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“So... It was you then.” How she jumped to that conclusion must have had something to do with the look on my face. “You fell in love with her. It wasn’t her chasing after you. Interesting.”

“I’ve kind of...watched her for a while...”

Mrs. Trudy was altogether wonderful. I couldn’t stop talking nor confessing. I kept saying things I shouldn’t but she was so understanding and her tone of voice is so non- judgmental. I couldn’t help it.

“So you watch her and come to earth to save her brother, tell her how you feel and somewhere along the way she falls in love with you too. Well...fancy that.”

I paced in the commons room. If there was carpet, I’d be wearing a hole in the shag. It’d been way too long. I knew I shouldn’t have let her go.

No. She was ok. We should have set a time frame. Sherry was probably doing something stupid, like trying to drag the high school senior class down here for protection.

Oooh. She was in so much trouble. She has to know I’m worried sick about her.

But it’s dark. They wouldn’t intentionally stay out after dark. Sherry doesn’t like the dark, let alone driving in it.

“Hey. They’ll be back soon. Phillip won’t let anything happen to her,” Max said out loud, which was kind of nice.

Makes me feel even more human, though he was reading my mind at the time.

“I know. It’s just...hard...to sit here, doing nothing and waiting and not seeing her every move.”

“You act like she’s your charge, Merrick. I mean, I guess she kind of is now, huh? How in the worlds did that happen?”

I wonder if people ask Sherry this question as much as I get asked.

“It’s complicated. I’m sure you’ve seen it in my head,” I ventured and quirked a knowing brow at him.

“Yes, I have. I just didn’t know if you wanted to talk about it or not. She seems great, in your thoughts. I still don’t quite understand it all, but who am I to judge. Stranger things have happened.”

“True. Though not many,” I joked but Max isn’t fluid with the humor either and it just hangs in the air.

Danny, Celeste, Calvin, all of our little group had been checking the staircase, like me. Even Ryan and Jeff. Not pacing like me, but checking. Everyone trying to look like they weren’t worrying.

Apparently, we don’t have any liars in this bunch. It was all over their faces. Even Mrs. Trudy has come out of the kitchen to peek at the stairs a couple times.

Calvin came to sit by me on the stairs for a while. He sat one step above me so we’d be almost the same height. He didn’t say much, just sat. Peeking up behind us every so often. I guess he was trying to show me he cared for her just as much as me.

It reminded me of Danny as a little boy. Always trying to cross the threshold into manhood, show they can be tough when they need to be.

I watched Max and Trudy and Jeff talk about the store, how it’s run, how we’ll stock it from now on, to keep up our cover. The store is just as important as feeding us. Without it, we’d soon have no income and no cover as to why people would be here. We needed the store to stay running.

I tried to busy myself and not think about Sherry and Phillip, who better be keeping his hands to himself.

I washed clothes, helped with dishes, did an incredibly hard old chipped sailboat puzzle with Calvin, talked to Jeff and Ryan and was tempted to take a nap just to make the time go faster but didn’t. Couldn’t.

I thought about Sherry, sitting in the passenger side of the van, looking out the window. Hoping she’d be thinking of me, but who knows. It was still such a mystery as to why she tolerated me.

I could literally see her sitting on her legs in the seat, twirling a strand of hair, rolling her eyes as Phillip kept glancing over at her, as I knew he would. His intentions were not shy when we spoke earlier.

I tried to stay calm, but I think my clenched teeth just made it worse, more exciting for him.

Oh no. Would Phillip...? No. No way but I was sure he was taking his sweet time bringing her home though.

Humans! Ugh!

Why did I let her go!

What’s Your Business Here?

The long rusted shotgun barrel was inches from my face. There was a flashlight attached to the barrel, blinding me.

“Get up, thief,” she said through clenched teeth to me, motioning up with the gun barrel under my chin.

“I’m not a thief. My van broke down, I promise you. I saw your van here and thought-” but, she interrupted me.

“Thought you’d just take mine, is that it?” she yelled.

“No! I promise. I’m not here to hurt you or steal from you,” I said loudly, hoping Phillip will hear.

“Mmmhuh. So what’s you boyfriend doing in my van then.”

“Just looking for you.”

She came around and poked the barrel in my back, edging me forward towards the parked vehicle. I stumbled my way over the bushes and rocks at we inched closer. I felt something hard poke through my pants leg, scraping my skin, briers were clinging to me.

Once to the open beat up conversion van door I say Phillip’s name, calling him out. I heard him yell something about ‘stubborn girls’ then he emerged and saw the reason I disobeyed his order to stay put. The lights from inside the van were illuminating.

He hopped out swiftly and cockily, jumping all three steps and waited for her to speak.

I couldn’t move, but I forced my eyes up to at least see my attacker’s face before we’re blown to bits. A girl, no a woman. Couldn’t be much older than me.

She was slender and wearing short cutoff jeans and a dirty yellow tank top. Her face was not sweet, pretty but determined and all business. She looked like she might have some Asian in her.

Her night black hair was blowing in the cold evening air and her dirty fingernails were a flag, a warning screaming that this girl has been through a lot.

Was she alone? was she staying in that van? What had she been eating? Was someone here with her?

“What do you to want?” she spat out with the same harshness as with me.

“Van broke down. We just need a jack,” he said coolly.

“Well, I got one. But. Why would I let you use it? You’ll run back to town and tell them right where I am.”

“Who?” I asked.

“Those things! The Lighters. I know you know what I’m talking about. Don’t play dumb with me!” she yelled.

“I’m not. I’m not.” How do you test someone for which side they are on, with a gun in their hands? “Um. We aren’t headed to town. We’re headed home, back past the bridge,” I answered, trying to look up into her face.

“What the heck you doing all the way out there?”

“Hiding. You can come with us...” I could say we were hiding from Keepers if she needed me to.

“Hiding? Hmmm. Lift your shirts.”

I automatically obeyed, knowing what she was looking for, Phillip followed more reluctantly. When she was done searching and satisfied, she nodded for us to put our shirts down.

I know I saw Phillip staring at my bare stomach and bra, since this woman decided to pull my shirt up further to fully inspect.

“We aren’t wearing patches,” I said thinking she must know what I was talking about.

“How did you know what I was looking for?” she stopped mid search to glare at me from under her lashes, her hand still on Phillip’s arm where she was looking.

“Because I had to pull one off a guy. Are you a Special or family?”

She jumped at the word but looked satisfied and settled down, leaning her gun against her shoulder.

“My Keeper is dead.” She scoffed. “Shot by some idiots trying to steal the van. I’ve been out here, alone for weeks.”

“I’m sorry. There are twelve of us. Four Keepers and three Specials.”

“How’s that? Why more Keepers than Specials?”

“We lost some too.”

She sighed, lowering the gun to the ground now and nodded for us to get in the van. She pulled shades of sticks and branches she had stacked and staked up for a blind for the van and tossing them aside. I could only imagine living this way.

She drove us a few minutes what took us hours to walk and Phillip quickly changed the van tire. The Marker story may have been fun for him to hear, but waiting for one to come was another story.

As he finished up I tried to talk some self preservation into the woman, and invite her to go with us.

“I can take care of myself,” she answered for the fifth time.

“Come with us. Please. We’re in a shelter and have room. There will be others coming for you, you now that. We can protect you,” I pleaded just wanting to say at the end of all this I helped save at least one person.

“Well. I don’t know. I-” She kicked at the dirt and rocks under us.

“What’s not to know? Come with us. Please.”

“I can take care of myself,” she repeated.

“I can see that but why not come with us and be with others like you. We take care of each other. Come with us.”

“Yeah, come! We could use some fresh meat in there,” Phillip chimed, grinning.

“Ok,” she ignored Phillip and relented. “But if it’s gets too...weird, I’m out. I can take care of myself, like I said.”

“I know. I wouldn’t have made it a day out here by myself. Thank you. Follow him, I’ll ride with you?”

She and Phillip nodded.

The twenty minute ride that was left wasn’t quiet. The girl told me her name was Marissa and she was only nineteen too, her Keeper had been Miles. Being alone gets to you and she had plenty to say, not being able to talk to someone in so long. When we pulled into the back of the store she looked skeptical but I patted her arm to reassure her.

It had gotten really dark and late and I couldn’t wait to run downstairs and calm the worried Keeper I knew would be waiting for me.

Merrick was pacing by the stairs when I finally pried the door open, not waiting for assistance from Phillip. Merrick exhaled loudly and happily, instantly grabbing me from the stairs, swinging me around in reunion, kissing and squeezing me tightly.

“What in the worlds took so you long? What happened to your clothes? I was so worried,” he only breathed the last part.

“I’m sorry. Flat tire,” I said against his chin. “But...we brought a gift. Marissa?”

The dirty cutoff shorts began to creep slowly down the stairs until we saw her face. She looked scared but defiant too, showing us she didn’t need us and could bolt at any moment.

“Merrick, this is Marissa. Marissa, this is Merrick, one of the Keepers here. Marissa kinda saved us, gave us a jack.”

There was a crowd and Jeff came to the front of the group.

“She’s a Special,” Jeff blurted out, a statement, not a question.

“Her Keeper died. She’s been alone for a while. She helped us fix the flat. The jack was missing from the van. I told her she could come back with us and stay...only if she wants to.” I fixed it when she looked at me.

Jeff and Merrick seem saddened, I realized why.

We heard of death so much, it didn’t seem so drastic to us anymore, but to them... They lived forever and death was scarce. I felt horrible and rubbed Merrick’s back with my hand.

“Well,” Jeff started and cleared his throat. “Marissa, let’s get you situated, shall we? Danny, Calvin, Ryan? Can I get you guys to help Phillip bring in the supplies?”

They head off after Danny flashes me a quick welcome-home smile.

Merrick wrapped his arms around my waist for another hug, lifting me from the floor.

“I’m so glad you’re back. You don’t know what I’ve been going through. Are you ok? You can’t ever do that again,” Merrick said softly.

I didn’t argue or tell him he was wrong because no one else could go. I hadn’t realized how tough it had been. It felt like my stomach had been a knot the whole time and now released. Back with him I felt right again, all uneasiness gone.

Marissa threw me the usual questioned glance at the picture of us hugging intimately. I just smiled sheepishly as Jeff escorted her off.

I was sorely in need of a shower and took a quick one. Long shower meant longer time away from Merrick. Once done I guessed that Merrick, nowhere to be seen, was already in bed, so I practically ran to the commons room and there he was. In the hall, waiting by our room, leaning casually against the wall.

I went in first, in clear anticipation of what was to come, and once the door was shut he grabbed me, pressing me gently against the wall, splaying serious kisses over my face and lips. Just like I had wanted and predicted. I swung my arms easily around his neck, his warm hands clenched around my hips. After a long day without it, the electricity I missed all day was extra strong against my skin. It takes no time at all for me to become breathless and too warm.

I pulled back just enough so our lips aren’t touching so we can breath and speak.

“Hmm. I missed you,” he breathed against my lips.

“I can tell. I missed you, too.”

“Did Phillip behave himself?” Merrick asked, lifting his face from mine for a moment to see my face.

“Yes.” I chuckled. “Surprisingly so.”

“Good.” I assumed he was satisfied that a beating wasn’t in order and he began kissing my jaw. “Anything interesting happen?”

“I saw a Lighter,” he stiffened and I began again. “It’s ok...”

I pulled him down to our makeshift pallet and told him the strained days worth of events, as I laid on his stomach, using it as a pillow while he twisted my hair in his fingers and listened anxiously. Grunting his disapproval at all the appropriate parts.

I must have fallen asleep.

I awoke in the middle of the night without remembering even falling out or how far along I’d gotten in the story. I creaked the door open, trying not to jostle Merrick. He was still asleep, looking irked and worried, even in his slumber. I stared at his face for a while, so comfortable with his warmth around me.

In all the commotion I didn’t get to eat anything for lunch or dinner so I crawled out and tried to be quiet so as not to wake him.

I donned my usual night time attire, a pink camisole and short set, courtesy of Celeste and her gratitude for saving her life. She was constantly gifting me with items from her apparel. She practically brought everything she owed anyway.