Locked Away [10k Z Nation]

22

"I thought you were dead."

We were sitting in a secluded area in their camp. It was outside, but in the middle of a circle of buildings, like a Town Square in an old timey movie. The square was lit with street lamps that glowed dimly, but were still glowing.

The group was sitting a few meters behind us at a small lawn table with chairs. It was funny to see them all sit around a table together, like a family abut to share a wholesome meal.

I was surprised at how developed things were at this camp. Not as developed as that weird prostitute camp, but things were getting there.
They had electricity and houses. This looked like it might have been part of a suburb before the apocalypse.

"I tried to make it back to you." He reassured me, rubbing the stubble on his face. Two years had aged him a lot, the eyes that used to sparkle now we're dim and steely. His face used to only contain laugh lines, but now held many other wrinkles as well.

I still couldn't believe it was my actual dad. This was fake, it had to be. But I remembered the way I had collapsed into him outside of the camp, it felt too familiar to be fake.

This was the same man who abandoned me in the treehouse.

"Maybe he couldn't help it." One part of my brain pointed out.

"Maybe he could." Another shot back fiercely.

My eyes started to brim with tears again. I had cried so much today, and I didn't want to do anymore. I had found my father, but something was different.

"Where's Kailey?" I asked slowly, but I felt like I already knew the answer.

He shook his head slowly, as if reluctant to acknowledge the answer. His eyes fell to the floor and then shot back up to look at me briefly, and I felt my heart clatter to the floor.

My sister was dead.

If my life wasn't already ruined, knowing this particular piece of knowledge utterly destroyed it.
It was like an atomic bomb had been set off in my nervous system.

I slumped down in the chair I had been sitting in and fell at my fathers feet. It was like watching what was happening out of someone else's eyes. I couldn't control anything I did anymore. I didn't want to.

I didn't know what I said, but I sobbed somethings and then felt myself being touched.

"Hey, you're okay..." I heard someone say, and I felt I was being hugged from the back.

"Breathe, breathe..." We were rocking back and forth slowly, so slowly.

I buried my face into the persons chest and cried. I opened my eyes to the familiar sight of faded grey camouflage.

"We need to get her out of here," he told my father

"Hey, one, two, three." I was being lifted up and carried across the lawn. I saw a fuzzy street lamp buzzing over my head.

"How is 10k carrying me, he weighs like eighty pounds." Was the last thing I thought before I blacked out.

"My head freaking hurts." I mumbled as I sat up in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room. But I wasn't alone, a very familiar boy was sitting across from the bed, fast asleep in an armchair.

He was sitting upright, but his head was lolled to the side and his mouth was wide open, I listened intently as I heard his soft snores.