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To The North, Not Knowing..
A new man, a new conflict

I am Alexander O, I'm a 15 year old boy about to be 16 years old and be able to work on my own I call it entering man hood although many people say when a young man becomes 14 he's a man but I still couldn't do what most men could do, jobs, drive, live on my own... I only have 20 more day of january to become a true man.

Many trees have died down here in central Texas... all trees have died in bastrop. Every scientist warned us to leave immediately but nobody left.... until...

JANUARY 1st, 2011

people going crazy, they have a normal day and go on in there lives, I stayed inside for three whole days, people eating others as if they were meet just cooked and ready to be eaten...
As the many people die not knowing what to come next.
I survive knowing that not a lot of time is left.
the battle against the unknown disease goes on in my home town, maybe even my home state...
people going insane leaving the streets in the most unnoticeable ways...
To stay away from newly formed Ganges I pack up my things and leave my once peaceful home. With no vehicle to take me out of state I leave by foot with nothing but the clothes on my back, a suitcase full of water I took from the corner store, and some easy to cook foods. Avoiding all the main highways I leave by walking alongside the city river.

looking down future road, a new hope arises

as i walk the long journey ahead of me I feel lucky nothing has happen to me... yet...
I fear the disease is still spreading fast that now i cannot stop to look for a place to camp i must keep going. tired i feel my legs shake. looking around for any sight if light i feel like animals are after me...

Looking around for any sight of light I feel like animals are after me...
sneaking my way slowly for the tree i hear leaves cracking behind me,
I slowly and quietly climb the tree for hoping the animal cannot climb. Hearing the leaves crack closer toward me I hide behind any bunched up branched any leaves.
I look down and find five men around the tree, all carrying large guns you see in the army. "give us all your water and food and we will let you go with the clothes on your back!" I look into my bag and dropped the bag of water first and then the food.
As they run away into their truck with the food and water I drop down and take out my gun, wanting to aim at them I quickly stopped my self. "no" I thought in my head.
"You are out numbered, you want to kill yourself?" on that thought I walked quietly to a very small mountain.

Once i was at the top i turn north and see that probably fifteen miles ahead there might be light, food, shelter, good care, and maybe an answer to why the hell this is happening to us, and how...
I was lucky that the only river close to me goes north... Tired... lonely... The next day I find my self next to the River I didn't remember going to sleep. But I was happy that I felt like nothing was wrong... I found an empty bottle laying on the ground. I picked it up and thought that its better then nothing, I dump it into the river, and take a giant drink out of it. I hesitated to get more as the dirty water goes through into my body. I look for anything to help my situation I found two buckets, a pile of dry leaves, and two branches.

I think in my head quickly time was running fast, I may not last one more day without water.
I grab the pile of dry leaves, and place them next to the two sticks, and rub them together very quickly until one of them catch on fire. I lay them both on top of the pile of leaves as they all caught on fire I got both buckets sat one right next to the fire ad the other one I dumped in the river and hung it closely above the fire until it boiled.
Once it was boiled I took my over shirt off and put it on top of the bucket like a filter, and pored the water in and drank it all up.

I took both buckets with me for the next time... It was getting late and really dark fast. I look up at the moon and the stars as I noticed that the moon was a full, and the stars were disappearing each night. I did not know how or why but people have certainly changed as I last saw them. I was walking to a camp fire I saw a while before, and didn't stop for it they acted like terrible animals ripping the clothes off each other and completely eating the arms off the others.

I found a near by mountain and climbed on the top to see how far I was to what I thought was freedom. I look back to see all that I have left behind, my old town, my only home, as I turn back I see smoke the whole city is full of fire and disasters, hearing gunshots and screaming.
I looked in fear as I saw figures of people on fire rolling on the ground.
Scared at first but then a strange feeling came up upon me a feeling not bad nor good I felt like I cannot help them. They must have the disease, I quietly walk my way down the small mountain looking up at the sky, no stars have been visible for the past few months it is a good thing I left at the right time.

A mental fork in the road

The next morning I can actually see other locals walking along the river, why didn't they take a car, and why are they spread out? Looking closer I can see the same group of men that took all of my supplies still covered in fully loaded guns. They were looking for vulnerable people to steel from or to kill. I knew that the river wasn't very safe anymore, so I will separate from the river until I leave my home town. I come upon an abandoned town still looked fresh from Ganges taking whatever they can find for themselves.

I knocked on the door twice to see if anybody or anything was still alive in there... No answer... I slowly open the door everything was moved tipped over and shattered, but the furniture was not what I was looking for in the house, I tiptoed all the way to the kitchen, that part of the house was the only part that was not messed with at all. These people did not know how to keep themselves alive.
I open the freezer door and every little thing is their food, water,CLEAN WATER, good food and small but healthy foods, I grab a sports bag and take every little bottle of water, and all the healthy snacks that were still good…

I see a computer on the desk. I run over to it and try to turn it on to see if any body is still alive down there,I click the button, I click it again, why wont it turn on?! every thing was off the freezer was still on. oh well I didn't car I hear gunshots close by so I grab all the supplies, the bag and run out the back door, as I go out the door the yard was full of huge guns. I only take one but a whole load of bullets from the other guns and climb up the tree. As soon as I get on top of the tree see three large men run out the back yard.

Scared I load the gun & shoot all three men, ten more men come out to check on them & I shoot them all, as I walk slowly toward the bloody men I grow cautious for maybe they are still alive... I look down & kick one of the men slowly so I check their pockets and bags 15 bottles of water, small foods, & small guns, I take every thing. As I leave the city limits I wonder why did I do that?

Horrified by myself I look down at my bloody feet, look in the bag full of guns, I think... "Just for protection, just for protection, just for protection"
I cover the guns, under all the bottles. I just look at all of my supplies, and I think " I wonder if I need all of this stuff," Shaking my head really fast I whisper are you stupid of course I need food I will make it.

Walking away from the city limits of bastrop and i here sounds... like an alarm... like big a** drums drumming like an alarm... I look around closely with the gun in my hand & my heart pounding like the drums did, running as fast as i can into the forest i run run and run some more until I trip on a root of a tree that stuck out, I can no longer hear the drums, not even the sound of dead leaves cracking on the ground.

the savior of a new comer in the land of dead trees

Trees... I have not seen real live leaves on a tree in three years… scientists said it was a sign but nobody listened to them & now this happened... I get right back up on my feet, & run again not noticing the huge cut on my entire leg until the blood slowly crept down my leg. As my leg bleeds more I get more & more drowsy until I fall over. Looking to my side I see a girl a girl my age, a 15 year old girl well at least it looked like it.

Im still, she's still, skin is as pale as a ghost, eyes as blue as the skies, long black hair, pink lips. I just stare at her blue eyes, as she trembles in fear. I start to here cracking of leaves, I look back and then back up to here still staring at me, I get up as fast as I could and grab her hand and pull her up so she could follow me into the safe zone.. If there was one we run and run still looking at me trying to pull away from me. "Come on!!!" I yell "We need to get out of here before the ganges are here she just runs of, so I just look for one second & run the other way.

I hear a small scream followed by clicking of guns, I look back & she is knelt down holding her head down with both hands as the men start to laugh. I quietly climb the tree that is right above her head. I have already loaded the gun, & shoot every last one of the men that circled around her. She looks up as I jump down, the tree take her arm once more & she & I run to the north to dallas... I think...

Silence

We both stop at this big tree next to a destroyed car shop, and sit on the roots sticking out. I look down she was beaten on the arm, she has cuts all over her arm, I take out my first aid kit, & take a bandage, & slowly gets next to her, she backs away a little afraid, I stop but slowly get closer again she lets me put the bandage on her arm, "bandage i say slowly" it will help you heel. She just looks at me like I'm going to hurt her.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Still looking at in horror i just ignore it and wrap the bandage around her arm. "..." Just silent... All she does is sit there looking at the bandage. I sit next to her. she's shaking... looking me up & down from head to toe. She looks slowly into my eyes, still scared i can tell...

"Listen, I'm not going to hurt you... I'm looking for a settlement... In dallas I believe, I can't make it all alone. I will go crazy... I know you will not hurt you at all. please let me just take you to safety. Here!" I hand her a small sweater it's a little holy, but it's warm I promise. I expands his hands out with the sweater toward her.

She just looks at it & slowly takes it from me as if I was going to take her to prison. Putting the sweater on I take out one of those snack bars and sat across from her.
"Here take it, It's food good kind too plus its healthy for people like us that need to go somewhere." Looking at me closely she takes the snack bar a little bit more trusting in me.

I set my alarm clock watch to half an hour, okay we should take a nap just some time to gain our strengths. She nods slowly and lays next to the tree. i do the same but on the other side, not being able to rest i was terrified and thrilled that i have someone to walk with.