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Chapter 1- The Guardian River

Scene 1:

A drop of water dribbled from the tap, splashing onto the dry dirt below, it screamed and evaporated into the hot wind. Nothing survived not even dreams.

The air cracked the walls of his throat and tears in his eyes sizzled, drying out. His lips were split and bleeding and his long boned fingers reached for his green eyes as they shut him out. His knees gave way and crashed onto the creaking floor.

"I can't do this...Is it my time too?" He muttered. His words grated on his throat and his fingers clawed across the splintered planks. A rusted nail reached over and hooked his shirt. He dragged himself along, his ribs grated on the wood, and his empty stomach cried out for mercy. The nail ripped his clothes, but he continued to grovel along.

I don't want to die... He told himself repeatedly in his head. But he knew the world wouldn't miss him anyway because it didn't know him. Still, he refused to give up the hope he held tightly too.

The door suddenly flew open smashing into the wall. "CAYDEN!" a voiced screeched, she stumbled over toward him, leaning down beside his body.

"Stay with me!" she said hauling his head onto her lap—tapping his face.

"Mother.." he peered up. His eyes blurred and he took a gasping breath, "Am I next?" he asked.

"No, no." she shook her head trying to force a smile, but all that filled her face was grief.

"Keep fighting, don't ever give up." She said running her fingers through his blonde curls.

The last word out of Cayden's mouth never reached his throat, his eyes closed and his vision was filled with blackness, lonely darkness in a drifting void.

They perished and left me, and I now join them? Will I see Grandpops and grandma? I should have died first...I'm scared. Mother won't be there, she stronger than me. Cayden's thoughts drifted.

His body was barely holding on. He had a weak immune system and was vulnerable to every virus's whim.

Cayden would complain it wasn't fair, and then it would continue to happen. It was still better than the life he could have had. If only he knew what that life was.

The wind picked up the dirt off the planes which was a waste land. Their little farmhouse stood alone from the world, far from the closest town which was one day and one night away.

The soil battered its way through the cracks and windows of the house.

The equidae kicked out frenetically from the air battering his eyes, breaking off more planks. Silver was creature's name, white with specks, four legs, mane, tail and extra eyes to smell threats. Some equidae had two head's and two minds about everything—making them hard to control.

Cayden's mother carried him up the stairs to the only room that sat on the top floor. Her stick legs barely moved under her tattered brown dress. Her straggly black hair was covered in dust—she could hardly keep her own eyes open. She feared she would drop her son—suffering as much as she was.

Krynn, his mother lied, making Cayden believe she was stronger than him. When she was just as weak—she didn't wish him to worry.

She lay him on his worn out bed and lied down next to him. Her tired eye's stared into his soul, lost in thought.

"I wish your life could of turned out better. Only bad things follow you." She twirled his hair in sorrow. She could feel the water rising to the surface of her eyes.

"We ran, just be killed by the weather." A tear dripped down her sunken in face. 

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Scene 2:

Two skeletons hugged each other in what seemed to be their final moments, but Onarma was never so forgiving to the living. With the following morning Krynn, Cayden's mother awoke to find her suffering had continued into the next day.

Cayden hadn't moved, he lay still, hardly breathing. Krynn reached out and touched his forehead, it was as hot as the new day. She yarned and dragged herself to her feet, her eyes met the reality that surrounded them. For as far as the eye could see was dust, yellow and dry dirt, and maybe a black dead tree here and there.

She shook her head and faced her back to the huge hole in the wall, "Cayden, please wake up."

She quickly stumbled down the stairs, retrieving a mug of water from inside the tiny kitchen cupboard.

"Silver," Krynn said. The equidae lay on the floor, its stomach was a breathing bird cage, empty, and he looked beyond tired.

She feared that he might be next too. Krynn spent maybe minutes trying to pump the water from the tap outside. Gathering a couple drops—she hurried back upstairs. Cayden's eyes flickered open slightly. Krynn held the last of the water to his lips making him drink.

"I'm going out for a bit, okay. I'll be back soon so don't go anywhere." She said drinking the last drop Cayden left.

"O--kay." His words shuttered along his throat. She kissed his forehead and told him to rest up. Hurrying down the stairs and taking Silver with her. Instead Cayden sat up and rubbed his itchy eyeballs letting the light in; the morning was too bright and too hot. Sweat dribbled down his brow as he sat there, not caring for a word his mother had said. He placed his peeling feet on the wornout floor.

I wonder if the drought will be over.

"I'm so hungry." He clutched his numb stomach it had forgotten the last time he'd eaten.

Cayden scratched his arm peeling off his skin easily. It began to bleed and sting—he jolted back in fright of the pain, letting out a cry.

"I don't want to suffer! I want to live." He muttered as if he was going mad.

If we don't find water soon, I know it's the end. It already been three days.

Cayden climbed onto the floor, his leg wobbled under him as he swayed. His arms reached out to steady themselves. Half crouching with his hands out in front of him, he stood still.

He knew within himself that no one was going to help them, that the Kingdom had abandoned their people. Well, that was all his mother had said. They would have to find supplies themselves or they were going to die like the rest of the people in the North. The population had dropped so very far. The closer you lived to the Northern castle the higher chance of survival, but they lived so far away there was no chance.

Cayden had decided he was going to help his mother and himself. She would leave everyday trying to sell their belongings just to find food and water. Most of the time she would return empty handed, they were also out of things to sell, the very last of everything.

Cayden stepped forward moving erratically—his fingers clutched onto the door. He inhaled, his chest ached and his head felt dizzy. He glanced at his bare feet to see his redden skin that was once pale.

Bridgedale was no place for someone with such fair skin, the land was once tropical and the native Pareu flourished. But times had past, it had grown hotter and hotter in the last couple years and no one knew why. The land was close to being a desert.

Cayden's unkempt body stumbled down the stairs, halting at the bottom. Seeing his mother had taken Silver he headed for the door.

That's it! I'm going to go looking...I know there was a river further west.

Cayden grasped onto the tiny bit of hope he had left. He had nothing else to keep him alive. He took the empty metal bucket from beside the front door.

His bare toes leapt out onto the dry desert of dirt—he instantly regretted it. The heat burned his feet, sending a stinging pain through his entire body. Taking a breath he sucked in the hot air. The pain felt like he was cooking from the inside out.

Promising not to cry, Cayden held himself together. The burn that covered his body was endless. He placed his foot forward like a toddler learning to walk again, and he took off into a sprint. His body was weightless, but the power in his legs was minimal. He soon forgot the burning heat on his soles and flew on into the dusty wind. He ran down the paddock; the ground under him had millions of cracks like scales on a dragon's back. He dragged himself under the fence—heading west.

Turning back he took a glance at the farm; the little broken house looked like a mausoleum isolated from the world, surrounded by invisible graves. Cayden hadn't known many people, they liked to keep to themselves. Friends were as rare as gold.

I'm going to save us! So what happened to Ma and Pops doesn't happen again, he reassured himself and set out feeling hopeful. Without hope Cayden had nothing to hold onto.

He had never dared to leave the boundaries before, that was the main rule his mother was most strict about. The sun was also too harsh on his delicate skin.

He wondered into the wilderness; not sure of what he would find. Everything looked the same, many bony black trees waved their branches like no one was watching. He was surely going to turn into a part of the wasteland, where nothing survived. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Author note:

Might add the rest, or never :D

If there's spelling mistakes, sorry... I'm over editing this! It's had 10 drafts and I need a break....

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