Life After Death

Chapter 33

The next night, there were no more high winds, or pourings of rain. Instead, all the stars of were visible again. Everyone, this time, seemed to enjoy stargazing. Rather than just us in the back of the SUV, even the children around the place had stayed quiet and entertained enough by the picture that was the sky. Trying to make shapes with their friends, seeing who could get the better, most outrageously imaginative one.

A group had left Serenity as soon as the sun had risen, and the vicinity was beginning to wake up. As was the practice with loot runs. It was the rule, you had to leave before midday, so as to be able to get back before the sun had completely set and you were enveloped with darkness - or at least that was the idea. And with the sunsets getting later by the day, they now had hours, although the full time was rarely needed.

Although, given that me and Nathaniel had taken to watching over supplies, and unpacking them when they arrived, there was only so many shelves of stock we could count and boxes to check if they were empty. Besides, neither one of us were responsible for keeping note and record of what is taken out.

"Shouldn't you guys be unpacking boxes or something?" Jace laughed, as he walked past me, Leesa and Nathaniel who were sat on the floor talking.

"Okay, job inspector," Nathaniel grinned, rolling his eyes, "The guys aren't back yet."

"Still? It's been hours."

It was true. And we were starting to get concerned. It had been at least five hours since they left, and there was no sign of them.

"I'm sure they just found a good spot, maybe further away than expected," Leesa smiled, though it was shrouded with uncertainty.

"What happens if they don't come back, like, you know, for hours?"

"Well, it's only happened twice - somehow - but Aanya usually sends a search party out if they aren't back by the next day. Purely volunteers though - not that we're short of people that wanna help."

"And what happened those two times?"

"One time was a success, the other time... well, not so much," she said, no elaboration needed for us to understand.

The next few hours were spent with people getting more and more anxious, Aanya had tried radioing them - to no avail - and the idea that something bad had happened was becoming more and more cemented. Unless you were Jade, who kept telling us they'd be back - that 'there was no reason for them not to be'.

"Yeah, except a few minor inconveniences such as Lurkers and Reapers," Jace deadpanned.

"Ya'll never know," Axel inputted, as we all stood around in an anxious huddle, waiting for any signs of life at the gates, "Jade's right. There's no reason anything should go wrong. Leesa says it's only happened twice before, right? So, why would it now?"

"Ha! See, Axel agrees with me!" She beamed, taking any excuse to poke fun at her brother, before looking at Austin with a proud grin, who gave her a nod of the head, his face bearing a similar smirk.

Whilst their words were full of reason, it didn't entirely make me feel any better. Months gone by had proven their statements wrong, multiple times. Jade's eye being swiped at was one of the ones that sprung to mind, which seemed ironic considering she was the positive twin.

Aanya was becoming more apprehensive by the minute too, and despite the fact she was trying not to let this on, being a leader and all, her pacing didn't hide it all too well.

Until, maybe an hour or so later, approaching sunset, we heard the clanging of the gates being opened, and increasing commotion as more people realised.