Fighters

Chapter Five

Nineteen years ago

Kasey POV

My tired was tired at this point, but I marched on. Aurora had finally stopped screaming from her hold on my front, and Tristan has his chin on my shoulder watching as we walked. I sighed thinking of all the things he'd seen, that no kid his age or ever should have to see... but he was so brave.

We had gone to Marks to find nothing but some food and even Aurora's diaper bag left behind and a good chunk of formula. I tried to tell myself that they had at least intended to get the kids but they were also so sure they were gone that they didn't wait. So we set off in a direction I'd thought they'd gone in a car that thankfully had close to a tank of gas and kept trying to find them.... That was 10 months ago. The car was still kicking, parked and hopefully hidden well enough while I set off to scavenge what I can.

"Kasey" Tristan whispered, and I smiled. The kid knew we had to be quiet and had become such a good listener. He always swelled with so much pride when I called him my little lookout. "Are you my mom now?" he asked, and my chest tightened.

"Tristan, that's up to you bubba. Is that what you think of me as now?" I asked, tilting my head a little to lean it against his small one.

"Every kid at least needs a mom" he said, "and mine is gone and you're taking care of me. And I love you and you love me and you love sissy."

"That is very true, Tristan and-"but before I could continue his body went rigid and I trained my eyes in the direction he was looking. There was a man walking with a hiking back pack, looking in cars and scavenging just like us. My gears in my mind started turning, imaging how we must look to him: tired woman, two kids, on her own, bag full of supplies. My hand hovered at my waist and pulled out my trusty machete I'd gotten from a hunting store a few months ago.

"Do you think he's nice, mom?" Tristan asked and I sighed, once the kid makes a decision he's on it I guess. Before I could shush him though, the man turned and saw us, looking from me to Tristan with a.... smile? And not a creepy smile or anything, a genuine smile. He started towards us, hands up in surrender as I gripped my machete.

"Hi" he said, still giving me that smile.

"HI?" I asked and before I could continue Tristan said, "HI!" and I couldn't help but chuckle and roll my eyes.

"My name is Clay" he said, looking at us expectantly. I sighed, what can he do with a name?

"My name is Kasey, and this monkey on my back is Tristan, and this" I said pointing down, "Is Aurora." His eyes widened, as if he didn't realize Aurora was there at first. "Are you alone?" I asked him, and took note of the way his face fell a bit.

"Yes, I'm alone." He said, looking down at his pack and up at us. "I could help ya know. I could even carry your bag. I doubt you'd let me hold a kid since you just met me but..." he trailed off and looked away and then back again, that stupid grin back on his face. "I think we could all be good friends."

"Those are hard to find nowadays" I said, watching him as I lowered my machete to its sheathe on my hip. I handed him the heavier of my two bags and turned around. "Are you coming?" I asked over my shoulder, listening to his feet pick up to catch up to me.