Don't Move

RUN!

Claudia carries her child in a blanket as I limp around with my broken leg. Tyler takes nothing as do most of us as we make our way in the dead of night.

"What happened to your siblings?" I ask Tyler and he avoids my question as we continue walking through the debris.

"They got killed," Tyler says and Claudia looks at him with pain in her eyes. "By?" I ask seriously. "I just tell myself that," Tyler says honestly, "so I don't go crazy looking for them all. My mother, father, brothers and sisters. They are gone and if I find them, that's fine but if I don't, they are dead." I nod in understanding, "We don't have time to mourn. My parents, my brother and you. I never got to mourn your loss. I was hiding and saving others along the way that I did not get the chance."

Claudia nods, "Yeah that's how it is." "Did you lose anyone?" I ask and she nods. "I know they are gone because this place killed them all when they worked here as servants," she says honestly, "I never stepped out of line for that reason until now."

Soon, the young child, known as Leto, is walking alongside her mother but then gunshots ensue.

Not long later, we run as fast as we can but are surrounded.

Tyler stands in front while Claudia and I protect Leto from the back.

"Well," the leader says seriously, "it seems you haven't learnt your lesson Claudia and Deer, or should I say Tyler. The name Deer was an honor bestowed on you by us for your hard work and sacrifice." "No," Tyler says seriously, "it was a reminder to not step out of line even if I got freedom."

The leader nods, "I guess your siblings' lives mean nothing to you so I will just have to take that little girl's life to teach you yet another lesson."

Tyler stiffens. "What?" the leader says smugly, "did you think I didn't know? It's literally written on her forehead. There is no one else in this whole place that it could possibly be."

Claudia steps in front of Tyler and I try to stop her but she shakes her head and looks at Leto. I know what she means. She has left me with the decision. Let her die or her daughter die. It is an unfair choice.

I sigh and continue to protect the little six-year-old girl.

"My only question is why you brought this new slave along," the leader says but Tyler avoids his gaze and tries to protect Claudia but she doesn't let him.

"Kill me," Claudia says seriously and the leader smirks.

I just hear a gunshot and she drops.

Tyler doesn't flinch and neither can I.

I pick up Leto hurriedly and try to make a run for it but I get caught by the same man that rescued me and Ace.

A gun to my head. Tyler and the leader trailing behind.

Tears fill my eyes but I try not to cry as Leto huddles into my arms.

"So," the leader says evilly, "let us just finish this by going home peacefully or you can just all die here."

Tyler grabs Leto and me. He starts to run while carrying us both.

Later, we see Claudia trailing behind.

"I need to tell you something," Claudia says, "Tyler really..likes you but...he does not...like me atleast...not as much...but I nee-eed you to...promise...to take care of them both...I see how...he looks at you...and he really loves you....he would not die for me...but for you and my daughter...he would do anything."

I nod and say, "I promise but I don't like him that way and there's no time to think about such things." She nods and kisses Leto goodbye as Tyler watches on with pain in his eyes.

"I know he loves you, Claudia," I say sincerely and she shakes her head. "It's the one thing he could never say to me," she says honestly, "...and he...always talked...about you and...some meadow."

Slowly, she fades away into the darkness and her life is gone. Tears fall from my and Leto's eyes as we walk away in the early morning hours towards safety.

Meadow's name rings in the air as I remember her frail form and her beautiful gaze. I stare at Leto and pull her into a hug as tears fall from both of our eyes. Tyler watches with sadness in his eyes and a heaviness takes over.

"Let's go," Tyler says seriously, "we have to leave otherwise they will find us." I nod, "But what about Ace?" "We cannot save everyone," Tyler says seriously. I nod, "But he was my responsibility. His brother died protecting him from something we may never understand and we might have just done the opposite of what he wanted."

Tyler sighs, "Let's go ahead until we find a spot for you and Leto to hide then I will go back to save him."

I look at Tyler and then at Leto.

"You can't do that," I say seriously, "Leto needs her father since she lost her mother and Ace was my responsibility so I have to go get him."

Tyler looks at me with pain in his eyes and says, "Why can't you just let it be?" "We don't know what that man wants with Ace," I say seriously. "But," Tyler sighs and says, "you just don't understand." "How am I going to explain to his sister and brother that I let him go to a random man?" I ask him but silence ensues.

Leto looks between me and Tyler as we argue over Ace.

"He will probably train him to take over his area," Leto says and we both look at her. "Why?" we both ask. "He does not have any heirs and he kept talking about his good-for-nothing brother with four children," Leto says innocently. I nod and look at Tyler, "Do you really want Ace to become like that man?"

"I am not giving you a choice," Tyler says seriously, "I will carry you before you go to your death. You can't even run." I sigh and roll my eyes as I start walking towards the camp to get Ace.

Tyler grabs my arm and drags me along with him while Leto follows me.

"This is not fair Tyler!" I shout and he puts his free hand over my mouth. "You want to die don't you?" Tyler says with annoyance. Leto looks at the both of us with a smile on her face.

"If it was Leto," I say seriously and his face pales, "you would save her. If it was Meadow...." He lets go of me and I fall to the ground.

Tyler picks up Leto and starts walking with her towards the opposite of the camp.

I sigh and follow him begrudgingly as I realise he is right. Also, it is highly unlikely that I will ever see my sister or those kids ever again.

Soon, the night turned into day and our trip turned more dangerous.

Leto looks at me over Tyler's shoulder and whispers, "Who is Meadow?" Tyler sighs and Leto tenses.

"My niece," I say honestly, "she died during a storm but I never told your dad the truth about her as to why she was so precious to me." "Why was she precious?" Leto asks kindly. "I was seven when she was born and my sister was 8 but we still got along at the time. That day, it was the day my real parents died," I say honestly and Tyler tenses. Leto looks at me for more.

"She was the thing that saved me because my mum and my dad died on the way home in an accident. Heidi and I were taken to a foster home that became our forever home. Heidi was no longer the same person and I had a new adoptive brother that was not this family's biological son either but he was 16 when I came. Life was just not the way it was before so I had Meadow as a distraction, "I say honestly and Tyler turns around to look at me.

"Why didn't you tell me about that?" Tyler asks with sadness in his eyes. "Because it would have hurt you more and because I was trying to get used to life in this new dynamic with a family I was struggling to accept. Having something to look forward to in the new family brought me peace," I say honestly and he sighs.

"Well," Tyler says honestly, "I am glad you never told me about that but now that you did it explains why you are the way you are today." I nod and smile at him as we make our way in the broad daylight.

As the sun continues to rise, the deserted environment clearly shows destruction and it becomes evident that everything is getting much worse.