by A. M. White
Cara ran ahead, over the small dune. She beckoned us to move faster, but gave up on my slow struggle to the beach.
I would be scarred for life from the burning and the surgery. I was happy with the battle scars. They reminded me of how far I had come from the camp I where I had been a slave.
At the summit of the dune, we paused. My eyes widened at the beauty of the ocean. My hopes paled in comparison to the expanse before me. The blue of the water was shocking, the sand stretched for miles in either direction. The salty air blew my hair from my face.
Timothy rounded me and wrapped his arms under my shoulders.
“This is gorgeous but there is nothing like the look on your face at this moment. I will remember it forever,” he said dreamily.
He kissed me and lifted me into his arms. He carried me closer to the shoreline.
My senses were alive in this place. The sounds, the smells, and the glistening waves calmed every fear I had. I felt a release that I had been waiting for.
Cara ran down to the water. She stripped her clothes and splashed in the shallows. I giggled at the coarse girl I knew, behaving like a child.
Timothy placed me on a sheet that Cara had spread on the sand. He sat next to me, taking it all in. Timothy waited to come to the beach until I could join. He wanted to experience it with me this time. We both sat in silence, savoring our riches.
After a while, Timothy rolled on to his side, facing me. “Since I got the generator from the next settlement, Doc says he will have the encryption figured out in the next couple of days,” he sighed. “I’ve been talking with him about what to do with the information inside of the capsule.”
I bowed my head. “Something tells me that involves you in some way,” I guessed. I peered at him between strands of my hair.
He nodded and reached for my hand. “It does, but I’ve been rallying a few guys to join me. They are going to start training with me tomorrow.”
“That doesn’t leave me much time to get rid of these things,” I pointed at the crutches.
He shook his head, “Whatever we come up with, and I can’t take you.”
“I’m not asking you. I won’t let you go without me,” I said sternly.
He looked in my eyes and opened his mouth to protest. I raised my eyebrows at him. He closed his mouth. We locked stares in a silent stand-off.
“I can do it. In a couple more days, I’ll make sure I can. If I can’t walk without the crutches, you win,” I compromised.
Timothy gave in to me. He knew this was a war he wouldn’t win. Secretly, I hoped he didn’t want to leave me either.
“Timothy! Timothy!” A small boy charged at us from the dune. “Doctor said come, quick! He was able to break the code!”
We looked at each other in exasperation.
“Come on!” The boy darted away.
Coming Soon
Into the Roar, book two in The Roar Series