After Armageddon (Finished)

Ch 25 - The Team

We all gathered at the fire a short while later when Crystal and Casey came back. Chills set in as I notice a barrage of leaves falling from trees. Summer was quickly ending. El had told everyone to listen to my plan and do as I say. It felt good to have a power among the group. I told them who would be going with me in the search for Nina. I chose the people I did wisely and tried to explain that, unfortunately, Casey wasn't to happy.

"No. No! Crystal is not going. It's way to dangerous. Plus, if I weren't there no one could protect her well enough." Casey protested loudly. El had said I could only bring four people, two of them having to be myself and him. I started to stutter out a response, but El quickly came to my defense.

"To many people if you came. Besides, Crystal dose have a lot of good skills we'll need." El said. Cecil stood and joined the conversation.

"Don't worry young man, she will be well looked out for. As will the three of you that shall stay behind with me." He turned to El, "don't fret about them. I shall keep an eye on them while your gone." El considered, then nodded and agreed to put him in charge while we were gone. This annoyed me to all extent. Next to me on the log, Crystal but her lip.

"Please, let me go in her place? Her arm is broken, really bad. What use would she be out there if something were to happen? She would just get hurt even more. Please. Let me go instead." Casey begged gritting his teeth. El looked over at me for my answer.

"You know what? Your right. Crystal you should stay. Casey you'll replace her, we can't let her get hurt more." I said to the ground. Crystal gasped. In the corner of my eye I saw Casey's face light up with excitement.

After what seemed like a thousand thank-you's and one awkward hug that was quickly taken back, El demanded we were losing time and we had to go at that second. Those of us who were going said our good-byes and headed out into the thick woods. I planned for us to first head out to the northwest of our camp, seen as if she just went straight from my bedroom window, that's the direction she would have headed in.

We stomped through the thickets and dying bushes really easily, at one point we came to a log, El refused to change direction, so we had to pull each other using our knifes as grappling hooks.

"Hey Lei, what's this?" Tad questioned leaning down to the ground. He picked up something shiny and studded with jewels. I quickly ran over to him and grabbed it desperately. Looking closer at it, I immediately knew what it was. It was the small, silver butterfly hairpin I had given her when she turned three. Her mom once told me that if it wasn't in her hair it was I her pocket ever since then. She had even picked up the nickname 'little butterfly' from many of our relatives. I squeezed it tightly in the palm of my hand, holding on to any piece of little Nina I could find. I suddenly noticed everyone looking at me, waiting to see if it gave us a lead on her.

"It's her hair pin. I gave it to her a long time ago. She must be close. Look for any footprints." I demanded as I clipped the barrette into my hair. For a few minutes we all moved as little as possible and searched the ground. Suddenly, El pointed at the ground as he grabbed my shoulder.

"Marks. Much too small to be ours." El said as he grabbed a small, red bandana from his back pocket. He jerkily tied it around the nearest branch. "We'll come back first thing tomorrow morning. We should head back for now, daytime won't last forever."