World Ashen

Chapter 19 - Jensen

It was shocking to see Shaun and Ellie walk through the door of the Hayner House, but I was thankful they were safe. I changed the sign outside to the current population and began looking over the trench digging. Shortly afterward, a young girl, maybe ten years old, ran over to me. "Hey, Jensen! You've got to see this!" She grabbed my hand and began pulling me toward Sarah's workshop.

"What's your name?"

"Carissa Evans."

"Nice to meet you. What did you want to show me?"

Carissa smiled and handed me a walkie-talkie. It was on and Lindsey said, "like your presents, Jensen? Over."

"I love it. How many do we have? Over."

"Thirty pairs. They can reach as far as two miles, over."

I smiled. "May I come to pick them up? Over."

"Yes, sir. They're in the living room, over."

Excited, I ran into the living room. The walkie-talkies were on the couch. After grabbing a few, I handed them to the guards, Amy, who was on outlook duty, and some to the wall builders. "We actually have these? Where were they for the past two years," Thomas asked, clearly shocked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Lindsey and Sarah found and repaired them."

"Nice. How's Rosie?"

"Fine. Thanks for your help."

"Sure. No problem," Thomas said with a grunt.

"Thomas, you seem cold. Why don't you go inside?"

"No, I'm good."

I sighed, "you're saying three words. Go. Inside."

My cousin shook his head. "So? I'm fine."

"Angel might need you."

After a moment, Thomas stopped arguing and went inside. The wall would take a while since the temperature was around -2.8 degrees Fahrenheit after sunset. I grabbed my walkie-talkie and told everyone outside to come in. Then, over the next few days, we worked tirelessly, then a few hours off before and on Christmas Day. Somehow, Brianna and Alex found more solar lights and ornaments for the tree. To my surprise, we kind of had a gift exchange. Alex, Tony, and Jack gave Cayler and me shaving kits. Jenna, Adina, and Shoshannah were all having their first Christmas. We all agreed it was a gift to be alive. After the gift exchange, we went back to work.

On New Year's, Piper cut our hair, and we finished the walls on Jenna's first birthday. The gates surrounding New Haven made our people feel safer. Everything was going fine when Dawson came running into my office. "You're back early. What's going on?" About a week and a half ago, Dawson said he'd be exploring the surrounding areas and be back in three weeks.

"I have a confession to make."

"Okay."

Dawson sighed. "I have a crush on your sister."

I shook my head, "what? Dawson, the only sister I have, died three years ago, and if she was alive, she'd only be eight."

"Oh. Haley's not your sister?"

"No. She's my cousin. Thomas is her brother." I pointed him in my cousin's direction. Do I look that much like my cousin? Maybe we look alike, but he's not my twin. Jace is. Haley is three years older than he is, did he know this? Whatever. It only mattered if they were happy. "Hey, Dawson. Why are you asking Thomas if you could ask Haley out?"

"I'm only seventeen. I don't want it to seem weird."

"Well, when do you turn eighteen?"

"April 30th."