CARNATIONS

01 | I Haven't Even Done Anything

THE SUN PEEKING THROUGH the curtains woke Joanna Greene from her deep sleep. She rubbed her eyes and rolled over. The smell of eggs filled her nose. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Breakfast," her oldest sister, Maggie, said through the door.

Joanna groaned. "I'll be down in a few."

The stairs creaked as Joanna walked down them. She noticed everyone was already sat at the table waiting to eat. Well not everyone. Not her mother. Not her brother. Everyday she walks down the stairs hoping that the days before we're just a dream. That her mother and brother were sitting at the table.

When Joanna sat down her father and oldest sister reached for her hands. She gripped both of their hands tightly and bowed her head. As her father prayed over the food, she thought about the people who were sitting at the table and the people who weren't. She thought about the night her brother tried to kill her. He looked at her with these hungry eyes. He tried to eat her. Her dad said it wasn't his fault. Her brother was sick and couldn't help it. She thought about how her mom and brother were in the barn. The place she wasn't allowed to go. She thought about all the other sick people out there. She hoped that they would get better soon.

"Amen," her father said lifting his head. Everyone else followed and started digging in to the meal in front of them.

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JOANNA WALKED AROUND THE farm doing her chores. The government crashed and she was still doing chores. She kind of liked the normal part of chores. It was the only factor of her life that was the same.

As Joanna was walking back from feeding the chickens, her eyes wandered to the barn. She thought about the sick. Her eyes scanned the area to make sure no family member was around. She hurried across the open area to the barn. She leaned her head against the door. She heard the sick moaning and groaning. Letting curiosity getting the best of her, Joanna made her way around the barn to the outside ladder. She hesitated for a moment then climbed up it. She crawled across the hay bales and made her way into the opening. The noise began to get louder and louder. She walked to the edge of platform and looked down. The sick were walking around in circles bumping into one another.

"Mom," Joanna whisper shouted. She crouched down on the ledge. "Mom."

All of the sick looked up and groaned louder. They reached for Joanna. They clawed at the wooden boards the young girl was standing on.

"Joanna," a familiar voice shouted outside of the barn.

Joanna stood up and sprinted to the opening, hopped over the hay bales, getting little scrapes and scratches, and climbed down the ladder as fast as possible.

"Joanna Greene!"

"Yes?" Joanna questioned loudly as she fixed her shirt.

"What are you doing over here?" The voice approached.

Joanna started walking toward the voice. It was Maggie. She knew it was. "I was uhhhh..."

"Don't even think about lying to me. You know I can tell when you do."

"I was trying to talk to mom."

Maggie sighed. "You know they don't talk." She took a pause. "You know you're not allowed in the barn. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking I missed mom."

"You could have gotten hurt. You could have become sick also. You need to start using that brain of yours. You could be really smart if you just thought before you acted."

Joanna rolled her eyes. "I'm fine though. You needed me?"

"I went into the kitchen where you were supposed to be doing the dishes. I got concerned since you weren't there."

"Oh. I wasn't trying to make anyone worry," Joanna looked at the ground.

"Yeah? Well it's all you've been doing lately. Dad's having trouble keeping up with you." Maggie placed her hands on Joanna's shoulders

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine. But you have to start being more careful. The world isn't what it used to be."

"Mhm. I guess I'll go do those dishes," Joanna walked back towards the house with a frustrated look on her face.

I'm worrying everyone? Me? I haven't even done anything. She thought to herself.

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AUTHORS NOTE: Sorry for the short chapter! I'm not a big fan of this chapter but I wanted for you guys to kind of get to know Joanna. If you guys have any writing tips, please give them to me. I hope you enjoyed though <3