Oh where had that boy run off to? I hope he didn't wander off.

I stood on the white sandy shores of the beach as the foamy choppy waves crashed just close to my shoes. What to do? What to do about Walter? I can't stop his desire to leave the island and see the world. He would never stop desiring it.

I heard a shuffle in the water. What was it? A fish? A seal? A penguin? I turned my head over to see what was causing the splash and saw a lone penguin waddling onto shore. I never did like killing these birds. They used to be protected before the fall. But now they were one of our leading food sources.

I retrieved an arrow from my carrier and held up my bow and readied the arrow to fire. I pulled back the string like I had done a few minutes before with the biter. I held my breath as I slowly released and the arrow flew through the air a baseball player hitting a homerun.

The arrow pierced the penguins white chest and it fell silent onto the sandy beach below. This would be breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the day. I walked towards the now lifeless penguin to retrieve my arrow when I looked up and saw Walter carrying a sharpened stick and had a satchel around his shoulder.

Oh no, he was leaving wasn't he. "Walter, boy where are you head off to?"

He turned back and stared at me with a blank expression. "Like you need to bloody know." He turned away and walked down the length of the beach.

"Walter get back here." I mumbled as I retrieved the arrow from the penguin and followed off after him.

"Walter!" I said, the pitch of my voice raising as I tried to keep up pace with him. "Walter stop right now! This is enough."

"Leave me alone!" He yelled as he picked up his pace.

"Stop being bonkers Walter! You aren't leaving!" I yelled back, finally catching up to him.

"I'm not being bonkers! I just want to get off this God forsaken island!Nearly entire life has been spent here!" He picked up his pace again trying to shake me off his tail.

Though I was not as fast of a runner I used to be I picked up mg pace and pulled him by his shoulder. "Stop being a daft. I keep telling you how stupid what you're doing is. There is no boats for you to use to get off the island. Even if by miracle you find one Walter how are you gonna get to the mainland safely? There could be storms, maybe even pirates, I wouldn't be surprised if there were considering the state of the world."

He rustled his shoulder free. "I don't care. I'll find a boat. I don't care if I die trying. Thank you so much for raising me the last 14 years. Cheers to you."

He started to walk again. Down the beach. I didn't bother to follow after. I kept my place in the sand and just watched as my boys silhouette disappeared down the length of the beach. Follow after him, don't let him go, one part of me told, let him go, he's old enough, he knows how to take care of himself another part of me went...

I sighed and turned. My feet shuffled in the white sand as I made my way back to where I had fire the arrow at the penguin. As I shuffled I saw something a silhouette of someone or something. As I approached I thought it must be a biter and I drew my bow but as I drew closer I realized it was a man.

He had fading red hair, a honestly trimmed beard, freckled skin and spectacles on the bridge of his nose. He was dressed in a black jacket, black stained pants, and old worn black boots. A rifle was strong over his shoulder as he bent down at the penguins corpse.

"Get away from that." I mumbled loud enough for him to hear, my bow drawn with an arrow aimed towards him.

The man shot up, the look on his face showing he was gobsmacked. He held up his hands revealing ripped white gloves on his hands. "Mam please don't shoot, I mean you no harm."

"Step away from the penguin. That's mine. I shot it down." I replied, keeping the arrow on him.

"Alright mam... I just haven't had any food in 3 days. I came from Goose Green. One of the only blokes left there." He said keeping his hand held high.

"What's you're name?" I asked.

"Duke mam... Duke Lincoln." He mumbled.

"Freya Abomeli." I replied, keeping my aim steady,

"Oh hello then Miss Abomeli." He said.

"Hello to you too Mr. Lincoln, now step away from the penguin." I replied.

"Please... please we can share. If I don't get anything else I'll starve to death. Please?" He asked, almost to the point of getting on his knees to beg.

I stared at him for a second. Contemplating a course of action. The man before me appeared pathetic and looked like he hadn't had food in days. Maybe I could help him? Maybe he wouldn't try a thing. Maybe just maybe. "Fine." I replied in reluctance. "We can share the penguin."

"Oh thank you mam! Thank you." The man thanked sounding grateful.

"Don't thank me. I'm doing this out of pity." I replied lowering my bow.

An hour passed as I brought this new face back to my house. He seemed decent enough. And I was doing good by feeding a stranger. I stood over the fireplace with the penguin roast covering the fire, all the feathers in a pile over by a chair.

Duke sat one of the tables with a plate in front of him. "Bless you Miss Abomeli, bless you."

"I don't need a blessing. I just want my son to not making mistakes." I mumbled as I stared at the faint orange hues of the flames of the fire in the fireplace.

"Son? Is he here? How old?" Duke asked, sounding curious.

I shook my head as I looked over in his direction. "23 and No, he keeps having this dream of wanting to leave the island and he left earlier. And I didn't go after him. I should of."

"The lad made his choice. You can't change his mind, hes young, he wants to get out of here and see what's left of the world." He replied as he adjusted himself in his chair.

"He's going to get himself killed. Hes such a daft sometimes. I wish he would just listen to me." I said in irritation as I stood up from the chair.

"Maybe he'll come back. Come to his senses... Maybe." Duke replied.

I turned away from him to stare out the window as the Tulsa grass outside blew breezily in the wind. "That would take a bloody miracle. Miracles never happen for me. Never"