Keep Watch

Chapter Five

Chloe was grateful for how well the group seemed to get along. Despite the circumstances, they were able to laugh and joke around with one another, and when the time came to cry, their arms were open to each other. It was a unique feeling, coming from a high schooler: Before, it had felt like there was nothing more isolating than sitting in a group of people the same age as you. If this experience would serve to do anything, it would be to drive a little semblance of appreciation into Chloe of her peers.

They stayed like that, chatting, for nearly an hour, and it was only when Lachlan decided to break the energy that they finally assembled as an entire group again.

"There's plenty I could say about the situation," he started, and Chloe could already tell this was going to be a speech. "But I think we all know how we feel already. So I'll say this instead: I am proud of each and every one of you for the way we've handled this. I don't think I've ever known a more formidable group of people. I'd definitely pick you guys first in dodgeball, knowing what I know now. Absolute castles."

Chloe chuckled right along with the rest of the crowd. When their laughs died down, Lachlan continued, "But even with how awful we're feeling, we need to carry on. Aava told us about the rule of threes: Three minutes without oxygen," that one made Chloe grimace, "three hours without shelter, three days without water, three weeks without food. Well, we don't have shelter anymore, and we never had food."

For a moment, Lachlan just looked at her. He wasn't smiling, but there was something behind his expression that she couldn't quite place. Almost like he was admiring her. "We know there are seven more cabins out there. That's seven dozen more people. I don't know about you guys, but I think our next plan of action should be to track those people down and ally with them, if we'd like to survive out here."

That seemed to be the end of his speech. A few of the group cheered, but Chloe stayed silent, even as Lachlan came to sit back down beside her.

"What'd you think of that?" he asked. She could only nod back at him.

Aava stepped up into the empty space, his tight-lipped expression appearing much like a glare as he looked around at them. "Lachlan's right," he began. He didn't even thank the prior speaker — how unprofessional. "We need to go find shelter."

There was an unspoken idea among the groupmates: They all wondered what had attacked the boy that Umber had found yesterday, and whether it would attack them, too, if they stayed out that night. Add that to the fact they had no idea whether it even operated during the night, and... they had a recipe for panicked disaster. There was a reason they didn't let their words bubble to the surface.

"We also need to stay together. No more splitting up from now on. Everybody, find a buddy and whatever you do, do not leave their side. Chloe, Jeremy, and I will be a group of three."

Lachlan looked disappointed at that declaration. He met Chloe's eyes as if asking for approval, and winced when she shook her head at him, rejecting him once again. She couldn't tell him about the chips even if she wanted to — not yet, at least.

Chloe watched as everybody found their pairing. The ones that had known each other prior, like Anna and Stephen, were obvious partners — but it was unexpected when Avery and Jordan, who had never spoken before, assembled themselves as well. Perhaps more had happened behind the scenes than Chloe had anticipated.

Once they were ready, they gathered everything they could carry — which, thankfully, included the flint, which they'd been able to salvage from the wreck of the cabin — and started off toward where Umber suspected another cabin might be waiting, if the trail map she'd been gifted was to be believed.