The Key to My Hart

Chapter 10

I did not feel comfortable eating until after everyone else started digging in. The first thing I grabbed was the corn, and only just managed to hold back a moan as the juices and flavoring burst into my mouth. Immediately guilt washed over me as I thought about everyone else back at the bus. They were missing out on a great meal. Maybe I could somehow sneak some out for them when no one was looking. I started forming a plan in my mind as I continued to eat.

"So, Rowan, please tell us how you managed to survive out there. What all has transpired with you since the outbreak?" Rowan's grandfather asked as he slathered a biscuit with a healthy amount of butter.

"More than I can discuss over dinner. And we're only staying for dinner." Rowan was firm with his words, but his grandfather only smiled.

"Why would you leave? You know we are very self sufficient here. And whatever we don't have, the men are easily able to attain in town. The town has been mostly cleared out by the boys. The place is as safe as you're going to get." The 50 year old man Rowan had been talking to spoke up. His questions seemed genuinely curious rather than demanding.

Rowan looked up from his plate. "We have been surviving very well on our own. And we have a destination in mind."

He didn't mention the others at all. Why is he being so strange? I tried to keep the confusion off of my face, pretending to study one of the dishes instead.

"It's green bean casserole." Gunner stated dryly. He lifted an eyebrow, watching me. Whereas his twin fiddled with the food on his plate. I averted my gaze back to Rowan, who was chewing his food with force. I winced as I heard his teeth scrape together.

Conversation broke out in several places. The children laughed and giggled at their own separate table. I found myself full even though I hadn't eaten much. Regret at wasting the food washed over me, but if I took another bite I would puke.

Seeing how plump and happy everyone here was, I realized that the biters hadn't really affected these people all that much. There must be other places in the world where life continued almost normal. "How do you guys have electricity?" I winced as Rowan cut me a dark look.

"Solar panels." Gunner grinned at me again. I didn't bother to acknowledge him. My stomach rolled knowing his eyes were still glued on me.

"No dessert today." Announced the head of the family. He turned to Rowan. "Come, let's go for a walk while the women clean up."

While the women what? Had I heard him correctly? Rowan's eyes darted to me as he stood and left. The rest of the men shoved back from their seats and ambled out of the room with stuffed bellies as the women quietly began picking up plates and scraping the leftovers off into one pile. I sat frozen until one of the older women got to my side and reached for my unfinished plate.

I blocked her hand. "What happens to the uneaten left overs?"

"One of the ways we feed the animals." She snapped.

"Okay... sorry for asking a question." I held my hands up.

The older woman walked out of the room balancing a stack of plates. Another lady, maybe in her 30s, sidled up to me. "There are strict rules here. You mustn't talk unless you're spoken to."

"Excuse me? What is this? Some sort of cult?" My voice rose an octave.

The lady, with her mousy brown hair pulled back into a tight ponytail glanced around fervently. "Shhhhhh. Not so loud. Please keep your voice down." She warbled. "They.. we live a simple life. More traditional in a sense. One where men and women have traditional roles."

"You mean like during a time where men lorded over women and were more misogynistic and sexist than they supposedly are now?" My nose scrunched up in horror. "Why would you voluntarily live like this?"