"Keep walking," Erika mumbled into my mouth.
A large crash stopped Shawn. It stopped everyone except us. As we disappeared in between two tall buildings, I glanced back. Clay was in the middle of the lot, an entire mobile garden tipped over in front of him.
"Oh, geez. Sorry about that Shawn. Don't worry, I can get this cleaned up before dark." Clay was bumbling around the tipped over truck bed.
My second hero. All three of them; Micah, Erika, and Clay had come out of nowhere. Do I have an army of stalkers?
"Well, what is everyone staring at? Help him!" Shawn ordered. He knelt himself, brushing the dirt into a pile with his bandaged hands.
The only one not distracted by Clay's aversion was Micah. He openly stared at me and Erika, mouth hanging open.
Chapter 44
Romance
I sat on the black granite wall at Writer Square that used to contain a fountain. Now it held much more. Soil, seeds, growing plants, hope, life. I thought of Felix and his trash can of fire. How did he survive? Does he tend his own garden? It would be hard to find space for one amidst a jungle of concrete. I laid my hand down in the rich soil of the fountain. Then again, maybe not.
"Hey." A hand extended to me.
I took it, rising up to meet Micah's eyes. "Hey, yourself," I said back, smiling. "I brought us dinner." I motioned to two large lettuce leaves – the new plate of choice – wrapped around full servings of delicious wild dog meat and potatoes.
"Perfect," he said. He held up a canteen. "I brought us wine."
A pair of Fires walked by, whooping and hollering about how awesome they were. I turned my head. I had already removed my blue band identifying me as One Less, but the infamous Lucy and her wild dog was spreading like wildfire; especially among those that wielded the flame – they loved a good story.
"Come on, I know of a place we can go to eat in peace."
We walked the length of the mall. As we passed the final lantern, I paused. "Should we take it with us? Denver is…dark."
Micah took the wrapped food from me, then held my good hand. "There are more lanterns where we are going. Besides – look, a full moon."
We went the opposite way of Felix and the dogs. After ten minutes of walking, we turned east, passing several large, burnt out buildings.
"University of Colorado." Micah nodded to one of them. "The city fell to looting and fighting after several nights of darkness. Some thought they might be safe here – what's in a college to steal? Desks? Normally nothing of any worth - but refugees brought supplies."
"Oh, my God."
Micah nodded. "Whole families—"
"Don't tell me anymore. I don't want to know." I turned away from the shell of the building.
He squeezed my hand. "I'm just glad you weren't in a big city right after it happened."
We walked through an expansive parking lot, stepping over cracks and weeds in the asphalt, before skirting around a large stadium.
"The city set up a command center and temporary housing inside the Pepsi Center," Micah said, pointing at the stadium – also half burnt. "When it became apparent the power was not coming back on, the cops left to go protect their own families – and there was more fighting over food and blankets that were brought in."
I looked up – the moon was a far prettier sight. "Our food is getting cold," I mumbled. "How much farther?"
He looked down at me. "You've walked thousands of miles in the past few years, I think you can handle another few steps."
"Much of that was rowed," I corrected him. "But, it's like – you make me weak."
I stopped, stunned that I had just said that out loud. But it was true. When he was around, I checked out. I relied on him too much.
He sighed. "Come on, Kaitlyn. We'll talk about that later."
We stepped over a large, red, plastic 'E' lying on the ground. I looked up at a rounded entrance. The outline of several more letters could be made out, "Elitches? An amusement park?"
Micah smiled. "The new whimsical home of the Wiccans."
"And this?" I touched a painted pentagram with the words, 'Devil Worshippers' inside it.
"Put there by some that don't understand." He shrugged. "We leave it there because it seems to keep people away. The stupid ones, anyway."
We walked through what used to be the ticket booths. A group of guards, or at least what seemed to be guards, sat in a circle playing cards. There were no weapons.
"Are they Elementals?" I asked as Micah waved to them.
"Some are; mostly Earths. Come on, I want to show you the observation tower."
I craned my neck up, looking at the building just inside the entrance.