into my lungs as we ran but it hurt.
By now the gunfire had stopped but they were hot on our trail. After running for a few minutes longer we were stopped.
I stared down the rushing waterfall. The water that had once looked clear and beautiful now looked cold and dead, like the little boys eyes.
"What now? We can't jump." I yelled over the rush of the falls.
"I know. Just stay behind me." Ash answered pulling me behind him. The terrorists approached conversing in another language.
Ash gripped my arm tighter making me wince in pain. Suddenly someone ordered them to stop.
They stopped in their tracks. Even though their guns were still held high they did not shoot.
An older man stepped forward taking in the scene in front of him.
"So you are the ones who took out seven of my men. Where are your friends?" He asked.
"Dead." I said and it wasn't a complete lie.
"What a shame." He answered smiling. Anger and hate surged through my veins making my heart beat faster.
"Why don't you just shoot us too!" Ash yelled releasing my hand and stepping forward causing me to lose my balance.
The man answered something but I couldn't hear it. I tried to get a foothold but the rocks were slippery from the water and the fog and I fell sliding backwards toward the falls.
I screamed grabbing at the rocks to stop myself. I finally got a grip right before falling.
I looked up at Ash who had turned at the sound of my scream. The man said something else which I couldn't make out over the rush of the falls before laughing and waving his hand. All and once his army cocked their guns firing at Ash. His body twisted before falling to the ground.
I gasped trying to scream, it felt as if my heart had been ripped in two. Tears blurred my vision and I couldn't breathe. The man looked me dead in the eye nodding his head and turning the other way.
Although it was hard to hear I very faintly heard him say, 'Leave her, she is already dead.'
I watched them walk away disappearing into the fog. I grabbed at the other rocks trying to get a grip to pull myself up.
Finally I found the perfect rock, I grabbed onto it pulling all my weight up on it.
The rock came lose and I lost my grip falling backwards over the edge of the falls.
Panic filled me as I fell, this couldn't be it, but the sharp rocks were getting closer and closer until my body hit them and my world was plummeted into darkness.

********

I sat up in bed trying to catch my breath. What the hell just happened. A cold sweat covered my forehead and I was shaking.
I looked at the clock 6:36AM wonderful.
I slipped out of bed glad I hadn't woken Ash who was still sound asleep in bed next to me. What a horrible dream, it had felt so real. Relief filled me as I walked out of my room into the hallway of my not so burnt to a crisp house.
I turned the kitchen sink faucet on getting a glass from the cupboard and filling it up.
"You couldn't sleep either?" I jumped turning to see Dylan sitting in the living room alone.
"Bad dream." I answered.
I walked back upstairs slipping back into bed next to Ash.
As soon as I was in the bed as if by instinct he turned over wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into his chest.
I smiled closing my eyes and falling back sleep.

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