Hero

Our camp bustles with activity as I search for Elara amid the tents. We relocated our caravan three times this week, and I've been looking for her for days.

However, she remains elusive, like a wisp of smoke in the wind.

As I wander deeper into the camp, my eyes catch a tall, thin figure, an elder missing a hand.

It's Mr. Griggs.

What happened to him?

"Excuse me, sir," I begin, "You've seen her?"

The elder's eyes meet mine, and a shadow crosses his face.

He sighs heavily. "Elara, you mean?"

"Yes, I've tried to find her... but..."

"She and her stealing buddy got caught during a scavenging mission a few days ago."

"Caught? What do you mean?"

Mr. Giggs' gaze drops, and he speaks in a low, measured tone. "The Freaks. They ambushed them. We tried to help. Elara and her buddy... They didn't make it. I thought her buddy was you... But I'm glad you're okay."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. The air feels thick, and a lump forms in my throat.

Loss... I almost forgot what it felt like.

"I'm sorry, kid," he says.

I stumble backwards.
Elara is gone forever. I've lost her.

I fall to my knees.

Mr Griggs pats me on my shoulder as I try to grab my heart.

Argh, this hurt so much.

"Come on boy, the caravan is ready to depart again... Mourn later."

"Okay," I sniff.

Mr. Griggs helps me up by giving me a hand.

"See you soon."

Dragging my heavy heart back to Falcon, I find Blaze sitting on a stone, tossing his pocket knife.

I recount the devastating news.

Blaze's expression shifts from curiosity to understanding, and he pulls me into an embrace.

"People come and go in this world, Hero. You tried... In this wasteland, there are no guarantees, no certainties. All we can do is keep moving forward and hold on to the moments we have."

I nod, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"It's okay, little brother... It's okay."

The wasteland is a cruel teacher, and in its harsh lessons, I'm learning that connection is a fragile thread, easily destroyed.

I'm going to miss you Elara.

____

A week has passed, and tonight, our mission is to gather water for the group.

My knees tremble. With doubt clouding my mind, the heavy weight of losing Elara continues to weigh on my heart.

With the hope of finding reassurance, I call out to Blaze. "Blaze, come here!"

He rushes over, his heavy boots thudding against the ground with each step. "What is it?" he asks, concern etching his face.

"It's our turn to get water for the group. Do you have a buddy already?"

Blaze chuckles and shrugs. "You, of course, brother. You already knew that. Why'd you ask?"

His words warm my heart, and we share a familiar fist bump.

"I'm sorry. It's because of El... No, it's nothing. I'm just a little nervous, that's all."

"Don't be. We've done it a million times. You know I got you."

"Yeah, I know."

"But... It's about Elara, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I'm scared. Scared of losing people again."

"Don't be. We'll be back in no time."

I hope we are.

____

It's time.

The moonlight casts an ethereal glow on the surrounding hills and the Freak's camp.

A fire burns in the centre, painting the night sky with an orange hue that mutes the stars. Music and laughter fill the air, masking our soft footsteps.

We position ourselves behind the camp's tall, sharp wooden pillars; Our way in.

Blaze tosses a rope into the air, which lands with a thump on the soft sand beside him instead of falling over one of the pillars.

"Did you make a loop in the rope?"

He takes the rope and searches for the end. "Whoops, I forgot."

Blaze fashions a loop and knots it, then gives it a few tugs to test its strength. He throws the rope into the air again, and the loop falls over the tip of a pole. To ensure it's connected well, he tugs the rope's end to test it again.

"This should work," he whispers. "I'll go first to check it out."

Step by step, Blaze ascends as he grasps the rope and positions his feet against the posts.

Once at the top, he peers over the edge to check for signs of danger. He pulls himself up and sits in the middle, straddling the two points.

"Come on up. It's safe."

I grab the rope, mirroring Blaze's movements as I climb to join him.

Finally, we face each other.

By pulling the rope up and lowering it to the other side, Blaze shows me the way to descend.

We go down and manoeuvre past the damaged tents. I count around twenty of these makeshift shelters.

Roughly ten metres away from the roaring fire, we come across a cluster of large wooden barrels. These barrels hold the water we need. Two enormous tents by the fire are home to the Freaks who fill my ears with gunshots, screams, grunts, and the fierce melody of heavy metal music.

Hidden by the billowing white cloth rags that block their sight, we stay concealed, mere shadows in the night.

The nearby fire casts eerie silhouettes of these vile monsters that dance against the fabric.

No Freaks venture outside the tents, granting us a fleeting moment of safety.

We go to the barrels.

Carefully, I retrieve the water bags strapped to my back and hand them to Blaze.

Water bubbles rise to the surface. After the bubbles stop, I give Blaze the next bag and close the filled one to keep its contents safe. We repeat this process six times.

"That's all, right?" Blaze whispers.

"Yes," I reply.

My shoulders bear the weight of the water bags.

"Just give me four," Blaze asks.

I pass him four water bags, watching as he slings them over his shoulders.

"Nice. This will keep us going for a while," I say.

Blaze's motions for me to come closer. "You go first, Hero. I have something else to do."

"What do you mean? We have to go. We've got everything we need."

His tone lowers. "Fire, brother. Fire."

My eyes widen in alarm. "No, you can't do that. It'll only make the Freaks angrier. Let's stick to the plan."

Blaze grabs my collar. "Have you any idea of the magnitude of suffering caused by these beasts? How they've slaughtered my family and friends? This is my chance for revenge. This time, they'll burn. Don't you try to stop me."

"No, don't. It won't make you feel any better. My parents always said-"

"You and your stories about your parents. Where are they now? They're not here... So shut up and let me do this."

I clench my fists. "Blaze, please"

"You still have so much to learn," he says, shaking his head.

My heart tightens with fear. "I'm not leaving you behind. I'll wait for you on the wall."

"Don't be stupid. Just go back to the colony," Blaze insists, his hands on my shoulders. "Little brother, we've visited many camps and stolen many things. Just as they burned my parents, I'll burn them. These beasts are all in one place. This is my chance."

"No, you'll become like them. Is that what you want?"

Blaze's grin sends a shiver down my spine. "Maybe it'll save some free folk in the future. Maybe it'll be worth it."

I grit my teeth. "Come on, Blaze. You can't mean that."

"Some things in life you'll never understand. Why do some people kill and others don't? Why do people choose different paths? That's the beauty of free will," he explains.

"I don't understand," I confess.

"You don't need to. I'll explain it to you when I get back. Now go, or we'll both die," Blaze urges, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I turn away and return to the rope. After passing the wall, I throw the rope back, leaving it behind on the inside. I run to a dune that provides cover and a vantage point.

A blood-curdling scream drowns out the sounds of revelry. The camp erupts in chaos as flames consume everything in their path. Night turns into day, and the fire casts a blinding light on the scene.

I strain my eyes to catch sight of Blaze. And then, I see him pulling himself onto the wall, his silhouette etched against the fiery backdrop. He leaps off the wall, running in the opposite direction from me.

Where is he going? He should head back to the colony.

Gunshots echo, and my hands tremble.

From about twenty metres, Freaks give chase as sand kicks up behind Blaze.

My focus on obtaining as much water as possible for our group caused me not to bring my crossbow, so I can't do anything.

Blaze zigzags, evading gunfire. He's getting farther and farther away from the Freaks.

I have to get back.

With a heavy heart, I continue returning to the group, carrying the stolen water as promised.

"Big brother, I'll see you there," I whisper.

____

Hours pass. I sit and wait, unable to stop the trembling of my feet.

Slowly, the sun ascends.

Other groups from the colony have returned and distributed their water. However, I'm still here, clutching my two remaining water bags, waiting for my brother.

Please, Blaze, come back. I need you.

I pray again.

Please, don't let me lose my best friend.

Don't punish him for this. He did it to protect others in the future, didn't he?

The desert remains silent, offering no answers.

I leave Falcon and arrive at the colony, a bustling hub of parked cars, trucks, campers, and tents.

The sight of reunited loved ones brings out big smiles. They drink the stolen water; some store it in Jerry Cans equipped with taps.

I search every vehicle and tent, hoping to find Blaze. He's still nowhere to be seen.

I trudge back to my car, sinking into my seat.

____

Night falls once again.

MSG.

The colony prepares to depart.

Amidst the flurry of activity, a figure stumbles towards the group, collapsing in the sand.

I see the familiar black leather jacket adorned with the American flag.

It's Blaze!

Hope and relief surge through me as I rush to his side.

"Blaze!"

He looks up at me, weariness etched on his face.

"Yeah, little brother, I made it. And I'll tell you about it... once we're safe."

I jump out of my car and rush towards the crippled man.

Two elderly women stop me in my tracks.

"Don't go near him; he's hurt," one of them says in a shaky voice. Her white hair blows over her wrinkled face, which she brushes away with her hand. "We're leaving. Follow us, and at the next stop, you can visit him. Freaks will be here any minute."

"But-"

"No time, we have to move... Now!"

I look around.

People are busy loading their belongings into their vehicles.

Quickly I turn around and rush back to Falcon.

I wait for the last car to leave and then chase after the huge cloud of dust.

Suddenly, my mind keeps replaying the horrifying sight of my parents covered in blood. I shake my head to get rid of them.

This can't be happening again.

____

After some hours we stop, and set up camp once more.

With my heart pounding, I rush towards the tent where Blaze gets treated. Upon reaching the entrance, the elderly lady stops me with a gentle touch on my shoulder. Her smeared in blood white apron sends a shiver down my spine, knowing it was Blazes'.

"Young man, he's lost too much blood," she whispers. "We can't save him."

"Use mine!"

"No, we can't. That's too dangerous and too late if we want to do that."

My eyes squeeze shut, and my chin dips towards my chest. This world... I hate it. I don't want this anymore. It's just not fair.

"May I go in?" I ask.

She nods and gives me a comforting smile. "Go on. Blaze needs you."

With hesitant steps, I enter the tent, steeling myself against the overwhelming sorrow that threatens to consume me. There lies my brother, on a stretcher, with blood-stained sand underneath him, smiling at me.

His teary eyes meet mine, reaching deep into my soul. I struggle to keep my sadness at bay, forcing a small smile as I release a heavy sigh through my nostrils.

"How are you, my little brother?" Blaze asks, coughing.

"Well... I'm okay," I reply, my voice trembling.

Blaze's once vibrant red skin now resembles pale paper, drained of life. It's almost too much to bear.

"You were right," he confesses, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. "You were right about me. After I set that fire, I got even more lost. It didn't fill the emptiness in my heart."

I reach out, touching the cloth covering Blaze's wounded body. "It's okay, man. You did what you had to do."

Tears flow down Blaze's cheeks as he continues to speak, his voice quivering with emotion. "You know, I always dreamed of a paradise. A place where people could live in peace. No Freaks, no guns... just... normal."

"Yeah, I know... You told me that," I cry.

"With lots of greenery and waterfalls. I used to think you were crazy when you talked about it. Oh, my little brother, how was I wrong again? It's not crazy at all... a paradise, just like the stories from your parents." Blaze's grin tugs at my heart. "You and me, building houses for people... I'd love that."

"Maybe we can go there together," I suggest.

Blaze chuckles. "No, my life is over. Look at me... I'm done."

I examine the blood on the floor again-so much red.

"Don't say that," I protest, desperation lacing my words. "You don't know if you'll make it or not."

Blaze takes a deep breath, his strength waning. "Promise me, Hero. Just like you promised your parents, promise me you'll never become like those Freaks. Stay the sweet, kind-hearted boy you are... my little brother."

Tears blur my vision as I make my promise. "I promise, big brother. I promise."

Before I can grasp the moment's weight, I hear a final sigh escape Blaze's lip, and his body goes limp. My heart shatters into a million pieces.

With both hands, I clutch the blanket, burying my face, my sorrow pouring out in the fabric.

Why, God? Why?