Love in Ruins (Work in Progress)

Ch.1
I reached for the rusted handle on the old, wooden door, listening to the hinges squeal as they struggle to keep the door intact. The smell of urine and rotten lettuce. I threw my bag in the corner that I called my room and called out for my youngest brother, Ashton.
"Ashton," I yelled out.
There was quiet whimpering from the loft above the ground.
"Ashton, come down from there!" I demanded.
His blonde curls bounced over the edge of the railing and soon enough I could see his blue eyes staring down at me. He reached his tiny hand out to wave hello.
"Ashton, we have to go!" I said.
His blonde curls disappeared and little foot steps made thundering crashes against the above floors. He climbed down the rickety, rotting ladder that had been decaying for some time now.
In my hand I held white roses that were tied in some long grass I had found in the woods behind us.
"Where is Jason?" Ashton asked as he placed his hand into mine.
"He's going to meet us there," I said softly.
We walked into the woods behind the barn, we called our home, and into town. The walk was a little lengthy, but it was the safest way to town without being shot, detained, or robbed.
"Why do we walk through the woods?" Ashton asked.
"It's the safest way," I whispered.
Despite the fact that we were walking the safest route to town, there were still dangers lurking on these paths. There were wild, savage animals, looters, and sometimes if you were lucky (I say sarcastically) there would be a lurker. Lurkers are those who will follow you around and if they are feeling good they will slice your throat and sell you to the marketers, also known as the cannibals.
I was careful to watch out for sticks or leaves. Anything that could make a sound really. You could never be too careful in these times.
Once we reached the end of the woods I saw a tall man standing out in the distance, in his hands were red roses tied with tall grass. It was Jason. His blonde curls were just like Aston's, but longer.
"Jason!" Ashton screamed.
I threw my hand onto his mouth, hoping that no one had heard.
"Shhh," I whispered into the young boys ear.
Of course the boy had no knowledge of the danger he was placing us in, and how could you expect him to know? He is kept hidden and protected in our abandoned barn.
Jason had pretended not to hear him to secure the idea that all was safe. Once we reached him he held out an extended arm and gave me a hug on his side.
"Hello Mace," he said, "Ashton."
He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and I kept Ashton close. We came upon rusted gates and a sign with faded letters that read 'Memorial Site.'
"Lead the way," I said to Ashton.
He kept his hand grasped onto mine as he bobbed and weaved through the grounds. The smell was putrid as rotting flowers had lost their sense of beauty and have become an ironic metaphor. We stopped at a stone covered with wood, to protect it from any mischievous acts.
He stared at the board with wide eyes and looked at me for reassurance.
"Go on," I encouraged.
He lifted the wooden board and tore away the vines and moss that had begun to grow.
"Clementine Matthews and Richard Matthews," Ashton read aloud.
I felt a tear drop onto my shoulder.
"Hey ma," Jason whispered, "Pa."
We were silent. Tension built as we stared at our parents final destination.
"Here, Ashton, place these down for me," my voice quivered as I spoke.
The head stone wasn't huge, but it was the best we could afford. On each side was a handmade vase. One read 'Ma' and the other 'Pa.' An emotional site to see but somewhere we were not permitted to stay and linger.
Ashton being only four years old when they passed cried over the lost memory rather than mourning a lost life. Now seven, he couldn't even remember what our mothers singing sounded like, let alone what our fathers stories with held.
WEEEEEE! WEEEEEEE!
A loud siren cried across the town, informing all of it's citizens that curfew was to be in five minutes.
"Let's go," Jason said, pulling me away.
WEEEEEE! WEEEEEEE!
Ashton placed the board back over the stone and grabbed my hand. This night was going to be a long one.
When we got back to the barn, I went up to the loft to put Ashton to bed and Jason started a fire in the center of the lower level so he could cook dinner.
"What's for dinner tonight?" I called down.
"Well, Mace as you can probably smell, tonight we have half of a head of lettuce, two bananas, and I was able to get my hands on a loaf of bread today." he stated proudly.
My mouth watered at the idea of bread.
"How did you-" I started but then he quickly cut me off.
"I saved up enough money from work and I was the first in line for the bakery," he answered my unasked question.
The thing about Jason is that he was three years older than I was. The death of our parents forced him to grow up fast; well if forced us both to grow up. But it impacted Jason the most. He quit school and got a job at a small repair shop to pay for food. I stayed home and taught Ashton lessons that I had learned from school, told him stories the my father used to entertain Jason and I with, and I grow a lot of our food in the tiny garden behind the barn. It was hard, especially with looters lurking around every corner.
Ashton was an easy one to put to sleep, his tiny body was definitely suffering from starvation and all of his energy came from sleeping. The little food we had went to him, because he was all that we had left. Once his eyes fluttered closed and the soft rhythm of his breath became steady I removed myself from the only sleeping mat we had. I climbed down the ladder to be with Jason.
"How was work?" I asked him.
He didn't respond right away which led me to believe that he was bothered.
"Jason?" I waved my hand in front of his face.
He gently pushed my hand down and turned to face me.
"Look at us," he whispered gently, "look at how we live. Hiding in fear, living in filth, and covering the truth to protect our brothers mind. Mom and dad would be so disappointed."
Jason propped the bread on a stick so it could toast.
My jaw dropped as the realization of his words hit me. An uneasy feeling started to stir up in the pit of my stomach.
"I think they would be proud of us considering the circumstances!" I said defensively.
He kept his eyes level with the bread to ensure that it wouldn't burn, after all it took a whole fifty cents to get his hands on that loaf, and continued to speak; his voice steady.
"Mace, we both know that Ashton isn't going to survive. Not in todays world, at least. And we were supposed to grow up and become so much more!" he was ranting.
"Ja-" I could barely get half of his name out.
"We, Mace, were going to do great things! I was going to go to a police academy and work along side our troopers and you were going to be a successful doctor! We were going to succeed in a failing world and guess what happened Mace." he words slowed as he picked up the bread from the stick and stuck it in a plastic bin, "The world fell apart right before we could cross the finish line. We were robbed of a successful, fearless, happy life."
The air was still for a moment. A long moment. I have never heard Jason complain about our lifestyle until now. Butterflies flew rapidly in my stomach, my cheeks flushing.
Ashton isn't going to survive
The words floating around in my head and somehow anchoring me down to the ground. During the slight pause you could hear his tiny body gasping desperately for air; you could hear is heart trying not to give out.
"You're right, Jason," I stated bluntly, "We were robbed of the lives we thought we were going to live. We worked so hard and yet we couldn't seem to catch a break. But there is one thing that we can do and succeed in. Ashton can survive, just not on his own. We made a promise on mom and dad's grave that this young boy would make it to see a better world or at least some kind of world. And I, Jason, will be damned if I don't at least try to keep that promise."
He nodded his head slowly.
"It's just so hard," tears rolled down his cheeks, "He looks just like them. And then to not be able to feed the one person that trusts their entire existence into you. It's just tough."
He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and I rested my head onto his shoulder. We allowed the air to be completely silent, for there was nothing that either of us could say that would change anything about our lives. Nothing could improve. However, there was one last thing that I had to establish before we called it a night.
"Jason?" I said.
"Yes?" he answered.
"Can you promise that no matter what happens, no matter the hardships, no matter the problems or fights, that whatever happens you and I will work as a team. That we will always stick together?" I asked.
He pulled away to look into my eyes.
"Of course," he said.
And that was it.
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3 Years Earlier
"Jason!" a sharp voice called, "Mace! You're going to be late for school!"
I let out a loud sigh before painfully rolling out of my bed. My head ached from the night before and my stomach pleaded for breakfast.
"One minute!" I yelled out in response.
A second later I heard Jason repeat my response to my mother.
I slid on sweat pants and a tank top. The most comfortable outfit I had owned. I brushed my teeth and threw my hair up in a messy bun.
"Mace, lets go!" Jason called out as he ran past my door.
"I'm coming! I'm coming!" I defended.
I grabbed my sneakers and ran down the carpeted stairs. The air was crisp and filled with the sweet smell of scrambled eggs with pepper delicately sprinkled on top. Of course I had no time to sit down to eat with my family so I grabbed my plate and gave my parents a quick hug.
"Goodbye mom! Dad! I love you guys!" I shouted out.
I heard 'I love yous' in response and one said 'I will see you when you get home.'
I raced Jason to the walking trail, making sure to be exactly three steps ahead of him. Our feet fell in rhythm together; creating our own beat.
I turned to Jason, insulting his speed and telling him that he would be better off playing with Ashton in the yard than trying to compete with me. And then, once I turned around, I slammed into a tree.
"Mace!" Jason shouted.
A warm, thick liquid traveled down fro m my head and tickled my lips. Great, now I was going to show up to school with my clothes stained in blood. Period jokes here I come.
"Hey, are you okay?" Jason asked, picking me up from the ground.
I wiped away the blood with the back of my arm.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," I whispered.
We walked cautiously the rest of the way and once we arrived to school we had to say our painful goodbyes. School was such a lonely place for Jason and I, considering the fact that no one liked us and everyone thought we were an incest couple. It was a harsh world. But one day we would show them.
"Do you want me to walk you to class?" Jason asked me.
I shook my head slowly, "It'll just make it worse.
He gave me a soft hug and whispered okay into my ear. I watched him walk in the opposite direction until I could barely see him and with a deep sigh I walked to my class. The moment I walked through those steel doors I felt all eyes on me. There were soft whispers in the back and a giggle or two in the front. I took slow steps to my seat in the back corner; the cold dead eyes of my fellow classmates burning holes through my body.
Ms. Firkin called for roll and begun teaching the class about the all mighty leader. The one who was always watching us and expects us to do amazing things for our country. About half way into the lecture there was a call over the intercom.
"Mace Hutchins, please report to the main office. I repeat Mace Hutchins, please report to the main office."
My entire body froze.
"Well," Ms. Firkin's started, "I guess you are excused."
I got out of my seat and hurried out of the classroom. Anything to get away from those caddy girls.
On my way to the main office I noticed Jason was also walking in the same general area.
"Jason!" I called out.
He instantly turned and ran toward me.
"Mace!" he called out in return.
We hugged briefly and then I realized that he was heading to the main office.
"Why are you going?" I asked him.
He looked at me with a puzzled expression, "To the main office? I don't know. They called me up there."
I nodded my head and we walked into the office together. Just how we always did things; together. The principle was standing in the center of the office with a grave expression.
"Jason. Mace, follow me," he stated.
It wasn't even two hours into school and we were already in trouble with the school. We followed the principal blindly to his office and sat in the big, comfy blue chairs sitting against the back wall.
The principal fidgeted with a bobble head of the great leader as he took a few deep breaths. You could see the troublesome in his eyes
"What's wrong?" Jason asked first, breaking the moment of silence, "Did our brother die?"
"Jason!" I scolded, "How could you even say something like that?"
Granted our brother, Ashton, was in and out of the hospital for heat problems, kidney failure, and trouble with breathing. The poor thing was literally created to die. He was only four and the doctors said it would be a miracle if he made it to five. His body was so tiny and no matter how much you fed the poor kid, he was always going to be tiny.
"No, no, no." the principal said, taken aback, "I'm afraid the news is much worse."
My heart skipped two beats. Worse?
"Your town sector, uh, sector four I believe, was blown up to pieces." he said slowly, a soft tear rolling down his eye.
"The rebels had a surprise attack on sectors three, four, and seven today. The only successful attack was on four. And I'm sorry to say that not only was your home destroyed but-" Jason caught on way before I did.
"No!" Jason yelled, "No!"
"Your parents were caught in the middle." the principal finished.
My heart completely stopped, my lungs were stunned, my face was turning blue. I had just been slapped in the face with a dictionary and force fed strawberry pudding.
"How-" I started to choke on my own tears, "How did this happen!"
Hot, steamy tears poured out of my eyes and I fell from my chair onto my knees. Jason had ran out the door and you could hear him screaming for our parents. The outside world was no longer the bright place it had been. The Overcasting has just begun.
For weeks the school and Department of Children debated whether or not putting us into foster care would be possible. Since Jason was turning 18 in a month it would be a hard lengthy battle