Humanity [4]

Chapter Three

Anna watched Ginge curiously as they sat together by the window, overseeing the others loading the cars. Ginge's face was quietly calm, but Anna knew that she must be hurting badly on the inside.

Their family unit had always been big. They were used to being around their cousins and uncles and aunties, plus grandparents. Then within their own house, there were the six of them; Anna, Ginge, Jack, Kerry. Their parents. Anna was finding it hard to adjust to their family size being sliced in half now that Kerry was gone too.

But Ginge had known Kerry the longest. She'd played big sister to her - and all of them - their entire lives. Ginge had been the one putting plasters on Kerry's scraped knees since she was a toddler. She was the one who cooked a separate meal for Kerry each night because she was a fussy eater. She was the shoulder that Kerry cried on when she went through a horde of young loves.

Anna had loved Kerry, but Ginge raised her.

"Are you sad?" Anna asked Ginge tentatively.

"Yeah, I'm sad. But not just sad...angry. At myself mostly."

"Why?"

Ginge took a deep breath. Anna waited patiently, but Ginge didn't say anything. She wondered if she should leave Ginge to her thoughts. But when she shuffled to the edge of the sofa, Ginge sighed again and Anna took that as a sign to stay.

"I should have listened to you," Ginge said after a long time. Anna cocked her head to the side, not knowing what she meant.

"Ginge?"

Ginge's eyes were filled with tears. "You told us about the Piggy Man. Long before anyone was killed, you told us about him. Before Joe and Megan and Luke told us about him. And I didn't believe you."

Anna didn't say anything. She knew that Ginge was right on some level, but she was also smart enough to put herself in Ginge's shoes. None of what she'd told her from her nightmares had seemed realistic. And the fact was, no one wanted to believe that the Piggy Man was real. They already lived in a world where the dead wanted to kill them.

It was another story when the living turned against them.

Ginge wiped at her eyes and Anna stayed quiet. She felt like anything she said might hurt Ginge further. After the things Anna had seen, she didn't want to share her nightmare any more. She didn't want to burden it on Ginge. It was over now. The worst had happened. They'd lost one of the most precious people in the world.

But the previous night, Anna had slept without nightmares for the first time in months.

Ginge took a deep breath and then she was herself again. Anna always marvelled at how Ginge seemed able to switch her feelings on and off. Maybe it was a trait as the eldest sibling. She'd learned to have enough strength for all four of them. Except now, they were down to three. Did Ginge feel a weight off her shoulders? Now that she had less to lose, would life be easier to handle?

Somehow Anna didn't think so.

"You need to be good while I'm gone. Keep an eye on Jack. Do as Poppy and Charlie tell you, okay? They'll keep you safe," Ginge said, her hands on Anna's shoulder. "And when I come back...we'll talk properly." She paused and pain flooded her eyes. She winced. "Anna...I'm so sorry for the things you saw last night. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

Anna's eyes widened. "It's okay, Ginge. I'm a big girl now."

***

The Fox's senses were alert. He didn't feel quite as foxy as his usual self, but he felt better now that he was back at the house. Now that he and Sam were friends again.