by Maya Riley
Lincoln strode over to the others who were already piling out the door, with Puppy barking madly behind them at the excitement. Adam held the door for us as we slipped through.
My cheeks were quickly met with warm air and I raised my head to catch the warmth of the sun’s rays. Barks of joy rang out as Jonah and Puppy ran through the grass, Puppy’s tongue lolling out as she loped.
“Hey, put me down, I want to check out those flowers.”
“Nope,” Lincoln objected, walking to the spot I was pointing at with me still in his arms. He didn’t set me down until we’d reached the bushes that were blooming with various colors of hibiscus flowers.
Lincoln picked a pink one and knelt down. Tucking my hair behind one ear, he slid the flower in with my hair and sat back to admire his handiwork.
“How do I look?” I asked.
“Perfect.” His voice was empty of humor and full of sincerity. I smiled back, not knowing what to say. I was saved from ruining this perfect moment when Puppy came bounding over, the other guys close behind.
Puppy began rolling around on the ground and scratching her back in the grass. I laid down with my back to the ground and looked at the sky, while the others mimicked my motions. Except for Mateo, who remained sitting. We stayed like that for a little while, pointing out the different cloud shapes and overall enjoying each other’s company
“So, B,” Lincoln started. “I was wondering…”
“Yes?” I pressed. His hesitation to get the question out was beginning to make me nervous.
“Remember when we first got here?” he continued.
“Yeah.”
“And the rotter that you recognized… the one you’d said had saved your life before.”
I gulped, the memories flooding back again. “Yes,” I choked out.
“How did you know him? I mean… is that something you’d want to share?”
I turned my head to face him, his own eyes already focused on me. The flower in my hair tickled against my face as I took a deep breath. “It wasn’t too far into the outbreak. About a couple weeks in, I was running around still trying to figure out what to do, where to go, how to survive,” I started. “I ran into some guys. They were my first encounter with scavers. They didn’t care that I didn’t have anything on me to take, they were content with taking my life instead.”
I gulped as the first memory tumbled out of my mouth. “Then Don, the firefighter, he was there. He came over and distracted them, allowed me to get away. But that wasn’t the last time I saw him.” I turned my head up again, training my eyes back to the sky. “A few days later, I ran into him again. I stayed with him for a few weeks.”
A sharp intake of breath sounded around me, all the guys reacting the same. “He taught me how to fight. He taught me how to survive. He gave me my first weapon and I practiced every day, all day.”
“How’d you get separated?” Adam inquired from my other side.
“One day, the house we were hiding out in was ambushed by a larger group of scavers. They attacked and we stood no chance, so we took off in separate directions. I tried to find him again, but never could. So, I carried on surviving, hoping that someday I’d find him again. Which,” a strangled laugh escaped my throat, “I pretty much did. Just not in the way I’d hoped.”
A hand grabbed each of mine on either side, Lincoln holding firm and Adam rubbing soothing circles into my palm with his thumb. A hand wrapped around my calf and I looked down to see Jonah with a small, half smile.
“Damn, Trouble.” Mateo, man of many comforting words.
Later, we managed to get a nice fire going in the fireplace inside the station. I was really surprised to find one here, being a fire hazard and all that, but I guess this place would normally be filled with firemen in case one ever got out of control. It would be kind of odd to see a fire station go down in flames.
The days may have been getting warmer, but the nights were still pretty chilly.
I was pleasantly stunned when Jonah surprised me with a steaming cup of coffee. The heat of the mug felt good against my hands. As the steam warmed my nose, I looked around at the guys who were slowly worming their way into my heart, and smiled. “Thank you guys. This coffee is amazing.” I signed the words the best I could with one hand, bringing it up to my chin, then down, and pointing to the coffee in my other hand.
You’re welcome, Jonah signed. Coffee makes a good treat.
Mateo took a small tool out of his pocket and began to sharpen one of his knives.
A blanket draped around me, and I looked up and around before Adam dropped to the floor beside me, sitting cross-legged. His arm touched my own blanket-clad arm and I grinned broader in thanks before pulling it tighter around me. “Can’t have Skittle getting sick while she’s already trying to heal.”
Mateo stopped his blade sharpening and looked up at us with a questioning look in his eye. “Skittle?”
“Yeah,” I responded, “because I’m a fucking rainbow.”
A chorus of laughs rang out. I guess I was more funny than I gave myself credit for. Mateo simply rolled his eyes and went back to sharpening his blade. “You’re nothing but fucking trouble.”
I’d decided not to let his negativity get to me. I was starting to think he simply didn’t like people in general. Which, I could relate to. Peopling had never been my favorite pastime either.
“Hey, whenever you get done sharpening your knives, could you do mine? Or let me borrow your tool so I can do it?”
“That’s what she said,” he answered without pause.
I grinned at that. Mr. Grumpy had some jokes after all.
Blyss
We stayed at the fire station for the next few days, talking, playing cards games, and growing closer. I found myself enjoying their company more with each passing day. Even Mateo’s company was an enjoyable feeling, and his ever-present scowl became a welcoming presence in my life.
Adam had found some of those hot and cold packs, where you break the button in the center and the pack fills with hot or cold, depending on which one you used. They’ve been really helpful in healing my ankle and the swelling was down now. I was able to hobble around some more, but one of the guys always made sure I was carried up and down the stairs, despite my ongoing protests that I do something on my own.
I’d begun to notice a different gleam in each of their eyes. Jonah’s eyes shone with the seafoam green of the ocean. Lincoln’s were my favorite shade of coffee. Adam’s were more of a lighter blue, reflecting everything within. Mateo’s eye was a deep brown, the color of the earth. I had no idea what happened to his eye, and I’d been afraid to ask, not knowing where the line was with him. I hadn’t seen underneath his eye patch, he’s never taken it off around me. While I grew closer with the others, he made sure to keep his distance. There were times I caught him looking in my direction, but he always acted like he was looking at something else. One day I might figure him out.
I learned new signs every night, to Jonah’s delight. I grew more protective over him, just like Puppy seemed to. Those two, however, started to become inseparable. I think Puppy could sense loneliness and decided that Jonah needed her the most. He was locked in his own silent world, with most people choosing to abandon him in the quiet.
Sighing, I lifted myself up and hobbled over to the opposite wall. The guys were downstairs talking over plans to go out and scavenge, and of course I had to be left behind with at least one of them like a fucking princess. I was dying to get back to my normal slash-and-dash routine.
As I reached the wall, I bent down and rummaged through my bag, looking for something to entertain myself with. My hand brushed against the small wooden box I kept my spare knives in and I lifted it free from the bag. I could practice some knife throwing, I was sure no one would mind a few holes in the walls or the occasional blade flying through the air. Opening the lid to peer inside, I lifted the top blade, freed it from its sheath, and looked at it in awe. I twirled it between my fingers, wat
ching as the light reflected off the shiny exterior. It had been recently sharpened. Unsure how to react to that, I set it back inside its box and decided to go with an old tennis ball instead.
I whistled to catch Puppy’s attention. Paws thundered on the steps as she bounded excitedly toward me. Reaching back, I tossed the ball and it bounced off the floor and walls with Puppy happily chasing after it. She caught the ball and brought it back to me to throw again, and we continued the game until Jonah came upstairs.
So, he was the lucky one to get left behind on babysitting duty.
I tossed the ball to him next, inviting him to join in on the game. After some time of throwing and catching and laughing, we moved downstairs and Jonah pulled out a deck of cards. Following his movements, I joined him on the floor while he dealt. Although I’d never played Uno before, I’d seen other students playing at the high school I went to, but my antisocial self never joined in.
Jonah explained the rules and I was pleased to find I could understand most of what he signed and was able to give some follow up signs myself. It was great to see the learning was paying off, especially when it resulted in the gleam in his sea-green eyes.
I was a quick learner, so by the second game I was blasting him out of the water on every round. A few games later I decided to go a little easier on him, allowing him to win without letting on that I was actually trying to lose. After a couple more games we took a break. I stretched my legs out, crossing them at the ankles, and leaned with my back against the wall. Jonah came over with a jacket and tucked it behind my back for comfort. Damn, he was sweet.
Thank you, I signed.
You’re welcome, Lighthouse.
My brows knit together. What does that Lighthouse sign mean?
L-i-g-h-t-h-o-u-s-e. Lighthouse.
Why did you call me that?
You joining our group is one of the best things that has happened. You challenge Mateo. You embrace Lincoln and Adam. You’re learning ASL for me. You don’t see any of us different just because we’re different.
He continued to sign slowly and I spoke each word out loud, trying my best to understand. He even fingerspelled words that were new to me. Is this not how it’s always been for you guys? I knew there’d been hints at some of them not always being accepted by others, what with Lincoln’s leg and Jonah’s deafness, but I wasn’t sure how the other two fit into that.
None of us ever had the greatest families. It’s one of the reasons why we’re so close.
My heart clenched at his mention of not having great families. That was something I could definitely relate to. I may have found a group of people who were just as broken as me. Well, I don’t know about your families, but you have me.
We exchanged a smile, and I continued. Tell me about your hobbies, before the V.V.
I loved music as a child. I learned to play every instrument I could grab. His eyes lit up at the memory. It was the hardest part of losing my hearing. Later on I discovered the drums. I could feel the vibrations through my body. It was a new way to listen to music, a new way to play music. I became the best drummer in my high school. He mimed drumming.
How did—
Sounds of people falling through the door tore away my attention and I looked over to see Lincoln, Mateo, and Adam quickly closing the door shut and putting every lock back into place.
“Were there any problems while we were gone?” Adam was out of breath, and his long legs quickly covered the space between us as he strode over. The small, blue orb dangled around on the chain with every step.
“No problems, what’s wrong? What happened?” Their urgent and concerned expressions worried me, and I needed to know what was going on.
Lincoln bent at the waist, resting his hands on his knees, and panted heavily before catching his breath. “We looted what goods were left in that house, took out a couple rotters that were hanging around inside. All went well and we began to head back here when, out of nowhere, at least two dozen popped up. We took out what we could and ran,” Lincoln explained, still gasping for air. “Something’s off. You’d think these things would have followed the humans that went south. Or, with less people around now, there would be fewer infected popping up. But they just keep growing in number and I don’t understand it. Where are they coming from?”
Lincoln rambled on but my focus was on Mateo, and I stepped over to him as he shrugged out of his jacket, revealing red marks along one arm. He swatted my hands away as I reached for him. “No, don’t, it’s nothing.” He was sounding more irritated than usual, but I was used to his stubbornness by now.
“It’s not nothing, what are these marks from?” I shrieked, thinking the worst. We may not have gotten along all the time, but he was still part of the group.
Keeping my hands at bay, he responded, “I fell into a little glass table. It would’ve cut me up if it weren’t for my jacket so, instead, I just got bumps and bruises. Nothing to worry about, now run along.”
“Let me look at it, just a peek. I could help.” I refused to give up and could be just as stubborn as him.
“You’re trouble!”
“And you’re grumpy!” I shouted back. We stood there for a few seconds, staring each other down, neither willing to relent. Finally, he huffed in defeat and dropped my hands, staying still while I held his arm and looked him over. My eyes roved over his arm in awe, and I had to remind myself not to drool. I had no idea these mountains of muscle were hiding underneath his jacket all this time. All I could see were dents and bruises, so I moved on to his other arm. This arm, though equal amounts of mountainous muscle, was covered in tattoos, a series of swirls and unknown symbols that started at his wrist and disappeared into his shirtsleeve. “Your arms look good, and it doesn’t appear that you were bitten. I didn’t catch any broken skin.” I dropped my hands and stepped away. “What about you two?” My eyes raked their bodies up and down. I wouldn’t mind examining them a little closer. To, um, be safe. Yeah, that’s it.
Lincoln shook his head. “Not a bite, not a scratch. I’m clean.”
“Same here,” Adam chimed in.
Clapping my hands together I looked around. “Alright, what’d you guys get?”
I jumped back with a shriek when sparks from the fire flew at me, but not fast enough to avoid the sharp burning sensation on my arms.
Adam lunged forward and gripped my arms, stalling my movement while he looked them up and down. He frowned as his eyes zeroed in on the small scorch marks that peppered my skin.
“Fuck, B.” Lincoln started toward us but Puppy was blocking his way. She stood protectively in front of me, with her back slightly hunched and a low warning growl telling him to keep away. He raised his hands, palms out, to show he wasn’t a threat, but the damage had been done. Puppy would need to know that I was okay before she would release her stance.
“I’m okay, you guys. It just surprised me is all.” I tried to defuse the situation, but Lincoln was locked in a staring contest with Mateo, and Adam wasn’t listening to me at all. His thumbs gently rubbed across my skin, pushing the ash away to reveal the small, red marks left behind. Jonah kicked the fallen log back toward the fireplace.
Lincoln tried to reason with them, his concern evident in his voice. “I’m so sorry, I should’ve paid more attention—”
“Damn right you should have,” Mateo growled.
I turned to see his eyes darken as he glared at Lincoln. “Aww, I didn’t know you cared,” I taunted in a cutesy voice. I didn’t know why I enjoyed poking the bear so much.
Mateo rolled his eyes. “He could’ve burned the whole place down by not paying attention while messing with the fire and log like that. I don’t know about you, but I’m not in the mood to run around in the dark and rotter infested lands trying to find a new shelter.” After giving Lincoln a final pointed glare, he walked over to join Jonah by the fire and busied himself with making sure there were no stray logs. “Next time, don’t throw more logs on unless you’re going to do it right.”<
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The low rumbling in front of me brought me back to Puppy and I shrugged out of Adam’s grip to get to her. Coming around to her side, I reached out a hand and lowered my voice to a soothing tone. “Hey girl, all is good. I promise.” She turned her head and sniffed me all over. Once she deemed me to be okay, she relaxed her stance and bumped her nose under my hand, before walking forward so I’d rub along her head and across her body. I smiled and continued to stroke my hand along her coarse fur.
“So, how long have you had Puppy?” Adam’s question broke me out of the bubble I was in with my furry companion.
“Since about a week after the outbreak. I was running around in the woods when I came upon a campsite.” I held her warm body closer to me as the memories began to resurface. “She was scrounging around, trying to find any food that may have been left behind. She was cautious of me and kept her distance. I was about to walk away when a rotter grabbed me from behind and Puppy jumped up and took it down. Together, we killed the second rotter that came up shortly after and we began to trust each other. Nothing like decapitating a couple of undead to bond a girl and a dog.” I kissed the top of her head. “She was my knight in furry armor, and we’ve been together ever since,” I said, smiling at the memory.
“How did you come up with the name Puppy?” Adam asked, appearing curious. “She’s a full-grown dog.”
“It was the name on her collar. I took it off of her later that day. Collar or no collar, she was keeping the name.”
“A dog named Puppy,” Mateo snorted. “That’s about as creative as calling you Human.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Grumpy Pants.”
Adam snickered behind me. Well at least someone thought I was funny.
I stood up and headed back over to the fireplace. The howling wind outside hinted at the frigid cold. Spring weather was on the horizon and I looked forward to warm days. The little fireplace was our only source of heat, which was much better than nothing, but it still only did so much. After plopping myself back down into my spot, I scooted to get closer to Lincoln, intent to steal some of his body heat.