Shawn had never had to kill a man before. He really didn't know what it would feel like. It certainly wasn't like a video game. It made him sick; it made his body feel like it was trying to suck it's way into his heart. He wanted to go back to a time when he didn't kill a man. When he wasn't a murderer. Now the man's face was burned into Shawn's memory. Shawn had no choice though. His father, with black eyes and black veins, tried to kill his sister. It was selfdefense, and that thought alone was all that kept Shawn from taking his own life. The sickness had consumed his father. The man was a mean drunk, Shawn had the bruises to show it, but this was different. It was a madness that changed his father into a homicidal mental patient. Shawn had no choice.<br/><br/>He grabbed Claire's hand pulling her along the dessert floor. Shawn and his 9-year-old sister kicked up dust behind them as the dying heat scorched their shoulders. It would make more sense to move at night, but he'd heard of shadows, a darkness moving through the night sky, that may be the cause of all of this. He wasn't sure what it was, but didn't want to risk anything. His knapsack of canned food was getting heavy so they stopped for a moment underneath an overhanging rock cliff. He took out a water bottle and took a sip. It tasted warm and plastic, but it was water. They didn't have much left, especially since his father had insisted on carrying bottles of alcohol. Shawn knew alcohol was the worse thing for hydration, so when his father was gone, he dumped it.<br/><br/>Shawn handed the bottle of water to his sister. He wiped her face of some dirt while she drank a little too much. He didn't want to worry her with his concerns of water, so he let her enjoy it. They'd be near a town soon and they'd fill up there. The three of them were on their way to Phoenix. Their father was convinced that there was a relief centre set up. It beat staying at home waiting to die at least. They had driven for a day until they ran out of gas. In the panic, every gas station was emptied in just a few days. They had been on foot ever since.<br/><br/>Shawn noticed the sun was creeping over the horizon and it was getting cooler and cooler. He decided that this was the best place to stay and camp out, even if he felt a bit exposed. They rolled out their sleeping bags and set up camp, Shawn making a small fire to warm up a can of stew for him and his sister to share. As they tucked in for the night, Shawn made sure to keep his knife, the only weapon he had, by his side.