Read Online Behind Our Walls by Chad A. Clark - Free Book Online
Authors: Chad A. Clark
Tags: BluA
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anyone on the road," Lot said, and began heading in that direction with two other people. For the first time, Sophie noticed the revolver he held loosely, tapping it against the side of his leg as he walked.
Lot saw the look in her eyes and followed her gaze down to the weapon as she turned away.
"Sorry if it makes you uncomfortable," he said, "but we need to stay safe out here. We've got families that we're looking out for."
"I know. It doesn't make the sight of them any easier though."
"Sophie, I hope you don't think that—"
"I know that you all mean well. It's just that sometimes it's hard to tell the difference from any other groups wandering around and waving guns around."
She walked off towards Rowen before Lot could respond. He looked up at her and frowned inquisitively, wondering what was bothering her. She shook her head and crossed her arms as she came to a halt in front of him.
"You all right?" he asked.
She ignored the question. "How long do you think we'll stay here? They seem to have their routines down pretty well."
He shrugged, apparently choosing to not press his original question. "Who knows?"
It felt like it had been hours, standing there awkwardly when Sophie spotted Lot, emerging from the grove with a garbage bag full of gas cans. He dumped them out onto the ground and held his hands up to get everyone's attention.
"It's been a while but we need to go out on another run. The RV's are both getting low enough that it's better to stop and try to find more, before we actually do get stranded somewhere."
The crowd seemed reluctant to accept the news. Sophie imagined that it would be getting progressively harder to find the supplies they needed and that anyone volunteering would be signing up for a lot of walking and a lot of time, given up for very little return.
"I know that no one likes to get stuck with this detail, so I'm not going to force anyone," Lot said. "I'd like to send at least eight people out. There's a town a ways off to the west that I think we should check out first."
People were already starting to shuffle up towards the front to pick up a gas can or two. Rowen poked her and nodded off to her left. James and Corrine were making their way towards the group of volunteers. She wanted to run over and grab them, shake them until they came to their senses. She didn't have anyone else left and couldn't lose them on top of everything else. She wanted to do all of these things, but knew full well that there would be no point. They wouldn't listen to anything she had to say.
"What the fuck am I supposed to do?" she hissed at Rowen. He shrugged, his answer clear that there wasn't really anything she could do. They were adults, and had to make their own decisions. She shook her head and spun to march away, not really sure if she was angry at them for risking their lives or if she just felt resentment for being kicked out of their inner circle. It made her stomach clench at the thought, as if she was actively ingesting poison of her own making.
"You've got to let them go," Rowen said. "You could try and stop them, but chances are you'd just end up convincing them to go. I know it's frustrating."
"It's not frustrating, I want to knock their God dammed heads off."
Rowen smirked at the comment. "Yeah, well I understand that too. There's nothing wrong with feeling that way. They haven't exactly been making things easy for you. But maybe being around all these other people will help."
"How is that?"
"Well, there's more around to distract them, more to keep themselves occupied. Maybe they'll forget being pissed at you if they have something else to focus their energy on."
It wasn't the craziest thing she had ever heard. Corrine did need constant socializing, and all this time with just them had to be making her restless. Maybe if things started to go better for them with this group, the both of them would ease up on her a little.
Rowen nodded towards Lot, who still hovered around a pile of
Lot saw the look in her eyes and followed her gaze down to the weapon as she turned away.
"Sorry if it makes you uncomfortable," he said, "but we need to stay safe out here. We've got families that we're looking out for."
"I know. It doesn't make the sight of them any easier though."
"Sophie, I hope you don't think that—"
"I know that you all mean well. It's just that sometimes it's hard to tell the difference from any other groups wandering around and waving guns around."
She walked off towards Rowen before Lot could respond. He looked up at her and frowned inquisitively, wondering what was bothering her. She shook her head and crossed her arms as she came to a halt in front of him.
"You all right?" he asked.
She ignored the question. "How long do you think we'll stay here? They seem to have their routines down pretty well."
He shrugged, apparently choosing to not press his original question. "Who knows?"
It felt like it had been hours, standing there awkwardly when Sophie spotted Lot, emerging from the grove with a garbage bag full of gas cans. He dumped them out onto the ground and held his hands up to get everyone's attention.
"It's been a while but we need to go out on another run. The RV's are both getting low enough that it's better to stop and try to find more, before we actually do get stranded somewhere."
The crowd seemed reluctant to accept the news. Sophie imagined that it would be getting progressively harder to find the supplies they needed and that anyone volunteering would be signing up for a lot of walking and a lot of time, given up for very little return.
"I know that no one likes to get stuck with this detail, so I'm not going to force anyone," Lot said. "I'd like to send at least eight people out. There's a town a ways off to the west that I think we should check out first."
People were already starting to shuffle up towards the front to pick up a gas can or two. Rowen poked her and nodded off to her left. James and Corrine were making their way towards the group of volunteers. She wanted to run over and grab them, shake them until they came to their senses. She didn't have anyone else left and couldn't lose them on top of everything else. She wanted to do all of these things, but knew full well that there would be no point. They wouldn't listen to anything she had to say.
"What the fuck am I supposed to do?" she hissed at Rowen. He shrugged, his answer clear that there wasn't really anything she could do. They were adults, and had to make their own decisions. She shook her head and spun to march away, not really sure if she was angry at them for risking their lives or if she just felt resentment for being kicked out of their inner circle. It made her stomach clench at the thought, as if she was actively ingesting poison of her own making.
"You've got to let them go," Rowen said. "You could try and stop them, but chances are you'd just end up convincing them to go. I know it's frustrating."
"It's not frustrating, I want to knock their God dammed heads off."
Rowen smirked at the comment. "Yeah, well I understand that too. There's nothing wrong with feeling that way. They haven't exactly been making things easy for you. But maybe being around all these other people will help."
"How is that?"
"Well, there's more around to distract them, more to keep themselves occupied. Maybe they'll forget being pissed at you if they have something else to focus their energy on."
It wasn't the craziest thing she had ever heard. Corrine did need constant socializing, and all this time with just them had to be making her restless. Maybe if things started to go better for them with this group, the both of them would ease up on her a little.
Rowen nodded towards Lot, who still hovered around a pile of
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