Crash Landing

untying

*Mae*

"Mama? Mama, where are you?"

Smoke encompassed my vision, obscuring my view from trying to find my mother through the haziness of the fuel filled air that circled around my younger sister who I was currently holding in my arms as I spun around in a circle.

People were moving around us, screams of terror, fear and panic swarming throughout the sea of crowds.

I was lost in this maze of people and I couldn't quite remember where we were, only that Mama had left us here to grab some essentials at a nearby convenience store.

But the stores were all raided, picked through as locals and travellers alike were scrounging around for anything they could get their hands on as the prepper types had already taken stock of any and all of the necessities to survive our everyday lives.

I couldn't remember the last time we had water that wasn't boiled over a stovetop oven that we couldn't afford anymore but we still needed it, especially since it was one of the few things we still used to have decent meals every now and then.

Couldn't remember the last time I ate noodles that weren't completely crunchy or had a bad aftertaste since we were having to make them stretch for weeks on end at times.

Heck, the last time I had a decent meal was the last time I had a decent shower that didn't consist of the outdoor shower which was basically a bucket filled with cold creek water that may or may not have been sterilized as I could never tell with how murky it was.

"Mama?"

I shouted out for our mother as I could feel my panic begin to arise, why couldn't I seem to find her?

She didn't just disappear on us, did she?

No, I thought as I forced myself to steel my thoughts against anxiety induced reckless wandering of the mind.

Mama wouldn't just disappear and abandon her children like that.

She just wasn't that kind of person, that type of mother.

She loved us more than anything else, that much I was aware of.

She wouldn't just leave us like that, it wasn't who she was which is why I was suddenly deeply concerned for Lettie's and my own safety.

Because if Mama disappeared, if something came after her….Would it be targeting us soon as well?

Or were we already within its sights?

Gulping as I tried to push those negative thoughts away, I tightened my grip around Lettie as I scurried over to a half dilapidated house, crouching down as I shielded my baby sister from the damaging harm from other anxious and hysterical passer-bys that could soon ensue if Mama didn't find us quickly.

Collette made a noise of fright, of fear as she whimpered and clung tighter to my body.

My heart started to crack in two as I shushed her the best I could, smoothing my hands over her sweat-dampened red locks as I tried to comfort her.

"Shh, it's all okay. It's okay, Mama will be here soon."

I reassured her even as I didn't believe the words myself but I had to instill hope in us.

Because hope could survive anything.

It could outlive famine and danger.

Poverty and terror.