It was a true talent.
One that would probably get him brutally killed, but still, a talent all the same.
Cleaning out the freezer was actually pretty easy work. We had all the cleaning supplies and rags we needed and most of the rotten food was at least in containers. We just piled it in a corner on the opposite side of the store. There were several dead Zombies lying around, it wasn’t like we were concerned with making a compost pile. And it gave the maggots more of a selection-which begged the question, could maggots be turned into Zombies?
The rat’s nest was the worst to deal with so I gladly gave that job over to the boys. King had secured the front doors, but that wouldn’t hold off a horde if we weren’t careful.
The space wasn’t very big and with all of us- except Tyler- working hard we had removed the food, wiped down the walls, pulled out the shelves, swept all of the poop out and mopped the floor in under two hours.
The light had completely vanished by now, but inside the solid walls of the freezer we were brave enough to turn on a few battery-operated camping lanterns. And by the time we rigged the door so that we wouldn’t get locked inside, our home was made.
We sat around the two small lanterns and leaned against the freshly cleaned walls. Our small cave smelled like lemon and clean and the scent was soothing. I hadn’t smelled something this “disinfected” in a long time.
Haley and Nelson passed out dinner- a solid pull-top can of tuna for everybody thanks to items the looters did not take from this particular Publix, a roll of crackers rationed between us all and blue Gatorades.
If I ate the tuna fast enough I didn’t have to taste it- because it was definitely disgusting but at least it was protein.
All in all, we were going to bed only a little bit hungry and that was a good thing.
“Is this how you always eat?” Tyler asked on a sneer from across the circle.
Haley was on my left with Page in her lap and she laughed lightly, “Not always. I haven’t had Gatorade in months.”
“And Nelson was really generous with the crackers tonight.” Harrison actually sounded genuinely thankful.
It was true though- there were more crackers a piece than usual. I wondered if someone had found more here or if we were celebrating the fact that nobody died today.
“How do you honestly expect to survive on this crap?” She was so spoiled, almost unforgivably so. Especially in the cruel world we lived in, where hardship was a part of every single moment. But, in a weird, annoying way, I kind of got her point. These were the same questions I’d asked myself for the first six months, maybe the first year. Actually, I wasn’t sure when I’d stopped believing we’d never make it and started assuming we could, that we suddenly possessed all the tools necessary to stay alive.
This life took an adjustment- physically, mentally and emotionally. She wasn’t going to get that overnight.
However…. she didn’t have to be such a bitch about it.
“We don’t have a choice,” I answered poignantly.
“I cannot believe I left The Colony for this shit,” she grumbled.
“Is that what you call it?” Hendrix asked from next to me.
She snorted a sarcastic laugh, “Yes, my dad thought it was a throwback to like the original thirteen colonies.”
That met grunts of acknowledgment. None of us were really ready to talk about her dad or his collection of Zombies or his prison camp-esque colony.
Least of all me.
I felt Hendrix’s hand inch forward until our pinky fingers brushed against each other. Slowly he swept his up the length of mine and then back down again. The gesture was meant to comfort and it did. I leaned back so that our shoulders were only an inch apart and gave him a sweet smile. There was no reason for me to still be afraid of The Colony or anyone in it. We had escaped. We were miles away now and there was no way for anyone to really track us.
I was safe.
Well, as safe as I could be.
Still my mind fell back to Kane. Just like during every single moment of silence since we’d left that settlement. His gray eyes haunted and angry. His cleanly groomed hair. His straining muscles as he stood handcuffed to that bedroom window. And the promises in his calm, orderly tone.
Logically I knew there was no way for him to find me.
Emotionally…. my thoughts kept tripping over his threats and the determined intent on his face. He meant what he said. I knew that in the core of my soul. Whether he could actually accomplish it was a different thing…. but without a doubt, without any hesitation, I knew he would try.
And that created a well of fear in my chest that I couldn’t ignore- that I couldn’t overcome.
But I didn’t understand why.