would never let me live it down.
“Good night, all.” I said.
“Good night.” They said, Dean and Sully following me out into the hall.
“Hey there, sweet thing.” Said a voice out of the darkness. Andy sidled up to me, reaching toward me as if to put his arm around my shoulder.
I jumped and slid away from him. “Any part of you that touches me, you’re not getting back.”
“Now that hurts! I’m just trying to have a little fun here, propagate the species and all that.”
“Ooh, propagate. That’s a pretty big word for you. Did someone have to write the definition on your juice box with crayon?”
“You are a little firecracker, aren’t you?” He said, laughing.
“There is nothing I can say or do that will make you leave me alone, is there?” I frowned.
“Not a thing.” He said, still smiling. I swear, I was two seconds from smacking that damned grin off his face.
I ducked into my room and locked the door; sliding a chair under the knob for good measure. I was not about to let that creep sneak up on me while I’m sleeping.
Early morning sunlight filtered in through lacy white curtains, hitting me square in the face. I had slept better than I had in a long time, uninterrupted by confusing or horrific dreams. I strapped my hunting knife to my belt and tucked my pistol into an ankle holster. It weighed heavily against my leg, just out of sight halfway down my boot, the rest of it covered by my jeans. It was an unusually warm morning, so I bit the bullet and yanked on a tank top, despite already hearing Andy’s suggestive comments in my head. Another round of commentary in his voice resounded in my head, and I pulled a sheer, net-like top over it.
I walked quietly downstairs, not knowing if anyone else was awake yet. No one seemed to be, so I made my way to the front porch and settled into one of the wicker chairs to watch the sun’s slow progress through the sky. It was peaceful here, and reminded me of the hunting cabin. I could be happy here, I thought, until Andy swaggered out of the front door and sat next to me.
“Good morning!” He said.
I just nodded.
“Not a morning person, are you?”
I ignored him. I knew I should be nice to him, but he was just so irritating.
“I put a pot of coffee on. How do you like yours?” He asked.
“Black.” I said.
He laughed a little. “Black like your soul?”
I looked at him straight faced, completely serious. “No, black like my coffee, now go get it.”
“Yes Ma’am!” He said happily.
He was so freaking strange. As much as I despised him, I was grateful for the steaming cup he handed me. It was the first cup of bean juice I’d had in who knows how long, and it was amazing. Brennan came out soon after, sipping from his own cup.
“Looks like we’re going to need to send someone on a supply run soon.” He nodded to Andy.
“Yes, Sir.” Andy said.
“Brennan?” I said.
“Hmm?”
“My friends and I decided we would like to stay with you for a while. I would be more than happy to go on a supply run, to help out. I’m sure the others would be willing to go as well.”
“It’s wonderful that you kids want to stay here! However, you’d have to talk to Todd and Andy about going on the run. I put them in charge of that.” Brennan said.
“I’ll do that.” I nodded.
Brennan returned to his coffee, staring out at the lawn before him.
Andy was all for letting me and my friends go with him and his brother. Todd on the other hand, was a bit more weary.
“We don’t really know them, do we? How do we know we can trust them?” Todd said to his brother over lunch.
“They’ve lived on the road this long, they have to know what they’re doing.” Andy fired back.
“Yeah, but can we trust them? What if they survived by cutting people’s throats and stealing their food?” Todd said.
“We don’t kill people, and we don’t steal from others. We take what we need from stores, and that’s it.” I said. “I
“Good night, all.” I said.
“Good night.” They said, Dean and Sully following me out into the hall.
“Hey there, sweet thing.” Said a voice out of the darkness. Andy sidled up to me, reaching toward me as if to put his arm around my shoulder.
I jumped and slid away from him. “Any part of you that touches me, you’re not getting back.”
“Now that hurts! I’m just trying to have a little fun here, propagate the species and all that.”
“Ooh, propagate. That’s a pretty big word for you. Did someone have to write the definition on your juice box with crayon?”
“You are a little firecracker, aren’t you?” He said, laughing.
“There is nothing I can say or do that will make you leave me alone, is there?” I frowned.
“Not a thing.” He said, still smiling. I swear, I was two seconds from smacking that damned grin off his face.
I ducked into my room and locked the door; sliding a chair under the knob for good measure. I was not about to let that creep sneak up on me while I’m sleeping.
Early morning sunlight filtered in through lacy white curtains, hitting me square in the face. I had slept better than I had in a long time, uninterrupted by confusing or horrific dreams. I strapped my hunting knife to my belt and tucked my pistol into an ankle holster. It weighed heavily against my leg, just out of sight halfway down my boot, the rest of it covered by my jeans. It was an unusually warm morning, so I bit the bullet and yanked on a tank top, despite already hearing Andy’s suggestive comments in my head. Another round of commentary in his voice resounded in my head, and I pulled a sheer, net-like top over it.
I walked quietly downstairs, not knowing if anyone else was awake yet. No one seemed to be, so I made my way to the front porch and settled into one of the wicker chairs to watch the sun’s slow progress through the sky. It was peaceful here, and reminded me of the hunting cabin. I could be happy here, I thought, until Andy swaggered out of the front door and sat next to me.
“Good morning!” He said.
I just nodded.
“Not a morning person, are you?”
I ignored him. I knew I should be nice to him, but he was just so irritating.
“I put a pot of coffee on. How do you like yours?” He asked.
“Black.” I said.
He laughed a little. “Black like your soul?”
I looked at him straight faced, completely serious. “No, black like my coffee, now go get it.”
“Yes Ma’am!” He said happily.
He was so freaking strange. As much as I despised him, I was grateful for the steaming cup he handed me. It was the first cup of bean juice I’d had in who knows how long, and it was amazing. Brennan came out soon after, sipping from his own cup.
“Looks like we’re going to need to send someone on a supply run soon.” He nodded to Andy.
“Yes, Sir.” Andy said.
“Brennan?” I said.
“Hmm?”
“My friends and I decided we would like to stay with you for a while. I would be more than happy to go on a supply run, to help out. I’m sure the others would be willing to go as well.”
“It’s wonderful that you kids want to stay here! However, you’d have to talk to Todd and Andy about going on the run. I put them in charge of that.” Brennan said.
“I’ll do that.” I nodded.
Brennan returned to his coffee, staring out at the lawn before him.
Andy was all for letting me and my friends go with him and his brother. Todd on the other hand, was a bit more weary.
“We don’t really know them, do we? How do we know we can trust them?” Todd said to his brother over lunch.
“They’ve lived on the road this long, they have to know what they’re doing.” Andy fired back.
“Yeah, but can we trust them? What if they survived by cutting people’s throats and stealing their food?” Todd said.
“We don’t kill people, and we don’t steal from others. We take what we need from stores, and that’s it.” I said. “I
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