Wild Desperation

Chapter 43

                                          Sang

I was cautious of being led around inside the giant gated compound but I couldn't deny I was curious about the new surroundings. "Welcome to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, a full 464 acres off of Ashley River, or as everyone here calls it, home." Jess said excitedly. "The fence doesn't cover everywhere, it only encases about 60 acres right now and that's more than enough for everyone living inside, if they needed to they could always expand the fence though." She explains clearly as she leads me along. 

"That's certainly alot of fence to put up." I murmur lowly as I glance towards the towering wall. "Yeah it took them almost a year to get it all up but we had more people back then and now the fence even withstands any flooding we get from the river." Jess indicated the thick waterproof base of the fence and I nodded my appreciation at that small but significant fact. "How many people live here, how many other girls like you and I?" I quiz as I send a scowl to a group of guys gaping our way, my grip on my bow tightens slightly until they choose to mind their own business again. 

"Well originally there was over 200 of us living here but now there are only 143 but you make it 144 if you choose to stay, and you'll make the seventh girl here if you do stay." I could hear the hope in her voice but all I could do was shrug, I had no intention of staying but she didn't need to know that right now. "How many of the girls here are single?" I voiced out of curiosity, if they were forced to be in a relationship I'd take the ones that wanted out and make a run for it as soon as the cure was in play. "Well I'm single, and there are two other girls who are technically single since they don't stay with a team but since I'm forced to bunk in the same house as them I can safely say they don't act single." She shudders with a slightly disgusted look on her face. 

"So they sleep around more than you'd like I take it." I raised knowingly as she blinked back at me. "Yeah pretty much, I've chosen to sleep outside sometimes when they have company over." She huffs. "Can't say I blame you on that one, I've seen enough girls who enjoy being the center of attention, no matter what kind of attention it is to understand what you mean." I chuckle lowly as she grins at me. "Kayli was fun bunking with until she teamed up and lives with her guys now, the other two married birds are nice too, I think you'll like them." She smiled gently at me, I was really starting to like Kota's little sister. 

"Well on with the tour then, you've already seen the main house and the barn but now you have to see everything!" She cheerily stated as she once again pulled me along towards a row of smaller buildings. "This is where almost everyone lives, we call it The Village since all the houses are so close together. The single people are bunched into groups and assigned houses, unless they make up a team and build themselves a better house they just stay here, this is mine here." Jess smiles proudly as she shows me the inside of the small three bed cottage.

 The single beds are all in the same small room, there is a small couch next to a wood stove and a little bathroom that is basically outhouse sized, but it would suit two people comfortably. "This seems like a more two person than a three person place." I state as I scan the room. "Yeah it is actually since it's one of the smaller houses, every place has to have at least two people to pair up but since there were no other single girls I'm stuck here." She shrugged as we headed out towards another area, I could see the barn not far away. 

"This over here is where the little farm is, we have chickens for eggs and peacocks too, even some pigs but very few people eat the meat itself since they get scared of eating a sick animal." I nodded my understanding as I marveled at the beauty of one of the fully feathered male peacocks, I'd never seen anything like him outside of books. I ended up taking Jess up to the barn to meet Nightmare and the goats, and she instantly fell in love with the friendly brown doe. "What's her name?" Jess smiled out as the doe sniffed curiously at her hands for treats. 

"She doesn't have one yet, none of them do. The only ones I've considered naming were the bucks and the cream colored doe, the bucks are annoying but the doe is so sweet. If you want your welcome to come up with a few names for them, and maybe for the kids they'll be having any day now by the looks of them." I smile as she stares at me and bounces excitedly in place. "Can I name her Erica?" Jess asks softly as she pets the brown doe lovingly. "Why Erica?" I smile as the doe leans into the younger girls scratching. "It was my mom's name before she died." Jess murmurs, my smile disappears at the pain in her voice as I frown, she must notice a question on my face.

 "She was a nurse and when some guys got hurt outside the gate two years ago she was one of the ones who went to help, a sick dog bit her and she died a few days later. It was rough on me but it was worse on Kota since he was out on a mission when it happened, he didn't even get to say goodbye to her." Jess has tears in her eyes and I find myself instinctively comforting her with a hug. "I'm so sorry, even though I know sorry doesn't help, losing someone you care about hurts and it's never fair." I growled softly as she sniffled but nodded.

 "Everyone helped cheer me up and get over her death and I know that Kota has friends that try to do the same for him but he closes himself off from them about it a lot, I worry about him." She whimpers. "Guys have a weird way of accepting help, I've found sometimes forcing it on them might upset them at first but they thank you in the long run." I snort with a small grin as she giggles at my statement. "My brother and his friends like you, don't they?" She asks softly and I can't help sighing. "That's what they tell me, but I haven't figured out how I feel about them yet." I say slowly. 

"That's okay, even if you don't like them back at least you help lookout for them, thank you." Her words have me smiling gently back at her. "Okay one more quick show of the gardens then you can go meet Kayli with the others!" Her cheery self is back as she pulls me out to where a large garden of fruits and vegetables are growing in a well maintenanced area not far from the animal farm. "We grow most of our food here, even the animals food, but wheat for bread is grown outside the fence along with the rice fields and orchards." She states as I pluck a red strawberry from its spot in the garden and marvel at how sweet it tastes. 

She tells me how everyone has their jobs to do and gardening is very important as we make our way to a more secluded area through the trees, and I easily spot the large house ahead in a clearing. "Welcome to the Toma house." Jess whispered as I noticed Axel's team along with the others on the large porch at the front and with them there was a dark haired girl I estimated to be my age if not a bit older. "Sang we would like you to meet the Toma teams bird Kayli, Kayli this is Sang." Owen introduced with his millimeter smile as I approached with Jessica following at my side. 

"Whoa when the f*** did stick in the mud Blackbourne start using first names?!" The girl Kayli cracked out and I grinned back, I could definitely see myself liking her. "Since I told him to get the stick out of his a** if he didn't want me to throw him to the hungry beasts below us." I snickered out as she laughed and reached forward to shake my hand and I easily returned the action.

 "I like you, you're not like the other panting little f*** me b****** around here, no offense little Jess!" Kayli called out. "None taken those birds are awful as roommates." Jess grumbled. "I think we'll get along just fine, and maybe you can tell me a bit of dirt on all these idiots." I smirked to the boys gaping at us silently. "Oh, I really like you." Kayli grinned as we all headed inside, as long as I stuck around I had a feeling that this could be a wonderful friendship.