lifeless troubles by sharon cruz (best books to read for young adults TXT) 📕

looked at one another. Blue eyes and green smiled and held hands. “yes.” Bert said. Jessica smiled widely. “I’m glad...love is a beautiful thing.” She added. “It sure is.” I added. “How old are you two?” Jessica asked again. “I’m 19 and she’s 17.” Bert said proudly. “Oh my! You two are just babies; your parents must be worried to death.” She exclaimed. Bert and I looked down at that question. There was a pause. “They don’t think that you two are alive do they?” we both nodded. “I’m sorry.” Jessica said sincerely. “It’s okay.” I said. So as we kept walking after that we decide to stop for the day and take a rest for tonight. As Bert was outside building and Jessica and I were sitting in a half built shelter when I asked Jessica, “So when are you due?”
Jessica smiled and touched her stomach. “Any day now... I’m just waiting for the moment...i mean not to scare you or anything.”
I laughed out loud. “No, don’t worry.” I said then Jessica threw the question at me, “How about you?”
“Oh no, I’m not pregnant.” I said smiling. “Sure you are!" she said. I looked down at my stomach. “Here.” She said and she leaned over to touch my stomach. She felt around it and then she grabbed my hand. “You feel that?” she asked and what I felt was a warm stomach and something small as it bulged out...
I gasp. I could make out the bulge in my stomach and when I did I gasp again. It was a foot. A baby’s foot. I AM pregnant. I was speechless. “Congratulations sweetie.” Jessica said as she hugged me...

CHAPTER 12: FALLEN DEEP

“PUSH JESSICA PUSH!” I yelled as Jessica screamed loudly as she was giving birth. Bert was holding her hand and giving her inspiration. “COME ON...ALMOST THERE!” I would say as she pushed. It had been a week since she finally gave birth. My belly however got bigger and told Bert, who was so happy that he was finally a father. A few more pushes and a little muffle cry rang our ears. “It’s a girl.” I told her smiling and tearing up for joy. As I handed her, her baby girl she cried as hard as she wiped the blood away... it was beautiful moment for her. But it didn’t last long. She handed the baby girl to Bert and I looked at her as I crawled to her. “Jessica?” I said. Her eye lids were opening and closely and that could mean only one thing. “Jessica. Jessica stay with me. Please stay with me...do you hear me?” I said getting worried. Jessica looked at me weakly as she held my hand. “Take care of her; please I know I can trust you.”

“No! You are not leaving your daughter, needs you!” I said and tears spilled over my cheeks on to the ground. “Don’t worry...she’ll meet me soon.” She said smiling one last time as she faded away. “NO! JESS! NO PLEASE! PLEASE COME BACK!” I yelled sobbing as her hand dropped from mine and I placed my head on her stomach. Bert then came over and pulled in a hug as I cried in his chest. The baby crying as well.
Later that night, I cradled the baby alone while Bert buried Jessica. When he came back, I looked up at him with a small smile. Bert came over and sat by me. I was staring at the baby who looked so much like her mother. Bert intertwined his fingers with mine and kissed it romantically. “She’s beautiful.” Bert said.
“I know.” I said as we stared at her sleeping peacefully. “We should as well.” Bert said and I looked at him tiredly. I agreed and we rested for the night with a baby to care and a brand new “home.”
The week flew by as we gave the baby sweetened milk from a dozen coconuts Bert and I found. I would do small bounces back and forth as I tried to shush the baby. Her name was Jessica, after her mother. But Bert and I were always arguing now that we had to take care the baby. It has become more stressful. We were becoming more distant every day and I became even more moody since I was pregnant myself. My feet would swell and my breasts would develop with milk.
“Bert! Where’s the leaf?! Bert!” I yelled his name for the 10th time. Jessica was crying so hard and I knew she needed a desperate diaper change. “What the hell...” I growled to myself getting angry that Bert would not answer. “BERT!!!” I yelled one more time but this time I walked out the shelter he made for us as I pushed the tree to the side. “I’m coming! God!” his voice said from behind the wooden shelter. Stomping over he came toward me and pushed the leaves in my arms. “Don’t push them to me like that!” I yelled. “Well try finding fucking leaves without getting eaten alive!” he roared at me. I just glared at me and I stomped away and changed her. Once that was down Jessica still was crying! “UGHH!” I yelled and walked back out where I bounced around and calmly shushed her as I looked at Bert. Bert was making a fire since the sun was setting quickly. As I watched, memories flooded back about the love and dependency we had to get out of this island. We lost hope...

Jessica cried in my ears where I was getting frustrated. Stressed, Bert walked over and took the baby from me. I frowned as I watched him. This is going to be interesting. Bert held her gently in his arms as he softly looked at the baby. He began to hum a tune and rock the baby at the same time. A smile spread across my face suddenly as I kept watching. Jessica stops crying and was looking at Bert intently. He kept going and a beautiful smile spread across his face... A smile I rarely saw now, a smile Bert used to give me. I folded my arms and watched him. The mood and the environment felt calm and enjoyable. Jessica drifted to sleep and she finally snored away. Bert looked up at me and looked at me surprised, “What?” he asked. That’s when I felt my warm smile looking at him lovingly. “You were beautiful.” I complemented. I walked over and touched his arm. “I missed that smile...how did u know how to do that?” I added. “I used to have a baby sister, I watched my mom hum to her every night and when my sister died I always remembered it.” He said softly. I brushed his blonde messy hair away as I looked at him one more time. “I don’t like when we argue.” I said. Bert looked at me, “Me too.” He said. That’s when our moment came back again. We stared at one another. With one hand that was free he brushed my cheek as he stroked it down...
Once we were inside, Our lips touched as sparks flew all over again like our first kiss. We fell on the sand and I was on top of him as we kissed passionately. I sat on his stomach, fast breathing approached as he touched my skin, burning hot, and gently touched my back and arms softly. I didn’t want this to end the kissing and our touches. I was grabbing is face and bit his lower lip. With the baby asleep, this was our only place where we were sure we would be safe...
I lay on Bert’s arm as we looked up at the stars. The cold sea water touching our feet. “I’ve missed you so much.” Bert whispered to me. I looked at him sitting up looking directly at Bert’s deep blue eyes. “Me too.” I said. It was like in a romantic movie, my hair blew in the silent delicate wind as he lay below me. The moon shone bright on us as Bert pulled strands of hair from my face.
But not every Romantic moment has a happy ending, at least not mine.
The last 3 seconds of my death was going to begin...
Lurking in the darkness, two familiar creatures lurked out of the island’s trees, smashing the shelter inside.
“NOOOO!” I screamed as I got up nearly crawling only to have Bert hold me back. Our moment vanished and lasted only seconds. Reality hit and I was faced with another death. Jessica’s daughter. “NOO! No!” I sobbed. It happened quickly. The creatures coming out, smashing an infant inside. My heart broke into pieces. I was losing everything...

My sorrow only then turned into anger and hatred. I grabbed a palm tree. Feeling it in my dirty hands and ran toward the creatures of evil. “Jaclyn! NOO! Stop!” Bert yelled and ran after me. I ran and then beginning swinging with all my might. The power I felt something inside that wasn’t me anymore. Only an animal. I was TIRED of everything, these mother freaking creatures, the hope we used to have, just EVERYTHING! I was going to live if my life depended on it. I was going to find my way out of here! I am going to be free again and be with the man I love forever, I was...

Bleeding...

I dropped my weapon, as I looked down. I froze... I couldn’t comprehend what just happened. Only what I felt. Pain...

It burned through me, through my stomach, my stomach where I held my child. Dropping to my knees I fell. The creature’s weapon, a pointy, hairy horn, from a meat eating beetle pulled out from me and I only saw the heavens above me. My vision going in and out. The pain going numb and hearing my heart starting to slow down... I couldn’t feel but I knew just above me, the beetle was eating me alive. I just didn’t care.
I let go...
But my last moments that I did remember and would forever was when I looked at the tear stained Bert one more time as he held me in his arms and said hoarsely, “I love you forever...”

PART 2: BERT

CHAPTER 13: BERT

I can’t believe it...
I can’t believe she’s gone. It hurts so much my chest hurts. I didn’t want it to end like this. I want her alive again. I love her...
I held on Jaclyn’s lifeless dead body in my arms. Covered in her blood. Being torn inside. I shook in anger, my throat hurting from crying so much. “Jaclyn...please come back please.” I sobbed. “Please!” I yelled. I try to keep my eyes open to see if she breathed. Nothing... only her dead lifeless green eyes looked at me. The words she said to me replayed over and over. I couldn’t let go. I’m so stupid! I should have stopped her!
“Jaclyn!” I sobbed. My head pressed against hers. Even dead she was beautiful. My baby was gone as well. I was alone now...
This time for real... Standing up, I grabbed Jaclyn’s corpse as she lay in my arms. I went over to our “home” that was now smashed into pieces. I stared at it, my heart beginning to feel numb. I didn’t feel anything anymore...
I couldn’t feel. As I set her down I wanted her to have a proper burial. So with my own hands I began to dig a grave...
The following morning I made a 6 feet hole just for Jaclyn. I stayed up all night just doing this and I was finally finished. I hopped out of the hole, as memories flooded back all about her. I pulled Jaclyn down to