Where The Wild Stands

Almost Known

They rounded another corner, and Mara let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. The scavengers were out of sight, and the path to her shelter was clear.“Come on,” she said, pulling Lucas along. “We’re almost there.”But as they moved forward, Mara felt Lucas’ weight shift, his body sagging against her.

She turned, her eyes widening in alarm as she saw his face. He was pale, his lips tinged with blue, his eyes glassy and unfocused.“Lucas?” she said, her voice sharp with panic. “Lucas, stay with me.”But Lucas didn’t respond. His body went limp, his legs buckling beneath him, and Mara caught him as he fell, lowering him gently to the ground.“No, no, no,” she muttered, her hands shaking as she checked his pulse. It was weak, fluttering beneath her fingers like a trapped bird. “Lucas, come on. Don’t do this.”She shook him gently, trying to rouse him, but there was no response. His breathing was shallow, his chest barely rising and falling, and Mara felt a surge of panic.She needed to do something. She needed to help him. But she didn’t know how. She wasn’t a doctor, wasn’t a healer. She was just a girl, a survivor, and she didn’t know how to save him.“Come on, Lucas,” she pleaded, her voice breaking. “You’ve got to fight. You’ve got to stay with me.”But Lucas’ eyes were closed, his face peaceful in a way that broke Mara’s heart. She could see the life slipping away from him, could feel it in the way his body grew colder beneath her hands.Tears welled in Mara’s eyes, blurring her vision as she held Lucas close, her mind reeling. She had tried. She had done everything she could. But it wasn’t enough.She had failed.Mara sat there for what felt like hours, holding Lucas’ body, her tears falling silently onto his cheek. She didn’t know what to do, didn’t know where to go from here.She had tried to help him, had tried to save him. But in the end, it hadn’t mattered.

Lucas was gone.

she stood up, looking around the ruins. There was an old church nearby, its roof caved in but its walls still standing. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do. She carefully lifted Lucas’ body, grunting with the effort, and began the slow, painful walk to the church.The wind whipped around her, cold and biting, but Mara didn’t feel it. She was too numb, too lost in her thoughts. She had failed Lucas, but she wouldn’t fail him again. She would give him the burial he deserved, the peace he hadn’t found in life.As she reached the church, Mara pushed open the heavy wooden door, the hinges creaking loudly in the silence. Inside, the air was thick with dust, the pews broken and scattered. Mara gently laid Lucas down on one of the pews, his face peaceful in death.She looked around, her eyes falling on a small, wooden cross lying on the floor. She picked it up, brushing off the dust, and placed it in Lucas’ hands. It wasn’t much, but it was something. A symbol of hope, of faith, of a life beyond this one.Mara stood there for a moment, her head bowed in silent prayer. She didn’t know if anyone was listening, didn’t know if it would make a difference. But she hoped, with all her heart, that Lucas had found the peace he had been searching for.“Goodbye, Lucas,” she whispered, her voice barely audible in the stillness. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”She turned and left the church, her steps slow and heavy. She didn’t know where she was going, didn’t know what she would do next.