-Lilly-
Knelt down besides Jack, I brush my blonde hair away from my face, moving gently towards him softly, so to not scare him, or make him uncomfortable. Reaching over and taking his hand to get his attention, I can’t help but smile at the happy gleam in his eyes as he notices me, moving across the tent to settle in my lap. Wrapping my arms around him in a sisterly manner, I smooth down the few strands of hair which are out of place, letting him rest against me gently. Peeking outside the tent, I sigh, reflecting on the events of the last fifteen years.
I was only his age when the events... the “takeover”, so to speak, occurred. I was terribly afraid at the time, and didn’t want to go through it all, alone. If it hadn’t been for Josh and Eve, I don’t know how I would have coped with the fall out, and all the following events. I’d lost my family in the massacre, and was very lucky indeed to survive long enough to enter this… compound. It certainly isn’t, and never was, the nicest place to be, but it was a lot safer than the literal no-man’s land between her and the next safe haven. We had shelter, food and water, even if it was limited, and a shower, even if it was only once a week that we actually could shower and get ourselves clean. Not that I was complaining, even if I felt gross, I’d give my time up for one of the others, or spend it cleaning up Jack more than myself.
The poor child isn’t ever really going to be able to look after himself, I know that as well as anybody does. He needs near constant care and attention, from dressing, to toileting, to feeding, everything. I love him like a little brother, and would do anything to protect him. I feel like being incapable of his own care helps him, to an extent, as he just can’t understand what’s going on around him, and it never really seems to faze him at all. Perhaps it’s best for him, and he seems happy being able to play and cuddle with his brother all the time, so…
Kissing his forehead as I feel him sleeping against me, I lay him on his sleeping bag, putting his teddy in his arms. With the full intentions of remaining close, I lay on Josh’s bag on the other end of the tent, closing my own eyes to relax, maybe even get a nap in, so I feel refreshed…
-Three Hours Later..-
Waking up to a gunshot, I jump slightly, looking over to see if Jack was disturbed at all. Seeing him still asleep on the bed, but no sign of the others, I don’t want to leave him alone.. But what if they are hurt? That would explain why none of them are here, or why they haven’t come back and woken me, or Jack up... Perhaps they did, and I just hadn’t actually noticed that, I am a heavy sleeper.
Preparing to make my way slowly out of the tent, I place a kiss on the sleeping child’s temple to reassure him, pulling the spare blanket over him, it’s a hell of a lot colder than it was earlier, and I don’t want him catching a cold at all. Draping a blanket over him, I feel myself shaking ever so slightly. I really don’t want to leave him alone, in case something happens to him while I am gone.. Josh or Eve might not blame me, but I would always blame myself, no matter how minor the injury is, after all.
Slipping out, I zip the tent back up and creep across the grass towards the forested area, having figured the shot was from there. The police officers weren’t usually on duty yet, and if they were, it was rare for them to be that way.. Nonetheless, it’s worth checking out, right?
What I saw when I reached the area wasn’t really what I expected in the slightest.. I don’t really know what I expected, to be brutally honest. But.. It wasn’t this. Rage flowed through my body at Josh turning on us like this.. His cold blooded murder… Grabbing a rock, I lifted it, with much difficulty, bringing it down on the back of his skull with a sickening crack. Dropping it, I fell back onto the grass in shock, feeling sick to my stomach, and ever so faint. Moving around his body, I quickly untied Eve and Lara, hands shaking madly. What have I done? What has HE done?