The Ascent

Chapter 30

Twenty minutes later, Jasmine slowly opened her eyes, hoping she would be met with the comforting familiarity of her own room. However, she was bitterly disappointed upon noticing she was outside, still a lost soul in a sorrow-plagued world.

"Jasmine," Asher cautiously called out to her. "Are you okay?"

There was fear layering each word he pronounced, making Jasmine recall how she had acted like a lunatic before, how she had completely lost it. She felt embarrassed but refused to apologize for it.

It was alright to fall apart from time to time. What mattered was putting oneself back together and carrying on, surviving. It was like that in everyday life, so why wouldn't it be so even when the world stopped being the familiar place they were used to, whose rules they knew, and whose dangers they could predict?

"I am fine," Jasmine said as calmly as possible. "I guess I just needed some sleep."

The smile blossoming on her face was fake, but the need to wipe away the worry from all the three faces staring at her was real. They had so much to stress about, and she didn't want to add to it by becoming a burden to them. However, she had failed to control her pent-up emotions before, and they burst out as hysterical laughter, which she hoped would never happen again.

She promised herself she would do better next time and quickly got up from the cold ground, ready to keep going.

"Are you sure that you're okay?" Isaac asked, looking at her strangely. "You were acting like a crazy person just a while ago."

"I am fine," Jasmine said resolutely. "It's just that sometimes when faced with a stressful situation, I either laugh or cry too much. But once I let it out, I return to normal again."

She hated that she had to explain herself. Still, their unique situation required it. They needed to know each other's strengths and weaknesses to survive in the cruel outside world. Besides, in the movies, it wasn't always the monsters who got them but their mistrust of each other. Or them not knowing each other well enough to collaborate.

"Are you sure you are ready to go on?" Asher asked, giving her another of those piercing looks that made Jasmine squirm uncomfortably. "We can rest a bit more if that's what you need."

That he was ready to put her needs first made her eyes water. They were in such a precarious situation, and he still chose to respect her and consider her needs. It was something no one had done for her before, not even her parents, and the mixture of emotions filling her heart was almost overwhelming.

It took all her strength to keep the tears of joy at bay and show them all her brave face as there was no way she would risk their lives for her emotional well-being. Besides, the sound could still return, they needed to go as far away as possible, and they could worry about everyone's mental health once they got to the relative safety of the cabin.

"Yes, I'm ready. I really think we should get moving. The sooner we reach the cabin, the better," Jasmine said, glancing at the children.

Her eyes were saying what she knew she shouldn't say aloud when the children were there, listening.

Understanding that she was pointing out that the children's safety should be a priority, Asher gathered them up, and they set off quickly, hoping to reach the cabin or some other safe place before nightfall.

Jasmine focused on the road ahead of her, needing all of her concentration to keep her feet moving one in front of the other as she was more tired than she had ever been in her entire life.

However, Asher didn't have the luxury of disconnecting from everything. She could hear him silently humming to his children or telling ridiculous jokes that no one but the small children would have found funny, and she admired his strength.

It also made her feel like she was being too selfish. She was so focused on herself that she didn't consider the children were terrified. It was clear from how Arman and Ariyana quivered constantly and how Isaac's face became tense. However, as a father, Asher not only noticed but put his fears aside and decided to concentrate on relieving their fright instead of focusing on his pain, tiredness, or anxiety.

"Asher," Jasmine started to say.

"Yes?" Asher said, turning towards her, a smile still on his face from the previous non-funny joke he had told.

"Nothing," Jasmine said, deciding she didn't really know how to help or what to say.

She was usually good with children, but that was in a safe and comfortable environment. How to make them less terrified when she was frightened too was beyond her knowledge, so she decided to observe Asher and learn what to do in the future.

"Do you need us to rest?" Asher asked, gauging her bright red face and sweaty countenance. "We'll be there soon, but if you need us to stop to catch a breath, we can do that."

"No, no, I was just admiring your singing skills, that's all," Jasmine said with a tired smile.

"Daddy is the best singer ever," Ariyana said joyfully, even though her tiny hands still shook whenever there was even the softest sound around them, her eyes darting around in terror.

Still, the warmth and love the little family shared kept her going. The attitude of positivity and adventure that Asher was creating was clearly working. Although it was not perfect, it was enough to keep the children going.

"I can tell," Jasmine said, smiling brightly at the little girl, who, although resilient, was still shaken up by what had happened to her.

That could be seen in how she constantly quivered while clinging to Asher so much that it was sometimes difficult for him to breathe. He even had to ask her to loosen her grip on him. Furthermore, even the birds seemed to scare her as she mistook them for dangerous creatures.

"Dad, I am tired," Arman said, tugging at Asher's arm. "Are we there yet?"

They were standing on a barely noticeable path in a beautiful meadow when he asked that question, the beauty of it all lost on them. Still, the familiar greenery of grass and the fragrance of flowers did give them some comfort, as not everything had changed in the world they knew and loved.

"See that forest?" Asher asked, pointing at the beginning of a grove a few meters before them. "We have to go through it. After that, we'll reach the cabin after maybe ten minutes."

It was hard to say who looked more relieved, the children or Jasmine, but all got an additional energy boost and hurried toward the unfamiliar forest without the usual fear one would have felt. These days the woods felt much safer than most other places because, at least they provided enough room to hide.

The barely noticeable trail overgrown with grass made it clear not many visitors went that way for a long time. As they trudged through, Jasmine prayed they would be the only ones going down this path ever, that the aliens wouldn't be able to find them.

An enormous white rock marked the end of the forest, and a small opening housed a lovely little house that looked nothing like what one would expect upon hearing the word cabin.

It was built out of planks and mud bricks and didn't look like a place to make a final stand against one's enemies. Not a fortress Jasmine was hoping for but more of a peaceful retreat that couldn't withstand any attacks, no matter how weak they might be.

"Is this it?" Jasmine asked, disdain clear in her voice no matter how much she tried to hide it.

"Yes, home sweet home," Asher said, overly enthusiastically for the children's sake.

"Right, home. What was that again?" Jasmine thought as her eyes scanned their surroundings.

It was at least hidden by the trees on all sides, and if one didn't know there was a clearing there, it would have been difficult for them to assume it even existed, let alone find it.

Jasmine quickly shook away all her worries and prejudices and decided that first thing was first.

They needed rest.