If she’d been staying, she would have put away the food, but as they obviously didn’t care, and she wouldn’t be eating it, she left the bags on the counter. She’d washed the rice pot before leaving, but the otherhad held the rice and bean mixture. The food had been eaten by Caleb and maybe Zack, the dirty saucepan abandoned on the stove.If they keep doing that, they’re going to attract bugs and mice.
Not my problem. I’m leaving. And if they have an infestation, they can move to another house.
With Caleb occupied by another video game, she went to her room and readied her backpack for the morning. Thankfully, she’d done her laundry, so she had clean clothes. She switched off her phone to save the battery and slipped it into an outside pocket, and, after a debate with her conscience, added the lady’s eReader.Okay, I’m a hypocrite. I won’t steal jewelry, but I’ll take books.
Lastly, she tucked a water bottle into the elastic mesh on the side.
Hopefully, she’d get a good night’s sleep. She’d hit the sack as soon as they returned from meeting the new people so she could be up and gone at the crack of dawn. She’d leave a note explaining why she’d left.
I can’t believe they didn’t mention there were Progg in the area.She surmised becausetheyweren’t worried about it, they assumed she wouldn’t be either. They weren’t just chill; they were nuts. They had to be insane to stick around.
She checked the time.T-minus fifteen minutes.She went into the main room to wait.
* * * *
At 6:45 exactly, Zack announced, “Time to go. We can’t be late.” He rubbed the scar on the inside of his wrist.
Regimented much? How could they be late? The people didn’t know they were coming.
To her surprise, all three donned medallions.I guess I’m not in the club and don’t warrant a necklace.Not that she wanted to wear a chunky metal coaster. They were huge. Besides, it didn’t matter. She was leaving. “What does the writing mean?” She didn’t recognize the strange symbols.
“Come on, let’s go. Time’s a wastin’.” Caleb ushered them outside.
Filled with elegant, stately homes, the neighborhood had obviously been one of wealth. Although lawns and landscaping were overgrown with drifts of dead leaves clogging flower beds and piling up against houses and fences, she could tell the homes had been well cared for.
She heard a reassuring chirp of birds, but there were no cats peeking out of windows, no dogs barkingfrom behind fences. Domestic pets had been killed with their owners.
Leaving the development, they exited onto a wide street, and, from there, ventured into a commercial area in the opposite direction from the grocery store where she’d first met them.
“How are we doing on time?” Caleb asked.
They paused while Zack pulled a phone from his pocket. “We’re a little early.”
Chloe shifted anxiously from foot to foot, the hair on the back of her neck prickling. She did not like being outside. As she scanned the street for suspicious movement, her gaze riveted on a bicycle shop.A bike! Why didn’t I think of that before?Every trafficked street and highway had been rendered undrivable due to smashed vehicles. But a bicycle could go around the cars.
Please be unlocked.She sidled toward the shop.
“Where are you going?” Caleb demanded.
“Just looking around.” She flashed a vague gesture.
Sandy strayed in the opposite direction.
“And where areyougoing?” Zack asked.
“The clothing store.” She pointed to a boutique. “You said we were a little early.”
They’d been through an apocalypse. Did anything matter less than fashion? Perhaps fashion was Sandy’s crutch like Caleb’s video games. A way to cope.
“This is like herding cats,” Zack said.
Chloe gave a little tug on the shop door handle. Open! Perfect. She’d grab a bike in the morning and hit the road.
“We’d better go,” Zack said.
“Baby, can’t I take a quick peek inside, please?” Sandy said.
“We can do that later.”
