Scourge

Chapter 4

If we're going to camp out here for a while, we need fresh water. Luckily, there's a way to filter and clean water without boiling it. I just need a funnel, paper, dirt, rocks, bleach, and a water source. It took a while to find everything, but pretty soon, we were in business.

"Cute and smart. Is there anything you can't do?"

I smiled at her remark.

"I don't do anything I'm not good at."

"So does talking to girls fall on that list?"

"I'll never admit it."

I lined the funnel with paper and filled it with the dirt and rocks. The soil will collect anything that shouldn't be in the water. The paper will stop the dirt from falling into the gallon, only letting water drip through. Finally, a small dash of bleach will disinfect it. It's not perfect, but it's safe to drink. Frost stood over my shoulder as I made it, snatching the gallon from my hands as soon as I stopped swishing the solution, and taking a long sip.

"Oh my god, I never thought I would say this, but water never tasted so good."

She drank three quarters of the gallon before I could even pour myself a cup.

"Oops. I'll go collect more water," she said.

The house has a murky pond in the back. Small, but it holds enough water for the both of us to last for weeks if we ration correctly. I watch her fill the bucket from the back window. She spilled some of it on the way back with her limp, but she made it back by herself and started the filtration.

"I lucked out."

My brows creased.

"How?"

"I found you."

I smiled at her remark.

"Actually, I found you."

She scoffed and sat across from me.

"Ghost, I saw you before you even got into the park. I had plenty of time to escape, but I chose to trust you. If you wanted me dead, you would've killed me the second you saw my shoes."

"Wow."

She starts playing with her hair again, and I finally see why. It's all tangled and knotted. For how long her hair is, I'm surprised that it's not worse. Her locks extended past her shoulders and down to the center of her back.

"I know you don't like touch, but I can help with your hair."

She hesitates and looks up at me. I thought she would reject my offer, but she sat there and pondered it for a moment.

"Just don't touch my neck. Be gentle."

I nod vigorously and rush to go find a comb. I remember seeing one in the bathroom while turning the house upside down the night before. Even through the mess I left behind, it was pretty easy to spot. I return with a small blue one, probably meant for a toddler. It would be tedious, but it'll get the job done. It's a lot harder to do than my sister's hair, but I managed to work through it. That's when I notice that her hair is naturally wavy, and she has a few strands of brown hair mixed with her black hair. If I could thoroughly clean it, I bet it would be soft too. I pull her hair into a loose braid, being extra careful not to touch her. Even braided, her hair reached well past her shoulders. She touches the braid when I finish, tracing her hands to examine the careful detail.

"How did you do that?"

I start pulling the excess hair off the comb.

"I had a sister."