The next few weeks flew by fast, like the daily commute with L.A to the railroad always bought adventure to our lives. I am quite the great trader if I do say so myself, as I know have a machete of my own and an extra pair of bags along with a semi-used pots and pans set. The trees were starting to become a bright orange as autumn is soon approaching.

My survival skills have also improved as well, though I had to learn the hard way. There was one time I was so thirsty that I had to drink from the river. I stooped down to pick up the water in my hands when I heard her distinct voice "I don't think that's a good idea." Aditi and I have grown closer during the past few weeks as well. "Why not" I mocked her accent. "Suit yourself" she replied walking ahead of me. That night as me and L.A was sleeping in the tent, my stomach was starting to cramp sending sharp pains through my body. I ran out of the tent to a nearby bush to purge the contents of my stomach, leaving behind an ungodly smell.

The next day Aditi came by the tent with a gray thermos. "What is that?" I opened the lid of the cup to be greeted by a strong minty smell. "Peppermint tea, I had a feeling you were going to be stomach trouble later on. "She smiled back at me, Aditi's smile was always something I admired from the first time I saw it. On that particular day, she took me to the major creak where she goes fishing. We spent hours showing each other the techniques we use, for once I can thank my dad for taking me on all those fishing trips.

"I bet you can not catch more fish than me." Aditi always loved a good coemption.

"You're on!"

The last few hours of our fishing trip were spent with me losing to her. Catch after catch the fish appeared to be getting bigger in size as well. "Ha, I have ten I win!" she jumped in the air causing the dock to creak underneath us. " Spending time with you is the best" as she finished her sentence, a row of white teeth were shown, and her cheeks had two small dimples implanted in them. From that day on I did everything possible to see it.

Out here I feel like I have a purpose. My days are not spent out here stalking Arya or waiting for another disappointment from my parents. Out here I am actually living.

This morning however something felt different. When I woke up in the tent, L.A was gone. I ran outside and looked all over the surrounding areas for her but no trace of her was left behind.

"Maybe she is already at the railroad."

When I got through I still could not find her. I went to ask Aditi about it.

"Ora, you're looking too deep into this, L.A has been out here for what six months now she's going to be fine."

"Six months! How long have you been out here?"

She looked down at the ground "four years." she mumbled.

"Aditi, what happened?"

She kept staring at the ground, her silence was deafening to me. "I'm not ready."

I kept my hand on her shoulder, "that's fine." She looked at my hand and started to play with my fingers "I have to ask you something." My face instantly got red as this scene felt familiar from my favorite romance movies.

"Yes of course."

"Will you help me sell firewood!''

I got confused, this was defiantly not the question I was ready to answer.

Um wait you guys use money here, I thought this was trade-based."

"Not here Ora, we're going into town, oh L.A has not brought you there has she."

"She never even told me there was one nearby!"

Aditi when into her booth and took out two axes "well if you still want I can take you there." I took one of the axes and we began to walk further into the woods. Our feet crunched the leaves beneath us and the cold autumn wind wisps against our skin.

"Can you believe it's already November! I am so excited my birthday is coming soon!" Aditi ran ahead spinning all while jumping over a stump. "Be careful you might crash!" I ran after her, it was already November I have been out here for two months now. Jumping over the tree stump I looked down a hill to see Aditi playing with the leaves at the bottom. "When is your birthday!" shouting down to the bottom of the hill. I slid down and she was waiting for me there. "Same day as Christmas!"

We walked some more when I felt the sudden drop of water on my hand. More of them soon followed as my clothing started to cling to my skin. "We need to go back! Which way do we turn!" Aditi was not responding when the sudden flash of thundershock her out of her stare. "I am not sure" she croaked out. Even with my vision cluttered by the aggression of the rain I could still see she was visibly upset. I took her by the hand went back to where in my mind was back south.

The closer we ran in this direction the louder and louder the ran became. I squinted my eyes to see that was not the rain making that noise, it was the river. It was roaring as it wildly gushed on the stream. "Ora we are lost aren't we!" she put her hands over her head "Oh this is all my fault." Another strike of thunder erupted it was so loud that I lost my footing and fell into the river. "ORA NO!"

Aditi jumped in after me her head bobbing above and below the water. Waves crashed into meeting me I was being swished around as the river pushed us faster and faster. "Ora! look for something to grab onto.!" The flash of the water covering my head over and over made it possible to see anything. A sharp pain entered my side as my shirt caught onto something. My skin burned as the water from the river entered the wound looking left and right for Aditi.

"Aditi! Aditi! can you hear me. Where are you!" My body jolted as my shirt was starting to give way. "Aditi!" I made one last final cry as I was dunked back into the river, the world began to get blurry as my eyes closed under the water.

"ORA! ORA!"

The sound of a girl's voice was drowned out in the back of my mind. My vision was slowly starting to regain consciousness. I held myself up as I looked around me. There were puddles of mud everywhere along with tree branches and another derby. As soon as I try to get up a sharp pain erupted from the side of my stomach.

"Ora doesn't move your hurt."

The side of my stomach had a cut almost touching my chest, it was so red and irritated. Aditi came up behind me and put her arm around my back and under my legs.

"Hold on."

She swooped me up with one try. My ears were pressed against her chest, her heartbeat was beating porously. She carried me for a while all while stepping over fallen branches and trees. I could hear her huffing and puffing as she held on to me with all her might.

"I-I can try walking for a bit."

"Don't even think about it. I'm not even putting you down till I find help.''

We continued in silence. By now the sun was going down and we had no help insight, that was until Aditi saw a light.

"Hey! We need help!" she was greeted with no response.

"What are you yelling at?'' looking in the direction she shouted in.

"Don't you see it something is there?''

I looked again and saw nothing in this darkness seeing a light would be easy. "Hey come back don't run!" It was then that Aditi started running after it. I cried out in pain with each step she took. "WE COME IN PEACE PLEASE HELP US!''. She kept running, her breath iritic in her desperate pursuit. The branches of unseen shrubs caused her to slow down as they whipped the left side of her body.

"You need to look at this."

Holding onto Aditi's arms for support, I was greeted to the front steps into someone's home. At the top of the steps was a low dimmed light in front of the door. Step by step Aditi made her way to the front of the door.

"You think someone's home?"

"They would have heard you by now if they were" I replied ascetically.

"You are literary bleeding out right now, and you are still being stuck up."

Aditi walked up to the side railing of the porch, I held onto the railing as she slowly placed me on my feet. "Alright, here it goes." Aditi walked closer to the door and gave it a hard knock. No one answered.

She knocked again, this time wiggling the door nob and the door started to creak as its hinges broke causing it to fall. A cloud of dust came out of the entrance sending me and Aditi into a coughing fit. "Aditi look and see what you did!" wobbling over to her for support. "Ora, use your eyes, that door must have been a couple of years old. Know that I think about it, this whole cabin looks a couple of years old." She placed me back onto the railing and started dragging the door out of the way.

"Come on we need to go and look for supplies." I placed my arm around her shoulder as we entered the cabin.

Inside a damp moldy smell filled the air. Drips of water echoed throughout the walls and in some places, the water even landed on us. "Alright, I am going to go and look for anything that can help you, stay here."

''What you can't leave me!"

"You'll be fine I won't belong." she gave me a hug as she gently placed me at the bottom of the stairs. Each stair creaked as she made her way up to the second level. I heard rustles from up above then they stopped as Aditi came back down. "What is this? I don't understand." she gave me a box, it was light and had a rough plastic feel.

"Aditi, it says med kit, what's there to understand even a toddler can read and understand that."

'Ugh can it help you or not!" her breathing got heavy and her voice had an unusual sharpness to it. "Why do you sound mad I mean it's okay if you couldn't read it I know its kind of dark in here-"

"That's not why I couldn't read it" her voice started to crack "I just don't know how."

We sat in silence for a while as Aditi helped me bandage myself up. When we finished we Both just sat on the end of the stairway looking at our feet. "No one knows that I can't-"

"Read." I finished her sentence. She shuffled away from me "well aren't you going to laugh."

"Why would I? As nice as being able to read is... I don't know your story."

"I don't know yours either." her voice was a whisper and her fingers lightly brushed up against mine.

Inching my hands closer to hers our fingers interlocked "Would you like to talk about it?" I asked.