Chapter 18

           I haven�t talked with Eric since he took off me� I feel so guilty now, I�ve been so occupied with the Mission and all that I forgot to take care of a family matter. How could I be so foolish�?

            I walked out to the old area where we would sleep in hopes of finding him, but he wasn�t there. So I went to look at the food area; he wasn�t there. I went to the science lab, wasn�t there. I even ask around, and no one even knows where he is? How can a crowded area like this not know where one boy is!?

            Thinking to myself that maybe Eric just doesn�t want to be found� I returned to the Science office, my new sleeping dormant. Only Megan was in there.

            �Hmm? What�s wrong?� She said as I entered. I took a chair and sat down, �Nothing.� Megan sat down across me, �You can�t fool me, I can tell that there�s something on a person mind even if I don�t know them. Come on, tell me.�

             I looked at her with annoyance, �You�re sounding like a mother now�or a teacher or something.� Megan smiled, � I�ve had Peer helping classes before.� Silly of me, I should have known�

             Knowing that I�m not going to get anywhere with her, and walking away isn�t going to help either� Might as well just let it out, �Ok�It�s about Eric.�

            �Eric?�

            Looking disappointed, I said, �Tomorrow, I�m supposed to leave here. And I haven�t found Eric since� since you know.� She nodded, �Yeah, since he went off mad at you for not allowing him to come along with you.�

            �Yeah�and that�s basically it, actually. I�m only sad because I couldn�t� find him, therefore I couldn�t really talk to him. I was starting to think that he doesn�t want to be found��

            She closed her eyes and concentrated at the problem at hand, �Well, your problem basically revolves around not finding him. The rest is up to you, and it already sounds like you know what do say.� I nodded silently.

            Megan continued, �And although I can�t exactly solve your problem, I can help you.� What did she mean? I don�t understand. �The last time I saw Eric was near the doors to the hall.� I smiled, �Thanks.�

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           It was nice of Megan to help, I�m just hoping that Eric is there. As I approached the doors to the halls, I noticed that it was the one area where everyone was avoiding. There was at least 3 meters of space there�

           The only people there were the two guards and a boy sitting against the wall near the left side. That boy was Eric. As I approached the area, I asked the guards to leave us. They put up a little fight about staying and protecting the gate, but after I told them that we�ll do just as well as them, due to the fact that neither of us have weapons on us. (I left mine in the science Office)

             �Eric?� I asked as I approached him. You could tell that something was wrong with him. He had his head buried in his arms and knees� and his weeping was silent, but loud enough to hear his crying.

             �Go away.� He said without even looking at me.

             �Eirc? It�s me, Rachel.�

             �I said go away.� He said harshly.

              I was shocked. How could he be like this to me. All I want to do is to talk to him�but it�s like his mad at me. What went wrong? What have I done wrong? All I want to do is to talk to my little brother, because this could be the last time we ever see each other�

              I sat down beside him. I looked out front at the crowed camp, even though no one dared to come near the door. It was a splendid sight. A sight of kids of all ages and races working together just to survive, a sight I never thought I would see. It was beautiful, but at the same time�sad.

            �Eric. You know I�m leaving tomorrow, right?� I asked. He didn�t say anything; there was nothing but a calm weep.

            ��.� I didn�t expect this. I expected him to be happy to see me. I was lost. Nothing was going according to my plan.

            Still looking at the sight of Camp, �Look at this.� And at the corner of my eye, I saw Eric lift his head just enough to look at me, than at what I was looking at; Camp. �I would have never imagine life to be like this. We�re locked in a school, with monsters roaming in the halls. And yet, we seemed to have found a way to adapt to this situation. Although left in Gym with only a few extra rooms attached together, we made a city out of it.�

             I continued, �We have a hospital where all the sick and wounded go, we have a restaurant, a Prime Minster, a small army, a city hall, and the people within the city. Even though the Hospital is the science lab, and the restaurant is nothing more a food court, and the Prime Minister is just a High school student, and the small army is nothing more than a bunch of kids with guns, and the city hall is nothing more than the Science Office. But one thing is the same, the people living here. You may not see it, but I see that we could adapt in any situation. And since there�s a nice city here, we need to keep it this way.�

            I looked at him only to see that he was still looking out in front of him. I noticed that his crying has stopped, so I continued, �In order to do this, we need food. And we need people to get this food. So I need to go. Not only to get the food for the people here, but to get the food for you. And to find Kevin, and bring him back safely so that we can be a family again.�

            It looked like Eric was going to start crying again, �But what if Kevin is dead? And what if you die out there, too? Than I�ll be all alone� forever.�

            �Remember that time when we in that big mall and you got lost?� I asked. He nodded his head slowly.

             �Well, me and Kevin went to look for you when we noticed you were missing. So we left mom alone talking to the cashier about something. Even though Kevin and me were practically lost ourselves, we didn�t give up. And after what seemed like an hour, we found you in the corner crying silently.�

             He smiled, �Yeah, but than we were all lost.�

             �Yeah, but at least we had each other. You weren�t afraid than, were you?�

             �No, I felt safe� happy to see you guys.�

             �Yeah, and after walking around, we returned to mom. Together, as a family.�

             He looked at me for the first time, eye to eye. I said to him, �Now imagine yourself as Mom. I�m going to go and look for Kevin and some food, but I�ll still come back to you. I promise.�

             And than an idea dawned upon me. I took off my necklace that was hidden underneath my shirt. The necklace was precious to me; it was given to me when I was one month old. It was a circle of a metal circle with an aqua jewel in the middle that would shine even in the darkness of nights. I had never taken it off my neck since I was given it, until today.

             �Here, hold this for me.�

             �But, it�s your necklace! It�s your most treasured item!�

              �Your right, it precious to me. And for that, I would have to return to you to get it back. Think of it as a physical promise.�

               He smiled and gripped my necklace in his hands, �You promise you will return, I�ll remember that.�

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               When I got Eric to go to sleep, I walked back to the science office where everyone was to have one last meeting before departure tomorrow. When I arrived, only Callie and Addison were there. I must be early.

              �So Rachel, where were you in the last 5 hours?� Callie said as I entered, �I thought you were already gone without us!�
I smiled at that joke, I was glad that Callie was trying to lighten up, considering on what�s ahead of us. �Ha. Ha. Very funny. I was with Eric.�

               Her smile turned into a worried look, �Oh? And how did it go? Because I heard from Megan what happened with you and Eric.�

               �Well�I talked to him and in the ending, I gave him my necklace as a promise to return!� I blushed and smiled. Callie looked annoyed, �Just like a movie.�

               �What?� I asked.

                �Just like a movie.� She continued on, �You know, when the hero of the story gives his daughter or wife or someone important an important item to them. And than the hero in the end either dieds or is the only one who makes it back alive.�

                Oh. Great�

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