The Conquering (Book #2 in The Inception Trilogy)

chapter thirty-six

(this is it--the last chapter! there will be an epilogue, and then I'll take a break to work on the third book! hopefully you guys are still interested in one, lol. thank you so much for the endless support. love you all, and seen you again soon xx)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

EVELYN ISN'T SURE WHAT to make of the current situation: a group of people sitting around a small campfire with a giant hover car behind them, laughing and talking about random times from their memories as if the world isn't steadily dying around them. She keeps to quiet, curled in on herself. She doesn't join in conversation. She doesn't know what she would add. All of her memories are tainted with death, and she doesn't want to burden those who are already burdened. Let them laugh and enjoy themselves, if only for one night--she'll continue to keep quiet so they can do so.

She's enjoying it, though. Listening to them. It's so rare to feel so... normal. To feel like she's back in the old world where people suffered trivial problems. Killian tells stories of his time on the street: once he was chased four blocks by a hot dog stand owner because he snatched a hot dog and the ketchup bottle and ran. Michelle tells stories of her tough relationship with her mom: she got kicked out for always playing her rock music too loud, then moved back in because she promised to wash her mom's car every week. Stupid scenarios that seemed so life threatening, but now they look back on them with amusement.

If only they had an idea of the life threatening situations that were to come.

There aren't many families still kept together--certainly no mothers kicking their daughters out of the house for music that can no longer be played. There aren't any innocent people who don't snatch some food here and there from someone else who'd earned it. There are no longer tiny problems that blow over in a few days.

Evelyn can vaguely remember times with her family before their slaughter. She can't get past that night, though. Not for long. It always creeps back around and smothers the happiness she might've felt once upon a time.

So she sits and listens and relishes in the normality of it all, knowing it won't last long.

***

"I miss Poppy," Robbie says to Caroline as they sit apart from the adults around the fire. "She's gotta be lonely out there without me. And hungry. Do you think she's okay?"

"Dogs were once wild," Caroline replies. "I'm sure she's fine."

"But she's a baby."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"I know, but I'm trying to make it better."

"What if she's...." Robbie swallows, a lump in his throat where the word does not dare form.

"She's not," Caroline says firmly. "Maybe she found another family. You know, some puppies like herself. I bet she's real happy. And looking for you."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"That sounds nice. You think she'll find me?"

"Maybe."

"Did you ever have a dog, Caroline?"

She scrunches her nose. "No. Momma was allergic and Daddy didn't like animals."

"How do you not like animals?"

"I don't know. But animals didn't like him. Actually, people didn't either." She shrugs. "I had a goldfish once. He only lasted a few days. Or maybe it was a she. Do fish have genders? Surely they must. Oh well. I called him Scuffles, though. I don't know why."