The Beginning
"Do you think she even notices us?" Dale asked while
he scratched at the dry dirt with his handheld cultivator.
The earth was bone dry; there hadn't been any rain
in over a month and the crops that still clung to life were showing
signs that this may be the end.
"Why would she?" Kevin answered as he wiped the
sweat from his brow. Replacing his Redskin ball cap with the ripped
visor and sun-bleached emblem, Dale could see the dirt that smeared
over his best friend's red cheeks.
Mid-day had passed several hours ago, yet the
temperature continued to rise. A dry wind whistled across the land
carrying with it sand that scratched at their throats as the two
boys worked tirelessly in the community garden.
"She has to notice someone, why else would she
protect us from the darkness?" Dale continued as he grabbed a thin
stem of thistle and tore it from the ground.
Vegetables and fruits struggled to germinate in the
dry, arid land, yet weeds grew no matter how much they worked the
beds.
"You believe that old wives tale don't you?" Kevin
chuckled as he leaned against the long handle of his rake. "She's
an angel protecting us from the demons that have destroyed this
world. One of the last warrior's sent to save us from the madness
that has consumed us all."
Dale looked up at his friend, the bright sun burning
the light blue sky behind him. Kevin was half a foot taller and
carried himself like his father. Wide at the shoulders, though
their food was scarce the men of his family still filled out their
stalky frames. He on the other hand never knew his father, but it
didn't matter. Everyone said he took after his mother's side. Pale
skin that was prone to burning, his freckles extended from the
patch of red hair that grew over his ears to the ends of his
fingers. Watching the muscles of his forearm move as he squeezed
his hand, he shook his head, too skinny and too hungry.
"Oh my, you do believe them don't you?" Kevin
chuckled as kicked his heels together dancing behind his rake.
"Shut-up!" Dale threw a handful of dry dirt at his
friend before turning back to the row of radishes struggling to
survive. "You've heard the stories just as much as I have. They
can't all be lies."
He could feel the embarrassment swell up behind his
cheeks, which he knew were already burned red from the sun.
"No, but you still amaze me my friend." Kevin knelt
down beside him to reach and pull out a handful of thistle himself.
"The world fell apart decades ago, and we all know why. Terrorists
and wars. Not those children's stories that old grandma Shirley use
to tell us. There are no such things as demon's and angels fighting
to save us from or doom us to damnation."
Kevin stood up, his hands on his hips as he
stretched his back. Sweat stains marked the underarms and chest of
his white tee-shirt though Dale felt as if his shirt was
soaked.
"You never know. She's out there, we all know that,"
Dale whispered to himself, wincing as the sharp needle of thistle
bit into his skin.
"What I do know is there are rumors of a crazy woman
who survives in the Whispering Woods," Kevin said while leaning
forward on his rake. "I haven't seen her, but my father says she's
as rabid as the starving dogs that hunt at night. She isn't some
angel, let alone our savior. You're my friend Dale, but you need to
grow up."
Dale squinted as he looked up with anger and sadness
churning within him.
"Plus, your gardening needs work. Those radishes
look half dead and I heard that the harvest this year is going to
be our worst yet," Kevin said as he leaned his rake against the
rusted chicken wire fence that marked the boundary of the garden.
"Even an angel won't be able to save us if we all starve to
death."
With a pat on Dale's shoulder, Kevin chuckled one
more time before walking toward the dusty homes that clustered
together in the center of the village.
Dale sighed to himself as he watched for signs of
movement within the ghostly confines of the
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