“Austin,” he said shaking Lucas’s hand.
Lucas turned to me. “And you are?”
“Lucy and this is my brother Marty,” I said shaking his hand.
His grip was firm but soft and his eyes were filled with a cheer I hadn’t seen since before the creatures had appeared. I’d thought they’d wiped every bit of cheer that had been left off of the planet when they came to the surface. Though, it wasn’t like I had even seen it a lot even before the creatures.
The others introduced themselves and he gave them all equally welcoming smiles. It had softened the entire group so much so that the tension we’d carried with us blew away in the breeze.
“You’ll be safe here,” Lucas said as we walked up a set of wide stairs to the tall church doors. “There are only twelve of us here at the moment but we hope others will see our messages soon. Your arrival gives us hope. It proves that we were right that there are others out there who have survived this horrible, horrible attack on humanity.” He shook his head as he lowered his gaze. “Just awful.”
“How do you keep the creatures away?” Austin asked as he opened the door. The rusted hinges squeaked in a pitch similar to the sounds the creatures made.
Lucas raised his brows and pointed up to the corners of the building. “Lights. Lots and lots of lights. And by the looks of the SUV you parked down the road, you all have figured out how to keep them away as well.”
He’d been watching us. They’d probably seen us coming from miles away peering out from the top of the steeple. Did that mean he also knew we were armed? Something told me that he did.
We walked into the church and my nose was accosted by the smell of frankincense. It wasn’t fresh, but the walls and carpeting had seemed to have been stained with the intense aroma.
The scent was dizzying. If Lucas noticed it, he didn’t mention it. His nose probably had been quite accustomed to the scent while it made my stomach feel hollow.
There were a set of stairs in the middle of the entranceway that let upward and another set on the left and right that were much smaller leading downward. Lucas gestured to the middle set and continued to lead the way.
At the top was a small table with a stack of thin booklets. There was a black and white picture of the church printed on the cover.
We followed Lucas through a wide opening into a smaller room. There was a wooden podium and an elaborate statue of a man in robes looking down at us with praying hands.
Stretched out in front of us, was a short aisle that led to the front of the church. There were pews on each side and at the front, several people were seated casually, whispering as they cast frequent glances in our direction.
“It’s amazing that all four walls are still standing, isn’t it?” Lucas said glancing at us, his hands pressed together at the palms resting lightly against his lower chest, just like the statue had been.
There was a calmness and peacefulness that radiated out from Lucas. But it wasn’t quite enough to calm me.
“Yeah, sure is,” Noah said.
The inside of the church felt a bit too dark. The pale blues and yellows of the stained glass windows didn’t allow enough sunlight into the room.
“How do you keep them from digging up through the basement?” I asked and everyone turned to look at me. Everyone.
“We’ve discovered there is a certain pitch they aren’t particularly fond of,” Lucas said.
I remembered when Mallory had screamed in the trees and the young creatures hadn’t seemed to like it.
“We play it at night,” a guy said as he popped up out of the front pew. He ran his hand through his wild, slightly curly blonde hair that was in desperate need of a trim. “I’m Samuel.”
“My son,” Lucas added proudly.
Samuel stood next to his father with his arms crossed. They could have been twins except for that Samuel was significantly taller.
Lucas introduced us to the other four people sitting in the pews. They smiled at us politely but their names fluttered like butterflies from my mind just as quickly as they had entered it.
“The others are out gathering supplies from the town,” Lucas said.
Samuel nodded. “We typically take turns.”
“They’ll be back and forth several times before dinnertime, you can meet them then,” Lucas said with a grin that nearly closed his eyes. “They probably saw you when you came into town though. We keep a pretty close eye on everything.”
Samuel looked at me, cocking his head to the side slightly. “You are all welcome to stay as long as you like. We have more than enough supplies and tons of space.”
“We even have a nice place for you to park your car so that you don’t have to worry about it getting stolen,” Lucas said.
“That happens?” Austin asked trying to conceal the worry in his eyes. “Things get stolen?”
Lucas shrugged and gave us a gentle frown. “From time to time things go missing. Not often but it has happened.”
“Just people passing through, we think,” Samuel said. “We have signs up to come here for help but I think people are wary.”
“Yes,” Lucas said. “They think it’s a trap.”
It seemed as though we’d be safe from the creatures based on the condition of the building, but it was hard to feel comfortable in the space with the strangers surrounding us. I was struggling to hide my apprehension about staying.
“Would you like to see where you’d be staying before you decide?” Samuel asked leaning slightly closer.
He smelled of spicy soap and cologne. Clean. I wanted to pour a bottle of perfume over my entire body.
I glanced over at Austin and then at Marty to see if I could decipher their thoughts based on their expression.
“Sure,” Marty said answering for us.
“You guys don’t need to look so scared,” Samuel said with a slight smirk that looked like it was on the verge of turning into a laugh. “We’re just normal people.”
“It’s just strange to be around people again,” Austin said as if that would explain.
Samuel’s head bobbed up and down as if he understood. “I can imagine. You don’t need to commit to anything and for the most part, you’re free to come and go during the day as you please. Let’s just take a look, all right? No harm in looking.”
Chapter Eighteen
As we followed Samuel down the aisle, Lucas whispered to the group of people. I could feel their eyes on our backs as we walked away.
“What was it like outside of the city?” Samuel asked as we turned the corner and took one of the smaller sets of stairs into the basement.
“Quiet during the day and scary as hell during the night,” Noah said.
Samuel rubbed his hands together. “Then this is going to be a real treat for you.”
“You’re not scared at night?” I asked.
“Maybe a little,” Samuel admitted. “But not much.”
“Do you sleep during the day?” Mallory asked.
Samuel tossed her an awkward glance. “No. Should we?”
“That’s what we’ve been doing,” Mallory said.
Samuel widened his eyes at her as he led us through a small cafeteria. “Well, you don’t have to do that here. Unless you want to, of course.”
“I hate sleeping during the day. It’s nearly impossible,” Mallory said batting her eyelashes at Samuel. Bradley groaned and rolled his eyes.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Something in your eye?”
“What?” Mallory said touching the corner of her eye. “Oh, no. I’m fine, thanks.”
Her cheeks were the color of a dozen red roses. She looked from side to side nervously as she rubbed the side of her face.
“This way,” Samuel said pointing as he led us down a short hallway with several rooms each with a number on the door. “These used to be classrooms but we turned them into sleeping quarters.”
He turned the knob and opened the last door on the right. The concrete walls were painted
with a pale shade of light blue that reminded me of where I went to grade school. There were ten air mattresses lined up in the room.
“We thought there would be more people coming,” Samuel explained as if he knew my unasked question. “You guys can have this room to yourselves for now.”
“How many rooms are there?” I asked.
“Five on this side, five on the other and my dad sleeps upstairs,” Samuel said smiling at me.
Mallory stepped forward breaking Samuel’s gaze that was locked onto me. “So, if you have the space, can I have my own room?”
“Um,” Samuel stammered as he looked at each of us. “I guess that would be fine. I just assumed you’d all want to stay together.”
I was tempted to request a room that wouldn’t include Bradley but the look on his face me keep my mouth closed. It looked as though he was upset enough about having ruined whatever he and Mallory had together.
Bradley was someone that always wanted what he didn’t have. And now he was probably regretting it in a world where he didn’t have anyone.
“I prefer my own space,” Mallory said shooting a sharp look at Bradley.
“Okay, well, follow me then,” Samuel said. They walked out of the doorway leaving it open. I exhaled but it got stuck in my throat when he stepped back into the opening. “By the way, we’ll have dinner in the cafeteria at five. Don’t be late.”
He was smiling but I didn’t think the time he’d given was merely a suggestion. It seemed more like it was a requirement.
He disappeared like a magician without the cloud of smoke but it didn’t feel like he was gone. My eyes moved around the room hesitating in each corner as if I was expecting to find a little camera.
There wasn’t anything there, but it still felt like we were being watched. But maybe it was just because we were in a church.
Mallory’s words floated through the doorway but they were indecipherable mumbles. Her giggles, however, were as clear as a bright summer day.
“So, I guess we broke up,” Bradley said plopping down on one of the air mattresses. “Not that any of you care, of course.”
“It was kind of obvious,” Marty said. “And Mallory already told us.”
“Can’t say you didn’t deserve it,” Noah added.
Bradley’s shoulders slumped. “Kick a man when he’s down why don’t you?”
Noah shrugged. I wanted nothing more than to change the subject as soon as possible. Even though it wasn’t my fault, I couldn’t help but feel connected to the break-up.
Maybe at some point, I’d have to talk to Mallory but that day wasn’t today. And I was pretty sure it wasn’t going to be tomorrow either.
Maybe she and Samuel would fall in love and then it wouldn’t matter. Mallory wanted to be with someone, that much I could tell. She wasn’t someone that liked to be alone. Perhaps she didn’t even know how to be alone.
Austin and I locked eyes. His expression remained neutral and it worried me that I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
I could read Bradley’s expressions like a book, but with Austin it was different. He hid what he was thinking and feeling. Austin was more of a mystery.
“Do we have to stay in here until dinner?” Marty asked. “Kind of feels like a jail cell.”
“It’s bigger than the SUV,” Noah said lowering himself down on one of the mattresses. He pulled his cap down over his eyes and crossed his arms as he leaned back on the pillow. “And significantly more comfortable.”
Samuel hadn’t stayed in the room with Mallory long. I could hear his footsteps getting softer as he made his way back down the short hallway.
“You might as well get some rest,” Austin said gesturing at the air mattress behind me.
“What about you?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I’ll wait. I think we should probably take turns.”
“Is that really necessary?” Noah asked mumbling his words. “You saw the condition of the building. You saw the people living here. Whatever they’re doing is working.”
“Plus it’s daytime,” Marty added.
“Yeah but we’re inside, and if the lights go out, it’ll be pitch black,” Austin said.
Noah chuckled. “If the lights go out, there isn’t anything you can do to help us if you’re awake. Might be better if you sleep through everything if that happens.”
Austin shifted his weight back and forth several times before settling into a wide stance. He glanced at me as he scratched the back of his bicep.
“I guess you’re right,” Austin said lowering himself down to the bed next to mine.
I wanted to curl up with Austin but for some reason, I didn’t. The door was open, our brothers were in the room, and Bradley was there with us. It wasn’t like I wanted to kick Bradley when he was down and rub my relationship with Austin in his face even if being next to him would have helped me sleep better.
We gave the people in the church our trust, whether or not it was a smart thing to do. Exhaustion had control over our decisions. I hadn’t even tried to fight it… I fell asleep.
It hadn’t felt like it had been a long rest when I woke to someone gently shaking me. Austin was looking into my eyes with a bright smile on his fast. There were still bags under his eyes, but I could tell he’d gotten some sleep.
“It’s time to get some food,” Austin said.
I frowned. My eyelids felt like they were being pulled back down. The sleep although short had been fantastic. My entire body was relaxed and I wanted more. I needed more.
“Come on, lazy bones,” Austin said pulling on my hand.
I groaned but I let him pull me to my feet. The room was empty except for Austin and me.
“Did the others go to the cafeteria?” I asked.
My question alone was enough to cause Austin to hesitate. He turned and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“We’re all alone,” Austin said in a deep voice that vibrated my insides. “We could close the door. Skip dinner and spend a little time together.”
I leaned into him. “That sounds amazing but we can’t do that. They’re all out there waiting for us. And this is a church… pretty sure that’s breaking a law of some kind.”
“There’s no law against that,” Austin said laughing as he pulled me closer. I could feel just how badly he would have liked to stay in the room with me.
But we couldn’t… could we?
Austin’s hands moved down my back, curving around my bottom. I wrapped my arms around his neck and melted into him.
I sighed as he leaned in, his eyes glowing orange with excitement. His lips glided against mine and my knees weakened as the electric heat surged through my veins.
I wanted nothing more than to close the door and push him down on the bed. But the plates and silverware clink-clanking down the hall forced me to take a step back.
“We should go before they come looking for us,” I said without letting go of his hand as I led us toward the door and into the hall.
Austin noisily dragged his feet but stumbled along behind me. As we stepped inside the cafeteria, everyone looked up at us. They were all sitting there with their plates in front of them.
“Just made it,” Samuel said smacking Austin on the back. “Go on and fill up your plates. Join us. My dad was just about to say Grace.”
“Right, sorry,” Austin said. “We’re all so tired... it was hard to open my eyes.”
“I can imagine,” Samuel said watching us as we scooped canned green beans, instant potatoes, and grilled canned meat onto our plates.
We sat down at the end of the table across from each other. Lucas stood and folded his hands, he bowed his head slightly as he began to thank God for our food.
Everyone ate in near silence. There were a few whispers complementing the woman, Bev, who had prepared the meal.
At the end of the meal, Lucas came and stood at the end of the table. He looked back and forth between Austin and me.
“I’d like to show you
what we do to prepare for night time,” Lucas said keeping his gaze planted on Austin.
“Um, sure,” Austin said picking up his plate.
Lucas held up his palm before waving his hand at Bev. “They’ll take care that.”
“Oh, it’s not a problem,” Austin said.
“Really, they’ll clean up. We don’t have a lot of time,” Lucas said as Bev reached around Austin and grabbed his plate.
“It’s no problem, sir,” the short, gray-haired woman said bowing several times as she walked away from the table.
Lucas turned to me, holding my gaze for a long moment. “You and Mallory should go along with Bev.”
“What?” I asked letting my mouth drop open slightly.
“She could use your help. Do you have a problem with that?” Lucas asked.
“No, I guess not,” I said even though I kind of did. It felt like I was being left behind to do kitchen work just because I was a woman. But maybe it didn’t have anything to do with my gender.
Bev waddled up next to me and gestured at my plate. “Come with me, okay?”
I nodded as Mallory walked over to us with her arms crossed. “Guess I’m here to help.”
Over my shoulder, I watched as Lucas and Samuel led Austin, Noah, Marty, and Bradley up the stairs. I let out my frustration from between my lips and smiled at Bev. Everyone else had left so it would be just the three of us.
Bev led us into the kitchen glancing back at us as if she were afraid we might just disappear. “No one likes cleaning.”
“Everyone should learn to clean their own plates,” I muttered.
Bev looked at me as if I’d said the most horrible thing she’s ever heard. “It’s not hard. I’ll show you.”
I bit back my heavy sigh. What did Bev think of me? It didn’t matter, at least that’s what I told myself as I watched her show me a skill I’ve known since I was seven. How to wash my own plate.
Chapter Nineteen
Mallory went off to her own room without saying anything to me. There was no doubt that she hated me just as much as she hated Bradley.
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