The Burning Of Pages (Now Complete! Yay🗣️)

old friends and shopping with kate, again

It's been a month and we haven't left the police station. We have been eating what tiny food we have found, but we have pretty much picked the place clean. We even eat the stale doughnuts. Akomori sits up and says. "We can't just starve, we have to go and get food." She says as she looks around for support Harry looks up at her from where he is sitting on the ground and says. "yeah fuck that! what if those raiders are out there?" Marlen huddles close to me. raiders are a real problem. but then again food.  looking between them I chose to back up Akomori "yeah let's go! akomori is right we can't starve. And plus, Harry. Aren't you tired of being hungry?" Marlen perks up at the mention of food and he says. "yeah! I wanna go to!" He smiles at me, and well we could take him, but then again it's dangerous to take him. He would be safe here conflicted. I shake my head. "no Marlen you're staying here" he gasps "but why!? I wanna go with you!" He says as he pouts. I look up searching for Ethan, and I lock eyes with him. I call him over with a wave of my hand, and he walks over. "You're gonna stay with Ethan. Okay? Little man." he sighs loudly and he nods. I then stand and turn Akomori.

     She looks determined but I have to convince her to stay. "Akomori you should really stay." she crosses her arms and looks offended. "what!?" She takes a step towards me and I shink back. "why?" I take a deep breath and I look around avoiding her eyes.  Marlen is watching intently and the rest of the kids are going about tasks. "because uh" I could tell her that she would slow us down because her arm is still healing. and I don't want to put her in danger but then again if she stays then she can take care of Marlen. yeah that is good.  "I need you here to take care of Marlen. He trusts you" I say as I look into her eyes. "and I don't want anything to happen while we are out, your arm it's still healing and." my voice cracks and I look down "I don't want anything bad to happen to you." As I finish that sentence Akomori’s eyes light up. Why am I feeling like this when? I think about something happening to Akomori that makes my chest squeeze and tighten. "Kate.I'm not some baby. I am going whether you let me or not." akomori's eyes narrow, then she sighs and her expression softens. "thank you for thinking about me and all but." I nod and look away

     "we can't just go the two of us" I stare at a stain on the floor "we need someone else" I look up and away from akomori. and I scan the group. Mark and Sarah are talking quietly in the corner and Sarah plants a kiss on his lips. then my eyes dart to Harry. He's still pretty hurt but he's just been giving us hell these past two weeks. Kim is sitting next to him not saying anything that's perfect. "kim!" I shout as I walk over to her "we are going shopping wanna come?" I smile at her and she looks up at me then she stands and nods "fine whatever I'll go but your taking down all the crazies" she crosses her arms and looks back at Harry with a worried face. "he's gonna be fine" I place a hand on her shoulder and she turns and stares at me. "I know that!" She raises her voice and I shrug it off. Akomori, Kim and I make our way to the door. and I brace myself to open it, then Marlen tugs at my shirt and I turn and crouch. "what's up little man?" He squirms and tears well up in his eyes and he speaks up. "I don't want you to go" I smile at him and place a hand on his shoulder. "it's okay Marlen I'm gonna come back" he still looks at me unsure and worried "I'll always come back for you." he sniffles and so I pull him into a hug, "I'll be back before you know it" "okay" he whispers softly into my shoulder and he lets me go. I stand and I turn

     "Hurry up, I don't have all day to watch you hug that kid" Kim rolls her eyes and I shake my head. I push past her and open the door I step out and the sun blinds me for a second I look back and akomori is saying good bye to Marlen.  Kim then walks closely behind her as she exits we walk togethet, there's no crazies yet and the city is deathly quiet there is no shuffling. No screams or honks of horns or business people rushing. Just silence we exit through the gate and the chill of a winter morning settles on my skin the sun peeks out at us from behind the buildings. our foot steps seem to echo as we walk. "the store should be about two blocks away" I say more as reassurance than a statement. We are all on edge. We haven't been out of the police station since that night we got there when the raiders chased us, and that man. I shiver at the thought of what he would have done if he caught us, at what he would have done to me. We keep low and walk not run. I have a hand gun. The one I found on the police man and Kim is welding a metal pipe and akomoris has a knife. To kill the crazies. we look like tiny gangsters out here. Then there is some shuffling and moaning.