Page 25 of Such a Feral Little Lamb
Mason asks what I remember from before the outbreak. What’s my first memory? What was my favourite animal as a child? What did I want to be when I grew up? I don’t know half the answers, but I reply anyway.
“Chocolate milk?” Mason says as we approach the churchyard. The sun has just about set, sky darkening overhead. When I glance up, I see Emma lingering by the church doors. “Too sweet for my tastes.”
“What did you like to drink as a child, then?” I ask.
Of course I haven’t forgotten seeing Mason last night. Or him running off when we first arrived. But it’s easier to compartmentalise than risk asking and angering him, and if we’re on friendlier terms when I eventually do ask, he might answer.
“Orange juice.”
I huff a laugh. “And that’s not sweet, is it?”
Mason stares at me. Specifically, at my mouth, and I swallow my smile. His lips curve up when he looks away. “I’ve tasted much sweeter.”
The back of my neck heats, though I don’t know why. Men have said worse to me, and I’ve reacted less than this.
Emma frowns when we reach the church. “It’s almost full dark.”
“We’re safe enough,” Mason says with a shrug. He pats me on the shoulder. “Isaac dealt deftly with the only threat.”
Her entire body tenses. “Threat?”
“One zombie,” I say, turning my bat in my hand. I cleaned it after we were sure no others were coming.
“It’ll need cleaning up tomorrow,” Mason adds. “Someone will be available for that, won’t they?”
“Yeah, of course,” she says, still eyeing me with some confusion. Did she not expect we’d be able to kill them? As strange as this town and its zombies might be, they go down the same as anywhere else.
“Come on.” Mason puts his hand on my lower back to guide me into the church.
The others are all up by the altar, Callum sitting on a pew, half-watching them. Autumn is asleep next to Rae, who is sitting on her sleeping bag and chatting to Otto. Blake paces, coming to a stop when he sees me walk inside.
Dane… Where’s Dane?
A couple of the other townspeople head for the door in the vestibule. One puts his hand on it to hold it open for the woman before him and I see a flash of blue near his wrist.
“Is that where you all live?”
“It’s the safest place,” Mason says conspiratorially. “Though sometimes some of the others stay in the town if they want some space.”
“You too?”
Something complicated crosses Mason’s face. “No,” he says finally. “I stay here all the time.”
“Isaac!” Rae stands and beckons me over. I give Mason a nod before I move away and let her visually check me over. I know I’m not injured, and she quickly realises it too. “All good?”
“Saw one, but I had to kill it. Hopefully, they’ll let us all out there tomorrow now that they know we’re not going to get ourselves murdered.”
“They know that, do they?”
My shoulders tense. Dane. I don’t like that I didn’t hear him coming. Then again, I’m exhausted—I haven’t slept since the night before last. The sleeping bags look so inviting, but I need to wash up first.
“Yeah.” I keep my tone as light as possible. The sooner I deal with his mood, the sooner I can clean up and go to sleep. Someone else can take the first watch.
Whether the zombies can get up here or not, we’ll deal with it. I’ll deal with it better if I’ve had some sleep.
“You killed some, then?”
“Just the one.” I turn to face him. He’s too close, has to look down at me at a strange angle. I don’t let go of my bat. “Maybe we can all take a look tomorrow.”
