"Where the hell is she?" I muttered under my breath, pacing back and forth across the room as I waited for Kauri.
"Cyra!"
Was that Belle?
Her voice sent a jolt of excitement through me. The door to the room opened inward, and Kauri walked in with Belle following close behind.
"Why is she here?" I asked. Belle rushed straight at me, wrapping me in a tight hug.
"Aaron couldn’t keep her at bay. You’ve been gone for hours, so she scoured the camp looking for me and asked if I knew where you were." Kauri shrugged, a smug grin on her face. "You know the rest of the story."
"What happened? I thought you’d be back in a few minutes," Belle said, her worried eyes scanning my face.
I sighed, patting her head. "A lot happened, Belle. I’m sorry."
"Here, clothes first." Kauri tossed a shirt at me, and it landed square on my face. "What’s up with that body of yours? Looks like you’ve been through a lot, huh?" she said, staring at the scars and bruises on my arms and torso.
I quickly pulled the shirt on to hide them, though the marks on my arms remained visible.
"Um, battle scars?" I chuckled nervously, picking up my blood-stained jacket from the floor and wearing it.
Disgusting, but I need to cover my arms.
"Huh, okay. Anyway, I’ve got good news for you," Kauri said, casually inspecting her fingernails.
"Let me guess—you killed another creep around the camp?"
"What? No. The good news is you’re not sleeping here in this room tonight."
"What do you mean?" I scoffed.
"You’re free to go, duh."
"But Jairus locked me in here."
"Ah, forget about that douchebag. Em told me to escort you out of the bunker and let you stay in a proper tent. More comfortable," she said with a shrug.
"She... said that?"
"Yeah, Belle insisted, and Em couldn’t refuse. That woman’s got a soft spot when it comes to kids. Anyway, why are you so surprised?" Kauri asked, raising a brow.
"Oh, n-nothing." I glanced at Belle, brushing her hair.
Right. Kauri doesn’t know Emielle and I are on bad terms after what happened at the construction site a couple of weeks ago.
"Cyra, what’s with the blood? Is it yours?" Belle asked, pointing to the crimson stains on my jacket.
"It’s not hers," Kauri started to say. "It’s from—"
"Oh, look at the time!" I cut her off, glaring sharply. "I think we should get going."
Kauri zipped her lips, immediately heading for the door.
"Are you hiding something from me?" Belle asked, narrowing her eyes.
"No, of course not, kiddo. I’m just tired, and... I really want to lie down."
YOU ARE READING
Days are Gone (Under Massive Editing - Republishing Chapters)
Science FictionIn a world where the dead started walking, a few people inherited traits that were considered peculiar. Once bitten, they'll turn, not as infected, but something else. People call them... "Rejected Subjects" - - - The story begins with Cyra, a twent...
