that today.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes and set off, and Melissa and I returned to our house. Bethany was home, pouring a pail of goat milk into containers and placing them in the fridge. “Hey,” she greeted us. “Heard you had some excitement earlier.”
Melissa scooted upstairs to her room, so I answered my roommate. “Little bit. Small swarm, but one guy, Isaac, took a knife to the leg. He’ll be okay, but Marcus had to replace him on the fallback team.”
Bethany put the milk pail in the sink and splashed some clean water into it, rinsing it out. “Isaac Underwood?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I hadn’t met him before.”
“Only Isaac I know,” Bethany said. “He used to hang out with my friend Brenda, but I think that’s over now.”
I went to the pantry to pull out the vegetables for the stew. “Rebecca is bringing back some rabbit,” I explained when Bethany raised her brows. With a nod, she grabbed a knife and a cutting board, and we set to work.
By the time Rebecca returned, the rabbits not only cleaned but also cut into portions, the stew pot was ready for them.
Later, as we were eating the delicious meal, Melissa’s gaze kept drifting toward the living room, where her piano was visible along the far wall. Quinn had brought her that piano, and it had played a huge role in her recovery.
She caught me watching her and sighed. “I can’t take my piano. I know.”
“No, honey,” I said with a sad smile.
Bethany reached over and patted her hand. “I’ll take good care of it for you. If you end up coming back here, it’s always yours. And if I can send it along later after you’re settled, I will.”
Some of the sadness left Melissa’s face. “Thanks, Beth.” She paused. “I’ll miss you.”
“I know, and I’ll miss you. But you’re not going to Mars, and we’re all still part of the same community, even if you’re somewhere else for a while. You might come back once the threat is over, or we all might go to a new place together.”
“And don’t forget,” I added, “communication and supplies will be moving between the fallbacks and here all the time. We won’t lose touch, and once things settle down, I’m sure we can visit.”
I wasn’t sure of any of those things, but it seemed like I should say it anyway.
When we’d eaten all we could, I gave Skip some leftovers and went out in the back yard with Melissa. She charmed Wilhelm off the chicken coop—again—and fed the chickens. I debated moving the woodpile Wilhelm used to reach the roof, but concluded there was no point. He’d be leaving with us in a few days. Let him have his fun.
Skip approached the lawn chair where I sat and nudged my elbow, begging for an ear rub. I complied, thinking how homey the whole scene was. For the first time, I wondered if I’d made the wrong decision in volunteering for the fallback team. Then I thought back to what Melissa had said about falling prey to the seductive appeal of the familiar. Moments like this, watching my adopted little sister put her forehead against Wilhelm’s and have a pretend pushing match, the chickens clucking peacefully in their pen, and Skip’s velvety ear sliding through my fingers as I petted him…that’s all they were. Moments.
The reality was a threat loomed, one we weren’t sure we could defend against. This place, where just a few hours ago I’d hacked my way through eight or ten zombies, wasn’t safe. If it could be saved, our citizens would do it. If not, it was now my job—and Melissa’s and Rebecca’s—to provide a haven for everyone to regroup as we planned a new community.
I’d considered not volunteering because of Melissa, afraid she couldn’t handle the psychological upheaval of going somewhere new, somewhere unknown. But watching her now, rolling around in the grass with the two spring kids clambering all over her, I knew she’d be fine. Skip and the goats were going with us, and she’d have chickens and horses, other dogs
Rebecca rolled her eyes and set off, and Melissa and I returned to our house. Bethany was home, pouring a pail of goat milk into containers and placing them in the fridge. “Hey,” she greeted us. “Heard you had some excitement earlier.”
Melissa scooted upstairs to her room, so I answered my roommate. “Little bit. Small swarm, but one guy, Isaac, took a knife to the leg. He’ll be okay, but Marcus had to replace him on the fallback team.”
Bethany put the milk pail in the sink and splashed some clean water into it, rinsing it out. “Isaac Underwood?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I hadn’t met him before.”
“Only Isaac I know,” Bethany said. “He used to hang out with my friend Brenda, but I think that’s over now.”
I went to the pantry to pull out the vegetables for the stew. “Rebecca is bringing back some rabbit,” I explained when Bethany raised her brows. With a nod, she grabbed a knife and a cutting board, and we set to work.
By the time Rebecca returned, the rabbits not only cleaned but also cut into portions, the stew pot was ready for them.
Later, as we were eating the delicious meal, Melissa’s gaze kept drifting toward the living room, where her piano was visible along the far wall. Quinn had brought her that piano, and it had played a huge role in her recovery.
She caught me watching her and sighed. “I can’t take my piano. I know.”
“No, honey,” I said with a sad smile.
Bethany reached over and patted her hand. “I’ll take good care of it for you. If you end up coming back here, it’s always yours. And if I can send it along later after you’re settled, I will.”
Some of the sadness left Melissa’s face. “Thanks, Beth.” She paused. “I’ll miss you.”
“I know, and I’ll miss you. But you’re not going to Mars, and we’re all still part of the same community, even if you’re somewhere else for a while. You might come back once the threat is over, or we all might go to a new place together.”
“And don’t forget,” I added, “communication and supplies will be moving between the fallbacks and here all the time. We won’t lose touch, and once things settle down, I’m sure we can visit.”
I wasn’t sure of any of those things, but it seemed like I should say it anyway.
When we’d eaten all we could, I gave Skip some leftovers and went out in the back yard with Melissa. She charmed Wilhelm off the chicken coop—again—and fed the chickens. I debated moving the woodpile Wilhelm used to reach the roof, but concluded there was no point. He’d be leaving with us in a few days. Let him have his fun.
Skip approached the lawn chair where I sat and nudged my elbow, begging for an ear rub. I complied, thinking how homey the whole scene was. For the first time, I wondered if I’d made the wrong decision in volunteering for the fallback team. Then I thought back to what Melissa had said about falling prey to the seductive appeal of the familiar. Moments like this, watching my adopted little sister put her forehead against Wilhelm’s and have a pretend pushing match, the chickens clucking peacefully in their pen, and Skip’s velvety ear sliding through my fingers as I petted him…that’s all they were. Moments.
The reality was a threat loomed, one we weren’t sure we could defend against. This place, where just a few hours ago I’d hacked my way through eight or ten zombies, wasn’t safe. If it could be saved, our citizens would do it. If not, it was now my job—and Melissa’s and Rebecca’s—to provide a haven for everyone to regroup as we planned a new community.
I’d considered not volunteering because of Melissa, afraid she couldn’t handle the psychological upheaval of going somewhere new, somewhere unknown. But watching her now, rolling around in the grass with the two spring kids clambering all over her, I knew she’d be fine. Skip and the goats were going with us, and she’d have chickens and horses, other dogs
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