by W. A. R.
Shelly stared at her with tear filled eyes. “No.” she admitted, her bottom lip trembling. Amber sighed before placing the folded leather between her teeth. Shelly bit down on it, her breathing becoming heavy. She anticipated the pain that was going to follow Amber’s next words. She felt two small but firm hands press on her right shoulder and the back of her head, and two slightly bigger hands gripped her left wrist and shoulder. She winced.
“Alright Shelly, here we go.” Amber said before pushing her arm up above Shelly’s back. She squeezed eyes shut tightly against the pain that radiated down the length of her arm, and down her spine. The pressure began building in her shoulder, and she began screaming through her clenched teeth, crying desperately for reprieve. She struggled against Katie’s hands, but she only forced Shelly back down, resorting to applying all of her weight to her elbows to hold her down. Amber felt her heart ache for causing the pain that Shelly was enduring but she continued applying pressure. The agony was excruciating, and Shelly cried harder, spit snaking its way between her teeth and through the corners of her mouth. Her breathing was ragged, heaving in heavy breaths to accommodate her discomfort. And finally, a sudden pop sounded through the kitchen, echoing in Shelly’s ears as the pain subsided into a dull ache. She sighed, dropping her head against the wooden table and letting the leather fall from her mouth and clang to the floor. Her chin was covered with a thin layer of sweat. Her breathing slowed and Amber and Katie released their holds on her.
“How does it feel now?” Katie asked in her high pitched, yet comforting voice. Shelly never moved.
“So much better.” She replied as Amber examined the length of her arm, ensuring that it wasn’t broken.
“Looks like you will have a nasty bruise on your shoulder, but more or less you are fine. Try not to move it too much for a day or two; until you are up to it.” Amber told her before stepping back. Shelly remained motionless, barely nodding to allow Amber to know she had heard her. “You are so lucky he didn’t hit you harder or it would have been broken.”
Katie shifted on her feet uneasily, her shoes squeaking against the tile. “I am so sorry for what we did. We didn’t know…” she began but Amber held up a hand dismissively and tossed her the rag she had been reaching for earlier.
“We can discuss that later. Right now, however, we need to figure out what those things were, and we have a few questions for ya’ll.” Amber replied as Katie wiped her hands on the dish towel. Katie then rounded the table and placed a delicate hand to Amber’s chin, lifting it and looking at her neck. Dark purple and blue bruises were beginning to form, and her cheek was scraped from the asphalt.
"What about you?” she asked and Amber stepped away, leaning down to the floor and grabbing her holster. Standing, she reached for the 30-30 she had slung across her back, which she realized was no longer there. She sighed, unsure of where it had gone in the chaos.
“I will be fine.” She replied shakily, and Shelly felt Amber pulling her up to sit on the edge of the table. Shelly eased up and shrugged her sore shoulder.
“I think you bruised your windpipe or maybe…even your trachea.” Katie said and Amber glanced sideways at her. Shelly grimaced. Yes, she did sound rough for wear. She definitely looked it.
“I said I was fine.” She stressed, obviously putting forcing her words to become clearer.
“And your friend? He...” she began but Amber cut her off abruptly.
“We can look at him later after he has calmed down. I am sorry if he frightened you. He is a good person. One of the best.”
“You all are, it seems.” Katie told her, and offered both Shelly and Amber a small smile. “Again I am sorry. We were scared.”
Amber nodded at her, holding out her hand for a handshake. Katie smiled even more so, taking Amber’s hand. “Thank you for helping me in here.” Amber said solemnly, turning towards the door, but paused waiting for Katie and Shelly to go before her. Shelly slid fluidly off of the table and began towards the door, Katie behind her. “We have a lot to discuss, so be prepared for intense questioning.” She told Katie, following the two out the door.
Once outside, Katie stationed herself beside Amber, and Shelly thought that Amber seemed okay with the alliance that the two had formed; or at the very least, was showing her gratitude for the help she provided. Shelly understood that they needed to let the others know that they were not an enemy, and the others needed to express what their intentions were as well. George stood on one end of the porch, Bobby-Jean on the other, guns aimed at the group that stood still, staring at them. Shelly watched as Amber’s eyes skimmed across them, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“There were more of you. Where are they?” she asked, and Shelly began scanning the yard for their dim silhouettes. She spotted a small group of about five people near the fence line.
“They went to help…” a young girl began, but stopped as everyone looked at her in surprise, or anger maybe. She couldn’t have been more than sixteen. The girl shifted on her feet uncomfortably, refusing to continue under the scrutiny of her peers. George decided that he should move then, placing himself in a semi-circle with Shelly and Amber. Amber glanced at him, eyebrow raised. They all shared a knowing glance with one another before turning back to the people.
Amber cleared her throat, reflexively bringing a hand to rub her tender throat, the other hand placed firmly on her hip. “Went to help who? With what?” she croaked out, and the girl only looked away. Again there was more silence. Katie began to step forward, opening her mouth to speak, but Amber snapped her hand out, stopping her. She needed to provide the people with a bridge, a way to get on the same level as them. Amber stole a glance at Shelly before sighing and stepping forward. Shelly slid next to Katie, ensuring she didn’t make any sudden movements; but she didn’t; instead, she just stood still motionless. “Come here please.” Amber asked of the girl, and after only a moment, the girl stepped forward, looking around at the faces before her, old and new. She stood before Amber on the bottom step, her fingers twisting at her waist. “Now, tell me where they went. We mean no harm. I just need to know.” Amber told the girl. She stared at the girl, and the girl stared back. Her bottom lip trembled and her whole body shook.
“They went to help the other two men check the fences.” She said softly, looking at the ground. Amber nodded before looking at the people before her. Again, she sighed, and shifted her feet, motioning for the girl return to her place of comfort among her people. Shelly knew what was going on in Amber’s mind. Three guys with weapons against two, one severely wounded and the other was older and weaker. Regardless of whether she wanted to discuss the situation immediately or not, she needed to ensure that all of her people were safe before the situation was discussed, even if two of the strange men had helped them when facing certain death.
“How long have they been gone?” she asked, her sense of timing off after the run of events.
“About forty five minutes.” George told her huskily, his voice low. She glanced at him as he studied the crowd. “Jackson saw the Biters coming and they volunteered. He sent them out while he went in to get Miles.” Amber nodded in response, seeing in George’s words how he disapproved of Jackson’s decision to trust these people; but Amber understood. She understood that he had needed their help against the cruelty of the world, just as Amber had needed Katie’s help in the house, just as they had needed their help against the monsters. Shelly glanced at George and saw how tense he was, and she understood why. If they had been gone for such an amount of time, they should have been back by then. Amber turned her back to the people, and glanced at everyone on the porch worriedly. Her eyes asked them each the same question: What should we do? Shelly looked from Bobby-Jean to George, and they each shared the same answer: Who are these people, really? Finally, she turned back to the handful of people in front of the house, who stood waiting with baited breath for their sentencing; they waited in fear of what would happen to them.
“I’d like to
speak to the person in charge of your group. Are they around?” she asked, allowing the question to be vague enough to cover whether they had gone to help with the fences, or if he had died on their journey there.
“He is with the other men checking the fences.” Someone from the back offered. Amber lowered her head, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. She was growing increasingly frustrated, and exhaustion was creeping its way into her body. Shelly stared hard at her friend, wondering how she had made it that far after the attack that morning, as well as the incidences that occurred that evening.
“No ma’am. He is right here.” A man called to her, and she lifted her head to see Jackson and Miles step through the crowd from the darkness of the fence line followed by three strangers whose appearances were difficult to make out in the blanket of night. Jackson stepped onto the porch and stationed himself alongside George, relieving him of his post. Shelly quickly glanced at Katie and grabbed her elbow, urging her forward, offering no explanation of why she did so. Katie nervously stepped around Amber, turning to face her whenever she was on the ground. Katie stood before the rest of her group, along with the three men who now stood around her. Miles took his place next to Amber, as did Shelly and George, and they all stared at one another. Here were their representatives; the people that stood between whether or not the other group would be trusted and welcomed into their safe place.
“Which one of you is in charge?” George asked, successfully breaking the silence. No one seemed surprised by this, however, and a middle-aged man stepped forward, his eyes jumping to each of them before finally settling on Amber. He held out his hand to her.
“I believe you asked that question first.” He offered her, and she stared at his hand for only a moment before taking it. He shook it firmly. “I’m Derek.” He told them as they watched his every move.
“I’m Amber.” Amber responded, her voice rough but somewhat polite. Miles glared hard at the people offering their sincerities, and then his attention turned to Derek. He smiled nervously, removing his hand from Amber’s grasp and offering it to Shelly, and finally George, who slung his rifle onto his shoulder to shake his hand. They each introduced themselves to the man before he glanced at Miles, who crossed his arms in defiance, refusing to shake his hand.
“And I have already somewhat met that gentleman.” Derek said easily. Miles stepped forward.
“Then I suggest you step back down.” Miles growled, causing Derek to easily tread back to the ground and Amber to subtly grip his elbow in an attempt to ease his frustration.
“I wanted to thank your people for helping us with the Biters. They saved our lives.” Amber began, and the seriousness of what had happened came upon them. “Where are they?”
Derek studied her for a moment before lowering his head. “I was one of them and the other was Boudreaux. And…you saved ours first. We could never repay you for that.”
“Thank you Derek, for everything you have done. And where is Boudreaux? I would like to thank him for his help as well.” Amber stated, her weary eyes scanning the faces hiding in the shadows of night.
“Boudreaux is…” Derek began but Miles pulled from Amber’s grasp and interrupted him angrily.
“We didn’t ask for their help.” Miles spat out bitterly before Amber could stop him. Quickly, she pulled him back before he could go any further.
“Maybe that Biter should have just finished you off so we don’t have to deal with the anger you obviously have with yourself.” Another one of the men snapped. His voice was deep and forced almost, as if he had smoked one to many cigarettes in his lifetime. Derek slapped the man in the chest offhandedly and Miles stepped forward, Amber vigorously gripping his arm to stop him. He clenched his fists at his side, his chest heaving. He never took his eyes off of the man, but slowly calmed down.
“I apologize about that. He is just blunt, and there is a lot of hostility here between us…” Derek began, but the man interrupted him determinedly.
“Hostility hell; the only hostility I feel is between that man and himself.” The man bit out, taking a step forward. He had long blonde hair, covering his ears and his broad shoulders moved fluidly as he stretched a hand out to Amber, who stared at him in surprise. “Boudreaux Wilson, but people call me Buddy.” He drawled intimidatingly. Miles pulled from Amber’s grasp and shoved the man hard in the chest. He stumbled backwards into Derek as George and Amber contained Miles, shoving him back on the porch.
“My hostility is towards you assholes for bringing this shit to us.” Miles stated firmly as he struggled against George. Amber glared up at him, grinding her teeth. She needed to gain control of the situation at hand so they could move forward easily.
“You need to calm down. You aren’t helping this situation any. Chill out. Now.” She told him lowly and sternly. He stared down at her angrily for a long moment, calming his breathing before jerking away from George. He stepped closer to her, keeping her angry glare in his sights.
“Fine. But God help me, if they fuck up…they will regret ever coming here.” He told her firmly, and she believed every word he said. She touched a firm hand to his chest in assurance and understanding.
“Thank you.” She told him on a whisper before turning to face the people that stood rigid and wondering. She stepped away from Miles and towards Boudreaux, extending her hand to him. He quickly took it, shaking her hand firmly. “Boudreaux, it’s nice to meet you, given the circumstances and thank you for what you did out there.” He nodded at her before releasing her hand and allowing her to step back on the second step.
“My pleasure, sweetness.” He then turned a glare to Miles. “Had it not been for our help…” he then turned to Amber, his once hostile expression now calm. “…You would all be supper for those things.” Miles visibly tensed beside her and she exhaled heavily, wobbling slightly on her feet. Shelly steadied her briefly before letting her go.
“He can be incredibly rude. Don’t be mad at...Miles.” Derek said simply, stepping toward Amber and George. Shelly stepped beside Miles as he stepped forward, eager to get the man away from the porch. She grabbed the back of his shirt and ultimately made him stop. He never took his eyes from the interaction. “He is right. We did bring them here, but it was unintentional. We were scared, saw your smoke, saw hope…”
“Does it matter? It’s done and over with now.” The younger man said sternly, interrupting and catching a glare from both Buddy and Derek. Katie rolled her eyes and mouthed an apology to Shelly. He reached forward, meeting Amber’s hand. “The name’s Damien; are you going to help us or not?” he asked bluntly, causing Miles to snap in anger.
“Alright! That’s it!” he muttered bitterly before rushing forward from Shelly’s grasp and ramming his fist into the young man’s eye. Damien stumbled back and yelped in pain before falling to the ground. Everyone had scattered when Miles had advanced. Amber and George had tried to stop him. “We saved your lives out there, and at the cost of our own people! You brought them here! Your help doesn’t mean shit!” he shouted at the man who lay on the ground, holding his jaw and glaring up at him. Amber and George each grabbed one of Miles’s arms and tugged back on him. Amber was finding it hard to breath, to move. Slowly she released Miles and let George pull him back to the porch. Her patience was growing thin and exhaustion was beginning to take its toll on her body. Miles watched her, his face contorted with confusion and worry as he let George drag him back to the porch. Shelly stepped forward and gripped Miles’s arm, attempting to keep him calm as Amber turned from him and to the man on the ground.
“Damien, was it?” she asked, forcing her words to be clear. He studied her for a moment in distrust. Amber stepped forward and slowly leaned down to his level, her eyes flashing. Silence reigned, everyone watching the interaction. She lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. “Be fucking appreciative for what we have done to save your ungrateful asses. Unless you think you can abide by our rules and cooperate peaceably with us while y
ou are here, you can fucking leave right now and make it on your own. It’s no skin off my back. You are intruders in our house now.” She spat out at them angrily before holding her hand out to him, to help him up. He stared at her hand for a long moment before taking it. Slowly she stood, helping him stand before turning back to her own people. “And you…” she paused, her eyes scanning the porch. “We helped them because that is the kind of people we are. They were scared, and we know what that feels like. Ya’ll are going to have to chill the hell out or this conversation isn’t going anywhere. Get over whatever anger you have until we can address it later.”
Derek stepped towards her calmly and she turned her fiery glare to him. “You need to keep your people under control. And they had better mind their mouths. If I hear one more smartass remark towards a member of my group, I can assure you I won’t be holding them back any longer. I will let them whoop your asses and then kick you all out.” Derek swallowed thickly; seemingly surprised by the depth of emotion she expressed, but nodded anyways.
“Will do.” He told her before turning to his group as they came back together. “I hope you caught all of that. And if you decide to take it upon yourself to act a fool, consider yourself out of this group as well. You will be forced to leave. I will not have one of you put everyone else at risk.” He said before turning back to Amber, rubbing his hands together nonchalantly. The silence was deafening as everyone stared at the man and woman in the center of it all. Shelly released Miles’s arm, feeling frightened of the anger flowing off of him. She glanced at George, who was also fuming. Jackson and Bobby-Jean, however, nodded their approval at their daughter.
“Now that that is settled, I have some questions.” Amber said firmly, not budging. Slowly, she turned to the porch, her feet finding the steps. She felt dizzy and tired and needed to sit for a moment. She was overwhelmed and unsure. Easily, she sat, acting as if she wanted to sit, not that she needed to, and watched the people before her. Katie shifted on her feet as Boudreaux coughed. Damien shrugged the tension from his shoulders. Derek only offered her a smile and she lowered her head into the palms of her hands and she slid her fingers across her face, trying to rid herself of the sick feeling invading her stomach, her head, and her throat. Her head had begun spinning and she was finding it difficult to focus.