Shh Jenna, shush now, its ok, Cade tried to soothe.
Its not ok! she wailed. It will never be ok again!
Abbys mahogany eyes widened, dirt and some weird ooze streaked her pale skin. Her lower lip trembled slightly, but tears did not fill her eyes. She straightened her delicate shoulders, pulling at the strap of her tattered tank top as it slid to the side. I gave Cade credit for the fact that he did not argue with Jenna, did not try to lie to her and tell her that it would be ok. We all knew that it more than likely wouldnt.
Instead, Cade continued to comfort her as we struggled forward through the sucking, heaping, rotten mess beneath us. Abby made her way over to me, slipping her hand silently into mine. Jenna was weeping softly, her head buried against Cades chest, her shoulders shaking as they made their way forward.
I missed our mother, I wished things were different. I wished that we had been able to save her. I wished that we would have the chance to lay her to rest, and grieve for her the way that we had been able to grieve for our father. I couldnt think about her remaining trapped beneath that rubble forever, it was too painful. It made me feel like a disappointment to her. But even more, I wished that Jenna didnt have to know what it felt like to be lost, adrift, tossed about in the sea of mourning and anguish that opened upon losing a parent. We had never really liked each other, but the sorrow she was going through now was not something I would wish on my most hated enemy, even if I had one.
One day Jenna, it will not hurt so bad. Cades eyes met mine over top of Jennas head. They were not the same words he had uttered to me on that long ago day, but they were along the same lines. One day the agony will not be so consuming.
The words were true, but they did not hint at the gaping hole that the loss would leave behind. We stumbled, slid, slipped, and staggered our way down the garbage heap. I tried to use my shirt to cover my nose, it helped a little but the annoyance it caused was not worth the little aid it provided.
Awful, Abby whispered.
I wanted to agree, but I couldnt find the words to describe this miserable experience. The pile began to even out, leveling across the ground. The end to the sea of crap seemed to finally be in sight, though I was certain we would never escape the smell. I could taste its awfulness on my tongue. This place would haunt my memories until the end of my days. I shuddered, drawing strength from Abbys slender frame as we picked our way through the smaller layer of trash.
I glanced toward the sky, surprised by the lack of seagulls and crows fluttering through the air. They always circled the dump, cawing and diving for food. In fact, even though we had trudged through a veritable mountain of wasted food, I was stunned to realize that we had not encountered any wildlife. No birds, no rodents, not even a few stray cats or dogs were hanging around looking to be fed.
I froze, scanning rapidly over the heaping mounds stretching around us. The birds had been singing this morning, and now
And now there was nothing again.
I pulled Abby back, stopping her before she continued onward. Bethany! she hissed.
I shook my head at her, scanning the pristine sky again. It was hot; maybe the animals were seeking the sanctuary of the shade. But all of them? It seemed not only unlikely but nearly impossible.
Bethy come on, I want to get out of here!
Shh Abby!
Cade and Jenna had stopped walking; they were staring at me with confusion and impatience. Come
on Bethany.
Somethings not right.
No kidding! Jenna retorted.
I didnt rise to her snippy attitude; instead I released Abby and began to move slowly back the way we had come. Bethany!
I held up a hand to forestall Cades hissed words. One of the greatest things I had experienced in the past day was finally making the decent down this veritable mountain of crap, and now I was crazily clawing my way back up it. And it was just as awful, and exhausting, as I remembered. I struggled through the trash as it skidded and slipped out from underneath me, making the climb even more difficult. My legs ached, my lungs were beginning to burn again, but finally I made it to a small peak in the rubble.
I rose slowly, my gaze scanning over the hills spanning out before me. I glanced back toward the sky, but there was still nothing there. Across the tons of trash I spotted movement on the far side of the heap. And it was coming closer. I watched, straining my eyes to make it out, struggling to see what was across the way. The heat, and waves of decomposition rising off of the pile, made whatever it was blurry and hard to discern. It could be anything, it could be the missing animals, it could be more people, but a crushing sense of impending doom was beginning to descend over me.
Panic worked its way through my body; I didnt need to see what was coming to know that it was not going to be good. I turned, fleeing back down the pile, slipping and sliding, skidding and tripping through the disgusting mess. My feet skidded out from under me, I cried out, losing complete control of my body as I plummeted, rolled, and bounced painfully through the disgusting filth.