Scavengers {#Wattys2016}

Chapter Twenty Nine

Marry Mathews set down a bowls of what looked like mushroom stew in front of us as we sat down in the small run down dinning room. It was better than what we had though. Which at the moment was nothing since we were rooted out and chased from the home we once had. 

She gave my mother a small smile. They had known each other well. It had been years now since they had seen each other. Army wives. She had given us lifts to school and my mother had given her daughter a lift to school in return. She'd come over and have coffee, my mother would go over to her place. 

Now though all the time of separation I guess made it awkward. Well it was awkward for me as heck because I was sitting next to the guy who kissed me three hours ago after an explosion of fighting. My ex-boyfriend was here! Rotting somewhere! Plus not mention I slapped him....

However, Sammy was pretty much enjoying himself since his long lost crush from middle school was now here. I glanced over. Man they were looking really dreamy at one another. Hannah was her name. My father knew this and nudged him but Marry didn't mind that her daughter had a thing for Sammy. She had been in love with him ever since they had gotten to know each other.

 Marry smiled as she looked at her eldest  daughter. It's been a long time since she had seen her so happy and filled with glee. Not even Kurt Mathews- General Havoc minded. He'd rather his daughter be happy. And who better to be happy with than the son of his former squad commander. Kurt trusted that my father had raised Sammy well. He had. It was Sammy who just had to be careful. Well he was 26 an adult. His daughter was 23 so Kurt felt that he had no reign or power over her anymore. If the world were still normal she wouldn't be in the same house as them. But instead on her own in the working world as a recent graduate. 

Yet....this time and world was different. That wasn't going to happen. Not in this world. Not in this one. 

Marry smiled drinking the hot water as we ate slowly. "I'm sorry it isn't much...If I had more I'd make something better than mushroom stew", she said. 

"No, this is more than enough, thank you Marry", said Chloe smiling and blew on the metal spoon to cool down the soup. It was hot. She raised her eyebrows as she saw something pointy swim up to the surface of her spoon. 

"Oh! Let me get that!", said Marry pulling it out quickly.

Anna paled and she looked at her soup swallowing hard. It was a scorpion tail. Anna could handle the mushrooms. But scorpions. Nu-uh, no way. Anna swallowed though now eating with care and precision. We all sort of slowed down eyeing our soup after seeing that. 

Marry gave a small smile, "Every once in a while one slips in. But it's not so bad....you get used to it", said Marry. 

My mother managed a small smile in return, "Where did you get these mushrooms?", asked my mother curious since this was a desert. 

Marry shrugged, "We keep a garden patch of them on the roof. We aren't exactly sure what they other than that they are edible. Ever since the New World Order came.....things have changed", said Marry quietly. 

My mother was silent and then said, "It's very good though, really, thank you", she said placing her hand on Marry's and gave it a small squeeze. They were still both the wives of army men. That wouldn't change. Not even the New World Order could change that.