Refugee Road (Freedom Fighters Series Book 1) by Nikki Landis Read Free Book Online Page B

over to my sister. It took only a few minutes to creep over but it was agonizing. Clawing my way slowly across the uneven earth, I made my way to Lydia. Inch by agonizing inch.
    When I reached her I almost fainted at the site of her wound. She had a section of her abdomen blown open by a large piece of debris, still protruding, and mixed with intestine. She was making a funny gurgling sound when she breathed, her chest rising and falling quickly.
    “Lydia, it’s me, Lizzie. You’re going to be fine. We’ll get a doctor and find mom, she-”
    She interrupted me. “Mom’s…dead.”
    I stared at her in shock. I wasn’t fully comprehending.
    “How do you know?” I asked her.
    “Saw…her…go,” she responded, her voice weaker.
    “Oh God,” I whispered.
    I didn’t know what to do. There was blood everywhere. How did I stop the bleeding when I couldn’t tell exactly which organs were involved and where her injury was located?  She was bleeding out fast, much too quickly for me to stop it. I suddenly realized she was going to die. Right in front of me. There was nothing I could do. Frantically I held my hand up against her stomach, but stopped when I saw her wince in pain.
    Mom would have known what to do. She was a nurse. She had taught me first aid. Right now I could remember nothing. Not a damn thing. I wished she was there. Oh mom. Mom…
    Fatigue was starting to set in. Behind the fatigue a numbness marched quickly behind. The numbing crept into my mind. Fight! I had to fight and stay awake. No death, not tonight.
    I blinked my eyes rapidly, trying to restore my befuddled thoughts. Fight it Lizzie! Struggling, I had a hard time keeping my eyes open. I couldn’t help it. The harder I fought it, the more my head hurt until I finally succumbed. No, not now. No…
    We both fell asleep. I woke up in a panic, calling for Lydia frantically until I heard her answer. Fainter and fainter, her voice faded as her body declined. I took her hand trying to comfort her as best I could. Squeezing it from time to time, I talked constantly, hoping my voice distracted her from the pain and gave her some small measure of comfort. She had to know she wasn’t alone. In her final moments, I wanted her to know I was there.
    “Lydia, can you hear me? I wanted to tell you…I’m sorry.”
    “It’s…ok…Lizzie,” she whispered, hardly loud enough for me to hear.
    “No, Lydia, listen. I’m sorry, for always causing so much trouble. I’m sorry I always left you…to do everything alone,” I told her, my voice breaking.
    “Lizzie…it’s…fine.”
    I didn’t like the way she sounded. The pain was gone from her voice, leaving it sounding hollow…flat and tired. Weak. Vulnerable. I started to panic again. No death, please not tonight.
    “Lydia? Lydia, are you awake?” I called hysterically.
    “Yes…doesn’t…hurt…now,” she answered slowly.
    “Forgive me Lydia,” I begged through my tears, “please.”
    “Nothing…to…forgive,” she whispered.
    I looked at her, so pale and fragile. “Lydia…I love you.”
    She was not afraid. In the middle of all of this death and destruction, she was at peace.
    “Love…you Lizzie. Always.”
    “Always big sister,” I told her, choking and blubbering with my tears.
    She held on for most of the night, passing away in the early morning hours of a crimson and hazy dawn. Death had claimed her. Death had won. A thief in the night. Traitor. Enemy. Hatred welled up inside me. What right did death have to claim her?
    I leaned over her broken body and started sobbing uncontrollably. I’ll never forget the horror or the finality of her death. I’ll never forget the look in her eyes as I watched her soul leave her body…empty…cold and alone. I’ll never forget the way her hand slipped out of mine as the last of her strength ebbed from her ravaged body.
    I cried over her lifeless form for hours, refusing to believe she was really gone. Panicking. Gasping. I started screaming,