Chapter 13 - Chapter 12: Whispers of the Old World

My brother came up and stood next to me and his hands were full of scars from all those years of hard work but his eyes were still bright just like when we were kids playing in the green fields that dont exist anymore. He pointed his finger toward the far hills where we could see smoke rising from other camps and it was like a quiet sign telling us that we are not alone in this empty wasteland. He said we have to start a trade route because our food and water are getting less and the winter will be very hard for anyone who stays by themselves. I just nodded my head and felt so much pride for the man he became because our journey was never just about running from fear but it was about taking back our power in a world that tried to take everything away from us. I took out my old yellow notebook and started to draw a map of the place and I wrote down the landmarks that are still standing like the broken watchtower and the dry river and the bones of the big city that used to have millions of people. Every single line I drew was like a proof that we are still here and still breathing and still dreaming of a day when these ruins will be just a floor for something new and beautiful. The sun went higher in the sky and made long shadows that pointed toward the future and for the first time in a long time the road in front of us didnt look like a dead end but it looked like a real beginning.