Forgetting the Apocalypse

61. Welcome To Your New Home

Riva's Pov*

I hated being the last one to be interviewed. Not that I was being a brat and wanting to be first but I heard Jack whine, granted it was only once but it was enough to set my brother on edge and then after he went in it made me nervous. Next was my girl and I'll admit that I tried getting closer to the door to see if maybe I could listen in but for starters, there were guards by the door. They would easily spot me and try to tell me to go sit back down.

The main thing however is that even when I tried to play it cool and go grab one of the water bottles that they had sitting at a counter which was by the door, I couldn't hear a damn thing. So either they're speaking really quietly or the room itself is sound proof. So unless I put my ear to the door I wouldn't hear anything, if anything at all, which undoubtedly will get me caught by the guards as well.

Therefore I had to sit quietly in the corner and wait for my turn. Anybody who knows me will tell you that that's the worst thing to make me do. I go too far into my own head that it takes someone shouting my name right into my ear to get me to crawl back out. I was seconds away from just saying fuck it and going to the door despite the two men there when it finally opened and Kailee came out. It was already getting dark so I thought I would have to bribe her with my last can of fruit cocktail to see what kind of questions the doc asked her when I finally heard my own name being called.

Everything about that interview put me on edge. The first thing I noticed was that the doc was just like me. He wrote down everything. But it was his questions that were off. Some were about the relationship I had with Fredi, Kailee and my brother. If my brother and I got along well, if we ever took our sibling rivalry too far or anything like that. Did I view Fredi as a father or grandfather because of the nickname I gave him. Then there was Kailee, what exactly was our relationship? Have I ever taken her on a date?

As if that were possible at the moment.

But between all those questions, they all centered on one common subject. Mara. With every new question he asked he would follow up with a Mara question.

Did she ever threaten us? I mean she would if we ever touched her knives. She once punched me in the throat but that was because I accidently snuck up on her when I thought she heard me. Was there ever a time where she made us feel unsafe? I wanted to scoff at him. If anything, she was the one that made us feel the safest. He doesn't know how many times she's gotten hurt either getting us food or simply protecting us. If it wasn't for her, the three of us would have been poisoned with those damn berries.

The one that made use everything I had in not to reach over and another shiner to his face was when he asked if at any point in time did we or I feel the need to break her free of her delusion. There was something in his tone that let me kno wthat he wasn't asking in a mocking tone but one of sincerity.

When I didn't answer him, he didn't try asking again, he just changed the topic. He mentioned something about a very particular safe zone. One that will more suited for just us five. Even though Kailee didn't have her own dog, she was very well acquainted with our dogs and had even taught Jack and Blackie a couple of new tricks which meant that we wouldn't have to be separated.

That was something I was seriously dreading. I know that they told us that we families wouldn't but I was really worried that when they meant families they were only talking about blood relations. I mean the man and his wife aren't blood related unless they're from Alabama or something.

All of us were lucky that they kept to their word because if they did try to separate us then there would be blood. Half the time I was gathering all my gear the way I had it before they went through everything I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.