When the World Was Ours

The shriek of a dying animal pulled me out of my slumber. But when I looked around I realized that the sound had been coming from me. My face was soaked with dirt and tears and I was alone. Jonah was gone. My parents were gone. Everyone was gone. And Lennon wasn't here.

I screamed again and his head appeared from behind the trees as he came rushing toward me, gun in hand.

“What? What’s wrong Hayley?”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and wept.

“You weren’t here. I woke up and…y-you weren’t here.”

He hugged me back and ran his fingers up and down my spine. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t you leave me too. Don’t you ever leave me, Lennon. Do you hear me? Promise me. Cross your heart.”

“I won't. I promise. I swear to every god there ever was. Cross my heart and hope to never die. I won’t ever leave you, Hayley.”

I pulled away from him and cupped his face with my hands. It was the first time I’d seen Lennon cry. He was always being strong for us. And I was always so caught up in my own despair I didn’t realize how much Lennon had been hurting.

I had Jonah. But Lennon had no one. He spent those first few weeks alone before we found each other. Before we saved each other.

I pulled his face into mine and kissed him and he kissed me back.