Dinner was the same as always, nine teens crowding around the small fire pit for warmth, spooning old soup and stale bread into the dusty plastic bowls held out by the younger kids.
Katy and I took a small paper cup each, downing the chilled tomato soup without spoons.
She sighed, tossing the empty cup into the fire along with everyone else. "I really hate that we couldn't even find any spoons left. At this rate we'll starve before having any chance of catching the Mutation."
Tipping my head back, I attempted to get the last few drips of soup before tossing the cup with a groan. "Yeah." I wrapped my thin sweater more tightly around my shoulders. "You have a point there."
She pulled her beanie down over her ears, tucking a wisp of chestnut brown hair behind her ear.
"They just left." She murmured quietly, leaning back against one of the huge trees surrounding our fire pit. "I bet their up there right now, laughing at how hard we are working to survive without them." She added bitterly.
At first I thought she was talking about Sabrina and Coledan, two of our strongest team members who voluntarily left last year, but after her last comment I realized she was talking about her parents.
I approached slowly, not sure she wanted affection right now. When she didn't flinch I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, letting Katy burrow her face into my hair.
We didn't ever talk about our parents. It was one of those unspoken rules everyone was to scared of to break. All of us wanted to know, wanted to make an attempt to find words for that kind of pain, but none of us wanted to relive that.
Now that she had started talking, Katy seemed unable to stop.
"They were good people. They were! I guess something about the mutation changed that." She leaned her head on my shoulder, gazing through the dark forest to where we could just see the sparkling surface of Glass Lake. Turning to look at me she asked the one question nobody had been brave enough to voice. "If they were still here... Would things be different?"
I thought for a minute, turning to look at the orange glow of the fire, surrounded by a ring of flashlights.
Finally I turned to look at her again. "I think that if they can leave leave their kids just to save their own skins, I bet that them still being here wouldn't change just how ruthless they can be." I sighed. "No, they probably would just lock us up until someone found a cure."
She nodded, twisting her hands in the fabric of her shirt. "What- ah... what would you do if there were a cure?"
The question startled me, and I fumbled for an answer. "Well... I um... wow! I guess I just never thought about it." I lied.
"Lair." She said, not unkindly.
I sighed, running my fingers over the course bark of the tree behind us. "I think... I would want to help not only the kids that already developed it, but also find a way to kill the mutation before it began."
Katy started to nod again, only to pause, her eye's narrowing.
"Don't, move." She said, making me freeze and follow her line of sight to the twisting movements of what appeared to be a bug.
Reaching into her coat pocket, Katy slowly extracted a green slip of fabric, swiping it through the air in a blur and trapping the mosquito in a deathlike grip.
On instinct, I backed away. Even though nearly everyone had been bitten by one of the insects and ingested the virus, it was still common knowledge to avoid them.
Dropping the crumpled cloth on the ground and taking my arm, moving my look of pure shock over to her.
"Come on." She muttered quietly. "The others will wonder where we went."
I nodded, letting her lead me over to where the last few kids were tossing crushed paper cups into the coals, watching as the flames slowly licked each one, blackening it into a small pile of ash.
***
I lay awake in bed, staring at the oak wood planks arranged in a spiral on the ceiling.
Julica's rhythmic snore's filled the silence hanging around us.
On the bunk beneath me, Jazzy kept shifting, rolling over and groaning when she still couldn't sleep.
Across the room, Katy lay above Julica, unmoving, but with her eyes closed and even breathing. She was either asleep, or a fantastic actress.
With as little movement as possible, I slid my arm out from under the blankets, tilting my head to check the digital watch strapped on my wrist.
Before the mutation spread and the adults took any means of signal with them to god knows where, the small devices had served as both fast tracking and communication.
Of course now all they were good for was time telling, but the watch had been a gift from my dad. The last gift I got from him before the breakout happened and everyone got scared.
There was a slight vibrate against my wrist, accompanied by red letters flashing the alarm I had set.
Pressing the button to silence it, I slid my arm back under the thin blanket.
I sat up, scooting to the foot of my bunk and sliding down the ladder, cringing each time the old wood creaked under my weight.
I had nearly made it to the door, flashlight in hand, when Jazzy spoke.
"Where are you going so late?" She questioned, standing up and smoothing the wrinkles in her red sweatpants. Tugging a faded Seahawks tee-shirt over the plain white sports bra she slept in, Jazzy walked over to me.
"If your going to the bathrooms could I tag on? After the whole Rebecca thing I've been... ya know..." She trailed off, clearly embarrassed.
I sighed, understanding. Jazzy had been the one with Rebecca when she started developing. It made sense she didn't want to be alone out there. Besides, both of us were seventeen, meaning neither of us could develop the mutation yet.
Glancing out the window left of the door I sighed again. Against my better judgement I agreed, deciding Amelia could wait.
It was quiet the whole way to the bathrooms until Jazzy asked, "The stars are beautiful huh."
Looking up from the toes of my boots, my gaze turned to the sky. "Yeah." I muttered awkwardly, turning to stare ahead to avoid running into any trees.
When we reached the bathrooms I gestured to the brick room. "You first!"
She forced a laugh, giving me a look as she pushed the door open.
As soon as the door shut I spun around, silently cursing myself for acting so weird.
I sighed leaning against a tree and watching the light bulb hanging outside flicker on before blacking out again, leaving only my dim flashlight for light.
Jazzy stepped out, making a face before giving a mock bow. "You next!"
I chuckled, walking over to hand her the flashlight.
"What is this for?" She asked, motioning to the outdoor light which had blinked on again.
I laughed, pushing it into her hands. "You go back to the cabin. I'm gonna take a walk in a bit. Just to clear my mind.
She raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, only took the flashlight and set off down the trail, sending a concerned glance which I replied to with a thumbs up.
As soon as Jazzy vanished around the corner of the trail I let out the breath I had been holding. Turning away from the trail, I made my way around the bathrooms to the trail behind that lead to Glass Lake.
When we had first found this campsite it was only because Sabrina and Katy had found the lake while out on a supply run. They had reported it as simply being a fresh water source, but when backup arrived we realized it had so much more than our last single lot with only five tent pitches.
The water sparkled up at me, reflecting the half moon through the clearing of trees.
Amelia sat on a rock by the far side of the river, where it was connected to a small waterfall. She was accompanied by Micheal, who sat with his arm around her, both their legs swinging over the lake below.
I climbed over the smaller stones over to them, brushing hair out of my face when the wind kicked up.
When I reached them Amelia looked up, giving me a half smile. "Hey Tate." She said before sighing and turning back to the water.
"Hi." I glanced at Micheal before sitting on Amelia's other side. "In the need for a little brotherly love?"
Micheal gave me a look. "I wanted to make sure she wasn't alone. Apparently you stopped coming last time."
I hushed him, pulling Amelia into a hug when her eyes began to water. "Don't mention last time!" I hissed at him, causing Micheal to look down awkwardly.
"Sorry Em." He muttered sadly.
She sighed against my shoulder, sitting up and turning to her brother. "It's okay." Sitting up she took a deep breath. "Well, I'm gonna swim now. I don't know 'bout you but I really need the water right now."
"Wait, Em-" I began, only to be cut off when she slid off her jacket and jumped down into the lake below.
I sighed, turning to Micheal. "Please tell me your no gonna join her!"
He laughed, pulling off his tee-shirt and sliding down the rock after his sister.
Rolling my eyes I glared at each of them in turn. "Do you actually expect me to swim with you two?"
Amelia pouted, crossing her arms over her lavender bra and giving me the most heart melting look. "Please? It would make me feel better!"
Sighing again, I slid out of my sweatshirt, jumping into the water without bothering about my sleeping shorts.
Micheal smirked, splashing me and Amelia in the face, followed by a full out water fight between the siblings.
Amelia dove under, swimming to wrap her pale arms around my legs and tug them up.
With a yelp I tipped back into the water, my eyes closed automatically when my head splashed under, but I was able to find my footing again pull myself back up.
I resurfaced, laughing and wiping strands of wet copper hair out of my eyes.
Turning, I expected to find my companions locked in another splashing competition, but instead their attention was drawn behind us, looks of matching horror covering their faces.
I turned, not knowing what to expect. What I saw was even worse than another tribe, more awful than any Razor attack that could have come.
It was fire.
Fire slowly spreading through the trees where I knew the cabins were.
Thirteen kids running through the remaining forest towards the lake and away from the flames.
ns 15.158.61.17da2
