Puppet {ManxMan}

CHAPTER 36

"Oh! Demitri, I hate to bother you, but would you help me with this?"

I stopped dead in my tracks when my name was called, turning warily until I could catch sight of the person addressing me. It took me a moment to recognize her as one of the settlement leaders, Lucia, and she had her baby boy, Raiden, propped against one hip while she struggled to carry a large box under the other arm. She looked frustrated, and she'd asked me for help, which I found immediately surprising.

The last few times I'd been around her or her husband they'd desperately tried to hide their kid from me, and now she was asking me to come extremely close in order to take something from her? Am I in the twilight zone?

"Uh, sure," I muttered and shuffled closer, taking the box from her and allowing her the time to prop the infant higher onto her hip before giving me a gracious smile.

"Thank you so much, sweetie. Usually Devin helps with the heavy lifting, but he's with Kailas talking about extra perimeter guards for the settlement," she huffed out and a few loose strands of hair flew away from her face before settling back over her forehead.

"No problem. Where were you taking them?"

"Just to the school house," Lucia pointed out over the back porch towards the settlement and the little white house they'd turned into a school building for the children, "How are you liking it here?" she asked me as we walked, and I shrugged, staring at the dirt ground.

"It's fine."

"You seem to be getting along with everyone," Lucia said, pulling her sleeve over her hand to clean off the spit bubbles Raiden was making, "They seem to be very happy with you, I've actually heard a lot of good things."

"Is that why you're letting me walk near you?" I asked, and I may have come across as bitter because Lucia gave me a startled expression that faded to a look of guilt.

"I'm very sorry for how I treated you when you first came here."

I shrugged again, "It makes sense. I wouldn't trust me either."

"It's not that," Lucia sighed, "Devin and I are fine with you, we were just worried about this one," she smiled at her son, who waved his hands and cooed.

"I don't hurt children," I muttered, "I've never hurt a child before."

"I admit it took us some time to get used to you here," Lucia smiled, "It took the whole settlement a while, but Cassius and the others reassured us you weren't a threat, and we trust them, so we've warmed up to you."

"Great..."

"Besides, this trouble maker likes you," Lucia chuckled, and I turned my head just enough so I could see Raiden reaching out for me, smiling a gummy smile.

I just ignored him as I chewed on my bottom lip and followed Lucia into the schoolhouse. A group of kids were already there, as were Jayden and Gale. The kids seemed to be completely mesmerized by something Jayden was showing them, and at first I figured maybe they were getting checkups, until I noticed Jayden was holding out a plastic knife. Ah, I see. He was the rebellion's trainer after all, it wasn't a farfetched idea that Jayden would start teaching the kids at a young age.

"And what are you doing, Mr. Johnson?" Lucia questioned in a motherly chiding tone that had Jayden shooting straight to his feet.

I just quirked an eyebrow in amusement, "Your name is Jayden Johnson?"

The look he gave me was seething and humiliated, but I just grinned as he turned back to Lucia, frowning, "Just teaching them basic hand to hand. Everyone needs to know it."