Free Birth of the Guardian by Jason Daniel

Lillian’s opened her
eyes , and she sat up, in
her makeshift bed. Sweat rolled down her forehead, and her hair was soaked. Are you kidding
me , she thought to herself, still panting as she fought to
catch her breath. She looked toward the corner of the room,
checking on Derik, her younger brother, before standing.
    “Lillian, are you okay?” Jessica, Lillian’s
childhood friend, asked.
    “I 'm all right . Just
thirsty,” she said. Lillian eased around her and then stepped over the huddled mass of kids
that filled the small, makeshift, cabin.
    “Are you going to the well?”
    “Yes,” Lillian said, whispering so she didn’t
wake anyone else, “do you want me to bring you back some
water?”
    “If you don’t mind,” Jessica said.
    Lillian walked over to the shelf and grabbed
two tin cans. They were old, and a little rusty in a few places,
but they still held water. “I’ll be right back.” She turned and
smiled at Jessica, before pulling the rickety wooden door closed
behind her. Outside, the night air was cold .
Lillian reached up to the back of her neck and
lifted her damp, matted hair away from her moist skin. That feels good , she thought, as she gazed up at the never-ending
blanket of stars, and wondered about the date. She knew it was
close to her twenty-second birthday, but she wasn’t sure just how
close, or if it had already past. What
the hell , it doesn’t matter anyway ?
    “What are you doing awake?”
    Lillian swiftly turned around; the sound of
tin can’s clinking together broke the still silence. “Jackson,” she
said, somewhat irritated , “you scared me half to death. You’re an asshole!”
    “Calm down, Lillian,” he said, rising to his
feet. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
    “Well, you did.” Lillian’s eyes narrowed in
disgust before she turned and stomped away.
    “Lillian, wait,” Jackson said, quickly
catching up to her. “Was it the same one?” He asked.
    “Yes.” Lillian rolled her eyes. “It’s always
the same one. You know that.”
    “Stop!” Jackson grabbed her by the arm. “You
have to find a way to get over it, Lillian. It’s not healthy, it ’s wearing you down.”
    “Don’t you think I know that?” Lillian said. Tears welled in her eyes. “I can’t help
it.” Her bottom lip quivered as she fought the urge to give in to
her heartbreak. “I watched them burn. They were my parent’s and I
watched them burn.” She cringed at the picture in her mind as she dropped to her knees. The weight of such a
horrible memory was almost too much for Lillian to endure. Nevertheless , she found a way to survive.
    “Slow down…breath.” Jackson knelt beside her
and tried to comfort her. “In and out — in and out. Go slow,” he
said as he attempted to stop Lillian’s panic
attack. Lillian’s, frantic, breath’s slowed, and she stopped
crying, but the deep pain and horrible memories were just under the
surface. She made it to the safety of the river the day her mom and
dad burned; she shielded her brother’s eyes from the horrifying scene, that was now, scorched in her memory.
However, that meant little to her; her only thoughts were of her
parent’s, and knowing that they died refusing to swear allegiance
to Armaros, as well as protecting her brother and her.
    “I’m okay,” Lillian said. She then rubbed
away the tears and forced herself to smile.
    “Yea, I know.” Jackson pulled her close,
kissed her on the forehead, and then helped her to her feet. “Now,
let’s get that water.”
    “I don’t need help getting water, Jackson.
I’m not a kid.”
    “I didn’t say that you’re a kid, but it’s almost dawn, and we need more than
just two cans of water.”
    As much as Lillian didn’t want to admit it,
she welcomed Jacksons company. It wasn’t that the well was far
away, only one hundred yards or so, it was the fact that he made
her feel safe. After Armaros had attacked ,
Jackson kept them together; he kept them moving west.