Sapphire R
New member
This is an extract from a short way into my story.
Ruby has survived the disasters, but can she survive starvation and deception; her life in the hands of a boy she met minutes ago?
*
I eyed his shoes that were lying by the fire. Picking them up, I checked the number that was printed firmly on the bottom amidst the mud.
A size 8; just one size larger then my own feet. Excitedly as my own boots had holes starting to wear through the soles, I examined these boots. They would be perfect - and with him asleep; I could simply take them.
Slowly, I took off my own boots and started to put these ones on. I could walk even faster if I had these.
Hearing a cough, I dropped the boots and turned around. Dave was sitting there staring at me.
"What were you doing?"
I try to look ashamed, but I know that my lies are lesser to his.
"Sorry. I just..." I trailed off, unable to think of an excuse. Dave simply nodded; and strangely he smiled.
"Just take them. I'll take your shoes, if you promise me something."
He continued without waiting for a response. "If you promise that when we reach the city, if we don't find your friend - you will help me to reach my destination."
I stared at him.
"I want to go across the border."
Dave was talking of impossibilities. Even now there would be guards preventing people from reaching the safer North. After all, those in the other countries would know that the south of our country was where it had all started.
It was a bad deal for a pair of shoes. Then again; if the boots broke, then I would be done for. Walking across country barefoot - that would be painful. And eventually it would probably become impossible. If it came to it, I could always leave.
Slowly, I nodded my agreement, and Dave pulled on my worn walking boots. Looking down at these boots, I couldn't help but notice how relatively new they looked. Only a month or two old.
Now I owed him. He knew it and so did I. Perhaps that was why he did it, after all it would mean that I was less likely to look through his things if he could be so kind. Too late now though.
"We should get going," I finally managed to choke out. He nodded. I fastened the boots slowly and smiled to myself. Clothing and footwear would be a valuable commodity if I found someone, and I could always sell them for normal shoes - with food left over.
We walked through the day, neither of us saying anything to the other. Finally, it was Dave who spoke.
"How old are you, Ruby?"
What a strange question- what did age matter in such a world; a year like this was like a decade of normal life?
Begrudgingly, I answer. "Seventeen." I had tried to act older so he did not think he could trick me or double cross me easily. With mud smeared across my face, and my clothes so ragged I could appear any age from fifteen to twenty five. How I longed for the days of make-up and fashion; the simple life.
He raises his eyebrows and smiles. "Same."
I stare at him for a second. He looks older then that, but perhaps it is just the determination and sadness in his eyes. It is a relief that he isn't older; for at the beginning I heard that there were gangs tricking people - stealing all the supplies they had and leaving them with a broken leg. A death sentence.
"Can we keep walking?" I whispered, and he nodded even though it was almost dark again. I couldn't help but sigh with relief. The darkness didn't scare me but running out of food did. All day I had managed to avoid the question of food or when we would get our meal. I had planned to eat the can alone while Dave slept, but now I was starting to see another side to him.
Rubbing his eyes to try and wake himself up, Dave turned to me. "Ruby I know you know about the food." He spoke so fast, that it was clear that he had been worrying about this for a while.
"What do you mean?" I said, my voice raising into a falsetto. This was his last chance to try to get himself out of this mess.
"I lied, OK? I didn't know you and..." He breathed deeply before continuing.
"I want to live. You understand that."
"Are you saying that you are going to take my food while I sleep? Break my legs or push me down a hill so that I am too injured to stop you?" I am about to accuse him of planning to kill me; when he silences me with a glare.
"Maybe I would have stolen some of your food, but not any more. We're friends now. We are going to trust each other; we shouldn't journey together just for convenience."
I nodded slowly, smiling.
Ruby has survived the disasters, but can she survive starvation and deception; her life in the hands of a boy she met minutes ago?
*
I eyed his shoes that were lying by the fire. Picking them up, I checked the number that was printed firmly on the bottom amidst the mud.
A size 8; just one size larger then my own feet. Excitedly as my own boots had holes starting to wear through the soles, I examined these boots. They would be perfect - and with him asleep; I could simply take them.
Slowly, I took off my own boots and started to put these ones on. I could walk even faster if I had these.
Hearing a cough, I dropped the boots and turned around. Dave was sitting there staring at me.
"What were you doing?"
I try to look ashamed, but I know that my lies are lesser to his.
"Sorry. I just..." I trailed off, unable to think of an excuse. Dave simply nodded; and strangely he smiled.
"Just take them. I'll take your shoes, if you promise me something."
He continued without waiting for a response. "If you promise that when we reach the city, if we don't find your friend - you will help me to reach my destination."
I stared at him.
"I want to go across the border."
Dave was talking of impossibilities. Even now there would be guards preventing people from reaching the safer North. After all, those in the other countries would know that the south of our country was where it had all started.
It was a bad deal for a pair of shoes. Then again; if the boots broke, then I would be done for. Walking across country barefoot - that would be painful. And eventually it would probably become impossible. If it came to it, I could always leave.
Slowly, I nodded my agreement, and Dave pulled on my worn walking boots. Looking down at these boots, I couldn't help but notice how relatively new they looked. Only a month or two old.
Now I owed him. He knew it and so did I. Perhaps that was why he did it, after all it would mean that I was less likely to look through his things if he could be so kind. Too late now though.
"We should get going," I finally managed to choke out. He nodded. I fastened the boots slowly and smiled to myself. Clothing and footwear would be a valuable commodity if I found someone, and I could always sell them for normal shoes - with food left over.
We walked through the day, neither of us saying anything to the other. Finally, it was Dave who spoke.
"How old are you, Ruby?"
What a strange question- what did age matter in such a world; a year like this was like a decade of normal life?
Begrudgingly, I answer. "Seventeen." I had tried to act older so he did not think he could trick me or double cross me easily. With mud smeared across my face, and my clothes so ragged I could appear any age from fifteen to twenty five. How I longed for the days of make-up and fashion; the simple life.
He raises his eyebrows and smiles. "Same."
I stare at him for a second. He looks older then that, but perhaps it is just the determination and sadness in his eyes. It is a relief that he isn't older; for at the beginning I heard that there were gangs tricking people - stealing all the supplies they had and leaving them with a broken leg. A death sentence.
"Can we keep walking?" I whispered, and he nodded even though it was almost dark again. I couldn't help but sigh with relief. The darkness didn't scare me but running out of food did. All day I had managed to avoid the question of food or when we would get our meal. I had planned to eat the can alone while Dave slept, but now I was starting to see another side to him.
Rubbing his eyes to try and wake himself up, Dave turned to me. "Ruby I know you know about the food." He spoke so fast, that it was clear that he had been worrying about this for a while.
"What do you mean?" I said, my voice raising into a falsetto. This was his last chance to try to get himself out of this mess.
"I lied, OK? I didn't know you and..." He breathed deeply before continuing.
"I want to live. You understand that."
"Are you saying that you are going to take my food while I sleep? Break my legs or push me down a hill so that I am too injured to stop you?" I am about to accuse him of planning to kill me; when he silences me with a glare.
"Maybe I would have stolen some of your food, but not any more. We're friends now. We are going to trust each other; we shouldn't journey together just for convenience."
I nodded slowly, smiling.