Acid

Chapter Five: The Treaty

"Tatum?" I said shocked.

He immediately began to tear up as he rushed forward, scooping me up in his long arms. What used to be the scrawny arms I remembered, were now toned and built with lots of muscle. He wrapped one of them around my waist as the other stroked my long raven hair, as tears began dropping off his face onto my shoulder.

"I can't believe it's you! I thought you were dead!"

"Why would you think that?"

He slowly let go of me a bit, but our hands were still connected as he looked me in the eyes.

"When it all happened, I was with Sage. I took your advice and finally gained the courage to ask her out, but then all this shit happened and the only two people I could think about were Poppy... and you." He paused taking a deep breath till he continued

"We left my place immediately and came to get you, at this point the phones had lost connection and all I could do was pray you were still alive, but when we got there all I saw was the body and blood everywhere"

"Tatters..." I say stroking his arm, reassuringly.

"I knew you were alive, but I didn't know where to look for you. We ended up staying in the city for a while until the first acid rain storm came in" He begins to tear up "Sage... she thought it was just another peaceful rain storm. All she wanted to do was dance in it, feel a little more human than what she felt today"

There was a long period of silence. I didn't know what to say or how to react. All I knew was that human flesh can't be touched by the storm but I never found out the full extent of what it did. I've never been with anyone whose survived being outside in the storm, all that I've heard are the story's. Darrin had told me that it either burns you alive, or if it touches you... let's just say you become one of the feral's.

"What happened to her?" Dane asked.

"I watched the flesh burn of her skin, till she was nothing but bones"

"We're so sorry to hear that" Liam says.

Tatum turns his gaze to Liam where he nods his head in respect, until he suddenly perks his head up at me with curiosity in his eyes.

"Is Poppy...alive?" He asks.

"Want to see her?"

His face suddenly lights up with excitement as a big smile forges. I look at Liam and he nods his head in approval telling me silently it's okay that Tatum comes with us.

"You take him back to see the little bug, we can clear out the rest of the store" Liam said.

"Come on" I say to Tatum with a big smile on my face, as I grabbed his hand dragging him out the store. It seemed like Tatum was pulling me along, more than the other way around.

"Whoa slow down Tate" I exclaim well laughing.

"What's she like? Is she shy? Does she have a big mouth like you?"

"Big mouth? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing. Don't worry about it!"

We suddenly came to a halt right outside the front of the store. Where Tatum soon looked out at the cars, scanning them carefully trying to find Poppy. It's kind of funny though because he doesn't have a single clue what she looks like, so how would he spot her out? Well I guess she is the only kid here. Soon I began to look out as well, I found it odd how I couldn't see Rae, or the others, but that soon changed as Poppy came running around the corner.