“Miss Lana, I worked real hard with Mr. Gavin getting some wood for a fire.” I let go of him. He twisted his hands together, flipping his fingers around and fidgeting. “Do you think I can have another treat, maybe?” He reached forward, grabbing onto my hand, driving his point home.
“Sure, sweetie. Stay here, okay?” I turned to make Jim get the treats, but he was gone—Gavin, too. I didn’t want to go into the house and see Maggie on the ground. I couldn’t face Mike without getting upset. But Marcus deserved his treat since he did the work.
I grabbed Marcus by the shoulders and pressed his back against the hut. He faced the road, which had perfect visibility and kept his back covered. I wouldn’t be long, but I wouldn’t risk his life. He nodded up at me as I let him go and turned around.
Pulling open the door to the house, I saw everyone all piled into the small area. Michael held his now-dead daughter in his arms. He cradled her body across his lap, her head resting against his chest. He stroked her hair with his large hand.
Jim and Gabe sat on some boxes in the opposite corner. Jim leaned over and whispered something to him. Gabe nodded in response. Gavin stood near the door, closest to me. He rummaged through a small box of fishing supplies.
“Marcus is hungry.” Everyone’s head jerked towards the sound of my voice. I stepped into the hut and shut the door behind me, making sure Marcus wouldn’t get curious and walk in. “Are we staying the night?”
“I think we should. Scarlet could be anywhere. We’ll search around, then leave first thing in the morning,” Jim said as his eyes cut up to mine.
“Where are we going? We can’t go to Scarlet’s sister’s if we don’t know where she lives. We don’t have anywhere to go now. We might as well stay.” I crossed the room and found the box of chocolates on the top shelf. I fished out a bar for Marcus and one for myself, stuffing them in my front pocket.
“We can’t stay here long. We won’t last a New England winter without heat and water and food. South is the only way we can survive this year,” Jim said with regret in his tone. “You agreed before,” he said to me. Gabe nodded beside him, like they had thought up the plan together.
“We’ll never make it through the larger cities. I was stupid before. We’re all weak and hungry and cold. We have no options left.” To get south we’d have to pass through New York City. I knew from watching enough movies that that would be the worst idea ever. It felt like they were all against me, the men siding with each other. “It would take us months.”
I didn’t want to freeze to death. But I didn’t want to leave Scarlet, either. She could be somewhere close-by. She might need help. We were only in September and the air chilled. In a month or two, we’d be enduring snow storms without anything to keep us safe and warm. The eaters thrived in cool temperatures, too. They’re be harder to kill, faster to run from.
“Right now, we’re waiting out to see if your friend, Scarlet, will come back. They’ll search, but without knowing her motives, it’ll be impossible to find her. I’ll go build a fire,” Gavin said. He put his hand on my shoulder as he passed by me out the door, hobbling.
“I’m going to give this to Marcus. Let me know if you need any help with—you know.” I scurried out of the hut, not wanting to discuss the dilemma of where to go. Squatting in a house felt safer, more secure. But at the same time, I knew we’d be constantly struggling. South sounded great and all, but at what cost—months of travel and insecurity?
I found Marcus right where I had left him, standing with his back to the wall. Tears streamed down his cheeks. When he saw me, he wiped them away fast. He smiled, but didn’t budge.
“You okay?” I asked even though I knew the answer.
“Yeah,” he answered. I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t a compassionate person. I didn’t do well with empathy and making people feel better. I was awkward in that sense. But Marcus was a child who lost his sister and mother. He needed support.
“You want to talk?”
He shook his head hard. He sniffed in. “I don’t talk about my feelings. I’m supposed to only cry in my bed at night.”
My heart squeezed at his words. Who taught him this? “You can cry whenever you want. You don’t have to hold it in,” I told him.
“I don’t want to talk, Miss Lana.” His voice came out quiet, but firm. I didn’t want to push him. I didn’t know him well enough to pry. I figured he was just a child, if he wanted to talk about it, he would.
So instead of annoying him, I decided to divert his attention. I pulled out the chocolate bars from my pocket, waving them around like a golden ticket. He hopped, clapping his hands. I passed one over to him.
“Thank you,” he said with a mouthful. He appeared happier. I broke off a rectangle from my bar and let it sit on my tongue and melt. I pressed my back to the building beside Marcus and stared down the road. The sun began to set behind it, hiding on the other side of the pavement.
When Marcus and I finished our bars, I took his hand and found Gavin near the door, piling sticks and leaves. I knelt down beside him to help. Marcus sat too.
“You ever started a fire before?” Gavin smiled up at me as he positioned the sticks in a triangle formation. They looked like a baby pyramid.
“With a lighter, not with two sticks and some leaves.”
“Want to try?” he asked, holding out the two sticks for me. I shrugged and took them. I had no idea what to do. He held my hand over the top stick, making sure it was perpendicular to the bottom. Together they made a long T. “Twist to cause friction. It’ll heat up. Then we shove leaves to hopefully catch the sparks.”
“Don’t we have flint or something?” I asked as he grabbed the bottom stick to hold it in place. He furrowed his brows, frowning at me. “I watch too much Survivor. But they hit a rock and it makes a spark. You know? It seems easier.”
“Don’t have it around here. Get twisting!” He crossed his legs in front of him and crouched over with his face near the sticks. I put the upright stick between my palms and began twisting it back and forth.
“I’ll tell you when to stop,” Gavin said, but his words were background noise. It wasn’t a smooth stick. So with each spin, a little knob jabbed into my left palm. The skin began to break, rubbing raw, but I wanted to start the fire. I wouldn’t stop until I had a flame.
I spun and spun and spun until my forehead literally sweat. My lower back ached from hunching over the small pit, sharp pains going up and down my body.
“Do you need a break?” Gavin asked. I didn’t answer. I couldn’t risk losing my concentration. I watched the spot the sticks clashed as it turned black and became hollowed. The constant circles hypnotized me.
“There ya go! It’s smoking!”
A white stream of smoke came up from the spot I stared at, swirling near my eyes. Gavin leaned over his feet and stuck a handful of leaves underneath. Then he grabbed some smaller sticks and shoved them around where I continued to spin.
From the edges of my vision, Gavin flipped to his side and blew lightly where the smoke started to emerge. Marcus mimicked Gavin as they whispered. I didn’t understand what they were talking about. About two minutes later, it sparked a small flicker of orange.
“Oh my God!” I yelled as I twisted with my numb arms and hands. I widened my eyes and stared as the fire began growing and igniting. I had done this with my bare hands. I was able to start a fire.
“Don’t stop now! I’m gonna blow ’til it sparks more.” He blew, this time a bit stronger. The smoke trailed right into my eyes, burning them, but I refused to stop. I turned to the side to block the smoke, my hands moving by themselves, second nature now. Marcus must’ve seen my discomfort because he placed a cupped hand around my eyes, crouching beside me.
“You did it!” Marcus yelled.
A small orange flame danced in the cool wind around us. Gavin threw more kindling on top, and it grew even larger. I couldn’t turn the stick anymore, so I dropped them. I fell backwards onto the dirt, my a
rms falling lifelessly beside me.
When I could muster the energy, I looked over at my hands and saw them coated with dark blood stains. Since I wasn’t using my hands anymore, the pain became more real. My palms throbbed like they had third degree burns, white blisters pulsing like a spider tried to birth from them. My shoulder muscles felt non-existent.
“We should give Miss Lana another chocolate bar,” Marcus whispered to Gavin. Gavin chuckled, and I cracked a smile, too. I shut my eyes as I let my body relax. At least we’d be able to boil some water from the lake and fill what bottles we had left.
I sat up, my head rushing with blood. I held my hands over the now foot-tall fire as Gavin shoved dry sticks underneath it, still tending the flame like it was a fragile infant. He smiled at me with pride as I stared, mesmerized by the flames.
“Wow,” Jim said as he emerged from the hut. He flashed me a smile and a thumbs up. Mike walked out backwards. He and Gabe carried Maggie in their arms. Her body looked completely limp; blood dripped off of her to the dirt.
Marcus was in perfect sight. I jumped up before he could notice and grabbed his hand. I tugged him away from the fire, jogging towards the road in an attempt to protect his innocence.
“Want to get some more wood? Maybe we can sneak another candy.” I wiggled my eyebrows. I now had resorted to bribery. His eyes lit up with mischief as we slunk around the side of the building. “I didn’t get to ask you yet, but I wanted to make sure you’re okay. How are you handling your mom’s passing?”
I stopped when we were at the curb and sat down, tugging him down with me. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure we were still in view and then focused on Marcus. Wrapping my arm around his slight shoulders, I tugged him close, both for comfort and warmth. My breath puffed out in little clouds.
“She didn’t pass away though. The eaters, they just ate her, right?”
I nodded, not knowing what to say. It probably wasn’t my place to say much at all, but I didn’t think Mike was in the right frame of mind. And he’d probably say something insensitive to make matters worse.
“It’s still really hard, though. You can cry if you have to. Or get angry. It’s not fair that you had to lose your mom when you’re so young.” I rubbed his upper arm.
“Where’s your mom?” he asked. I didn’t like talking about my past. Yet at the same time, I wanted to help Marcus. He deserved the truth. He was a good kid, who just wanted some attention. If his dad wouldn’t give him some, I could.
“I never met my mom. Or my dad. You’re real lucky you still have your dad.” The trees across from us swayed in the chilly breeze. The houses across the way were shadowed by large oaks and even larger houses. Mini-mansions lined the lake, each with their own boat and dock.
“Yeah…” His voice trailed like he didn’t quite believe what he was saying.
“How are you so brave?” I asked him, staring down at his evergreen eyes. I didn’t think this was a normal response. At eleven, there was no way he could be this understanding. His heart should’ve been ripped out like Mike’s. But he sat beside me, staring off at the empty road calmly.
“My mama told me that she was going to die soon. She promised she’d be in heaven. She didn’t like this place anymore, and she was going to die. She said it. So I guess, I don’t know. I kind of expected it.”
“It still makes it really sad though, right?”
He nodded. “I miss her a lot. But she’s happy. That’s what my grandma said heaven was like. You’re always happy. Mama didn’t like the eaters, and she got mad. But now she’s really happy. Maggie will be okay, right?” His light eyes lifted to meet mine.
“Do you remember my friend Kev?” Marcus nodded, leaning his head against my shoulder. My heart fluttered at his affection. I didn’t deserve it. “He got bit, and then he turned into an eater. It was very dangerous. Well—” I paused, trying to stop my rapid heart from erratically lodging in my throat. “Your sister got bit on the arm.”
“So they have to kill her, right?” His eyes glassed over as he looked down at the cracked pavement. He chewed on his lower lip, his fingers twisting and knotting around each other.
“I, uh, I’m not sure, Marcus. But she’s not going to make it.”
“If she changes to an eater, will she want to kill us?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. I didn’t want to scare him, but he needed to understand the circumstances. It was terrible that he was being raised in this fucked-up environment. But here we were. And we couldn’t change it. He needed to know how dangerous they were so he’d never hesitate on killing should he have to.
“My dad will be sad. Super sad. He loves them more than me.” He looked down as he kicked his foot out, rubbing it across the gravel. He leaned forward and picked up one of the rocks, his feet scraping on the ground. He chucked the pebble across the street.
“Your dad is a strong man, just like you. And he loves you, Marcus. I’m really happy that we’re friends now.”
“We’re friends?” Marcus turned towards me, his eyes wide.
“Of course. I shared my chocolate with you, and we played spies.”
“Maggie wouldn’t even play with us.” He crossed his skinny arms over his chest and pouted, sticking his lower lip out.
“She’s a girl. She liked her dolls more. Listen, you’re going to have to be extra brave for your daddy, okay?” He straightened his lips and nodded, staring up at me. “Let’s get some sticks and go back to camp. You okay?”
“I’m okay.” He nodded a few times.
We walked over to the edge of the lake and found sticks from nearby trees. I piled them into Marcus’s arms. He groaned the whole time, complaining that they poked at him. He had to suck it up since they were the only dry ones around. I carried two larger logs, hoping to make the fire extra high and hot.
When both our arms were full, I realized we had wandered off farther than I would’ve liked. I glanced up after snapping off a limb and didn’t recognize anything. Marcus stood waiting for me near the road.
Behind me a twig snapped. I dropped the log I held onto my foot and pulled out my gun from my back pocket. My toes throbbed, but I remained in position. Mike appeared in the dimming light from behind a grouping of bushes. He strutted forward like he was more surprised to see us than we to see him.
“Daddy!” Marcus dropped his twigs with a crash and darted towards his dad. Long gone was the mature boy. This one just wanted his father.
“Son, I need you to go back to camp, now. Your sister didn’t make it.” Mike’s voice broke at the end. His back faced me as he stared down at Marcus. Sorrow pulsed off him in heavy waves.
“She died?” Marcus asked, still clinging to his father’s waist.
“Yes,” Mike whispered.
“Where are you going?” I asked him from a few feet away. I didn’t want to get closer, for fear of invading their family bubble. But on the same hand, I didn’t trust Mike.
“I’m just taking a walk. I gotta think some things through,” Mike said. He glanced up from Marcus to me with squinted eyes. Dread filled my gut. I couldn’t let him walk alone after seeing him cutting himself behind the hut. He was in no mental state to be left alone. How could Jim have let him leave?
Michael pulled Marcus off of him and bent down so they were at eye level. He kissed his son on the lips and pulled him in for another hug, this one tighter and stronger. He let him go, stood, and then walked in the opposite direction down the dead street. Without a glance behind, he faded into the shadows.
Marcus came to me with questions in his eyes. My nerves shot off. He was going to kill himself. In my deepest of hearts, I knew it. But I refused to let him take the easy way out. I had to step in. But did I have a right to? I didn’t know what t do.
“Run back to camp. Find Gavin and don’t leave his side.” I locked my eyes with Marcus’s to make sure that he understood what I said.
He nodded, then ran behind me towards the very faint light that was the
fire in the distance. Making sure my steps were quiet, I ran in the direction Mike had, following behind. When I caught sight of him, I hid behind a giant oak tree as I watched. I stayed a few steps behind, just enough to keep myself unknown.
Mike stopped, and I did too. I crept behind the side of a house as I peeked around to spot him. Something touched my shoulder. A hand squeezed it. I spun around with my gun raised, ready to kill. I kept my hands steady as my stomach sank. My eyes met Jim’s. He wore a frown on his face, his eyebrows pinched.
“What the fuck are you doing out here alone?” Jim hissed as he too raised his gun. He aimed it past me around the side of the house. He bent down behind me, his side pressing against mine.
“You idiot! You scared the crap out of me.” I smacked him on the chest, as my pulse skyrocketed. It took me a moment to catch my breath. “Michael’s going to kill himself. And I refuse to let him fuck that kid up more. He deserves better.” I pointed behind me towards where Marcus once was.
“How do you know? He seemed all right after we buried Maggie. Not suicidal at all.” Jim peeked around the tree and gestured for me to follow him as we hugged the side of a lake house. Mike was two blocks up, staying on the road. He walked jaggedly, his steps overlapping one another.
“I caught him cutting himself after Margaret died. He tried to ignore it and brush me off. But I’m not stupid.”
“People who cut aren’t always suicidal,” Jim said as he pursed his lips.
“Can you just trust me? I knew someone like him before who cut. And I’m not letting him give up like she did.” At Jim’s cocked head, I answered, “I won’t, Jim. It’s not fair to Marcus. He lost them both, too, and he’s more adult about it than his father.”
“Lana, okay. I’ll help you stop him.” Jim brushed his hand along my jaw. “But if he really does want to die, he’s going to get his way. You know that, right?” Jim’s dark eyes matched the navy sky as they pierced me.
“I have to try.”
The Last Legacy (Season 1): Episodes 1-10 Page 28
