Kel shouldered his pack and caught up to his sister. The two of them exchanged a quick smile before resuming their journey. Mel handed Kel some of berries for breakfast.

"They taste like blueberries...and strawberries" Kel remarked, a look of interest but also disgust on his face. "In what universe would you want a fruit that tastes like a blueberry....and a strawberry!"

Mel gave a short chuckle. "I kind of like it" she said.

Sighing she put her hands on her back and leaned back, looking around. "Kel...I don't know what this place is anymore, to be honest" she said offhandedly, "It's all changed so much."

"Mel" Kel spoke up in a sarcastic tone, "The tree over there has purple leaves."

"Yes but -" Mel started before Kel cut her off again.

"The roots are on the TOP of the tree now, Mel. We used to call this place Earth - home. Now, I have no idea what it is."

The two of them stared at the tree for a moment before resuming their walk.

"It's all backwards now, isn't it" she responded a moment later. "I don't know what to think anymore. What is even going on?"

"I'm pretty sure Walker knows" Kel sighed, once again looking to the sky.

"I wonder where he is now - he promised to come back" Mel said, her hands on her backpack straps - her eyes trained down. "Do you think we will see Mom again?"

The two of them stopped again. "When Walker comes back, I'll make him go find her" Kel said resolutely. "He always loved her."

"How long has it been now" she asked quietly. Not weak, not sorrowful - just quiet.

"Since Mum was taken?" Kel asked, "Or..."

"Yea, since all of this happened."

"Mel, I have no idea. The few people we have come across not intent on killing us all have different answers. Some say one year, some five...but we have only been traveling for a few months. I don't understand...I don't know" Kel finished with a sigh.

Mel straightened up and continued walking, Kel followed. Looking at her back he was once again surprised. She is so small, but the strongest person I have ever known...after Mum of course. I never knew either of them were so strong.

The two of them continued travelling for the rest of the day, breaking only for lunch and a short rest here and there. Kel couldn't help but admire beauty of the world around them.

We have been traveling for a few months now, and things are still just as incredible as the first moment I saw them.

Kel leaned back and stared at a piece of land floating up near the clouds.

"Heya, Kel" Mel spoke up as the two of them were resting around the campfire for the night. "Do you think this really is Earth?"

"What do you mean?" Kel responded after a moment, closing his journal and looking up.

"Well I mean" Mel continued, "Mom fell through some kind of portal, right? Like - with all the glowing and swirling lights. There was nothing underneath, so she must have gone somewhere else, right?"

"We don't know if it was a portal or not to be honest - we just kind of decided on it" Kel answered distractidly, his mind reliving those moments. "Heck, when we stepped in it, nothing happened at all..."

"It took her somewhere" Mel said firmly, "I just don't know if it was here or somewhere else. What if we fell through a portal at the start and this is all a strange place. What if she is back home!"

"Mel" Kel said sadly "Walker would have told us. I don't think there is a home anymore."

"Would he have" Mel responded bluntly. "Would he really."

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Kel smiled sadly, the very question on his mind as well. Turning back to his journal, he continued his writing.

The world had only ended a few weeks before. Walker had pointed us in a direction and told us to keep walking in it - before he just disappeared. I mean, what else were we going to do? Nothing looked the same anymore. Anything man made was gone! We had watched it all dissolve before our eyes while Walker was protecting us. Honestly, it was only after we started traveling that we realized just how much everything had changed.

We had lived in apartments, but they were all gone - as were all the people, the morning we set off. It was just us; Mum, Mel and me against the world. I remember Mel and I were scared - Mum just did what she always did. Stood up, smiled and led the way...as if she was not scared at all. I always thought Mum had all the answers - heck it even used to annoy me. I hated when she was right and I knew it, but I just couldn't bring myself to admit it. Now that she is gone, I realize just how strong she really was.

She didn't have all the answers. She just pretended like she did so we were not scared. After the world ended, she was still the exact same - Mum. Strong, kind, patient - a leader.

That morning she took the lead and headed off in the direction Walker had pointed. It was a nice morning, I remember. The air was so clean! I had never smelled such air before - it almost pierced my lungs, but in a good way. Every single thing we saw was different though. Trees looked like they were upside down, and some rocks were even spongy. The grass was a surprise for sure - we were walking through a field of short grass that was not even as tall as our shoes. One blade was a bit taller though, and brushed against my leg. It cut it clean open with no resistance! The grass was still soft and swayed in the wind - completely harmless to inorganic things. But for us...it was dangerous. I remember we had stopped at that point and looked around - only now realizing the animals we thought were sleeping in the field were actually not breathing. We backed away from that field real quick. We haven't found any more grass like that.

The food bushes are great. We were afraid to eat anything - but by the end of the second day we knew we didn't have much of a choice. As always, Mum insisted on testing first. We had seen a whole lot of the bushes on our journey so far - little waste high blobs covered in green fruits. Bright green mind you - like almost neon. Anyway, those are the one's that taste like blueberry and strawberry. They aren't the only source of food - but they are the easiest to get too.

***

I remember the morning we lost Mum.

It started like any other - Mum and Mel were up before me as usual, getting ready for the day. I used to sleep in before the world ended...now I am up with the Sun. It is different, but I like it. Makes me feel like the day isn't wasted.

Anyway, we had set off together and crested over a rise. I remember because it was breathtaking. The sun was just coming over the horizon, and the world was painted all shades of beauty. The rise looked out over a whole valley - with rolling hills of green and giant trees (the upside down ones, but they still looked really amazing) - and even a waterfall. I remember the waterfall distinctly. The water was the deepest blue you have ever seen - even as it was flowing down the side of the crest. And the water didn't break! It was a perfectly smooth sheet all the way until it hit the pool beneath it, where it would splash a million little droplets. The sun hitting the droplets made them seem like little pieces of floating crystal. It was the first time any of us had seen something like it, and we were more than happy to enjoy it for a moment.

"Come, let's get moving" Mum had said, taking her first step down the rise we were standing on. That was the last time we saw her. She just simply vanished. Mel and I had rushed forward to see a small swirling amount of lights floating just above the ground where she had stepped. I remember trying to step in it as well - I didn't care if it was dangerous, it had taken Mum. My foot simply went through it and hit the grass below. She was gone, and there was no following.

***

"I am glad the world ended" Kel said over the campfire. "At least now we are free."

"What?" Mel responded, a sharpness in her voice.

"Well, I mean - before this it was a slow bleed of the world ending, right? At least now it has happened - we are free of it."

"Oh really?" Mel responded once more, her voice crisp. "How is this free."

"Before this we were trapped, right? Like, we had no power - we weren't able to do anything for ourselves that actually mattered."

"And THIS is free" Mel shrieked at him. "THIS? Everyone we know is dead! Mum is missing, we are alone!"

"Mel - I didn't say it wasn't hard, only that we are able to make our own destiny now!" Kel responded earnestly. "Before we were stuck, we couldn't leave our jobs. Everyone was stuck in a life they never wanted."

"Oh, this is so much better!" Mel exploded once more. "Now, we wander a desolate waste - only the two of us. We have to hide if ever we see anyone else for fear they will kill us. Kill us, Kel! And how are we not trapped now! Instead of working, now our lives are 'Wander aimlessly hoping to find the place Walker sent us'! Don't be a fool, we are still just as trapped" she finished coldly before rolling over to fall asleep, her back to the fire.

Kel lay down too and stared at the fire. After a few moments he softly whispered, "You are right. You did have a life. The difference for me is not that I was trapped. I was so lost my life had never even started."

"At least now it has."

Kel rolled over himself to sleep.

He whispered even softer than before, so softly he was sure Mel wouldn't hear, "And I am sorry about Ryan too."

The tear that rolled down Mel's face spoke differently, but Kel never saw it.