Manifestation

20: The Cookie Jar

"Nah, I'm more of a squirrel person."

"You have never had a rabbit?"

Zoey scrunched up her nose. "Reminds me of a pet I used to have."

I laughed. "That must suck."

I went over to the snare, cut the rope and the rabbit fell into my hands.

"That's all of them." I said as I tied the rabbit into my belt.

We started walking back to camp.

My stomach growled again and the cramps came back.

"I don't know what's been up with me lately." I said.

She shrugged. "Living the good life you don't get much exercise I guess." She smirked.

"I sure hope it's that and not some serious medical issue." I said as I stepped over a mossy log.

"Maybe it's a side of effect of the Virus."

I sighed. I tried not to think about the Virus too much.

We started approaching the walls and the drawbridge lowered for us.

Another low rumble from my stomach. I had just eaten an hour ago. Zoey and I parted ways and headed, once again, to the food court. I had some time to kill before Ryan came back from his run.

I got to the food court and saw hordes of people gathered for Taco Tuesday, the lines were almost down the hall. I snuck into one of the kitchens and took a pre made burrito from one of them shelves. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw them. Cookies. Maybe a dozen or so. I hadn't had a cookie since the apocalypse started. Why didn't they have these available to everyone? Then I realized they were the only ones. They were in a container with a padlock on them. I frowned, my stomach growled again and I couldn't fight it anymore. I went over to the container and looked around to find a key for it. I heard a rattling noise coming from the other end of the kitchen and knew I had to hurry. I found a few bobby pins that the workers used and squeezed it into the lock. I wiggle it a few times and heard a small click. The lock fell into my hands and I ripped the lid open and took a soft chocolate chip cookie. I felt like a child, stealing cookies from the cookie jar.

I sunk my teeth into the soft dough and let the chocolate melt in my mouth. It made my mouth water. I grabbed two more cookies and clicked the lock back on, creeping out of the kitchen.

The line for tacos were still down the hall and weren't making much progress. I slipped back out to the planes. It was dead. Not a soul walked amongst the aircraft. Got some hungry people I guess.

Then, I heard a glass shatter. I stopped dead in my tracks and turned towards the source of the noise. I flipped out my knife and shoved the rest of the cookie in my mouth, putting the other two in my pocket. I walked slowly behind a plane with a large stick figure drawn across the nose. Then, I heard a giggling. I was confused. I peeked my head around as saw Jane pushed up against the plane, the dark skinned boy who came to check on us before the storm had his lips pressed against hers, his hands slowly moving down her waist towards her back end. A shattered jar laid next to her foot in shambles.

"What are we looking at?" I felt his warm breath tickle my neck. I pulled his arms around my waist, my eyes locked on Jane and the boy kissing. His chin rested on my shoulder.

"Have to have a word with this boy." He whispered.

I giggled and turned my head to kiss him on the cheek. "Leave them be."

His soft lips pressed against the side of my neck. "Yeah, we have our own business to attend to."

I turned around and smiled. He smirked back at me and suddenly, his smirk disappeared as he pulled my face to his. I put my hands on his chest and closed my eyes. His lips pressed against mine as his thumb skimmed my cheek. I put my hands on his shoulders, tilting my head to get a better vantage point. He leaned me against the plane and I couldn't help but smile. I felt his hand weasel into my pocket and I slapped it.