warm," said Angie, trying to keep the tone light and Zach's spirits up. He was quiet, too quiet for a little boy. Then again, she realized, they were all quiet.
"Yes, ma'am, it was," said Zach. "But the voice told me to keep going."
"The voice in your dreams?"
"Yes, ma'am."
They took a few more steps in silence. The snow crunched under their feet.
"I also had to stay ahead of the bad people," Zach continued.
"The dead people?"
"No, ma'am," said Zach. "The other bad people."
Angie said nothing for the moment. They walked in silence for another minute before emerging into the town square. They were almost at their destination, the old farmhouse that Angie and her kids had taken shelter in three years ago. The start of World Memorial.
Dalton stepped ahead of the others and trotted up the porch stairs. He opened the door. Angie watched him move, pained at how pale he looked. They had to find something soon, something usable, or the slow bleeding of Dalton would have to stop.
Dalton held the door open and motioned the others inside. Angie stepped in first, Zach behind her and Maylee walking in last. Dalton followed, closing the door behind him.
Angie looked around the living room. Or, what had once been the living room. All the furniture was gone, long since moved elsewhere or broken down for firewood. Cots, mats and blankets were laid out everywhere. Each room in the house was like this. Several families were crammed into each room.
A set of wooden stairs led up to an open landing and a second floor. This floor held the master bedroom where Angie, Maylee and Dalton lived. Two other families slept in there with them. At one point they had lived elsewhere in the house. But as more and more people came, those there before pushed closer together to make room. Eventually there was no room and construction of the town outside began.
The living room, the largest room, was where most of the children lived. Dozens of them, all looking up from their cots and blankets as Angie and the others entered the room. Battered toys and games, all scavenged from Lakewood and surrounding houses, sat around them. In one corner, next to a large old fireplace stood Mikella and Rhia, two women who volunteered to care for the children. Mikella was older, with long grey hair pulled into a ponytail. Rhia was younger and looked constantly sad. They were closing the lid over a large iron pit slung over the fireplace.
"Here we go," said Angie to Zach. "It's not much but better than stumbling around in the snow, huh?" She chuckled, again trying to lighten the little boy's mood.
"Yes, ma'am." said Zach, showing no sign of mirth.
Angie turned her attention to the children set around the room. "Hey guys," she said, smiling. "Everyone doing okay?"
The children nodded. One, a young girl of six named Lilly, flipped her off. Lilly was always doing that.
"Did you guys eat, Lilly?" said Angie.
"That was food?" said Lilly. "I thought you all just took shits on plates." Several of the other children, the newer ones, looked shocked. The others didn't. Lilly had been one of the first, and the few things she'd shared about her past explained her aggression. Angie just smiled at her. She could smell food and was glad they'd been fed. Glad that in spite of everything, she and the others still had enough food to feed a group of lost children.
But they aren't lost, are they?Every one of these kids came here on purpose .
"Good," said Angie. "I hope you guys saved some food for our newest arrival."
Zach looked around the room at the other children. He gasped, taking a step back.
Angie turned and looked down at Zach. For the first time since he'd arrived, they boy's face showed an honest emotion: Fear.
"What is it?" said Angie.
Zach blinked and looked at her. "The bad people I told you about?"
"Yes?" said Angie.
"They chased me for a long time. They said they wanted me to come with them. But the lady in my dreams warned me so I ran."
Zach was speaking
"Yes, ma'am, it was," said Zach. "But the voice told me to keep going."
"The voice in your dreams?"
"Yes, ma'am."
They took a few more steps in silence. The snow crunched under their feet.
"I also had to stay ahead of the bad people," Zach continued.
"The dead people?"
"No, ma'am," said Zach. "The other bad people."
Angie said nothing for the moment. They walked in silence for another minute before emerging into the town square. They were almost at their destination, the old farmhouse that Angie and her kids had taken shelter in three years ago. The start of World Memorial.
Dalton stepped ahead of the others and trotted up the porch stairs. He opened the door. Angie watched him move, pained at how pale he looked. They had to find something soon, something usable, or the slow bleeding of Dalton would have to stop.
Dalton held the door open and motioned the others inside. Angie stepped in first, Zach behind her and Maylee walking in last. Dalton followed, closing the door behind him.
Angie looked around the living room. Or, what had once been the living room. All the furniture was gone, long since moved elsewhere or broken down for firewood. Cots, mats and blankets were laid out everywhere. Each room in the house was like this. Several families were crammed into each room.
A set of wooden stairs led up to an open landing and a second floor. This floor held the master bedroom where Angie, Maylee and Dalton lived. Two other families slept in there with them. At one point they had lived elsewhere in the house. But as more and more people came, those there before pushed closer together to make room. Eventually there was no room and construction of the town outside began.
The living room, the largest room, was where most of the children lived. Dozens of them, all looking up from their cots and blankets as Angie and the others entered the room. Battered toys and games, all scavenged from Lakewood and surrounding houses, sat around them. In one corner, next to a large old fireplace stood Mikella and Rhia, two women who volunteered to care for the children. Mikella was older, with long grey hair pulled into a ponytail. Rhia was younger and looked constantly sad. They were closing the lid over a large iron pit slung over the fireplace.
"Here we go," said Angie to Zach. "It's not much but better than stumbling around in the snow, huh?" She chuckled, again trying to lighten the little boy's mood.
"Yes, ma'am." said Zach, showing no sign of mirth.
Angie turned her attention to the children set around the room. "Hey guys," she said, smiling. "Everyone doing okay?"
The children nodded. One, a young girl of six named Lilly, flipped her off. Lilly was always doing that.
"Did you guys eat, Lilly?" said Angie.
"That was food?" said Lilly. "I thought you all just took shits on plates." Several of the other children, the newer ones, looked shocked. The others didn't. Lilly had been one of the first, and the few things she'd shared about her past explained her aggression. Angie just smiled at her. She could smell food and was glad they'd been fed. Glad that in spite of everything, she and the others still had enough food to feed a group of lost children.
But they aren't lost, are they?Every one of these kids came here on purpose .
"Good," said Angie. "I hope you guys saved some food for our newest arrival."
Zach looked around the room at the other children. He gasped, taking a step back.
Angie turned and looked down at Zach. For the first time since he'd arrived, they boy's face showed an honest emotion: Fear.
"What is it?" said Angie.
Zach blinked and looked at her. "The bad people I told you about?"
"Yes?" said Angie.
"They chased me for a long time. They said they wanted me to come with them. But the lady in my dreams warned me so I ran."
Zach was speaking
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