AN: If I'm going to finish this story the chapters are going to have to get shorter. I don't like writing chapters shorter than 1,000 words but I am going to have to because I have 3 stories in progress on here, plus a Flash Fiction, plus 3 poems. I hope you guys like what I'm writing.
I hoped that the girls had taken the babies and ran. I was firing as fast as I could. Finally, I struck the alien on the left in the head. He went down in a heap about three yards from me. As I swung over to shoot at the other one I realized it was dead. The kid had shot off two of its legs and then shot it through the head.
"Good job kiddo!"
"Thanks. The name's Matt."
"Okay Matt. Let's go find my cousins."
I stepped back through the brush and called out to the girls. Normally I wouldn't yell for them, but after all of that gunfire anyone or thing within 5 miles would know we were here. After we walked a few yards Stella hollered back. They were okay.
"Hey guys this is Matt. He just helped me kill an alien."
The girls peered at the boy in wonder. It had been awhile since we had been near people. The last group we had encountered had been an awful excuse for people. The scar on Stacy's cheek was a reminder not to give my trust to strangers so easily. But I was getting a good feeling from Matt. After introducing everyone I asked him what he wanted to do: travel with us back into the mountains or go home.
"If you'll help me make a skitter necklace, I'll be ready to go home."
"I'm up for that." said Janelle. She had nothing but hate for the aliens. Carving one up into a trophy would be fun for her. As Janelle cut the teeth out of one skitter, I asked Matt about the unit he had been living with. He told us about his dad winning the respect of everyone in Charleston, about how tough the Berserkers and other soldiers of the Second Mass were. He told us about how his mom had died and how his dad had been taking care of his brothers and him ever since.
Stella seemed to be deep in thought as she listened to Matt's stories. As he paused to watch Janelle knotting a piece of cable together to finish the necklace, Stella spoke.
"These people don't sound too bad. Maybe we should try again. The kids need other kids to play with, and we need real homes."
I looked at Stacy. A bright pink scar would always be on her cheek. Could I ask her to trust another group of men with guns? Could I bring myself to trust them?
Janelle had just put the necklace around Matt's neck when we heard shouting. We all crouched down, guns ready. After a few minutes I realized what they were saying. They were calling "Matt" over and over again. I poked my head up over the brush we were in to see if I could see them. I put my fingers to my lips while looking at Matt, hoping that he would stay quiet. I needed to be sure that these were his people.
A dark haired young man stepped into the clearing and I realized that he might be Hal. He had Matt's dark eyes, full lips and jaw. An older man with the same jaw, same hairline and same serious expression followed him. A man with light brown hair that hung about his face came next. Then came a young man, or older boy, depending on your point of view. He also carried a serious expression and what must be the Mason jaw. He would be Ben, the one that the father Tom had rescued from the aliens.
I hid a smile and called out, "You guys are supposed to be soldiers, but here you are, letting a woman with five kids get the drop on you."
