T.E.O.T.W.A.W.K.I

Chapter Three.

DENIAL.

My eyes never left the girl's back as I sat at the kitchen table, waiting for a cup of coffee. After her previous antics I couldn't let my guard down. Reluctantly she had let me into the house in silence, neither of us had said a word since. The kettle began whistling, my muscles tightened, ready to spring up if a kettle of boiling water came flying my way. It didn't. A few moments later the girl turned with two mugs of steaming brown liquid, the smell hit me almost instantly and my stomach let out a grumble. Slowly one mug was slid in front of me, along with a pitcher of milk and a small bowl of sugar cubes. Still neither of us spoke. You could cut the tension between us with a knife. The girl moved and slowly sat in the seat opposite me, still refusing to meet my eyes.

  "You make a habit of hitting people upside the head and leaving them to be mauled by crazy people?" I finally asked, the silence almost driving me crazy as we just sipped on our coffee. The girl visibly flinched as if I'd slapped her, her head was down so I couldn't read her facial expressions.

  "I'm sorry" her voice was little above a whisper, but in the deadness of her kitchen I could her it as clearly as if she had shouted it. I nodded even though she couldn't see me. After a long sniff she began speaking again. "If I'd know you weren't -" I was quick to cut her off with a wave of my hand.

  "I understand" I told her, and truly I did, I would have done the same in her position. Cornered in a room the only exit blocked off by someone who may or may not be one of those crazies. In fact I had done the same, my mind flashes back to Becca but I lock the thoughts away as soon as they escape. Finally the girl looks up from her mug and meets my gaze, suddenly I realize that she may have attacked me, but she was desperate. She was vulnerable.

  "I'm Aaron" I offered, reaching a hand into the space between us. At first she seemed hesitant, as if I was planning some kind of revenge.

  "Charlie" her lips lifted the tiniest bit into a half smile as she grabbed my hand and we shook.

As we sat drinking coffee and telling each other our stories I couldn't help but admire Charlie more and more. I also couldn't help but notice how good looking she actually was, even with her round face covered in what must be a full days worth of grime. The farm house we were sat in belonged to her parents, when the outbreak occurred they were away to the market to pick up groceries and seeds, coming to the end of winter they were getting ready to begin planting them. They never returned, Charlie waited all day, but no sign of them. They were pretty old fashioned and didn't believe in cell phones, she had absolutely no way of contacting them. Finally she had decided that she should go look for supplies herself and headed off to the gas station.

  "What about your family?" She asked once she had finished her tale, I only shrugged. "You not tried to call them or anything?" This time I shook my head.

  "I tried calling my friend up in New York but the lines have been blocked all day, I think everyone has been trying to get into contact with others" I said matter-of-factly, indicating my phone that lay silently on the tabletop.

  "Oh" was the only sound she made, we sat in an awkward silence for a few moments before Charlie got up and grabbed our empty mugs. 

  "It's getting late and I'm guessing you haven't eaten" It wasn't a question, she reached into the cupboards and pulled out a tin of beans, a loaf of bread and some eggs.

We chatted idly as Charlie cooked our supper, well technically it was my breakfast/lunch/dinner/supper. We tried to keep our conversation as far from the topic of crazies and the current situation, instead opting to talk about our pasts, and what the future holds.