Walking Amongst Them (Among Us, Book 2)

CLARKE

I used the clean scented towel to pat the water from my face. When I pulled the towel away I was faced with my own reflection in the mirror that hung above the basin. I swallowed, and the girl in the glass did too. I blinked, and when I opened my eyes the girl in the mirror was in a floor length baby blue gown. It shimmered in the fading sunlight.

The memory faded with the next blink, and I found myself feeling sad with its absence. But there were more pressing things to have feelings about than the loss of dresses and dances. There were plenty of examples all around me.

Back in the living room, I found most of the others still to be asleep. We'd arrived at the quarantine only the night before. We'd been fed, given a house to stay in, and informed that the water worked. It was enough that we didn't ask too many questions beyond the most important one.

They weren't here. Kodi, Beck, Ben, they'd all left on a mission to come here and return to us with medical supplies. Help, if possible. I hadn't expected them to be here when we'd arrived, but I also hadn't expected them to have never arrived. The possibilities were overshadowed by the food and safety we were suddenly offered.

But after an uninterrupted night's sleep, and the shower I'd just had, I was ready to find my sister. The only family I might have left, and I'd separated with her.

I'd been stupid. I should have known better.

Sam was awake. His eyes had deep purple bags under them, and his face had been looking thin. He hadn't slept much on the way over, and judging by how he looked, he hadn't slept much last night either. His eyes were on me, he didn't speak, but I knew his thoughts were similar to my own.

Where were they?

Sam had been a part of Kodi's group before I'd even met her. On a lot of levels, he probably had a deeper connection to her than I did. He certainly knew the people she'd traveled with better than I did. Neither guy had given me any specific bad feelings, but a sense of dread for my sister had been heavy on my shoulders.

"Where's Trish?" I asked, and Sam shrugged.

His eyes scanned the room, they worked their way around slowly before coming to the conclusion I'd already met. She wasn't here. I wasn't worried though. Trish had proven time and time again that she'd do anything for any one of us.

A thought that made my throat tighten as I was reminded by examples that I wouldn't soon forget. I pushed those thoughts away and started towards the front door. Sam stood up abruptly, and I couldn't help the way my body responded to his movements. I slowed.

"Where are you going?"

I started to answer but he hurried on.

"Do you think it's smart to separate here?"

His question made me pause. I was standing between a sleeping Abigail and a sleeping Adam. Abby was curled around a bear we'd found along the way, and Adam was sweating in his sleep. His arm was probably hurting him again, but we'd arrived late last night and our own pain medication had been used up days ago.

He'd need to see a doctor, which is something this place offered.

It felt too good to be true. The walls, the safety, the food, the hot water... I understood Sam's question. We'd been fooled before, thinking ourselves safe.

"I don't know," I admitted, the words feeling heavy on my tongue. The tightness in my chest returned as I might his eyes. "But we need to figure out what we just stepped into. If Trish returns, tell her I'll be back in the hour."

I stepped towards the door, "I'll try to bring back some medicine for Adam, some new bandages. Some breakfast maybe," my mind raced with other supplies it would be nice to have.