1 The Beginning

The sky was a dark ominous color with rain so heavy it seemed you could drowned just standing in it. Lightning flashed across the sky illuminating a desolate town.

It was a small town of a couple thousand people, at least it was. In between the burnt houses the streets were filled with bodies that were just starting to smell. Among the dried blood and bloated bodies a child of around 7 years-old was silently crying, while cradling his mother's body.

Behind him an older man, appearing to be in his late 50s was silently watching. His expression was fluctuating between rage and sadness. This wasn't the first town to be destroyed like this and it wouldn't be the last. This was the third day in a row that the man had come to talk to the boy.

Calming himself he let out a sigh and approached the boy. "Son what's your name?"

Startled the boy scrambled out of his embrace with his mom to turn around quickly, while picking up a sharp stick next to him.

Lifting his mouth up into a sad smile, the man looked at the shaking stick pointed at him by the silent boy. Raising his hands up slowly into a surrendering signal the man started speaking.

"It's okay, I'm a friend. I'm here to help"

The boy just stared at him with fearless eyes while his hand still shook giving an appearance of fear that was absent in his piercing blue eyes.

Nodding his head in apparent approval of the boys attitude the man spoke again. "You've been here for 2 days now kid, it's time you follow me to get some food. You're obviously hungry, look at how bad you're shaking."

Still receiving no response the man sighed and spoke one last time. "This is the last time kid. You can either follow me and continue living or stay here and starve." After saying this the man abruptly turned around and started to walk towards the edge of the destroyed town.

The boy's face showed some hesitation as the man started to walk away like he had for the past two days. But his words this time had been different and made him think. "Wait," the boy croaked out through a sore throat.

The man stopped. A surprised expression flashed across his face as he heard the boy talk for the first time in three days. After a few seconds pause of silence the man said, "I'm listening."

The boy seemed to be conflicted as he stared at the man and finally asked in a depressed voice, "Why would I want to keep living?"

Shocked by the boys response yet again the man turned around to look at the tear filled face of the boy. "What do you mean kid?"

"Everyone I know is dead. My dad, mom, my brother, sister, my friends, my neighbors..." slumping to the ground he finished, "...everyone." Moving his wet messy brown hair out of his face the boy looked in to the green eyes of the old man who had been the only living soul he had seen for the past few days and asked, "Why should I keep living? Why?"

The old man walked up to the boy and squatted down about 5 feet in front of the boy and looked into his pleading eyes, that asked for a purpose.

"I can't give you a reason to live, only you can do that."

The boy's eyes seemed to dim at the man's reply.

Seeing the boys reaction the man continued. "But do you think that your mom would want you to give up on life? I didn't know her or anyone from this town. But I do know what happened here today has happened before, and will happen again. Do you think that this is fair?"

Looking into the old mans eyes again, the boy replied in a dejected manner, "So what?"

"My point is kid, is do you think that your family and friends want you to give up on this chance you get at life that they didn't?

I don't think they would."

The boy just shook his had and said, "But why should I live, what's the point?"

"Live for them, kid. Don't give up. Live so they have someone here that still remembers them."

The kid's expression changed into a thoughtful expression as he looked down at the ground with his eyebrows pinched together. After a few seconds of silence he nodded silently and looked back up at the old man and said resolutely, "Okay."

The man slapped his thighs as he stood back up and said, "Good. Let's get going." But as he turned around and start to walk away, the boy quickly stood up and said, "Wait!" Then his voices turned into almost a whisper, "Can you help me bury my mom?"

The man turned around with compassion in his eyes and said, "Of course. Did you want to bury more of your family?"

The kid looked sad as he shook his head. "No, I couldn't find anyone else's body." The man nodded his head and started to walk to the mother's body. But before he could pick up the body the boy had rushed over in front of him to do it himself. "I'm sorry but I want to carry her." The man nodded and turned and walked to the outskirts of the town.

....

After an hour an old man and child stood over a simple grave with a pile of stones set over the top as a land marker. After having a moment of silence the man turned to the boy and asked, "Are you ready to leave?"

The boy nodded and asked, "Where will we be going?"

The man merely laughed and replied, "I think it's about time you answered my original question. What's your name kid?"

"My name is Andrew."

"Nice to meet you Andrew, my name is Tobias," the man replied as he started to walk down the road.

In reply Andrew merely asked, "So where are we going Tobias."

Tobias chuckled and replied, "We are going to survive. So first, let's get you some food."