Broken World Book 1 - The On Coming Storm

28

Three days ago, Sam rejoined our little group of scallywags, and she's been nothing other than a nuisance. Asking about every little thing, and how we all got here. She made me recite the whole what happened to me speech all the way to showing her the bite mark. She thought it was cool (seriously!)! I watch her walk aback over to me with a grin plastered to her face and I ask before she can speak, "what?"

"I think I have a plan to get out of here," she responds her grin falling slightly. I look her into her deep brown eyes, and there isn't any sarcasm in their gaze.

"Spill," I snap. Today I am not in the mood. Ethan and I argued all night on whether or not we should split the main group into two smaller ones. I said no, and he said we should. Sometimes I wonder what goes through that guy's head when he comes up with these ideas. Irritation still itches at the back of my mind as I stand there looking at Sam.

"So, I was thinking of using the garbage shoot next to the silver wear," she says, and I sigh. It's a great idea only the thing has a camera on it and a security guard opens the shoot only when someone wants to throw something away.

"Okay, I just want to let you know something," I start to say, and I hear her groan in frustration. "No, no, the idea is actually amazing I haven't even thought of that," I pause thinking, it's true. "But that's where the only security camera in the room is, and the shoot will only open when someone tries to throw trash away," I finish waiting for her to reprimand me for being snarky and calling her idea stupid. Or whatever immature thing goes through her head.

"Oh, okay so do you have any ideas?" she asks me.

"Kinda, but so far none of them are going to work," it was a lie that I fumbled for as I glance at her sheepishly.

"I know better than that Katrina," she responds, and I freeze thinking, oh no! "But you'll tell us when you're ready and it's foolproof," she finishes before rejoining Jaye and Bree. Thank god, I think as I watch everyone else but Marlene, and I laughing together. I look around for her, and I see that she's sitting alone at the poker table holding something.

I walk over to her and sit down in the chair directly in front of her. I can't say anything special for the table because it's just a regular poker table. Green and round with four matching chairs around it, and everyone use to squeeze in one of the chairs at the main table so five could play. "What ya' looking at?" I pry at her casually because I want to know what going on in her head.

"Here," she responds showing me her palm. It's a plain gold band, perfectly polished and shiny. It's Lance's wedding band, I think as I look back up and into her eyes. They're swollen, puffy, and red as she sits there cradling the ring.

"Is there anything I can do?" I ask her.

Marlene looks up at me and puts a small smile on her face before she responds, "just stay alive, and find a way out of this damn place." I nod in approval because in four days that's what were doing, and all we're really waiting on is Ethan getting the supplies needed. I sit there a moment longer seeing if she was going to say anymore, but I can tell through her despair that she isn't. So, I get up and walk over to the others as they stand there laughing and talking to each other. Ethan is the only one still stoic faced as he stands there with everyone else. He looks so out of place that it is almost bewildering. I hear a snip it of what Sam was saying, "and like Jaye, Bree, and I had no idea what to do. So, we started praying to the holy lord above that Katrina would show up and save the day. She didn't, and we were way out of our league, and that's why we will never play bear pong."

There is laughter everywhere and I feel someone standing next to me. They say, "do you have any idea what we've walked into?" It's Ethan and I almost laugh at the question.