Chapter 9 - The Crater

Both Mr. Kooper and that scrawny man collapsed right in front of them.

Hand trembling, Reya lowered the gun. "What have I done?" she mumbled, dropping the gun from her shaky hands.

There was just blood everywhere and they don't even know who got hurt.

"I killed someone. I really... killed someone," she stuttered.

Her eyes trembled; she could even feel bile rising in her throat. she ran to the nearby wall and leaned against it. "Ulaw.." she retched her stomach's contents.

"Reya, look," Her mother slowly whispered.

However, Reya could not hear her, her ears were ringing. It became harder to breathe; she started to hyperventilate. Holding the wall, she slowly slid down and sat on her ass.

"Hang on baby," Momma Jade held her shoulders.

Reya could not hear her though; she could only see her mouth move. 'What are you saying mom?' she thought as her eyes blackened. "I can't... I can't hear" she said, wheezing and panting.

"Baby, it's okay, it's okay," she whispered hugging her to her bosom. "Look at me." She held her face to hers and kissed her forehead. "It's okay Reya, you didn't kill him."

"I didn't?" Reya said, eyes wide open. "I didn't kill them?" she repeated, barely above a whisper.

"No Reya, you didn't. They both are alive, look," her mother said, moving her head towards their side.

Reya saw that the skinny man was lying on top of Mr.Kooper, but both of them were moving. That man's hands were bleeding profusely, and he seemed to be unconscious.

"They… they are alive?" she wheezed, pointing at the two.

"Yes baby, they are alive. So calm down," her mom whispered and hugged her tight.

On the hind sight she saw Mr. Kooper push the unconscious man off of him and get up. He pushed the man on the ground and removed his weapon. He started frantically searching around and found a belt under the rubble. He pulled both the assailant's hands behind his back and tied him up.

And she also saw Mina whimpering in the small wagon. "Mina, don't look," she whispered looking at her.

Mina sniffed and said, "I don't care about that, Reya are you okay?" she started sobbing holding her hands out.

With her trembling legs, Reya walked towards the small trolley and held Mina in her arms.

She closed her eyes in relief, 'Thank god Mina is safe. To save her life, I am willing to die and to kill. Anything to keep her safe,' Reya thought desperately, pulling her deeper into her embrace.

She wiped her eyes clean and said, "I'm fine, see. Your favorite Bald Reya is back," she said, lifting her beanie up and down.

"Stop it Reya," Mina lightly swats her hand with a smile on her face.

"Mr. Kooper, are you hurt anywhere?" Momma Jade asked in concern.

Her momma was checking him up from head to toe, like how she would do them. Mr. Kooper being the naïve guy he was blushed red at her mom's ministrations.

Reya smirked at this. 'Well someone has got puppy love for my mommy' she thought.

"Ahem," Mr. Kooper cleared his throat, lightly pushing her mom's wavering hands away. "We should continue with our journey," he said.

"I am very proud of you. You did that to protect your family, so don't beat yourself up for that." He came up to Reya and patted her shoulders. "Besides not many can aim like you did. Good job kid." He said grinning and started pulling Mina's small wagon.

Chuckling a little at his motivation speech, Reya hobbled behind him. She watched his strong back as he pulled Mina and thought, 'I wish we had a father like him.'

Sighing, she looked at the ground when she remembered her actual father. 'Why are you thinking about him Reya? That guy left them as soon as Mina was born. He didn't even look back. He didn't care about us' she thought with a downcast look.

Momma Jade soon caught up to Mr. Kooper, and both were animatedly talking about something. Looking from her perspective, she saw the same kind of feelings in her mother's eyes. 'Looks like Mr. Kooper's not the only one with puppy love here,' she thought.

Reya rushed up to them and just shoulder bumped her mom with a huge smile on her face.

"Ouch, Reya don't break my shoulders," Mamma Jade moaned, rubbing her shoulder blade.

"What! I just bumped you mom," Reya pouted.

"But it still hurts like hell," she whined dramatically, leaning over her shoulders.

Reya rolled her eyes at her. "Okay woman, I know what you want. I'll definitely give you a shoulder massage before bed," she said, tousling her soft brown hair.

"Aww, my Reya is so cute," Her mom cooed, pulling at her nose.

"Mom, stop it. You might misshape my nose," Reya whined.

"Ah, you are no fun," she said and walked ahead her.

They walked for an hour or so when they came across a devastating sight. Their path was burned black. The air had not cleared up and there was still black ash flying in the air. "Mina, here wear your mask," she said and handed her mask over.

Reya took her mask from her jean pocket and wore it as well. "What happened here?" she whispered as she walked close with her mom.

"I don't know. But it looks like a huge fire destroyed this place completely," Momma Jade whispered as she pulled her close to her.

Shaking her head, her Momma said, "The path is getting to rugged, I'll get Mina."

"My little Mina its mommy time" she cooed and lifted her sister out of the little wagon.

"Oh my god, is that a crater?" Mina said pointing towards their left.

Reya looked at the direction, but saw nothing but ash. "I don't see anything, Mina," she said lightly above a whisper.

"But I do," Mina said, muffling her head in Momma Jade's shoulders.

They walked a little further and came across a crater for real. 'How did Mina see from so far away?' she thought as she glanced at her little sister. Reya walked closer and the sight she saw broke her heart.

Part of the moon that crashed into earth laid silently in between the huge crater.