Walking Amongst Them (Among Us, Book 2)

Plans

Fallen dead leaves were scattered about the floor. Papers that had probably been important to running the business at one point were strewn about, some of them damp and the ink too smudged to read. The store didn't offer much, it had been ransacked too many times to be of much use now.

I wondered what would happen in ten years from now, when most things- houses and stores alike, looked like this. Would people start to die of starvation? I was wandering through the store as the others brought in the blankets for the night. I found myself walking right up to the spray painted message on the wall.

Instructions on how to get to the quarantine. They were easy enough, but by the way they were written, it seemed like we'd need to go on foot from here on out.

"It's about three days on foot from here, according to that," Beck said from behind me.

I couldn't help the little jump and intake of breath as I'd been startled. I hadn't realized that anyone was in the back of the store with me. The fact that he'd been able to sneak up on me made me edgy, like I wasn't on guard well enough.

"I still want to go. Regardless of how we get there," I said, my words surprising me a little bit.

Until I'd said it, I was unsure about my choices. Didn't even really consider that I had any. But as I said it, I realized that I did. That I would need to decide on my own, for myself, what my next steps were.

I only hoped the others would feel the same way. And wasn't sure about what I would do if any of them decided to go a different way with their survival. It made me wonder just how long a group of our size could survive like we were.

Beck was quiet for a moment before he responded. His eyes were glued to the instructions on the wall. "Well, we're still friends, right? I go where you go, Kodi."

He glanced over at me and offered me a smile. I reached up and touched the cord of the necklace he'd given me. It had once belonged to his mother, and he'd given it to me thinking there was a future between us. I started to tug on it, to take it off and offer it back to him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, eyes on my hands.

"I don't think it's right that I wear this, I think you should have it back."

Beck shook his head and put his hands up to stop me, "keep it. I like seeing someone else where it. Besides, it's not impossible... us. Is it?"

I licked my lips, unsure of what to say in this moment. But as I looked at him, I saw my friend. I saw someone who made me feel safe and happy and cared for. Wasn't that what people looked for in partners? He was watching me with an open expression, waiting on my answer as if there wasn't a wrong answer.

I would be lucky to have a guy like Beck. He might be a little rough around the edges, but he had a good heart at core.

"No," I finally said, "I don't think it's impossible."

He smiled then, and I wondered if I had just gone and said the wrong thing. What if my heart never caught up to his, and left him stuck in a stage of hope? I tried not to think about this as I smiled back at him, lowering my hands from the necklace.

He gestured at the instructions, "three days could be a long time in the cold."

"But it might be worth it, if we find the quarantine and are able to breathe for a minute."

"You wouldn't stay at the quarantine?"

I shrugged, "I can't say what I'll do in the future. All I know is right now, that's where I'm headed. If we get there and it feels wrong, maybe I'll leave. Or maybe it'll be like the compound and I'll find a home."

He nodded. I could hear someone approaching, so I opted not to answer. Sam came into view a few seconds later.

"Hey guys since there's only one entrance to the store we decided there really only needs to be one person on watch. Also we got all the blankets piled in the back corner next to the drink freezers," he said, looking between the two of us, "is everything alright?"

I nodded at the same time Beck offered to take first watch. Sam raised an eyebrow but decided to not comment on whatever he was reading into the situation. He just smiled and crossed his arms.

"Sounds good."

*
*
*

Despite the blankets, the floor of the store was tile, and cold. I spent the better part of the night tossing and turning, pulling my blanket closer to my body in attempt to get warmer. It didn't help that the floor was also hard and not easy to sleep on.

I missed the beds. The easy way of living that we'd had at the church. I wanted to confront the boys, ask Adam and Ben what had really happened. But knowing wouldn't change the now. I turned again, opening my eyes briefly to find that Beck was still watching the front doors diligently.

The others had fallen asleep ages ago, and by the time I found myself drifting off, the sun had started to rise. The others let me sleep as long as they could. Beck must have said something about how terrible my night had been, because when I woke it was to Abby poking my cheek as I lay under a massive pile of blankets.

"Abby!" Michael whisper yelled at her, "leave Kodi alone right now," he was saying.

He scooped his sister up into his arms and walked her away from me, but as I yawned and stretched out my legs, I knew I wasn't getting back to sleep. I waited a few moments, hoping Michael would think I'd woken on my own and that his sister had had nothing to do with it, and then I sat up.

I made a show of rubbing my eyes and yawning again, but I guess Michael saw right through me because he grimaced and apologized. I shrugged.

"I needed to get up anyways," I said.

"Yes, you did," Trish said, from across the room, "we need to discuss what we're doing."

I sat up more and pushed the blankets off of my body until I could stand up without tripping and falling over. I started folding the blankets at my feet for nothing better to do. Everyone was either standing around or sitting around. Even Beck who had stayed up all night was awake and messing with a bit of string.

"Right," Adam said, "so according to the wall over there, we need to start walking from here."

Clarke got up and started to help me fold the blankets, I offered her a smile.

"Does anyone not want to go to the quarantine? Because if so, say it now. Because I want to get walking while it's still daylight and we can find somewhere else to sleep for the night." Trish said, bluntly as she cleaned her nails with a pocket knife she'd found on the floor behind the register.

Nobody said anything about not wanting to go, and Clarke looked to me. "If you're going, I'm going. You're the only family I have left right now. Besides, my mom and brother might be at the quarantine. Who knows."

I smiled at her. I didn't know how to respond, but she must have understood because she simply smiled back.

"Yeah, that's sweet and all. What about the rest of you. Are we all in?"

Everyone nodded in agreement, and it came down to Michael as he watched his little sister play with the one doll they'd salvaged from the church. She was mumbling to herself as she played in her world of make-believe. He looked away from her, to Trish and the rest of us.

"We'll go too. Three days can't be all that bad, right?"