Chelsea said as she moved back a step. Herman squirmed in her hand.
“Is that a lizard?” Kelly asked as she tried to look behind her back. Chelsea moved away from her and flung Herman gently in the air. His wings opened and he glided to the other end of the barn where he landed on a beam. Kelly missed the move.
Chelsea produced her empty hand and Kelly said, “What the hell? I know you were just holding something.”
Chelsea didn’t feel she needed to explain. “It’s none of your business. What are you doing here, anyway?”
“I just wanted to see the barn. I heard you talking. What were you doing?”
“You sure ask a lot of questions,” Chelsea said. “If I were you, I wouldn’t be so nosy.”
“What are you hiding? Why won’t you tell me?” Kelly stepped forward. She was almost twice Chelsea’s size.
Chelsea suddenly threw a straight jab, smacking Kelly in the nose. Kelly’s head snapped back. She doubled over, holding her nose. “Ow, what was that for?” A trickle of blood came out.
“You came at me,” Chelsea said calmly. “I was just defending myself.”
“I didn’t do anything!” Kelly declared angrily, wiping the blood with the back of her finger. “What is wrong with you people?” Locked in a stare with Chelsea, she finally said, “I remember you. You used to hide behind your mother. You were just a scared little girl.”
“I’m not scared anymore,” Chelsea said defensively, “and I don’t hide from anything.”
“No, you just punch people when they aren’t expecting it.”
“Are you ready for it now?” Chelsea said as she squared up, ready to punch her again.
Kelly put her hands up in surrender. “Whoa. I’m not looking for a fight. I can’t believe you hit me!” She wiped her nose again and looked at the blood on her finger. “Where did you learn to punch like that, anyway?”
“From Jade. She’s a black belt. I could kick your ass if I wanted.”
“I know how to fight, too. From Roger. He’s a black belt in Taekwando.”
Chelsea studied her for a moment. “You can fight? Why didn’t you hit me back?”
“It was only one punch and I told you, I’m not looking for a fight.”
“What else can you do?”
“I love the front snap kick. Watch.” Kelly lifted her knee to her waist, then quickly extended her foot towards Chelsea. It snapped a few inches from her face.
“Nice, but not so close,” Chelsea said, impressed and annoyed at the same time. “Check this out.”
Chelsea dropped and swept Kelly’s leg out from under her. As soon as Kelly fell to her back, Chelsea’s elbow was positioned over her jaw.
“Good move,” Kelly said from the floor, wanting the demonstrations to end. Chelsea pulled away and Kelly got to her feet, dusting herself off. They sized each other up for a minute before Kelly put out her hand. “I’m Kelly.”
Chelsea shook her hand. “I’m Chelsea, and this is Maya.”
“Can you fight, too?” Kelly asked Maya.
“We all can,” Maya acknowledged proudly.
The kids all considered themselves warriors, embracing the feeling of control it gave them. They knew what death and vulnerability felt like: It's all they'd ever known. Hardening their minds and bodies, they readied themselves for the next battle, knowing it would come soon enough. Despite whatever changes might develop in the world, they would always be the children of the apocalypse.
CHAPTER NINE
Saul rode hard. Leaning into his horse, he kicked it firmly in its sides as it galloped. The wind felt refreshing as it whipped against his skin. Stunned at still being alive, he wanted to put distance between himself and the camp.
Heading towards Austin, the roads remained barren except for long abandoned cars that slowly resembled the changing landscape. Weeds grew through cracks in the asphalt, claiming the rusted heaps as their own. Saul tried to avoid any bodies that lay forgotten near the road. Most were dead infected who finally succumbed to
“Is that a lizard?” Kelly asked as she tried to look behind her back. Chelsea moved away from her and flung Herman gently in the air. His wings opened and he glided to the other end of the barn where he landed on a beam. Kelly missed the move.
Chelsea produced her empty hand and Kelly said, “What the hell? I know you were just holding something.”
Chelsea didn’t feel she needed to explain. “It’s none of your business. What are you doing here, anyway?”
“I just wanted to see the barn. I heard you talking. What were you doing?”
“You sure ask a lot of questions,” Chelsea said. “If I were you, I wouldn’t be so nosy.”
“What are you hiding? Why won’t you tell me?” Kelly stepped forward. She was almost twice Chelsea’s size.
Chelsea suddenly threw a straight jab, smacking Kelly in the nose. Kelly’s head snapped back. She doubled over, holding her nose. “Ow, what was that for?” A trickle of blood came out.
“You came at me,” Chelsea said calmly. “I was just defending myself.”
“I didn’t do anything!” Kelly declared angrily, wiping the blood with the back of her finger. “What is wrong with you people?” Locked in a stare with Chelsea, she finally said, “I remember you. You used to hide behind your mother. You were just a scared little girl.”
“I’m not scared anymore,” Chelsea said defensively, “and I don’t hide from anything.”
“No, you just punch people when they aren’t expecting it.”
“Are you ready for it now?” Chelsea said as she squared up, ready to punch her again.
Kelly put her hands up in surrender. “Whoa. I’m not looking for a fight. I can’t believe you hit me!” She wiped her nose again and looked at the blood on her finger. “Where did you learn to punch like that, anyway?”
“From Jade. She’s a black belt. I could kick your ass if I wanted.”
“I know how to fight, too. From Roger. He’s a black belt in Taekwando.”
Chelsea studied her for a moment. “You can fight? Why didn’t you hit me back?”
“It was only one punch and I told you, I’m not looking for a fight.”
“What else can you do?”
“I love the front snap kick. Watch.” Kelly lifted her knee to her waist, then quickly extended her foot towards Chelsea. It snapped a few inches from her face.
“Nice, but not so close,” Chelsea said, impressed and annoyed at the same time. “Check this out.”
Chelsea dropped and swept Kelly’s leg out from under her. As soon as Kelly fell to her back, Chelsea’s elbow was positioned over her jaw.
“Good move,” Kelly said from the floor, wanting the demonstrations to end. Chelsea pulled away and Kelly got to her feet, dusting herself off. They sized each other up for a minute before Kelly put out her hand. “I’m Kelly.”
Chelsea shook her hand. “I’m Chelsea, and this is Maya.”
“Can you fight, too?” Kelly asked Maya.
“We all can,” Maya acknowledged proudly.
The kids all considered themselves warriors, embracing the feeling of control it gave them. They knew what death and vulnerability felt like: It's all they'd ever known. Hardening their minds and bodies, they readied themselves for the next battle, knowing it would come soon enough. Despite whatever changes might develop in the world, they would always be the children of the apocalypse.
CHAPTER NINE
Saul rode hard. Leaning into his horse, he kicked it firmly in its sides as it galloped. The wind felt refreshing as it whipped against his skin. Stunned at still being alive, he wanted to put distance between himself and the camp.
Heading towards Austin, the roads remained barren except for long abandoned cars that slowly resembled the changing landscape. Weeds grew through cracks in the asphalt, claiming the rusted heaps as their own. Saul tried to avoid any bodies that lay forgotten near the road. Most were dead infected who finally succumbed to
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