Sorrow's Gift

Chapter Thirty-Five: Parrish

Once the doors and windows were secured, Parrish grabbed a flashlight and looked through the cabinets for extra food and supplies.

They'd already stripped some of the blankets and sheets from the beds upstairs and set up a group sleeping area in the living room. Sleeping in a bed would be more comfortable, but in the end, they'd decided it was safer to be close to the front door and to stick together.

Crash didn't want to turn on all the lights in the house, but they'd convinced him to turn on a couple lamps in the living room. They'd set them on the floor and made sure the windows were all closed up tight. Hopefully none of the light would show from the outside.

The others were all hanging out on the floor in the main room, but Parrish wanted some time to herself. She'd grown up with a lot of time to herself, mostly hanging out in her room with her music and her journals. She didn't like always being surrounded by people. She was grateful not to be alone, but at the same time, she missed the privacy of her own bedroom.

She made her way through the cabinets, one by one, taking out any canned foods or things that would last a while. In the last cabinet, she found the family's candy stash. A big bag of miniature candy bars, some Junior Mints, and a bag of suckers. Score.

She unwrapped a Blow-Pop and stuck it in her mouth. Cherry, her favorite. She hadn't had a chance to brush her teeth since yesterday, so candy was probably a bad choice, but she didn't care. It was delicious.

She leaned against the counter and took a deep breath. Was this what the rest of her life was going to be like? Scouring cabinets in abandoned houses for food? Having to constantly watch her back? Never knowing exactly where they were going to stay when darkness fell?

Where were they headed, anyway?

Crash had said he might know a safe place they could go, but he hadn't given them any details. Other than that, they were just wanderers.

Seeing those survivors on the side of the road had at least given her hope that there were others out there, still fighting against the rotters. They weren't alone in this world, even though it sometimes felt like it.

They just needed to find more people. Start some kind of new town where they could fortify themselves and create a safe place. It had to be possible.

A shadow appeared in the doorway, and Parrish reached for her sword, her heart jumping into her throat.

"It's just me," Noah said.

She relaxed and let out a breath. "You scared me."

"What are you doing in here in the dark?" he asked.

"Eating candy," she said with a laugh.

"Seriously?" he asked, walked toward her. "Care to share?"

"You're welcome to it," she said. "But the cherry Blow-Pops are mine."

He laughed and flipped on his flashlight. He dug into the bag of candy bars and pulled out a Butterfinger.

When he turned and leaned against the counter, his arm brushed hers and she moved away. She could feel him tense at her side.

"Hey, Parrish, look—"

"You don't have to explain anything to me," she said. Her heart tightened in her chest.

"I do, though," he said. "I went looking for her and she was crying in that store. I was just trying to comfort her."

It sounded like the kind of line guys used when they'd been cheating on their girlfriends. But she wasn't his girlfriend. He didn't owe her anything.