Sally felt the aching sensation of hunger all through the day. She tried to distract herself from it, but it only grew as time went on. At least everyone was safe. That was a comforting thought. Maybe they could find some food tomorrow. Sally wondered how much fuel they had left. They had all been doing a ton of driving. They were probably running a little low. The sun was growing lower and lower in the sky. Soon they would be surrounded by darkness. They would have to spend another night in the car. Sally tried to swallow her worry and not think about the future.
Jorden stopped the car by the edge of the woods. Sally’s legs felt stiff. She took Riley’s hand and gently tugged her out of the car. Riley wasn’t allowed to run off now; Sally was going to keep her as close as possible. After a long day of being cooped up in the car, Sally was ready for some fresh air. Jorden and Lisa got out as well. The sun was beginning to set. The whole world was tinted a bright pinkish purple color. It was like walking into a flowery mist.
The small group sat down on the grass in silence. It was a little bit of peace and calm after the danger and excitement of the day. Nobody spoke. They didn’t need to speak. It was just enough to be with each other in a still world. There were no fires, no dead bodies, no danger. That was enough. Sally rested her head on Lisa’s shoulder. Comfort and warmth seemed to seep into Sally from the world around her.
Sally glanced over at Jorden. He was focused on the sunset. There was a relaxed smile on his face. But Sally could see the little bits of fear and worry that lingered in his eyes. The lady’s smile really was very similar to his. Though they didn’t look alike in any other way. It really was just the way that Jorden carried himself that reminded Sally of the lady. A shiver ran through Sally. She hid her face in Lisa’s shoulder. Her body relaxed as Lisa slipped her arm around her shoulder. Things were okay. Sally knew that she was just being silly. Jorden had been so kind to her and Riley. Jorden wouldn’t hurt her, right? He had protected her. Sally wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Jorden. He had saved her from the lady. She was just being silly. One thing was for sure, she owed Jorden a lot.
Sally had felt that way about Lisa when they first met. Maybe every Forma would always remind her of the lady. But there were nice Formas. She needed to get rid of this fear. There were good Formas and bad Formas, right? Humans could be good or bad too. Sally looked up at Jorden again. This was a friend whom Sally could trust. She had feared Lisa; now she trusted Lisa. Sally had taken a chance and decided to trust Lisa.
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It had been the best decision Sally had ever made. Now it was hard for her to imagine what life without Lisa would be like. She could take a chance again and trust Jorden. These four would be her new family. Sally couldn’t remember her real parents. But she had always wondered what they were like. Maybe they were still out there. Maybe they were looking for her. Sally wanted to find them someday. But until that day came, Sally was happy to stick with Riley, Lisa and Jorden.
Riley was the first to go to bed. She had been pretty tired all day. Sally herself had learned that fear was one of the most draining emotions. Jorden was the second to leave. He had been driving all day and was probably ready for some rest. The sun had set, and the sky was alive with bright, cheerful stars. She just wished that she had something to draw with. All her papers and crayons had been left behind. The ground was sandy and dry and soft. Maybe she could trace out some shapes in the ground. It wasn’t quite as fun as drawing. But it was something. She began tracing some flowers. That was the first thing that came to mind. Lisa leaned over her shoulder and watched Sally.
“Could I draw too?” Lisa asked. Sally nodded. She had been hoping that Lisa would want to join in. Sally smiled and watched as Lisa began to draw. A soft gasp escaped Sally. Lisa was tracing a little picture of her and Riley. Warmth welled up in Sally’s heart. “What do you think?” Lisa asked.
Sally giggled. It was very nice. But it was missing something. Sally leaned over and began to add Lisa into the picture. There, now it was perfect; they were all together. Should she add Jorden too? Should she add a house into the picture? Yes, she would. Sally could draw anything she wanted. She began to draw out her whole dream life. She made a comic for herself. She drew her own happily ever after. If only life could be like stories. If only everyone could get a happily ever after. Oh well, that wasn’t realistic. Sally drew a few more pictures of Lisa. How similar was Lisa to Sally’s mother? Were they alike? Sally hoped so. She wanted her mother to be a lot like Lisa.
After a few more quiet moments of drawing, Lisa took Sally’s hand and began to lead her back to the car. It had been a long day. But it could be worse. Things could always be worse. But Sally didn’t want to think about that. For now, Sally just wanted to close her eyes and dream about her happily ever after.