Sarah+Grace+R

“Phineas”

“Here!”

“Ariel”

“Here!”

“Pipka,” there was no response. “Pipka,” the Chief Commander of our clan said a little louder. There was still no response. The moment I had been dreading since the Vindicta tried to take over after the flood of 2050. One of our own, of the few who made it to the crescent center in time, has been left in the badlands where the Vindicta have complete control, and no one is safe there. She’s probably already gotten the disease.

I lean against the wall, looking down at the railroad that takes us to the badlands every day and think about how we could have forgotten Pipka. How could //I// have forgotten Pipka. We were just getting food and supplies from the shelter, and I didn’t even think to make sure she got back on the train with us.

“We are going to find her. Do you want to come?” I thought the Chief Commander would make an exception to go looking for his daughter. Normally we wouldn’t take the risk of getting the disease and being attacked by the vindicta to find someone left behind.

“Definitely. When do we leave?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

So when I woke up early this morning, I looked up at the dull, gray sky, then into the distance at the water slowly rising, and finally down the railroad tracks where we would be looking for Pipka in a few short hours. It looked cold and uninviting, but I know Pipka is in there and we have to find her. I went to find the Chief Commander and the rest of the people who volunteered to join the search. Once we were all together, I took a deep breath and started walking down the never-ending railroad to Pipka.