Chapter 1
Jordanna stopped on a hill overlooking the city. As she glanced at the tall grey buildings and the roads, the greys, the blacks, the splashes of colour she found herself awestruck by its beauty - immediately she was ashamed. She was a country girl. Her parents had hated the city, hated the artificial look of it and the lack of nature. This was the first time Jordanna had ever seen the city this close.
Her parents. As her mind wandered to thoughts of her mum and dad she felt a tear form in the corner of her eye, and she let it release itself and run slowly down her face smudging the simple leaf design painted on her cheek - the symbol of the countryside. Her parents had been among the last to succumb to the mysterious virus, which had spread through the planet like a plague of insects. She had watched her friends grieving over the death of their parents, watched her relatives lives slip away. She had always hoped that somehow her parents would be OK, that somehow they would live, but one day they were gone, just like all the others.
She let her thoughts drift back to the sight in front of her. Another thing struck her about the city - she realised how quiet it was. She'd always expected the city to be bustling and heaving with cars, shoppers, and people going about their business. Of course, she thought, things had changed.
Jordanna sat down on the hill and closed her eyes. She had never been in complete silence. Even on her family's farm there had always been noise, the animals, farm workers, tractors. But in this new world there was nothing except the sounds of nature. She put her head back, and keeping her eyes closed, let the soft breeze pass over her face and through her hair…
"I'm sorry Jordie, I've got to go. I can't stand it here any more, the death, the pain, the grief. I'm leaving. I'm going to go to the city, maybe it'll be better over there." Jordie gazed at her big sister, the sparkle in her blue eyes had gone, as if a cloud had appeared and hidden it from sight.
"You can't… You can't go Kerry."
"I'm sorry Jordie. I wish I could stay. Maybe one day when things are better we will meet again." Kerry wiped a tear from her cheek and swept her long blonde hair from her face. She pulled Jordanna into a hug and held her for a few minutes before letting go and walking away, not looking back.
Jordanna opened her eyes and realised she was crying again. She could remember the day her sister had left so clearly. It had been only a few days before her parents had died that she had decided she was going to the city. Jordanna had tried to stop her, her parents had tried to stop her but no one could persuade her to stay. Jordanna had been angry; she was close to her sister and felt that by leaving, Kerry was saying she didn't love her any more. Deep in her heart she knew that Kerry had loved her just as much as she always had but it was hard to make her mind believe it. That was why she was here, why she had walked for miles away from the farm. Kerry had said that one day they would meet again, and Jordanna was determined she was going to find her.
She closed her eyes again and pictured her sister in her mind, her sparkling brown eyes and long beautiful blonde hair, which Jordanna, with her brown curly hair had always been jealous of...
Jordanna stopped on a hill overlooking the city. As she glanced at the tall grey buildings and the roads, the greys, the blacks, the splashes of colour she found herself awestruck by its beauty - immediately she was ashamed. She was a country girl. Her parents had hated the city, hated the artificial look of it and the lack of nature. This was the first time Jordanna had ever seen the city this close.
Her parents. As her mind wandered to thoughts of her mum and dad she felt a tear form in the corner of her eye, and she let it release itself and run slowly down her face smudging the simple leaf design painted on her cheek - the symbol of the countryside. Her parents had been among the last to succumb to the mysterious virus, which had spread through the planet like a plague of insects. She had watched her friends grieving over the death of their parents, watched her relatives lives slip away. She had always hoped that somehow her parents would be OK, that somehow they would live, but one day they were gone, just like all the others.
She let her thoughts drift back to the sight in front of her. Another thing struck her about the city - she realised how quiet it was. She'd always expected the city to be bustling and heaving with cars, shoppers, and people going about their business. Of course, she thought, things had changed.
Jordanna sat down on the hill and closed her eyes. She had never been in complete silence. Even on her family's farm there had always been noise, the animals, farm workers, tractors. But in this new world there was nothing except the sounds of nature. She put her head back, and keeping her eyes closed, let the soft breeze pass over her face and through her hair…
"I'm sorry Jordie, I've got to go. I can't stand it here any more, the death, the pain, the grief. I'm leaving. I'm going to go to the city, maybe it'll be better over there." Jordie gazed at her big sister, the sparkle in her blue eyes had gone, as if a cloud had appeared and hidden it from sight.
"You can't… You can't go Kerry."
"I'm sorry Jordie. I wish I could stay. Maybe one day when things are better we will meet again." Kerry wiped a tear from her cheek and swept her long blonde hair from her face. She pulled Jordanna into a hug and held her for a few minutes before letting go and walking away, not looking back.
Jordanna opened her eyes and realised she was crying again. She could remember the day her sister had left so clearly. It had been only a few days before her parents had died that she had decided she was going to the city. Jordanna had tried to stop her, her parents had tried to stop her but no one could persuade her to stay. Jordanna had been angry; she was close to her sister and felt that by leaving, Kerry was saying she didn't love her any more. Deep in her heart she knew that Kerry had loved her just as much as she always had but it was hard to make her mind believe it. That was why she was here, why she had walked for miles away from the farm. Kerry had said that one day they would meet again, and Jordanna was determined she was going to find her.
She closed her eyes again and pictured her sister in her mind, her sparkling brown eyes and long beautiful blonde hair, which Jordanna, with her brown curly hair had always been jealous of...