Let Our Hearts Lead the Way

Some days, there are pleasant dreams of a world that used to be. Clean air, hearing laughter, going out for ice cream. For the rest of the days, the nightmare of explosions, screaming, having trouble breathing from smoke fire and toxic waste reoccurring creates survival for two siblings. Jack and Emily awaken from this nightmare only to see their everyday lives become this reality.

The world has truly ended as they find themselves the only survivors in this dystopian land. Jack 13, and Emily 11, found an underground bunker they live in. During the day, they go out bravely to find food, and other materials they can use to continue their survival. What keeps them both strong is reminiscing about how wonderful their mother was, and how she was always so proud of their inner strength.

Their mother gave them both heart locket necklaces; one side of the heart was a picture of their mother, the other side a picture of the child she gave the necklace to. They hold on to the necklaces for courage, strength, and inspiration especially when facing danger coming out of the bunker. Together they have faced many challenges that they overcame together.

They have been chased by wild animals, and got away. They were once trapped in a burning grocery store until Jack grabbed as much water as he could to put of the fire. There was a time Jack was cut and hurt badly, and Emily was able to stitch his wound. Before they found the bunker, they had to find safe places to sleep every night. Their wit, teamwork, courage and optimism led them to overcome every obstacle in their way.

Today, they came out of the bunker to look for food and they heard a baby crying. Jack and Emily split up to find the baby. Jack ends up finding the baby behind the register of a tire shop. He calls Emily over, almost bursting into tears. The baby has the same necklace as them, with their mother’s picture on it. They are both in shock. After 1 year of not being able to find their mother, they assumed she did not survive. For the first time since then, they had hope to reunite with her again.

“She must be close!” Emily shouted. They agreed not to rest until they could find their mother. The siblings grabbed the baby and went to find her. They spent hours looking in every building they could possibly find. They were exhausted, holding the locket and looking at the baby, they knew they couldn’t give up. 2 miles outside of town, there was a well, they were excited to have water to drink! Next to the well, there was a building still in tact.

They searched the building, and as nightfall was approaching, they were almost ready to give up. Emily, walking to the restroom with tears in her eyes feeling hopeless, suddenly discovers a door that was hidden, leading to a basement. She quietly enters, scared and hopeful. There are lots of people here, welcoming and embracing her. Emily felt safe and happy to see other people. She still had a burning desire to find her mother. She asked, “Is the mother of this baby here?” Everyone became quite and cleared a path for her to walk down.

There was a woman with her back turned weeping. Emily is filled with excitement and nervousness at the same time. The woman is her mother! They both begin to cry. Emily takes her mother upstairs to see Jack. Jack was in the store busy grabbing every resource he could find. When he saw his mother, he dropped everything. Even in living a reality of a nightmare, seeing his mother felt like Christmas.

A few minutes later, multiple helicopters arrived, to rescue everyone living in the store. Everyone rejoiced. Jack and Emily relieved that they won’t have to go through so much alone anymore. Jack told Emily, “this may not be our happily ever after, but at least our hearts led us to mom.”