Annihilation Series

Only the waterfall where we bathed, and the tree line surrounding it gave way to the area once being a mountainside. After we passed it there was nothing for miles. I could feel Hero's eyes upon me and I knew he worried, yet this had to be done. I was so lost in thought and held such fear, and even determination, I had no wish to stop. The horses knew where to find water, and they would drink without us getting off. Darkness was falling upon us when we saw a tiny cabin. The roof had caved in, and the floor boards of the porch were haphazardly laying one top of another. There was no noise, no sound, not even a bird in the sky. If it was not too bad on the inside perhaps we could lay our heads there this night. Slowly we entered after sidestepping all the rubble, weapons at the ready just in case. It smelled of rotted flesh, and no wonder. In the rocking chair sat what was left of a man. He was mostly skeleton, hollow eye sockets and tufts of hair scattered here and there over a few fleshy skull parts. He must have shot himself in the bottom of the mouth and the shot went up through his brain. His skull was cracked, well, more like broken in several places. Poor soul, to end his life that way. Perhaps he feared the Cleansing, and the death that would bring him. Hero slowly went into the other room, and tried to keep me out, but it was not happening. Upon the bed lay three little girls. Their bodies were the same shape as the mans, but they had little dresses on. It was hard to guess their ages, and I did not want too. They had been shot as he had. Huddled in a corner was a skeleton, must have been the mother. Was she cowering while her little ones were being shot? Why did she not try to stop him instead of cowering? I could not finish that thought. She held something, hiding something. Tears left my eyes. I was angry, berating the poor woman for being a coward, yet she was trying to protect her baby. She had been shot, but the baby had not. With her death, it could not get the nourishment it needed. It would have been better perhaps if it had been shot. We left them as they were, and we both prayed for their souls, and that they should find strength in God's arms.