Cat in a bag | DarylxReader |

neuvième partie

I hate to admit it but after watching Ed getting his face pummeled yesterday, the man did beat his wife but violence and rage never failed to unsettle me. Due to reasons... Maybe some direct reasons.

The cicadas were making even less of an effort to be discreet then the previous day.

If we wanted favorable survival chances we had to be smart. Not all members of our camp were, but Shane was one of the good ones. Initially intimidating but I'd learned he was a good leader and did probably the most for all of us. I'd thought he was the most rational which was why I found it alarming that he'd seriously injured a group member.

The previous night, as I stroked my purring cat, I was replaying the day's events. I'd realised his rage wasn't geared towards Ed alone. My best guess was someone he was close to. Ed just happened to be there while he was having a moment.

Yes, I admit there were more than a few occasions where Ed had been the typical abusive, controlling husband i.e. not letting Carol have conversations longer than a couple minutes, keeping an eye on her wherever she went, the list could keep going. My point is; Shane hadn't gone beyond a verbal warning before. He'd never crossed a line with violence up until yesterday.

If we were going to keep living we had to make sure our people were sound.

That was when I saw him, wearing the navy shirt he'd always worn as he chopped wood, quite diligently if I say so myself.

"Hi." I greeted Shane. He barely glanced in my direction.

"Hey." Someone wasn't in a great mood.

I perched myself on one of the pale rocks. "Can I ask, what happened yesterday?"

He picked up another log, "I gave that bastard what he deserved." He knew that wasn't what I was asking, his expression betrayed him.

He raised the axe again, splitting the lumber. "I don't mean Ed, I mean what was going on with you?"

...

"Look, I'm not trying to be nosy." He glanced up. "Only want to make sure we're all okay." Shane set the axe head down. "So please answer me when I ask you, is there something going on that you should be telling us?"

He paused, taking a breath. Maybe this could be easy after all.

"Nothin' is going on that concerns you. Yesterday I just... Lost my temper is all."

Okay, I spoke too soon. You jinxed it yourself Y/n. I sighed as he picked up the axe handle again. He wouldn't throw that at me now, would he?

"Alright, good talk..." I stepped back. "Thanks for uhh... chopping the wood." And I'm gone just like that. Well if we really think about it my hunch was right. His problems were personal and he wanted to keep them private.

He's a good man, emotions just tend to overwhelm them a bit.

________________

Lori and Carol were keeping their kids up to date with schooling. I for one didn't think they'd be going back to school in the foreseeable future but measurement couldn't hurt them. It would probably be useful for some projects or something. Now I can't say I was helping out even though that was my motive for sitting down with them. It wasn't that I was bored or I failed grade 6 maths.

Jim had been subdued now. He was tied leaning to a tree. Shane said he'd let him loose when he deemed that Jim wouldn't hurt himself, or others. He'd apologised to Lori for possibly scaring Carl, and Carol for scaring Sophia.

"Y/n" Carl tapped my knee.

"Hm?" I kept my focus on the conversing men.

"What's 4.7 x 6 ?" He whispered while his mom was distracted.