by Maya Riley
“No.” He let go of my arm.
“Do you know how to say any other words?”
“Yes.”
“You are absolutely infuriating, you know that?”
“Yes.”
I stamped my foot, crossed my arms, and placed a scowl on my face.
A clapping noise sounded out and I turned to face Jonah, who threw out a series of hand motions. Stop wasting daylight and start getting ready to move.
At least someone was thinking of something useful to do.
“Alright, everybody ready?” Lincoln called out.
We rejoined the group and made sure all of our few belongings were collected—which wasn’t much, other than the clothes on our backs, the tin can we used to boil water, and the backpack that Jonah had carried.
“Okay, so we need to head somewhere with supplies.” Lincoln took charge. “Keep an eye out for anything we could use, any signs of civilization, camps, tools, etc., you know the drill.”
“Hey,” I interrupted. “Remember when I first got to your camp, after my disgraceful swim in the river?”
The guys nodded.
“Well, obviously I came from somewhere. There’s this little cottage in the woods, not far from where I first met Lincoln. I left some supplies behind to use as a backup plan in case anything happened. There are blankets, food, clothing, and more still there, as long as it wasn’t invaded by any other survivors. Or scavers,” I finished.
Lincoln’s coffee-colored eyes brightened and the corner of his mouth began to lift into a thoughtful, lopsided smile.
“Alright, let’s head out.” And we all began walking.
The sun was high in the sky when the familiar dumpster popped into view between the foliage surrounding us. Excitement rose in my chest when I realized how close we were to my original shelter. This was the area where I’d met Lincoln. “Alright! Now if we begin heading to the right, here, then we sh—”
A low rumbling interrupted my train of thought and I whipped my head around to see Puppy statue-still, with her eyes intent on something straight ahead that we couldn’t yet see. Lincoln and Mateo readied their knives and stood in front of the group, blocking our view. Adam and Jonah stood on either side of me. I hated being weaponless. Vulnerability was the worst feeling to have in this crappy world.
Slowly, we began to move forward, ready to face whatever lay ahead. Puppy moved along with us, sticking to the front. I was a little surprised at her reaction, it wasn’t the same as it normally was when there was a rotter in the vicinity. Rather than her usually rigid, threatening stance, she was slightly relaxed and mostly just alert and curious.
We soon broke the tree line and entered the small clearing. Not a rotter in sight. Not a single sound could be heard, it was eerily quiet.
As a group, we moved toward the small, abandoned structure where I first met Lincoln, and circled around to the front, being careful to quiet our footfalls.
We reached the front to see the door ajar, hanging halfway off its hinges. As we moved closer, low sounds could be heard from inside. Something was off about them though—they weren’t the slow dragging of limbs or the low moans of the dead. The person was more frantic, as though looking for something, mumbling to their self in the process.
We reached the doorway, and Lincoln signaled for the rest of us to stay put while he slipped inside to check it out. A few moments passed by before a scream sounded, echoing off the solid walls of the silent building, and the rest of us rushed in with Mateo in the lead, his knife at the ready.
The scene that greeted us was one I never would have expected. Lincoln was standing with his hands up and palms out in an attempt to show he wasn’t a threat. I wasn’t, however, surprised by that. Instead, I stopped in my tracks while my brain tried to process the scene—the girl cowering into a corner in front of him. Her head snapped in our direction at our arrival and she peered out at us from underneath her long, dark brown hair.
A chill rippled down my spine when I took in her face. It was one that used to be filled with innocence and hope. A face now dirtied and filled with fear. A face that I never thought I would see again. Our eyes met and I let out a slow, ragged breath.
“Maura.”
Blyss
In a flash, Maura left her safe corner and barreled into me, knocking me out of my shock. I slowly wrapped my arms around her, and then held her tight. I would make sense of everything later. We had a lot to talk about and catch up on. I lowered my head over hers, letting it be only the two of us in this moment.
Sobs racked her body and I lowered us to the floor, not letting go even a fraction in the process.
“Does somebody want to explain what the fuck is going on?” Mateo’s impatient voice echoed around the walls.
“Chill out, man, they obviously know each other.” Adam tried to calm him down.
“We don’t know if she’s infected though, this could end badly,” Lincoln argued in a gruff voice.
“If she is, then we’ll deal with it. Give them a moment.” Adam diffused the erupting volcano that was Mateo.
“Whatever.” The gruff voice was quieter, disappearing as the guys walked away.
Maura shook in my arms and I began to rub a hand up and down her back, comforting her, letting her know she wasn’t alone. I was here, I was finally here. After a few more minutes, the sobbing slowed and she tilted her head up, peering up at me through those beautiful blue eyes I’d missed so much. “I tried to find you. The world went crazy and Mama G went on the worst tirade I’d ever seen. I managed to escape when she had her back turned and I tried to find you, but you weren’t anywhere. You weren’t answering your phone and I… I thought—” She broke off into another round of sobs.
“Shhh, Maura, it’s okay, I’m here now.” Guilt began to eat away at me, starting at my heart and working its way through my body. I ran away. All I could think about in that moment was escape. When I saw Mama G’s name on my phone, I had tunnel vision. It didn’t occur to me at the time that I’d also be abandoning my foster siblings. I tried to protect them for years and even after I left that house, I still wanted to get them out of there, but I never went back. Looking down at the crying girl in my arms, my own tears mingling with her dirty hair, the guilt ate away at the shell that was left of me. Surely I didn’t deserve her forgiveness.
Puppy approached us and sniffed the girl’s face, wiping away the tears with her nose. I reached out an arm and my pup joined in the cuddle pile, bringing a smile to Maura’s face. I had no idea what hell she’d endured on her own all this time.
The telltale sound of limbs dragging along the ground, rustling up the leaves along the way, reached us and I tensed. The guys went to the door and peered out. Mumbled curses reached me and I knew whatever was out there wasn’t something good. Either rotters or scavers, neither of which would be welcomed with anything but a blade to the head.
“There’s at least half a dozen of them, and counting,” Lincoln called out from the doorway in warning.
I lifted my head at that. “How are their numbers growing so fast?” Mateo and Lincoln were a blur as they ran outside to take care of the intruding dead. Adam rummaged around in the debris by the wall and produced a long piece of sharp metal, before disappearing with the others with a shrug and a mumbled, “This’ll do.”
Jonah observed from the doorway, and I watched him. His fists were clenched at his sides and his expression stoic. He hated being weaponless almost as much as I did. He’d rather go out alongside his buddies and protect them. We needed to get back to that cottage.
The rotters dispatched, we walked along the dirt path, with me in the lead and Maura hanging onto my hand. In the normal world, it would be seen as uncool for a fourteen-year-old girl to cling to a family member like that, but we weren’t in a normal world.
When we reached the large boulder I used as a landmark, I veered right. Not too much farther now. Excitement tingled inside as I looked forward to the familiar sight. I really hoped it had
n’t been overrun by rotters, or worse, scavers, in the time I’d been away.
A large smile broke across my face as my eyes laid upon the memorable, mangled shingled roof. I’d never been so happy to see a familiar place. This felt the most like home, probably the only place I’d ever felt safe.
I looked down to Puppy, whose tongue was hanging out in what I decided was her own little doggy smile. Her relaxed stature and easy walk told me there wasn’t any threat ahead, so I broke into a run, tugging Maura along beside me. Her hand clenched around my own in fear, she had no idea what was going on. I would explain everything to her shortly, as much as I could.
We reached the front door and I pushed it open, not bothering to be cautious for once. Pulling Maura inside, I let go of her hand and gave her time to take in the place with her wide, blue eyes. I left her in the middle of the living room and went straight for the far corner. The couch scraped against the floor as I moved it out of the way, and then began prying up the loose floorboards to get to my treasure beneath. It only took a few seconds before I was lifting up the long, slim box and setting it next to me. I ripped the top open with eager fingers and grinned as my secret arsenal was revealed. The blades cooled my skin as I ran my fingers over them before picking up my favorite backup dagger. It felt so good to hold a blade in my hand again, especially a familiar one. Now, I felt like I could take on the world. Now, I finally felt like I could more easily protect myself and those around me, especially Maura.
Feeling a sudden presence, I looked up to see Jonah kneeling down in front of me on the other side of the box. I smiled and motioned for him to rummage through and choose the weapon he felt most comfortable with. I may have spent a little while building this impressive collection, but I felt like I could share with these guys. They had proven themselves more than once during the short time I’d been with them.
Awe crossed Jonah’s face as he rummaged through the box. Something so simple could bring him the greatest joy and it was adorable. I watched his eyes light up as he lifted a trench knife, and gold flecks surfaced in his hazel eyes.
Trench knife, good choice, I signed.
I used to have one as a kid. My dad would take me out shooting and knife throwing, things like that. I loved it all. A somber look crossed his face.
That must’ve been fun.
It was. Until I lost my hearing and wasn’t able to join in anymore. A deaf kid on a weapons range made people uncomfortable.
Well that’s shit.
He gave a small smile and carried on inspecting the dagger. After he seemed satisfied with his first choice, I grabbed two swords and their leather scabbards, then strapped them to my back and sheathed them.
“Adam, come pick out your weapon. Or weapons. I’ll be right back,” I called to him as I headed into the bedroom. Mateo and Lincoln had decided to explore on their own, with Lincoln taking the upstairs and Mateo checking the outside.
I reemerged shortly after I had changed into jeans, a tank top, and a corduroy jacket with a dagger in my pocket and the swords sheathed to my back once more. I dumped an armful of clothes onto the floor in the middle of the room. “This is all the clothing in this place. There are some men’s clothes in there too, so you should find something to fit all of you.” I looked around at the large, muscled men. “Maybe.”
Mateo emerged from the kitchen and ignored the pile of clothes. “Is there any food left here? The kitchen is bare, unless you have the food hidden somewhere like the weapons. Which would be smart.”
“Yes, the food is hidden.” I nodded my head toward the pile of blankets in another corner. “Underneath that pile of blankets is a chest. Open the chest and you’ll find the food.”
His face remained unchanged as he looked between me and the pile of blankets. “That’s a really shitty hiding spot.”
“Stop it, you’re flattering me.”
“It’s winter and has been below freezing. The ground has been covered in snow and ice until very recently. The blankets are the first thing others would go for, then voila, they’d find the food, and all you’ll have left to come home to are the weapons. And you can’t eat the weapons. Well,” a hint of humor crossed his face, “you could try, but I’d advise against it.”
“Did Mr. Grumpy just make his first joke?” I gasped with a hand to my chest. “I’m shocked!”
He frowned. “Mr. Grumpy?”
I couldn’t help but smile at his frown. He hated the nickname, which made me want to make it stick. This was going to be fun.
I bent down and picked out the least damaged pair of jeans and a long-sleeved top, and carried them over to where Maura was inspecting the fireplace. She startled when I touched her arm. “Hey, it’s okay. Here’s an outfit if you want something to change into. Since plumbing doesn’t really work anymore, I’m afraid I can’t offer a shower. There is some Febreze, though, in the bedroom.”
A soft laugh bubbled out of her mouth at that and I smiled. It wasn’t intended to be a joke, but I was glad to offer some humor. She took the clothes from me with a grateful smile and headed into the bedroom. Part of me wondered if she was really going to Febreze herself.
I looked over to see Adam sheathing two daggers into his belt, while he walked over to inspect the blankets and food. Lincoln emerged at the bottom of the stairs with Puppy in tow. “There’s nothing up there. Barren.” He eyed the pile of clothes in the middle of the room. “Is everything in the cabin in this one room here?”
“Yup.”
With a nod, he joined the others to inspect the food, and I went over to check on Jonah. I found him eyeing an old stereo. My heart clenched a little at the sight, knowing that he could never hear music again. He’d begun to explain something once about feeling the music now rather than hearing it, but he was interrupted and never got to finish.
I stepped up next to him so as not to startle him from behind. Waving a hand to garner his attention, he turned to me with a sad smile. Lifting his hands, he signed that he wished he could ‘hear’ music again, but sadly electricity was one of the many things that was left behind in the old world.
Something so simple that was taken for granted by everyone else, was so much bigger for him. He could barely remember what music actually sounded like, but now he couldn’t even feel it anymore.
Looking into his eyes, I made him a promise. I didn’t know when, and I sure as hell didn’t know how, but I would help him find the music again. Even if I had to shake the earth myself, I would make sure he felt the vibrations once more.
The sun was going down and we decided to camp out here at the cabin. We would rest up, take stock of supplies, and figure out our next move.
The fire was going strong thanks to Adam and we were all hunkered down around it, with every last blanket piled on top of all of us. I was sitting up, letting the heat of the flames warm my skin as I stroked Maura’s hair in my lap. Despite her apparent exhaustion, she hadn’t been able to fall asleep. None of us could. Now that the most imminent task of finding shelter and supplies was over, and everything had been gone through, I’d introduced Maura to the guys, and checked her over for infection. Now it was nearly time to start addressing the rhino in the room.
“Maura,” I started, “tell me what happened over the last few months.”
I felt her shudder beneath my hand, but kept stroking her hair in a calming manner.
“I was at home that day, and so was Jakobe. He almost got adopted the week before, but the other family changed their mind at the last minute. So, we were in the living room, trying to avoid any problems. We were just sitting there quietly with Mama G. The TV was on and then… it was madness, Blyss.”
Adam looked up at me with a raised eyebrow. Shit, I still hadn’t told any of them my real name past the first few letters. I looked around to see who else had heard, but the only other person awake was Jonah so I should be good, unless he’d read her lips. Not that I didn’t mind if they knew my name, it was just more fun to keep them guessing, and they still h
ad two letters to go. Granted, those last two letters were the same, but they didn’t know that yet. I guess it could count as my weird way of flirting. I frowned, wondering how much longer before they’d ask for another letter.
I gave Adam a stern, pleading look and he responded with a smile. That smile meant he would either keep my secret for now, or blackmail me with it later. We’d see.
“Then Mama G started herding us to the basement and making all these phone calls and messages. She pulled out other cell phones I didn’t know she had—why would she have so many phones? There were at least three that I could see. Anyways, she was on the phone with the school trying to reach the twins, when I grabbed Jakobe and made a run for it. We made it to the door before she realized what we were doing, that we weren’t going to the basement, but we ran and we kept running. There were a lot of people going crazy and running everywhere.” She sniffled. “I didn’t know what happened, but somehow we got separated. I tried to go back and find him, but when I saw Mama G outside, I turned back around and kept running.”
The tears started flowing again and I made a shushing sound, trying to soothe her. My mind began to wander to Jakobe. He was only nine years old when I left, he’d be ten now. Whether he was snatched back up by the foster mom from hell, or he faced a fate with the rotters, or even scavers, I feared his outcome. He was always a smart kid, though, so I had hope that he ran and hid and figured out how to survive.
And then the twins, always so sweet, what had become of them? I mentally cursed myself for choosing to run and save myself rather than go back for my foster siblings like I should have. When I left a year ago, I told them I would come back for them, but I failed to follow through and chose to run and save my own ass instead. Maura shouldn’t forgive me so easily like she seemed to have, no one should forgive me for that.
My head met the hard wall as I leaned it back, not wanting to actually lie down. I would most likely stay up all night like this, lost in my own thoughts. I continued to stroke her hair as her sobs lessened. “And then what happened? How’d you survive up until we found you?”