3
Mickey could hear the crickets chirping. In Chicago, crickets are rarely heard. Mickey could see all the stars above was bitter-sweet and wrong because city lights should be getting in the way of seeing the constellations. He blinked away and lowered his face back to the fire Lip had flames warmed his skin, made it almost too hot. He scooted back, arms draped around his arched knees are stared blankly at Veronica's bubbling marshmallow. She had been roasting one right after the next for a half a bag now. Not eating a single one. The woman hadn't even really spoken since curling out of herself and nodding a greeting at Mickey. Clearly, she'd been through hell and was barely holding herself together. Shutting off because whatever happened, it had been too much. Mickey watched as the woman scratched at the air around where her leg should be. Saw the tear inching down her cheek. She didn't wipe it off, just kept staring at the fire.
"Vee?" Fiona, who sat beside this woman, reached a hand out and clasped her shoulder. She received no response. Frowned and let her arm fall back into her overalled lap with a sigh.
Mickey licked his teeth and went to watching his feet. All day he had been at this camp, arguing with Fiona, ready to throttle Frank and Sheila, hearing the details from Lip. Details that Mickey wished were bullshit. But it was true. Somehow, this was happening. And the government hadn't even bothered warning anyone, explaining, or trying to fix it. They'd simply barged into the city and took out more than half of the population. Mickey asked Lip earlier how many people had managed survival, and if any besides their group, where are they hiding. To which Lip said he had no idea, and why should he. Had this happened everywhere, Mickey pondered, chewing his thumb. He'd stopped talking with Lip hours ago. Had simply been nearly as quiet and kept to himself as the one legged woman beside him.
He didn't understand any of this. No one did, he supposed.
According to Lip, even he hadn't known what the hell was happening when he fled the detention center. Just ran on instinct and fear. Picked up glances of information along the way. By some miracle, he'd run with an unconscious Mickey toward the shoreline and happened upon some of the Gallagher family, who filled Lip in. Not planned. Just that Lip figured the shore was a safer bet. That was, once he'd seen a decomposing figure ambling out from behind a building, gnawing on a finger as it approached.
"She didn't look like she could swim," Lip had said over a shared cigarette, "so I figured having a bed of water to my back was the best shot in the dark."
Like Mickey, Lip had been locked away for the four weeks of hell Chicago had been undergoing. Also like Mickey, Lip woke up to the S.W.A.T team shoving a gun in his face. He'd gotten out probably only minutes before Mickey. Had been hiding behind a dumpster outside the gate for a clear coast. He'd attacked Mickey for obvious reasons.
"I didn't know if you were going to take a bite of me," Lip had smirked, "or shoot me between the eyes."
Upon recognizing Mickey's jumper as matching the one Lip had since shed, the Gallagher boy made a snap decision to drag Mickey with him. Had figured he would need help.
Sheila's voice dragged Mickey from his thoughts. She was asking about her daughter again. When the group was going to go out searching for this Karen person who Mickey didn't give two fucks about.
"Soon," Fiona told Sheila, giving the older woman a weak, reassuring smile. "We'll try it in the morning," she said. Then lowered her eyes, relaxed her face into worry, and said, if mostly to herself, "We'll try again."
In a low rumble, like a revving engine, came Veronica's first words to Mickey's ear. His eyes bugged and he turned to stare at her as she slowly began a cackle. One that would certainly attract unwanted attention from whatever was lurking beyond the sand; whatever was creeping the Chicago streets. Mickey skewered up his face. He'd yet to catch more than a distant sighting of these sure as shit didn't want a close up. Baring his teeth, he readied to tell the woman to shut her trap. But she stopped laughing before he could get the words out. And she shook her head, threw her stick and marshmallow into the fire. Pivoted to glare at Fiona, and threw her long arms out to wave around them. "Try again?" Veronica hissed. She smacked the ground where her leg would be. "Oh yeah, Fiona," she laughed hatefully, tears starting up again, "because it went so beautifully the least time! I lost my Kevin!" She bellowed, growling in frustration. At the same time she broke into a fit of sobs. Held herself and tried to hide her crying face. "I lost my love and my leg!" she said. "I ain't going back out there again for nobody! The only person I cared about is out there munching on brains!"
And so proceeded Fiona and Sheila's failed attempt to quell the woman. Mickey sucked his lip and hurled himself to his feet. Spit by his bare foot and dug a smoke from his pocket. He'd thankfully stollen a pack off a kid just before being thrown into solitary. Puffing on it, he turned and began walking away. He saw Lip's attention go instantly to him. Heard Lip's feet kicking back sand as he jetted after Mickey. Mickey didn't make it but maybe twenty feet before Lip's hand fell hard on his shoulder and twisted.
Mickey jerked his body away from the other boy's grasp. Cigarette bit between his lips, he flared, "Aye! Get the fuck off me!"
Lip held his hands up in surrender. His face was a mixture of desperation and anger. His eyes held reason and determination. Even though Mickey wanted to get away from this situation, he truly had no idea where he'd been walking. So he stared back, breathing heavy. Sucking down his cigarette fast. He watched Lip's eyes dance and couldn't look away.
"Where are you going to go?" Lip asked, shrugging his shoulders sarcastically. "You need us as much as we need you," he stated. "We don't know what's even out there! There's strength in numbers."
Mickey snorted and rolled his eyes. He glanced off at the lake. Rubbing his lip, he said, "My fucking family is out there. I have to find them. That's what I know! I don't give a fuck about you people."
A look of understanding washed Lip's face. "I get that," he said. "My brothers and kid sister are still out there somewhere," he continued, swallowing hard. "Tomorrow, when we go out, we'll see about your family, too."
"Not good enough," Mickey said fast, shaking his head. He met Lip's eyes. "Thanks for not leaving me by that dumpster," he said, "but I ain't waiting around. I'm going out there and finding my family. Tonight." With that, Mickey threw down his cigarette, gave Lip one last soul searching stare, and turned heel. Leaving Lip to stare numbly at his retreating back.
NOTE: FYI I changed the direction I was going with this, so after this chapter the pacing and setting will be different. Don't worry, I'll tie it all in!
