A Heart Unbroken [Book One]

Cutting it Close ~ Louis

Okay, so you're probably wondering how Lilly and I, seventeen-year-old twins, could go from a point in Colorado, to a point in Wyoming, on our own. Well, our father obviously didn't object to the trip, and our mother would never know. I hadn't seen my mother since I was seven; one day she just up and left.

I wasn't too devastated, because she never really loved me or my father. She spent every waking moment with Lilly, keeping her away from me. Lilly's just like our mom, which is probably why we're not close.

But anyway, returning to how we could survive this incredible trek: Lilly had a plan.

She had read every book my father owned about navigation over the past few years, and she mapped out our route, looking at my father's map of past-dwellings. Every time we moved to a new cave, he marked it down, leaving a stash of water and food. The food would no longer be good, but Lilly had also studied every book on "edible vegetation" that she could find, and her memory never faltered. Plus, there were natural springs along the way.

In each of our backpacks we carried a water canteen, as much food as would fit, a compass, and a collection of maps. I knew Lilly added something extra to hers, but she brought it to her room and added it in secret.

When she came out, she looked over the clothes I was wearing. "Those will not survive a trip through the mountains. You need to change them."

"Into...what?"

"Long pants," she replied, "and a long sleeved shirt. Also, fold short pants and a short sleeved shirt up in one of Father's bedrolls."

"But-"

"Yes, it will be hot. But they will protect you from the sun, and thus from dehydration."

"So you're my mom now, telling me what to wear?"

I stared at the empty abyss that is her face. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was shooting daggers at me.

"That is absurd, Louis," was all she said. I frowned.

"You think I'M absurd, don't you?"

"No. You are irrational. Your thinking is absurd. I could never take the place of our mother; it is physically impossible."

"Forget I said anything. When do we leave?"

"I do not forget, I will merely move beyond it. We leave early tomorrow. We must double check our bags before we fall asleep. Keep anything you're carrying next to your backpack. And get a decent night's sleep, if you can. Energy will be good."

~~

"Louis, are you finished? By my calculations, our last cave is only two miles away, but we have only an hour of daylight left."

"We have been walking for three days. 'By your calculations' we've gone thirty miles. How have you not dropped from exhaustion?" I said in frustration. As tired as I was, I still managed to get annoyed at her.

"I have told you to eat more of the Bollo berries. They can give you the natural energy you desire."

"Are there any around here?"

"I will go look. I will be back in fifteen minutes."

I sighed as she walked away. The only thing that kept me from collapsing was the thought that I would see Hanan tomorrow. I hadn't seen him since moved into the mountains. He was my best friend as a kid, and he was really there for me when Lilly wasn't. I couldn't wait to see him, to be able to relive better times.

Crunching leaves behind me drew my thoughts back to the present. I slowly turned around, even though it hurt every part of my body to do so. A mountain lion was advancing towards me stealthily, every move of his limbs exaggerated. He seemed to taunt me with his eyes, telling me he knew a secret that he was dying to share. His mouth was covered in blood.