In a world overcome with disaster and chaos, Em sets out on a perilous journey to find safety. With only determination and perseverance to guide her, she navigates through dangerous neighbourhoods and encounters friends and enemies. As she struggles...
The woman with dark hair dropped the pan she had been cleaning and fumbled with it against the table. Her deep-set green eyes seemed to widen further as I hovered in front of them. She took a step around from the table, wiping shaking hands against her apron as she approached me.
"You're alive?" Jo Peterson whispered as she pulled me by the shoulder through the back door of the tent.
As we stepped out of view, behind the cover of the white fabric, she wrapped her arms around me, resting her head against my hair. "When Liz gave that announcement last night, I was so sure it couldn't have been you. I didn't want to get my hopes up, but here you are." She loosened her grip around my body and held me at arm's length. "Your parents were so worried about you..." She paused, and her eyes softened as she tried to read my face. "Your parents...?" She hesitated.
I dropped my gaze and shook my head.
"Oh, you poor thing," she whispered, pulling me back into her for another hug, tighter this time.
I held the sobs in my throat, forcing myself not to cry. I took a deep breath before removing my intertwined arms from around her waist.
"Did they say anything before you left?" I whispered, my breath catching.
"We offered to bring them with us, but they were so adamant on staying behind, waiting for you..." She trailed off.
"They were waiting for me?" The thought of this caused my heart to ache fiercer than it had before. It was definitely my fault.
"They were convinced you were still alive. You know how stubborn they both were... We just couldn't change their minds." Her voice softened, but her eyes were a contradiction. There was a change in them that I couldn't place. All of a sudden, they were wide, scared almost. "Em-"
"It's just Em now," I stopped her.
The corners of her lips twitched before dropping again. "Why did you come here of all places?"
"They told me to come here. My parents," I corrected. "They said you and Phil were here, that it was safe." Phil was her husband and I'd never known them to be one without the other.
She shook her head, her hands tightening their grip on my shoulders. "They must've misunderstood... They were wrong. You shouldn't have come here."
"What?" I exhaled. "What are you talking about? Where's Phil?"
"Phil's fine," she explained. "He's outside the fence today."
"Jo! I need your help in here!" A voice barked from inside the tent.
"Alright!" She yelled back, "I'll just be a minute."
"Jo, what do you mean we shouldn't have come here?" I pleaded.
"You. The boy," she listed, shaking her head. "They'll find out." She would never admit to her fear and yet it crowded her body and sunk her face. It swum in her eyes like thick glass, closing herself off from the outside.
"Find out what?" I demanded. "What's going on here?"
"I can't talk about it now," she whispered. "I have to go."
"Jo, please-"
"Just keep your head down... Don't draw attention to yourself," she muttered as she led me back inside the tent. I had no choice but to follow behind as she ushered me towards the woman standing behind the table.
"Who's this?" The woman I stood in front of grumbled.
"Maggie, this is one of the newbies," Jo gestured towards me, speaking as if the conversation never happened. "She's helping us."
"Hm," she huffed, "well, I'm busy so you'll have to show her what to do."
"Of course," Jo smiled as the woman turned away towards some tools on the floor. "Over here," she gestured towards another table with three buckets spread across it. "Wash, rinse and dry," she pointed to them one at a time. "Very simple."
"That's it?"
"That's it," she repeated.
*
I sat down beside Josh just as he was scraping up the last bits of food. His curls were damp with sweat and every now and again he'd push them back from his forehead with a spare hand.
"You made it back alive, I see," I attempted a smile.
"Yeah," he chuckled. "Pretty sure I've got enough splinters for the next six months though," he added, examining the palms of his hands.
"Better a splinter than a bite," I pointed out.
"I guess so," he scoffed. "What have they had you doing?"
"Washing up," I stated, my tone blunt and unimpressed.
"At least they're keeping you inside the fence," he shrugged.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
His lips parted and his forehead scrunched as he looked to his empty tray. "Nothing," he muttered. "I just didn't expect to be back out there-"
"Roberts!" Jack shouted, bounding over with a large, heavy-looking rucksack slung over his left shoulder. "Hi Em," he greeted, looking to me before turning his full attention back to Josh.
"You coming back, Josh? They want to head out again soon," he asked, bouncing up and down on his toes.
Josh nodded. "Yeah, I'll be there. Just give me a minute." Jack didn't seem to feel the need to wait for anything further, he simply nodded and jogged back out of sight.
"Well, that's my break over," Josh sighed as he pulled himself to his feet.
"Jack seems alright," I stated, pushing him for a reaction.
"Yeah, I guess," he paused, "he hasn't given me a reason to dislike him yet." A smirk passed across his lips and he headed in the direction of the food tent. "I'll see you tonight!" He called over his shoulder, waving a hand above his head. Another head poked out from the tent after he'd sprinted off.
"Newbie!" Maggie shouted. "Back to work!"
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