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Our Story

Clem stood shocked. Once she came to her senses she shouted at the boy holding the gun. "AJ! Put the gun down!"

AJ took his eyes off of the newcomers to look at Clem, feeling hurt at her harsh words. He was only trying to do what they told him. "But they came into the house. I thought they were going to hurt you!"

Luke raised his hands. "We're okay. You can put the gun down now. They ain't gonna hurt us."

AJ looked back to Louis and Violet, then back at Clem before finally lowering the gun in his hands. He stuck it back into his pocket. He ran over to Clem and stood slightly behind her wary of the new people in the house.

Louis gave a sigh of relief as he and Violet lowered their hands back to their sides. "Well, that's one way to introduce yourself."

Violet folded her arms as she turned to Clem. "You always try to get people's heads blown off the moment you meet them?"

Clem walked over towards the group. "Sorry. AJ was told to keep an eye on the house while we were out. He didn't know you'd be with us."

Luke chuckled. "Guess a heads up about who was in the house would have helped. Sorry about that." He looked at the couch. "Why don't you have a seat? You guys hungry?

Louis smiled. "That's nice of you, but are you sure?"

Luke waved them off. "Don't worry about it. We've got plenty and you guys look like you could use it after what happened." He left to go grab two cans of beans from the kitchen cupboard.

During that time Clem had moved to go sit on the couch on the right side of the coffee table, AJ refusing to leave her side. She looked down at him with concern written on her face. "AJ you should probably apologize to Violet and Louis." She whispered to the boy.

AJ frowned. "I didn't know you had invited them in. I thought they were going to hurt us."

Clem nodded. "I know. You did a good job protecting the house, but you should still apologize for pointing a gun at them."

He looked down at the floor. "Right now?"

Clem reasoned with him. "In a few minutes."

AJ nodded. "Okay."

After talking with Luke, Louis moved to sit on the plaid couch opposite of Clem and AJ after taking off his soaked trench coat and hanging it on the back of a chair. Violet joined him, not caring if her clothes were wet. A sour expression was still on her face after having been threatened upon entry. Luke joined them a minute later carrying two cans in his hands. He handed them over to the two teens who thanked him.

Luke laid down on the floor again at the edge of the coffee table, the heat from the fire helping to warm his damp clothes. He turned his concentration to the two kids in front of him. "So what were you guys doing out in the middle of the woods...if you don't mind me asking?"

Louis looked to Violet before answering. She gave him a saddened look. He put the nearly empty can down on the table before replying. "We were actually lucky to be out in the storm, all things considered. We used to live at a school not too far from here." He pointed out the window. "Back that way a bit."

"So, what happened?" Luke asked curiously. "You said lived, right?"

Clem was also curious as to where these two had come from. She kept looking between Louis and Violet trying to piece together their story. For one they didn't seem like the type to just be out in the middle of the woods, alone and together.

Violet scoffed as she put down her can. "Some child-snatching assholes showed up! That's what."

Louis tried to reason with her. "Come on Vi. It wasn't like..."