Somewhere to live

ZENITH FORESTS,

A DAY LATER,

1:38 pm

There were no resources, no food, no water except for the expanse of the abundant forest, Aurora tried to keep herself composed as Kazuo did, but as for Lily, she was still as horrified as yesterday, and still longing to see her daughter. They were grateful for the forest, or else they would've had to walk in the scorching sun.

"We have to keep moving before we crumble out of food and water," he told and he kept on leading, Aurora looked at him with some gesture that Kazuo didn't recognise. She was tired and exhausted, she felt like she would slump down at any moment.

And Aurora couldn't speak anything except for the nodding here and there, everyone was thirsty and hungry, and the feelings she wanted to express the Kaz were no more important compared to the desire to survive.

"Were you all alone Kaz, you saw nobody, not even one soul?" Aurora asked him this time, after the long silence which existed amongst them from yesterday.

"I saw people Aura, but most of them didn't make It alive, and most of them wouldn't" he replied tense building inside of him, he glanced at Lily once, noticing whether it had affected her, after finishing the sentence.

All he thought was to keep Aurora safe because, he knew that she was his responsibility, now that her parents were no more to take care of her beloved daughter.

Only he knew how desperate he was to find her, how he ran to her house and how he felt when he saw it all crushed and felt heartbroken and peaceful at the same time that he had not found her, at least not dead.

And seeing her breathing and alive had made him happier which he couldn't express with words, and even in the midst of the already pre-existing tense, he wondered whether she was worried about him too, she longed to see him too, maybe she searched for him too. He brushed away the thoughts from his mind. This wasn't important right now, he reminded himself, but all he could do was to wonder about it, he wished to read her, to know what she felt for him, he knew that she loved him as much as she does everyone else, but does she love him in the way he did? that seemed to be an unresolved mystery.

He was ashamed to confess he liked a little girl, whom he had loved the day since he saw her, which increased as his hormones hit him, and which developed day after day and the longing summing up to it made it still harder for him. He still couldn't believe whatever he felt for her. He always consoled him by saying 4 years ain't a big difference, but it was hard for him to show his emotions

But anyway he hid his feelings because he had to, she was too young to guess how love works like.

3:42 PM

At a distance, they saw smoke rising out from the canopy of trees, and the sound of chit chattering and the trio rushed in that direction in hope of finding food and proper shelter, and most importantly clean water, Aurora's hope was rising, so did Lily's, she was so desperate to find her daughter here

People looked at them astonished, as they saw them coming, they all wanted to know who they were, clearly, nobody was in a mood to receive visitors after the claustrophobic attack they had.

"Who are you, people?" a man who was in his mid-thirties asked them, anxious.

"We are just survivors " Kazuo replied, looked at him confused.

"But there had been no survivors coming here from that direction" the man pointed out towards Whisblue forest and Lily pretended not to listen but she was listening.

"What?!"Aurora asked seeming so bewildered, and she looked at Kaz and demanded an explanatory look from the man who had just received them.

"The disaster was so hard hit in north and east part of Whispblue City, so we hadn't been receiving any survivors from there, and we're so glad you guys made it, please make yourself comfortable, you seem to be tired," he said after reading Aurora's face and they felt gratitude towards him, for providing hospitable area, even though they weren't in a mood for hospitality.

"There are enough food and water for so many people, please take rest while we arrange your hammocks, we haven't started building huts yet" a woman who was holding the hand of the man said, and Auro guessed that she might be his wife.

She gave a hospitable smile which made Aurora smile too, but she knew she wasn't exactly smiling, only her lips curved.

When they had washed near a lake, three of them grabbed the food like famished dogs, and they completed within no time, and people tried to socialize with them even though they had also faced tremendous loss. Everybody understood that they had to comfort people, and they had to be there for each other.

A girl who has barely ten approached Aurora and sat beside her, it was so weird but comforting. She told her she had also lost her parents and Kazuo sympathized for everyone around him.

Everyone there had wounds and so much blood was detected. Kazuo got up and started examining around him while Lily was still grieving for her lost daughter whom she had no hope of finding after the information being added up about the negative possibilities every time someone speaks to her. She mostly avoided everyone around her.

"Me and my dad were fishing in the old papa boo lake, just like every morning, and one minute we could smell the aroma of spices in the kitchen and next minute it was all gone" that little girl sitting beside Aurora told her, Aurora herself couldn't offer her any comforting words since she also wanted some, but still, she pulled the little girl close to her and wrapped her arms around her.

Kazuo wanted Aurora to settle her thoughts down and leave her alone for some time and then comfort her, and he realized everyone around here was either crying or sad, nobody had a smile on their face except a small baby on his mother's lap playing peacefully, for a second he wished that he was a baby too, not mature enough to see the reality of the situation

"What's your name?" Aurora asked her.

"Daisy" she replied, lost in thoughts of her own world.

"I'm Aurora" she tried to smile, but all she could give was a small smirk and she drifted off wondering what everyone here had done to experience this worse fate, and obviously at least this little girl here didn't deserve that

"And I'm Lily" she looked at the surprised face of Aurora and she knew right then that she had to move on and help everyone who suffered as much as she did

they all have something in common, a disastrous past and an uncertain future.

5:28 PM

"Aura" Kazuo sat beside her and held her small little hands with his broad palms.

"Hi," She told, trying to act brave, but it was all waste, he knew her very well.

He hugged her close and she wrapped her arms around him in response, Daisy leaned her head on Aura's shoulders and Lily patted her arms.

"It's gonna be okay," He told, he wasn't sure whom he was saying too, everyone needed to hear this, so he didn't specify.

"I miss my mom" Aura said.

"I'll be there, as your mom too, as both of your mums" Lily smiled and hugged Daisy, they felt grateful for her, even though she couldn't move on, she tried her best to comfort them.

"And I'll be there to protect you, love you, I promise" He meant those words, he really wanted to show his exact love and everything, but he also knew this wasn't the right time.

Aurora remained silent, she knew life was never going to be the same again.