Population control. That's what started all this.

I guess they decided Earth was too small for this many people. So they decided to outlaw having  any more children until enough people died.

Morbid, huh? And it's not like it's done much good. No new ideas to change the world. No small faces that see things differently. No one who's little enough to know nothing, and look upon the world in wonder and joy.

Instead, it has become a world of death and despair. The weak die. The children die. Abortion centers have replaced birth centers. There are no soft faces here. Only hard, cold ones.

It is a world of survival vs death. They say they outlawed birth so that we could survive. Now, suicides are common. Now, survival is harder then ever.

I ponder this, like I always do, while we walk on and on in the direction of the Barren Lands. A few days have passed, and we crossed over into the prairie. The most dangerous place, because there's no where to hide except in the long grasses, but that means crawling for hours upon days in the heat. At least there is heat, since it's mid-summer, and that means food.

Winters are harder then Summers. No food, the cold. That alone has nearly killed us. But we're fighters. For how much longer, I have no idea.

Speaking of which, I hear footsteps. And they aren't ours. 

The rest hear them. I don't have to signal, because we all know the drill. Crouch. Roll. Silence.

It seems hours before Leo signals it's safe to go. Still, we move quicker and more quietly then before.

The issue with going to the Barren Lands is that once we're on the prairie, you can't go back to the forest as the prairie is the only way. Which means, we'll have to sleep out on the prairie. 

We straggle on throughout the day. A few times we hear people, and hide. But that's normal.

It isn't until sunset that things start happening. 

"MA!" I hear a voice. A loud voice. A voice that is a child's voice. 

I very nearly spring up, and feel Devel, who's next to me, also move a bit.

"Leo," I whisper. "That's a kid, a kid our age, right? Leo, should we see?" I whisper. He bites his lip. 

"Devel, you go scout. Crawling, silently, and don't let them see you." He finally whispers. Devel scurries off, and we stay still for a long, long time. Finally, I hear another voice, but it's from an adult

"Ren! No- watch- ou..."

A gunshot fires. Chel flinches. Devel finally comes back. His face is troubled.

"Giant search party. I don't know what caused it- but they're targetting a girl. They killed an adult. They- this sounds weird, but the kid and adult were helping each other." He whispers urgently.

We stay quiet for a few more hours. Motors cross the prairie, but they don't come near us.

Dark falls. Still we stay silent.

"Leo?" I finally say.

"Dren?" He murmurs back. 

"You think it's safe?" 

"I guess. We've been here a while." 

"Well- should we- should we help that girl?" 

His face looks troubled.

"I don't know, Dren. That's a chance. It's her life or hours. And to be honest, I think it should be hers." 

I fall silent. Leo's right. Chel whispers beside me.

"Here, little, you can sit up again. Everyone can, we'll set up camp and sleep." I say. We all rustle as we get back into sitting positions.

"My legs are asleep," moans Mart.

"Deal with it. You've had worse." I snap at him. I know I shouldn't, but I'm hungry and tired. This has been a long day. I'm more then happy to let Leo take first watch so I can sleep.

But sleep is a long time coming, and I'm awake for hours more, quietly singing lullabies I've known for so long yet have no idea why.

We all have to cling to something. So I cling to music, those timeless tunes that will never die. 

Unlike me.

I'm not really all that happy with this chapter, but oh well. I'm going to try to update more frequently, but I need a plot for the middle of the story, so that means frantic filler chapters while I try to outline.