Walking Amongst Them (Among Us, Book 2)

The Split

I wasn't sure when I had finally fallen asleep. But I awoke the next morning with cold shoulders, and to the sight of snow falling. I didn't move at first, too warm inside my blanket to want to move. But then a snowflake landed on my nose and I decided the fire would be a better place, not to mention there was a car seat buckle digging into my side. 

When I climbed down from the van, I was greeted by Beck and Sam who were the only ones awake and who were tending the fire. Sam looked over at me, still talking to Beck as he did so, and smiled warmly.

"That's what I'm saying," Sam gestured with his hands a little wildly, "we need to do something."

"What're we talking about? I asked, and plopped down in a camp chair that we'd found, propping my feet up close to the fire.

Sam looked at me again, though this time it was with a serious expression. But it was Beck who answered my question.

"We're wondering if a small group of us shouldn't go on ahead to the quarantine and see if it's even a real thing anymore. And if it is, have that group send back help."

"Why don't we all just move as a group?" I asked, though as soon as I did, I knew the answer.

Sam poked the fire. We were burning random things that we'd found in the cars. It had started with a bag of charcoal lumps and now we were burning random things just to keep the fire going. It was kind of cool watching the flames dance around as snowflakes fell, and I was suddenly glad it was barely snowing instead of pouring down rain.

"Because Michael is getting weaker every moment. I don't have the right stuff to help fix him up and there's only so much generic pain meds will help him," Sam responded, sounding a bit bitter.

"Hence the group idea," I said, looking towards the van where Abby and Michael slept. "Aren't we worried more raiders will come and mess with those who stay behind and wait for help?"

Beck rolled his shoulders, "That's a concern, but right now Michael is a bigger concern. He needs help, help that a good quarantine should have. When this all went down, they made it a point to rescue doctors and engineers, people who would be useful when it came down to survival."

I pulled a leg up to sit on it, and crossed my arms, focusing on the snowfall. It was a few quiet moments between all of us before I spoke up.

"I want to go."

Beck whipped his head around to look at me, "No."

I was about to get mad at him, when Sam grunted, "You're not her father, Beck. She can do whatever she wants."

There was a pause, and then, "I just don't think she should go."

"Why?" I asked, before Sam could get there, feeling as if I needed to do this myself.

Beck made a face and put his hands up, as if he was trying to explain something that we just weren't getting, "Kodi, you can't just go, it's not safe" he said, finally.

"That's not a good enough reason," I shot off.

Sam rolled his eyes at Beck, "Come on man, if you're that worried why don't you just go as well? We all know I kind of can't go."

I was about to ask why, and then I remembered that he was the closest thing to a doctor that we had. Michael needed him.

Beck grunted something I didn't hear, but I didn't care. I was done with his little safety concerns. He didn't do it for anyone else, and I understood that there was something different that he felt towards me, but it felt suffocating. Wrong. Like he was trying to lock me up in a house and tell me that the outside world was dangerous, that I should just stay inside.

On some level, he reminded me of my mother.

I was saved having to continue talking about it when Clarke woke up and joined our little circle. She sat next to me and Sam, looking adorably tired. I smiled at her and she smiled back. I still couldn't help but wonder what Mabel would have thought of our younger sister who had a boyfriend and knew how to work on cars.

I was suddenly grateful that they would never meet.

"I hope it doesn't start to stick."

"What?" I asked.

Clarke laughed, "The snow, Kodi," she said, pointing to the sky as more flakes fell.

"Oh," I nodded, "let's hope it quits soon."

It did not quit, and like Clarke hoped it wouldn't, it began to stick. But as soon as the world had been dusted in a thin coat of white, the sky suddenly dried up and all we were left with was the cold winds that would occasionally rip through our little camp area. We waited until everyone was awake before bringing up the idea to have a group go ahead.

It was Sam who brought it up, explaining that I already planned to go, whether or not anyone came with me. Clarke volunteered at first, but when Abby heard this, she gave a howl and latched onto Clarke's legs, begging her to stay. After that it was pretty much understood that Clarke wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Trish decided to stay with the others, saying that if I was going, she should stay behind. In the end it was Beck, Ben, and myself who would be going. Sam said it was best that the group who was going be small. Plus we had my bow.

We didn't leave right away, though, as we needed to get ourselves prepared for traveling without so many people to spread supplies among. Each of us packed our bags as if we were heading out alone. All of us got some medical supplies, food, and a weapon of sorts.

I wasn't exactly excited to be going out on this mission with Beck after him telling me I should stay, but I was hoping Ben would be a good buffer. We had breakfast, feasting on what canned foods we had and bottled water. Most of the food was going to be left behind for the others, since they couldn't exactly go far to get more.

When we were all packed and ready to go, it started snowing again, lighter than earlier and with smaller flakes. Ben held out his hand to the falling flakes and caught one.

"This ought to be fun," he said, looking at Beck and I as we pulled on our bags.

Beck merely grunted, reverting back to being grumpy, and I smiled as best I could at Ben.

"Where's the map?" I asked, "And how far into this trip are we?"

Clarke stood up from her spot by the fire, hearing me, and walked over. She pulled out the map from her pocket and unfolded it for all three of us to see.

"We're here. The quarantine is here," she pointed at each spot, and then traced a path with her finger, "this is the most direct route, it should only take two more days, if that, to reach it."

She handed me the map, and without considering my actions too closely, I gave her a hug. She was shocked for a moment, long enough that I'd begun pulling away, an apology on my lips, but then she hugged me back. We let go quickly, and when we pulled away, she smiled at me.

"Right then," I said, nodding at her, "you take care of everybody, don't get yourself hurt. We'll be back in four days if everything goes to plan. Six days tops before you guys need to start making your way to the quarantine yourselves. If Michael is too bad to move," I paused here, not knowing what to say.

"If he's too bad to move, you tell him he either moves or he dies. He'll find the strength to get up," Ben said, confidently.

Beck cracked his knuckles, "Right then. It's time. Before we use up any more daylight."

Clarke and I gave each other another quick hug, this one feeling more natural, and then Beck and Ben and I all turned away from our little group, our little family, and started down the road without them.