Then the Wind Came:Part Three

   

    Olivia blinked hard as her eyes adjusted to the bright light that surrounded them. There was no blue sky, black sky or it seemed any other kind of sky, only silvery white light. It was as though they were in the middle of a cloud with the sun trying to force its way through. Kai rubbed his eyes hard, they felt pained as he also tried to focus to his not new but very unfamiliar surroundings.

    “Hi, how long you guys been in there?” asked the rescuer.

    “Four weeks,” said Kai excitedly.

    “ You all alone?” asked the stranger.

    “ Well no and yes,” said Olivia, swallowing hard. She could feel her face flush slightly as she found herself instantly attracted to the young black haired teenager that was firing questions at them.

    “ What do you mean no and yes? asked the male.

    “ Our grandmother was here with us but she died last night. Her body is still in there,” said Olivia pointing back down into the cellar.

    “ Oh, I see. I'm sorry. Hey, I should have introduced myself. My name is Kim Lee, I'm part of a team of volunteer rescuers that are searching for survivors. There's a camp about a mile from here are you both fit to walk?” Olivia was fascinated by Kim’s black coloured eyes that seemed to flash every time he spoke.

    “Yes we are, however, we would like to bury my grandmother. Then once we find our parents we can come back and give her a proper funeral,” said Olivia.

    “Okay, but it's not safe to stay around here alone. There are human scavengers going around, looting everything they can. They won't take you to safety, that's for sure,” said Kim with a note of concern in his voice. “ I'll help with the burial and then I'll take you to the camp. Okay?” Kim Lee patted Kai on the back in an effort to reassure the younger boy, who he could see was overwhelmed by the ordeal.

    Kai gawked around him. There was no roof on the house and gone were the small farm outbuildings that use to circle the property, pieces of furniture, fabric and the carcasses of dead cows and goats littered the yard. His nostrils filled with the pungent odour of death and he wanted to be sick. But he remembered the words of his father before he left, “ You're the man around here now Kai. Look after Olivia and Gran. Promise me.” They had shook on it and that shake was binding between boy and man.

    “Kai can you find a shovel?” asked Kim.

    “Yes, there's one down in the cellar,” said Kai nodding.

    Kim looked at Olivia and said, “And do you want to lead me to the body?”

Olivia started to descend the steps without saying anything with Kim and Kai following on.

**

    The artificial light provided by the small gas lanterns hanging from the stone pillars that had supported the farmhouse, projected the threesome's shadows onto the whitewashed walls of the underground room as they moved about.

    Kai could see the old rusty shovel poking out from behind a pile of old hessian sacks and he decided that he would busy himself with its retrieval while the other two started to haul at the cadaver.

    “ Listen Olivia I'm sorry but the only way we're going to get the body out of here is to bump the body up the steps. We'll do it as gently as possible, but between us we aren't going to be able to lift the body clear of the stairs,” said Kim.

    “ No, no,” cried Olivia.

    Kim took hold of her and began shaking with some force. He said, “ It's the only way. Otherwise you'll just have to leave her here there is no other way.”

    Kai dropped the shovel, running over to Kim he pushed at the teenage boy and shouted, “ Leave my sister alone you bully. We don't need your help.”

    Kim grabbed hold of Kai by the shoulders and angrily said, “ Listen you little idiot, you do. There were looters in the next farm too here and it will soon be your turn. There will be no burying Grandma then.”

    Olivia was surprised by the tone of Kim's voice and his rough manner. She quickly, sobered emotionally, gathering her senses she shoved at Kim and shouted, “Let go of my brother. Okay, we'll do as you say."
    Turning to her brother, Olivia calmly said, "Kai your old wooden sleigh is over in the far corner, please go get it. We'll use it to move Gran's body."

    “Good you're talking some sense at last,” said Kim. If he was still angry he was hiding it
well.

PART FOUR DECEMBER 13TH 2015