She looks up at me with shock; her eyes appear to be questioning what I just said. But it's true. She is. "Thank you," she says, sounding a bit breathless.
"It's almost dark, we should find shelter. The basement is probably the safest."
"Are you going to be able to walk that far?"
"We don't have a choice," I tell her. We don't. Staying out here after dark is a bigger nightmare than staying out here during the day.
With the remainder of the medical supplies in her hand, she stands up and spins around like she's looking for something. "Which way do we go?"
I nod my head to the left. "This way." We walk silently for most of the way, but she keeps looking over at me like she either wants to ask me something or find out if I'm okay. Probably both. The questions are endless with her.
"Do you think your dad is still alive?" she finally asks. "I mean, I didn't see a body near the flattened shed when we walked by, so I'm guessing he's still alive."
"Yeah, I think he is. He stays inside on food drop day, so he may very well be home."
"Home?" she asks.
"The house adjacent to the basement. That's where he lives."
"But you said he wouldn't go down into the basement. If it's part of his house, than—"
"He won't go down into the basement," I tell her sternly.
She looks forward. Her questioning ends, which makes me believe she's learning when to stop. That's a good thing. "I have one more question," she says quietly.Or maybe she doesn't know when to stop."Do you know why your dad took me?"
I close my eyes and stop mid-step. I would want to know this too. I take her hand and pull her in front of me. "I honestly don't know why he took you. I fought him for that information before the tornado hit. I didn't even know there was anyone living in the shed until I heard a noise while walking by. I saw you in there through a crack and immediately interrogated my dad." I hate the look on her face. Disappointment. She must feel like a rat in a maze with no way out. "The only information he told me was that it was your birthday and your name is Reese. When I saw you up close that day it was when I recognized you from Applebrook. You were the last outside person I saw before I was taken here. I hate to think I'm part of the reason he took you, but it doesn't make sense. I don't have any better answer for you."
She pulls in a shuddered breath and walks forward, away from me. Her back strains as she continues to breathe heavily. Is she crying? I catch up to her and grab her arm, pulling her to turn around. Her eyes are wide and red, but she's not crying. "I'm fine. Let's just get to the basement."
The silence continued until we reached the metal doors of the basement. The sun is completely gone and the moon is large and bright, which has caught Reese's attention. I turn to let her down the steps first, but she's staring up to the sky with a small smile stretched across her lips. I realize now she hasn't seen the moon or the stars in three years. "The only normal thing in my life right now is the sun and the moon," she says.
"I hear ya." I take her by the elbow and tug her down the steps. I flip the lights on first and close the doors behind her. "Stay here for a second." Taking a lap around the basement, I check everything to make sure no one got in. The prisoners know not to come down here, but the caretakers also used to do a much better job of securing the safe area. No one secures shit now. Regardless, most of the prisoners stay out only for the fact that they know what will happen if they're caught. Oddly enough, everyone here fights for their survival, with some kind of fake hope that they're going to get out of this place alive. "Coast is clear."
I grab mom's old mattress out of the corner and drag it to the middle of the floor. I look around for some sheets, but I don't see anything, so I open the closet back up—the one place that kills me to look inside of. There's a blanket on the top shelf, which I grab quickly before closing the door—blocking Mom's scent back out.
"I've got a blanket. It'll have to do," I tell her.
"Sin, I have slept without a blanket for three years. This will feel like heaven."
She kicks her boots off and curls up on the edge of the mattress, folding her hands under the side of her face. She looks content. I wish I could feel content.
I sit down on the floor and lean my back up against the wall. When I let out a sigh of relief after this God-awful day, Reese opens her eyes, looking at me with question. "I don't bite," she says. "You don't need to sleep sitting up against the wall. Plus, you should rest your head."
"I didn't want to assume anything," I say. Some of the times, she seems more mature than I am. Other times, I know she's missed out on everything between the ages of fifteen and eighteen. I want to be mindful of that.
"I think it would be okay if you slept beside me," she says softly. "In fact, I think I might like it if you would."
The way her words sound on her tongue make me question what will happen if I do sleep next to her. Maybe I shouldn't wonder. I stand up and walk over to the mattress, keeping my focus glued on her eyes for any hint of uncertainty.
But there is none of that.
I lie down beside her and she turns over to face me. "Thank you for saving me," she says.
"Thank you for taking care of me today," I tell her.
Her hand loops around my neck as she scoots in closer to me. "You know, this whole thing sucks so much, but there is some good mixed in with it all."
"What's that?" I ask.
