Genesis

Chocolate and Potential Murder

     I saw Kit whispering in Danny's ear behind the grey tables, watching as Danny's eyes widened before he doubled over and they both burst out into bouts of laughter. I told myself I should've been quieter as their wheezing came to a sudden stop the moment they saw me approaching.

     "Hey, Quinn," Danny smiled at me, trying to suppress his laughter from earlier

     "Hey, Danny, Kit," I replied, keeping down a giggle of my own, "What's so funny?"

     Danny bit his lip as he and Kit exchanged a knowing look.

     "Nothing," Kit replied with a grin, "Nothing at all."

     I looked between them, "Alright, keep your secrets to yourselves. Just give me some food while you're at it."

     "Of course," Kit told me, opening a new can of corn and scooping half onto a paper plate, "And, Quinn, do you mind if I ask you something?"

     "I don't mind," I told him.

     "So... we saw you hugging Dorian just now. But then he walked away and... We just wanted to know how he's doing," Kit mumbled, handing me the plate of corn.

     "He's okay, he's back to himself," I replied briefly, "He just needs to clear his head a bit more."

     Danny and Kit nodded understandingly. 

     "Here's a water," Danny said, handing me a bottle.

     "Thanks. Also, have you guys seen Xander?"

     "Kavinsky? Yeah, sure, he's over there," Kit told me, pointing somewhere to my left behind me. I turned to see him sitting and talking with Mayanna.

     "Thanks again," I told them. They waved briefly as I turned away.

     Mayanna was the first to notice me approach.

     She grinned, "Haven't seen you in forever!"

     Xander's head snapped up. 

     "Quinn!" he exclaimed, shooting to his feet, quickly enclosing me in a bear hug. I couldn't help but grin at his bubbly excitement.

     "Hey, Xander," I greeted him as he came to stand in front of me.

     "Why don't you sit with us?" he asked me. I decided to take the seat next to his. That was the first moment I took to look around myself, noticing something peculiar. Everyone around the campfires, their faces were contorted in such an unfamiliar way that it took me a second to recognize; they were smiling. Laughing, even. I thought back to the days before when they whispered and sat around in almost complete silence, a greyish feeling falling over the entire camp. The change seemed almost impossible.

     "Hey, is it just me, or is everyone... weirdly happy?" I asked them.

     "Right?!" Mayanna exclaimed, hitting my shoulder, "I haven't seen everyone this happy since Dorian announced that Grasshead was dead."

     Xander let out a chuckle, and I thought back to Grasshead's death, the pool of blood glinting in the darkness. I thought of Colt, looking around suddenly to find that he was nowhere in sight. I exhaled, releasing the anxiety that had gathered in my chest.

     "So, Quinn, how was your adventure into the outside world?" Xander asked me with childlike anticipation.

     "It was okay."

     Mayanna laughed, "Just okay?"

     "Pretty much," I replied.

     "Did you see any ragers ?" he asked me, his face lighting up once more.