Winter Went | #2 Winter Series

Chapter 21

|| Amelia ||

A noise wakes me up. I don't know what it is, but all I do know is that I'm upright, moth-eaten blanket down to my knees, dark swirling around my head.

I listen out. A rustling sound from the other end of the barn.

"Hello?" I call out.

The rustling stops. Instead, there's the muffled sound of a gasp, some swearing, and then the barn door opens. I catch two figures running into the clear night but not much else.

Something is wrong. They're not people I know. Suddenly I find I'm wide awake and I'm halfway to my feet.

"What's going on?" comes a small, deep voice from somewhere to the left of me. "Amelia?" At once, I know it's Josh.

"Someone came in," I babble, shrugging my coat on. "Warn the others."

More rustling, jostling, fierce whispers and then everyone is awake.

"What's wrong?" Angie demands. Zach groans beside her.

But I don't reply because I'm already sprinting down the muddy path.

* * *

I will my legs to run faster until I'm pelting at full speed, keeping the small black dots ahead in my vision.

The dots grow bigger and bigger until I hear a voice.

"Think we lost her?"

"Probably," says the other one. It's definitely male. I hang back, forcing myself not to pant lest they hear me.

The first one pats something in their hand. "Got the chopped tomatoes and some tuna. What about you?"

"Bag of pasta."

Wait. I know that voice.

The gasp that escapes my mouth must give me away because the two of them turn round.

"Who are you?" snaps the first one. My eyes have adjusted to the dark enough so that I can see her. She's small, my age, about five-three I'd say with dark hair that rests to her angular jaw and a snubbed nose that turns upwards. If she didn't have that look aggression on her face, I would have considered her pretty.

I don't reply. My eyes turn to the second one.

His beard has grown longer; guess you can't find razors out here, but it still looks strange on him to see so much hair clogging his face.

"Dad?" I whisper.

His mouth opens, and soon he's staring at me in half-shock, half-awe.

"Meelie?" he croaks out. "What? How did you get here?"

He doesn't get an answer because soon I've launched myself into his arms. He staggers back, laughing softly, pressing the bag of pasta against my back so I can feel each individual penne.

"Hey!" shouts a voice, and then a few more chorus it until the sound of footsteps gets louder.

I pull away from him and turn to the other three who have caught up with us.

"What's going on?" Angie asks me, looking between me and Dad in confusion. Maisie lingers in front of her, looking at Dad in excitement. "Mr Harris, how did you get here?"

He looks over us all and beams. "I escaped the truck, but—" His eyes grow sad. "Your mum," he says to me, "I don't know..."

He leaves it hanging, and we all view it in the silence until a snap draws us back in.

"Come on, Jack, we've got to get back before they take their food." It's the girl. She's standing to the side with a haughty expression. One hand is on her hip.

"Oh," says my father. "Everyone, this is Zoe."

Zoe scowls.

"Did you take our food?" Zach asks, glancing at the tinned goods in her hands.

Dad looks sheepish. "We honestly thought the barn was abandoned."

"So you went through my rucksack and took things?" Josh points out. I notice that his face is slightly red, blotchy in some places. I assume it's from the run, but then I remind myself that Josh is a government official. They trained him. He can probably run for a long time without getting tired.

"I would have given it back if I'd known it was you, I promise. I'd never steal from my own family! But"—he turns to Zoe, who's pouting, looking at Angie. She snaps her gaze to his—"we're on an extreme shortage of food."

Zoe grits her teeth, glaring, but nods.

Dad shoves the bag of pasta back to me. "You have it. We'll find a way to survive."

"We?" I repeat. "You mean it's just you two?"

"There's more. We've made a base about a mile from here. Around ten of us, all with the Power. We help each other," he says. "Without support, we'd all be dead." He turns to Zoe. "Give the food back, Zo. Please."

She blinks, moving away from Angie and fixing her dark eye on mine. "You think just because she's your daughter she gets priority over staying alive?"

"What? No! We stole it from them," replies my father. "They caught us, now we give it back."

"No."

"Zoe," he says warningly.

"In case you haven't noticed, Jack, I'm the leader of the group, not you."

"And I'm an adult. Now do as I say. Give it back."

With a sour look, Zoe throws the tuna and tomatoes at my feet. They land with a clang.

"Good," says Dad approvingly. "Now we say goodnight and leave."

"Goodnight and leave," Zoe snarls at us before giving Angie one more look, and storming away into the night.

"Sorry, she's a bit of a mouthful, that one," Dad says apologetically. "Now, I really must go. Can't miss out on my beauty sleep."

Before I know it, my hand reaches out to stop him. "No! Wait." I compose myself. "Don't go. Honestly. Why don't you stay with us?"

His expression softens. "Meelie, I have to stick with Zoe now. I'm part of her team. But I'll visit, I promise."

Why, I think, do I have to find people and then lose them again?

"At least keep the food," I say, bending down to pick up the cans Zoe threw, including the pasta. "You need it more than we do."

He smiles, and a warm feeling spreads itself across my chest.

"Thank you," he murmurs before he turns and walks away, following Zoe's footsteps. I watch him go, heart sinking.

I let the others lead me back to the barn.

"Did you see the way she was looking at me?" Angie whispers beside me.

I shrug. Indeed I did notice it, but the pain of suddenly losing Dad again is more important than discussing possibilities.

"Weird, don't you think?"

I nod. But I say nothing as I bury myself deeper into the straw.

I only want one thing. And that's to see Dad again.

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