Red Spider Lilies [TPN]

Chapter 2

"Emma, did you hear about what happened downtown?" Ray said. I shake my head no, curious. "I heard that one of the soldiers shot a kid."

"Ray!" Norman yells. "Dont say those things, you know what mom says."

"Psh, who cares what she says. It's my right to spread the truth about what's happening, especially if it's in town."

I roll my eyes and walk away as the 2 begin to bicker, Ray being the one with the sharpest tongue. Those 2 have been at each others throats lately, which is strange.

I kneel down and look out the window. Over the years less and less people walk the streets during the day, and even less at night.

Sighing, even we don't go out much anymore. Mom says it's to keep us safe. She says this more to me because I'm "A young lady now" as she would say. I dont even know what that has to do with anything.

The clock in the hallway is ticking away; 4:30 it says.

"I'm so bored." I lay my head onto my arms and rest on the window sill. The wind blows through my hair.

I have a bad feeling in my stomach.

---

"You know, I haven't beat you at rock, paper, scissors in forever." I smile as I lay on a hay stack.

"It truly is the end if the world." He sighs in defeat. "Fine, I'll do it. Go make yourself useful somewhere else."

"Like outside-ooh, show I get firewood?"

Ray stops, his back to me as the bird hangs upside down. "Er... I don't think you should. You know, it's not safe for you."

I hum and look away, the excitement in my face does too.

"Oh, okay."

I turn around and leave him to make us dinner, heading straight towards the ladder.

When I get to the top, I see what I always see when I get up here: an open wall, old junk, and hay.

"Maybe I can look for things here. Don't know what but you never know."

I spend about an hour and half before I finally get bored with this pointless task I give up and end up sitting on an old car tire, facing the open sky. I feel so tired. I start thinking.

Today, thankfully, I found a friend, food, and another shelter.

"Yet I'm still in the same hellish position." I sigh. "War."

I stare up and there's nothing but a dark gray sky. It's so dim it feels like it's the end of the world. Like, the World world. But in reality it's only the end of ours.

"Emma, get down here!" Ray calls.

Quietly, I get up and stare at the sky one last time.

"I hope help comes soon." I whisper as I take a breathe. "On my way!"

---

"So why did you call me down here?" I ask. "Do you need help with something?"

Ray glances at me quickly before looking away. "I do need help with something." He hands me a wooden spoon. "I am boiling this damned thing and I need you to watch over it while I go look for something to give it flavor. Maybe a side dish if I'm lucky."

I take the wooden spoon and stare in confusion. Is he serious? All I really cared about was getting something in my stomach, I wasn't particularly worried about it tasting good.