Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
—
After catching fish and berries for dinner, the group sat in a circle around the camp fire as they ate dinner and told stories.
From James' perspective, everyone was having a good time. Even Shane, who seemed to have had a look of annoyance on his face since his father returned.
The young adult knew it was because of the affair he was having with his mom.
As he looked across the fire from his spot next to Carl, he could see Remington speaking quietly to Rudeth, the girls actions suggesting that she was teaching the younger girl how to eat her fish properly.
James remembered from their walks how Remington mentioned that she didn't like fish all that much. He found the faces she made when taking a bite a bit amusing to say the least.
He couldn't help but notice the way the fire illuminated against her skin, giving her pale skin and more golden tone. He watched her smile at a -no doubt horrible- joke that Rudy made, the corners of her eyes crinkling before they soothed away when her smile fell. He could have flinch from how quickly her attention darted towards him, her eyes now shining as the fire danced in her irises.
"Pass the fish, please."
"Here you go."
"Man o man, that's good. I miss this."
"I've got to ask you, man. It's been driving me crazy." Morales spoke up, his words bringing everyone's attention to Dale, who he was speaking to.
"What?"
"That watch."
"What's wrong with my watch?" Remi and Any giggled at how offended he sounded.
"I see you every day, the same time, winding that thing like a village priest saying mass."
Jacqui agreed, "I've wondered this myself."
Dale shook his head, "I'm missing the point."
"Unless I've misread the signs, the world seems to have come to an end. At least hit a speed bump for a good long while." Jacqui said.
Morales gestured to Dale, "But there's you every day winding that stupid watch."
"Time... it's important to keep track, isn't it? The days at least. Don't you think, Andrea? Back me up here. I like... I like what, um, a father said to son when he gave him a watch that had been handed down through generations."He said,
"I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire, which will fit your individual needs no better than it did mine or my father's before me; I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you may forget it for a moment now and then and not spend all of your breath trying to conquer it."
