Crazies

Chapter Nineteen

~Chapter 19~
(Edited)

Stepping out the front door, I close my eyes and turn my face up towards the sun, letting the last of the warm weather wash over me. Though that just reminds me of another problem we have to prepare for.

I swear the problems just never end.

"Sang." I open my eyes to see Micah running towards me with his new friend Jacob. Who joined us a few weeks after we were put in locked down with his twin sister Harper, and their father Mathis.

Seeing them together always makes me think of my Dr. Sean and Mr. Blackbourne. Their personalities are on the complete opposite sides of the spectrum but somehow complement each other perfectly.

Even their appearances clash.

Micah likes to keep his dark hair on the longer side, and his matching dark eyes now have this new energetic spark to them. While Jacob wears his white blonde, hair cut short and his bright blue eyes just glow with his overwhelming compassion.

"Hey guys," I say when they get closer. "You seem to be in a good mood. What's up?"

"We just finished our shooting class with Karen," Micah rushes to tell me, his excitement bubbling out as he bounces on his toes.

Jacob places a calming hand on his shoulder and continues at a more reasonable pace, "she said that we're progressing greatly and that we might be ready to start going on runs soon."

Their combined excitement helps relieve some of the stress I've been feeling lately, and I find myself giving them one of my carefree smiles.

"That's great guys." Their smiles grow at my praise. "When Jay and I get back from this new run Ill talk with the others about getting you guys out there."

However, my stomach drops at my promise. I hate the thought of them putting themselves in danger, but seeing them so happy pulls the words right out of my mouth.

"Really?" Jacob asks, and I give him a small nod, causing him to join Micah's slightly excited bouncing. They high five each other as they thank me and head off toward the back of the house.

"Guys," I call out before they disappeared. "Where's Erica?" Jacob points off into the woods while Micah answers verbally.

"She and Ms. Rose are helping Charlie with that pipe he's trying to run from the stream."

Guess that explains why she's not trying to choke Marie right now.

"Thanks." They wave over at me before walking off, most likely to find Harper.

Those three are stuck together just as much as Jay, Wil, and Cowboy.

Smiling to myself, I walk to the opposite side of the property from North's trailer and find the path we created through the trees. I follow the path deeper into the woods until I catch sight of the fence peeking through the trees and hear the slight trickling of the stream.

"Erica?" I call out as loud as I could before my voice cuts out.

"Over here, Sweetie," she yells back from somewhere over to my right. I step off the path and head in the direction of her voice.

Cresting a small hill, I find the three adults at the bottom, working on a pipe by the stream. Erica and Ms. Rose are holding up the end of the pipe while Charlie kneels in front, covering the edge with some purple liquid.

"Do you guys need any help?" I ask as I slowly make my way closer to them, being cautious of the freshly fallen leaves.

"Nope." Charlie's voice filters across to me, his Greek accent slightly changing the lilt of the words. "Just about finished." I move off to the side to be out of the way and just watch them work silently on this new project.