Keep walking, Jimmie.

Jimmie gnawed at his teeth, not feeling a thing. It was weird; He felt the vibration, but nothing else. It was kind of nice; He thought.

The sun had set, and the sun had risen. Time was no longer of any worth to Jimmie. The last of the ration bar had been eaten, fed to Dick in small portions, only taking a fourth of it for himself. Water came and went, but he never needed to shit, he couldn’t say why, he hadn’t done it for several days now. Can't be good.

Keep walking.

Dick was even paler than before, barely opening his eyes when Jimmie coerced him too. But Jimmie had a hard time to care, hard time to feel, hard time for, anything to be honest. The only thing on his mind right now was walking, walking, and more walking.

Why was he walking? Why couldn’t he just, sleep? He was so tired, so exhausted.

Yeah, this is horrible. Why am I doing this?

Keep walking; He needed to keep walking.

But why? It was such a simple question, yet it gnawed on Jimmies mind. His legs were so tired, so weird, they wouldn’t always do what they were told. He knew logically that they were wounded, damaged in a very bad way. But he just couldn’t accept it, they didn’t hurt, why didn’t they work properly?

Keep walking. Just, keep walking.

Jimmie’s head was hanging low, his feet the only changing thing. One coming up, then moving away, only for his other boot to take its place. It was comforting, somehow. Why? Jimmie didn’t know, he just knew that he had too -

Keep walking.

A noise, a voice, a bird chirping and a car honking. Jimmie whipped his head up, but he couldn’t see it. What was that?

The noise came again, but this time he heard it more clearly from somewhere behind. He whipped his head around, looking for the source. His lips chapped, charred and bruising. His eyes sunken and black, cheeks framed to the bone and his hair greasy and wet.

Keep walking ke-

He shook the thought, that wasn’t important right now. He had heard safety; He must get to safety.

Then he saw it, coming up and over the horizon, glimmering in the sun. Jimmie’s face beamed in delight, in happiness, for he knew that car. It was his mothers, his precious mother's car, driven in better times, times before war, before his father, before everything.

Oh, how Jimmie wanted that car, needed that car, desperately had to get that car.

Walk, keep walking.

The thought came again, and Jimmie felt violated, humiliated. How dare it think like that, what did it think it was? How dared it try to control him like that. Jimmie was waiting for his mom, he would not walk away from that, he loved her too much for that.

Then the car came cruising down, window glistening in the sun, making it impossible to see the cars denizens. But Jimmie just knew, he just felt that it had to be his mom. He waited with childlike glee, in childlike glee. His smile showing bloody gums and yellow teeth.

Driving in, the car came impossible fast, braking once close, but not close enough, just out of reach. Jimmie wanted to move up, but felt a something weigh him down. Confused, he looked down, seeing Dick strapped to his back.

Keep walking, you have to, keep walking.

Jimmie stared down at Dick, going through several emotions. Each as unsettling as the last. Stopping once it reached a singular one.

Guilt.

He looked back up, seeing the car door open, and out stepping his mom, bird on her shoulder. She smiled as she saw Jimmie, waving at him, a smile just as bright as he remembered. The sun shining from behind, enhancing her beauty.

But Jimmie didn’t smile. He was so happy, so infuriatingly happy. Yet he didn’t smile.

He looked back down at Dick, a single tear rolling down his cheek, precious water wasted. He wanted to go, wanted to leave, wanted to go home.

His mind remembered everything, everything bad, everything wrong. His life had been a domino of bad experiences, nothing worth living. The only light was his mother, bringing with it joy and happiness.

Jimmie looked away from Dick, his arms reaching for the straps on his backpack, staring at his mother’s loving face. She looked at him with such a happy smile; It gnawed at Jimmie’s heart. Oh, how he wanted to go home.

He stood there, his arms on his straps, like a child ready to leave for his first trip to school, mother waving from behind.

Then he felt something, a tap, a tug, something numb on his boot. He looked down and saw Dick staring back at him. Hand lying on top of Jimmie’s boot. Dick’s eyes shining with life, looking up at Jimmie with clarity.

Jimmie’s heart skipped a beat. Dick took in a deep, raspy breath, eyes fixed deep into Jimmies.

Then it clicked in Jimmie’s mind, and he remembered. His mom was dead, Dick was alive, they were in deep shit and he was their only chance of survival.

Keep walking.

The thought echoed hollow. He knew it true, knew it important and necessary. But how would a child keep his tears away when he would have to say his final farewell to his mother?

Jimmie looked up again, his mother's eyes knowing and smiling. She didn’t speak, she didn’t have to, she merely mouthed “I love you”. Then went back in her car, driving away with the sun shining.

Jimmie’s eyes were wet and red, tears flowing as he waved goodbye. He was so sorry; He didn’t want to leave her again, but he had too, he had something important to do.

He looked down at Dick, maybe his only friend. The only one who had seen through him since day one. The only one who had seemed to care, to feel, to know what Jimmie had felt. And he wouldn’t betray such an amazing person; He would save him no matter what.

With tears flowing down, he smiled, whispering from cracking lips.

“I’m gonna get us out of here, dont worry Dick, I got you. I’m not gonna stop walking!”

Keeping a firm grasp around the straps, he turned back around, facing forwards. His mind set, his body ready. He would do it. He would save them.

Then he fell forward, head first towards the ground.

And everything went black.