Broken

A New Journey

Red is all I see when I close my eyes. The red like blood that the failed attempt will shed. I slowly open my eyes. I put my hand on my stomach. I smile a bit at the thought of being able to act as a mother in a safe society, such as Dohean. Just like my parents raised me, I would love to raise my child. Food, school, safety, hope, cleanliness, and lies. Without fear, war, hunger, premature death, plague, worries, and truth.

I think of that future, engulfing myself with a false reality. A watery reality that one cannot hold. I snapped backed into the reality I do not want to belong to by the sound of the door opening. Clayton strides in, grabs my arm and forcefully lifts me up. I whimper in pain and his grip becomes a python wrapping around my arm. Once I am up the python's grip loosens.

He looks at me and smirks, "Let's go. The time has come for the move. I do not want a liability such as you coming along, but the Nomad people believe that child would be strong, like the society engineered it. Maybe they did. You on the other hand are of no use to us in this condition. You must immediately go back to your position as a warrior once the child is born."

I try to say something, but Evan comes in and he grabs the few items that I have in the temporary room I claimed as mine. All of us step out of the room and Clayton finally lets me go to lead his own pack of domesticated dogs. Evan grabs, squeezes and then lets my hand fall to my side. The attempt to comfort me works. I smile.

Once Clayton reaches the front of the few Nomads that are left and begins to speak, "We all have had many hardships and many more to come. We stand as warriors and a community of the unwanted. We stand strong. We are alive. We may not stay together, many might not make it through this journey, but we do have the temporary promise to keep us Nomads safe from those outside of our diminishing humanity and world.

"We will continue to survive until it is Nomad against Nomad, but before that day comes we must fight. A fight for our survival. Food is scarce, water is harming, illness comes, but here we are. Standing strong, unbroken, proud, and full of life. Before we leave we must commemorate those who will never have the chance to make it to our next destination, those who have not survived the journey we call life. We made it, even though many have been reaped. We will be the last and the last of the last should come from us. To the last one standing!"

All of the Nomads yell in unison, "To the last one standing!" Clayton opens the door to begin our journey to a new place, with new struggles, and away from this temporary home. Everyone follows the leader.