Ashes to Ashes

Cassie

Shadow trotted to her side when she walked into the shelter. Cassie bent to hug the dog, pressing her face against Shadow's neck for a long moment, and then stood and went to gather up her things. She was definitely taking her knife, and her blankets, but did she really need -

Movement behind her made her look up. She turned to see Amp hovering a few feet away, his face unreadable. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

"I'm fine," Cassie said shortly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cara staring at them.

"Good," Amp said, shuffling his feet. He started to walk away, but suddenly turned and hugged her. "I'm glad you're okay," he whispered in her ear before letting her go.

Cassie hastily backed away from him. Across the shelter, Alec was glaring at Amp, and Cara's hands were clenched into fists.

Awkward, Cassie thought, kneeling to pick up the rest of her supplies. She kept her eyes down, well aware that almost everyone was watching her.

AMP

He was shifting his feet around. Why was he getting so soft? Was he going to let these people affect him like this? No way.

"I'm not going anywhere until I give Maddie a proper funeral," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking at Alec.

Alec's jaw flexed, irritated. "Look, Amp, I'm really sorry for your loss. But I don't think you understand what I'm saying. Some man almost raped and murdered her!"

Amp narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, it's terrible, but she didn't! No sense in thinking about what could have been when she sitting here, alive and...as well as she can be right now. Besides, even if the man comes back we outnumber him in people and weapons. I am not leaving until Maddie gets a funeral that she deserves."

Ambrose shoved his hands in his pockets as tears burned in his eyes. How could he say good-bye to his sister in front of everyone? She was really gone. There was no hope to see her walking towards him out the window. He'd been too late.

He saw Cara shift toward him and he blinked the tears away angry he'd let himself show any emotion at this time. Emotions meant you were weak. He didn't want to be weak.

The only reason he had stayed strong was for his sister. Who would he be strong for now? He was just...another guy. He was a weak guy at that. He wasn't the cold and confident thief that the others kids secretly feared. He was just Amp.

"I'm not going anywhere," he grumbled, hiding his emotions again. "Not yet. Not now."

Alec

"I'm not going anywhere," Amp mumbled softly. "Not yet. Not now."

Alec sighed, trying to make the sound as nice as possible. He of all people knew what it was like to lose a sister, and it wasn't something you could just brush off.

"Fine, Amp," Alec said. "We can bury her. Do you want to do it yourself, or would you like me to help you?"

Amp shrugged. "I don't know."

Alec looked outside quickly. "Well, it's getting a little late. I hate to sound like such an asshole, but we have to do this as quickly as possible. Maybe you should let me help you."

Amp made a face that said, Yeah, you do sound like an asshole!

His only reply, however, was, "All right. We'll do it your way."

AMBROSE

Amp nodded and went outside. He wanted to find a nice spot that wasn't covered by the lifeless, cold ash.

"Do you think that Kyles has some shovels? That way we can shovel past all this ash and give Maddie a nice...place," he replied, shrugging.

"I'll go check. You can just find a spot to start I suppose," he said, shirting his feet and going inside.

Amp found a spot with the ash nearly all blown away. A little sprout of grass was popping up. Amp touched it softly and started to move the ash away. Underneath Amp knew there used to be a garden here. While the plants were now lifeless from the suffocating ash, little sprouts of green still survived.

"I found a couple of shovels!" Alec called, rushing towards him. "Their blades are dull, but they should get the job done. You found a spot?"

Amp nodded and stood up, brushing himself off. "Here," he replied, grabbing a shovel and digging it's blade into the earth.

Kyle

Kyle watched as Amp and Alec started digging into the ash. He looked over at Natalie, she was staring at them. She turned her head, "It's hard."

"What is?" Kyle asked.

"Burying your sister," she looked down at Kelsey. "I can't imagine what I would do."

"Well, if I have anything to do about it, then you wont have to worry. Nothing will harm her, not as long as I'm alive," Kyle ran his hand down Kelsey's hair. His affection for this little girl was growing by the minute. And her older sister, too.

Natalie

Natalie gave him a funny look. "Thanks..."

Kelsey looked up at Kyle. "Do we really have to leave?"

Kyle nodded. "I'm sorry Kelsey, but we have to if we want to survive."

The little girl trembled. "B-But there's so m-many bugs."

Cassie

"We'll be fine," Cassie assured Kelsey. She went to stand by Kyle, shivering a little in the wind that had suddenly whipped up. Storm clouds were gathering overhead. They'd be walking in the rain if they didn't hurry.

Alec scooped another shovelful of dirt out of the grave. She owed him big time. He had probably saved her life today.

He suddenly looked up, meeting her gaze, and she realized she had been staring at him for a while. She gave him a quick smile and turned to Kyle. "So... any idea which way we should go? Have you explored around here at all?"

Alec

Alec just barely overheard Cassie speaking to Kyle. Before he could answer her, Alec butted in.

"Well, one thing's for sure, Cass," he started. "I have no idea where we'll end up--"

"But you have to have some idea!" she blurted out.

Alec made an annoyed face. "I wasn't finished! I was saying, that I have no idea where we'll end up, but I can tell you right now that I know where we're going."

Kyle made a face. "Huh? What does that mean?"

"It means," Alec responded, "that we're going to the place where I lost my family."

**No dying allowed! **

AMBROSE

He only registered what Alec was saying. But his grief and the work he was putting into burying his sister was keeping him quiet.

The little bastard. He didn't want to get out of here to help anyone...he wanted to go back to where HIS family was. Amp's jaw clenched and he ground his teeth together. Maybe he was assuming things but all the same, it made him angry.

Alec was going to get his way too. Amp no longer wanted to stay here. It was torture. Maddie died here...right in front of his arms. And he couldn't stay any longer than it took to give her a proper burial.

Amp could only dig about a six foot and a half deep hole. He was tall but the grave was already three or four inches taller than him. Alec still had to help him out of the hole. Amp only took his hand grudgingly. He was glad he was helping him with the grave, but still angry at why he wanted to leave so badly.

Not that it should matter to him.

"I'll, uh, go get Maddie," he whispered.

Ambrose walked silently back to the house, the others watching him with looks that varied from pity to encouraging smiles.

Amp saw, first, that Maddie's face was unusually pale. She had always been so tan but now...it was so unusual. Her eyes, though closed now, looked as if they were sunken in her head.

He picked her body up in his arms. It felt wrong. He had found her unconscious before and had to carry her to their "home" but it felt different than it did now. Her head lolled on his arm as he moved.

"Oh God!" He whispered, putting her back down.

Amp couldn't take it. His throat ached with sadness and his stomach kept churning. Amp ran from the room and outside, where no one could see him. He couldn't help it. He threw up.

He walked back inside after a few minutes and watched his sister, sobbing without worrying or trying to stop himself.

He took a few deep breaths, wrapped Maddie in one of the sheets and took her outside to bury her. He needed to do it now before he lost his nerve.

"You were wrong. You're stronger than me," he mumbled to her before he reached the others. "You should have made it. Not me. I love you."

Cassie

"Amp's a mess," Alec murmured in Cassie's ear.

"I know," she whispered back, trying to ignore the fact that he was standing only inches away from her. "Traveling with him is going to be a nightmare. He'll probably just yell at us the entire time."

"We could always knock him out with a branch and drag him if he gets too bad," Alec said, a smile in his voice. Cassie laughed, then immediately wondered what was wrong with her. What kind of sicko laughed at a funeral?

The shelter door opened and Amp walked out, carrying something wrapped in a blanket. They all fell silent, taking in his tear stained face. Cara opened her mouth, as though she was about to say something to comfort him, then shut it again.

AMBROSE

He glared at them all, almost as if he was daring them to say anything to him. Amp couldn't stand it. This was his final goodbye to his sister. This was real. This was happening.

Amp walked up to the grave he and Alec had dug. He looked below. He couldn't bear the fact that his sister was going to be buried here in the dirt to have dirt obscure her forever more.

Amp refused to cry. He had shed enough tears. He wasn't going to cry again. He wouldn't be weak. He would remain distant from the others. He didn't want to care about them. He couldn't bear it.

So Amp lay his sister on the ground. He kneeled before her and carfeully uncovered her face. He kissed both sides of her cheeks and then replaced the sheet once again.

"Alec," he said, perfectly aware of how perfectly quiet it was. "Would you help me?"

Alec nodded, seeming unable to speak to him and Amp climbed into the dirt hole he created. Alec looked as if he didn't want to touch Maddie, put gently handed her into Amp's outstretched hands.

Amp closed his eyes, lay Maddie on the cold earth and hopped out with Alec's help.

"Amp," this voice belonged to a different voice. One that broke his heart.

Kelsey looked at him, her eyes filled to the brim with tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Amp wanted to ignore her. He wanted to tell her to leave him alone. But he couldn't. So he took her hand and held it tightly.

"It's not you're fault," he muttered. "I-"

He couldn't tell her it was his own fault. "Thank you," he sighed, squeezing the girls hand

Alec

Alec stayed with Amp as he slowly filled up Maddie's grave. The sound of the dirt pattering onto the blanket that covered her body sent chills down Alec's spine, but he forced himself to help. Soon enough they were the only two outside; everyone else had gone back to the shelter to pack their things. Even Kelsey had skittered away with Natalie.

The setting sun shone in Alec's eyes uncomfortably, but he didn't stop or turn the other way. He needed to get this done as fast as possible so that they could get out of there. Regardless of the sympathy he felt for Amp, he wouldn't allow any more blood to be spilled.

An hour later, they were finished. Alec stretched his aching back and looked over at Amp. He hadn't said a word the entire time, and his face was worn and drawn out. Alec tried to think of something comforting to say, but nothing came to him. He was saved, however, as everyone began shuffling out of the shelter.

"I think everyone's ready, Amp," Alec said. "We have to go."

Cassie

"All right," Natalie said, pulling the strap of her pack higher up onto her shoulder. "Which way, Alec?"

"We need to head west," he said, pointing in the general direction with a dirt covered hand.

They headed into the woods, Kyle and Shadow leading the way. Cassie shivered a little as they stepped into the shadow of the trees.

Alec glanced at her, as though he could read her mind. "That guy's long gone by now. And even if he was still out here, he wouldn't dare come after you again."

"I guess," Cassie said, unconvinced. But what if he has friends? she wondered. The last thing she wanted was Alec to know how freaked out she was, though, so she gave him a weak smile and picked up her pace to catch up with Cara.

AMBROSE

HE had meant to talk to Cara before they left. Things were...awkward between them after the kiss. And he, himself, was unsure of what to do about the situation. He wasn't even sure how he felt.

She was a snooty little rich girl and yet...she wasn't. She had made it out here when hardly anyone else could.

His own sister hadn't. Amp's eyes burned painfully.

He hadn't even gotten a few minutes by her grave to say anything because Alec had forced them out. He couldn't blame him. They needed to leave. Amp didn't even care anymore.

They walked on, Amp holding up the rear of the group. Still unsure. Still grieving.

"Amp?" Someone asked. It was Cara. He looked at her once and then away.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Are you-you just seem a little out of it," she noted.

He let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, I guess I do. I wonder why that is," he said, darkly.

Cara looked away. Amp sighed. "Sorry," he muttered, shifting his feet.

Kyle

Kyle had started into the woods, Shadow beside him. He was carrying Kelsey on his back and Natalie was close behind. This could prove to be difficult. He pushed a branched out of the way, holding it for Natalie. "Wacth out for anything that moves."

Kelsy shivered on his back, Kyle turned his head to the side. "You okay?"

"Yeah," came her tiny voice.

"If you want to go back to your sister, just tell me."

"Okay," she replied.

Kyle glanced back at Natalie she was watching him like a hawk. He could understand though, this little girl was everything to her now. She wouldn't let anything happen to her, and he could share her worry, his heart had become attached to this little girl. For the first time in a long time, he had someone to love and watch over.