"Who do you think that person was?" Caleb asked.
"How am I supposed to know?" James replied.
Their voices echoed throughout the institution. Caleb unmounted his angle-head flashlight from his backpack strap and held it within his tense palms. The first couple of ceilings were completely broken apart and nearly missing. He pointed the flashlight upwards as subtle drops of water miraculously dripped down from a couple of stories above. He just hoped it was water to say the very least. From the looks of the marble white building on the outside, one would never guess that the inside of the construct was in complete disarray. It contained a musty smell that reminded you of a dried up fish tank. The large interior felt almost as if it possessed its own atmosphere. Despite being indoors, it was a lot chillier, darker, and the overgrown mold and plants still felt like its own habitat. Vines hung lifelessly from the ceilings and small birds sang as they flew around.
To their left was the east wing's entrance. The doorway was blocked off by a wall of debris, and so was the main lobby. Just behind a large desk was literally a mountain of debris that blocked off the path that continued towards the opposite end of the building. The debris and garbage piled up enough to block off elevators and decimated the escalators that were behind them on each side. James desperately searched for a way around it, and although it could be predicted by anyone, it was impossible to find. Unaware of his surroundings, a large piece of debris fell from above and crashed to the floor about six feet away from him.
"WHOA!" James shouted as he jumped back in fright.
His yell echoed loud enough to grab Caleb's attention, who was focusing elsewhere. Completely taken by surprise, he walked out from behind a corner that extended into another area.
"Everything okay?"
James shined his light upon Caleb's figure and looked back at the rubble scattered on the floor, stunned by what could've been his life. For others, it wasn't a surprise to almost die, especially when you risked your life almost everyday, but getting crushed by excess ceiling was never a common thing.
"Uh, yeah," he looked back up, trying to get a good sight at where the fragment could've fallen from, but his light wasn't powerful enough to extend that far, "That almost crushed me."
"So why are you just standing there?" Caleb asked. His voice faded as he walked back deeper into the west wing and behind another set of walls, "Waiting for another one?"
He was getting used to Caleb's dry sense of humor, and it took him a while to realize that he didn't always need to give a response. However, half of the time when James didn't answer, it was partly because Caleb usually made unarguable points. James softly scoffed and followed Caleb into a thin corridor with only one flickering ceiling light. The corridor held three entrances, two on the left wall and one to the right; just opposite the furthest entrance on the left. Passing the first entrance, James walked straight ahead and turned left into the second passage. Caleb vanished into the first.
According to the signs and charts on the walls, James had entered a theater room. Opposite across from where he entered, was an exit. But before exiting, James took a moment to examine the area. The room was scattered with a few benches, some turned over and some completely broken. James walked over to a sturdy, moderately clean bench and got comfortable. He took off his cap and rested it in his lap, combing most of his oily strands back by running his fingers through. He absentmindedly fiddled with the intruding, tall weeds beside him, and he could hear the overlapping laughter and chatter of children and families. He saw himself among them. Somewhere in the corners was Sid, possibly not as big of an asshole as he was. As one thought led to another, James got flashbacks of Lauren and her laughter. He believed that if he showed her more appreciation, he wouldn't have felt so guilty about her not being around. He gulped and rubbed his pants, drying his sweaty palms after realizing he was clenching the edge of his seat so hard. The present life was a nightmare, and the past was a vision James fantasized about endlessly. Although it might have sounded inhumane, James considered the deceased people of the past lucky for not making it into this mad world. On some occasions, he wished his were one of them. Being on the run was tiresome and it just felt good to just relax. Moving his feet around, James' foot tapped a nearby brick. Reaching down, he picked it up and stretched back until he was able to safely secure it inside his backpack. He stood up and decided to make it out of the other entrance in the room. Unbeknownst to him, the path led into the same area where Caleb neighbored.
Caleb carefully watched his step as he tread over the debris and garbage on the floor. Out of the white and moss colored wastes, a colorful piece of crinkled paper reeled in his attention. Stepping over what appeared to be an overturned table, he bent over and picked up the paper. Shaking the dust off of it, he read the large font listed on the front,
"New York State Museum…" he read, briefly taking his eyes off the paper and staring aimlessly at the dark.
He suddenly became intrigued and picked his head up. Some of the exhibitions were either severely destroyed or covered in piles of junk. And even though the west wing was a lot more spacious, the path to the other side was completely blocked off—some exhibitions being part of the blockade. Making a full 360 turn like an awestruck child, Caleb turned to spot James walking out from the other end of the theater room.
"...Oh," he jumped, giving an exhale of relief, "It's just you."
Deluded by his previous thoughts, James glared at Caleb. Being discreet as he could be, he reached for his back pocket and rested his palm on his pistol. Since Caleb couldn't get a good view from the positions they stood, he watched James suspiciously. James had a hollowed-out look on his face—his gaze was enough to send chills down Caleb's spine, and his wide eyes glistened as he gave a nervous gulp.
"...What?" Caleb whispered. But James didn't answer, "James?"
James blinked a couple of times from the call of his name, almost as if he were broken free from a trance. Backing away, he drifted further into the west wing. Caleb glanced around repeatedly, thinking he was trying to be warned of something behind him. Once he noticed nothing was around, he took cover by the wall that separated him from the theater room and he peered at James' back as he walked deeper into the west wing. He watched his every move.
Little light shined in from the walls and windows at the far end of the exhibition room, but their flashlights were still of value. James stopped walking and stood across from a six foot model of a strange animal with monstrous tusks.
Caleb stepped out from behind the corner and slowly walked towards James. He buried his hands in his pockets and hunched up his shoulders like the introvert military student he possibly was back in preparatory school. Stopping about four feet away from James, he looked straight at the model. The atmosphere, without question, turned really awkward. Nothing was worse than feeling discomfort in a secure area, it contradicted the entire purpose of feeling safe. Caleb looked down at a damaged sign on the ground in front of the model. Making out the words, he repeated it aloud,
"Prehistoric wilderness," he looked back up at the model, "Hm, what's that suppose to be?"
He looked over at James, hoping that the educated ex-soldier would enlighten him. He looked away after a long pause, presuming that he wouldn't answer. Although Caleb took a lot of pride in his street smarts, he had to admire James' intellect. Unlike him, James took the advantage to read a lot of non-fiction.
"It's a mastodon," answered James.
"Looks gnarly, I'd totally ride that thing," Caleb commented, "Quit knowing everything."
James gave a light chuckle, flattered by his half-assed compliment,
"It's written on the wall," he shook his head and walked off.
"Oh…"
James looked beside the model of the animal, and approached a large table that resided a couple of feet away. On the table was a pile of gigantic, dusty, old bones (fossils). Bulleted to the front of the table was an image of the model that the fossils were supposed to be in, which disappointed both of the boys. James let out a heavy sigh and looked at the pile of fossils in complete disappointment.
"People have no respect for the past," Caleb groaned as he circled the table. He stood across from James and they briefly looked at each other.
"I go AWOL, almost get killed, hitchhike with a Firefly, make it to Albany and I still haven't seen anything worth seeing yet," he sighed and leaned on the rusted railing that bordered the table, "If that's the case, I'm better off patrolling inside the quarantine zone."
Caleb fell sheepish during that moment. He painfully processed James' rant of horrors and understood that 'Firefly' stood for him. He was officially apart of James' nightmare and he didn't want to symbolize that, let alone leave that kind of mark in someone's life.
"Anyway, let's find a way out of here and get to Harrisburg...I can't be with you any longer," James finally commented, preparing to leave.
"Why?" Caleb asked. James stopped in his tracks, and looked at Caleb who shrugged his shoulders while slightly lifting his arms from his sides in question, "Why do you keep saying that?"
"Saying what?"
"That you'can't be around me any longer'? What's that supposed to mean?" He may had been too dignified to confess, but Caleb felt offended.
"I'm sorry, but did you forget what you did?" James responded in disbelief
Caleb turned away and paced back and forth before throwing his arms in the air in frustration,
"Yes! I know what I did! B-but–!"
"But nothing! Because of you, I'm a suspect!"
"Because of me?" he narrowed his eyes, "Are you sure that ceiling didn't fall on your head? Did the cultists slip your fucking mind?" James paused. Once he realized that he wasn't getting a response from him, Caleb continued, "You were ordered to kill me, but when we escaped the ceremony, you decided to let me live and leave Boston with me!" He returned to his questioning gesture, "Why?"
James aggressively turned his cap to the front and let the visor lowly shield the top of his face. He crossed his arms and turned away, feeling guilt build up in the pit of his gut. He remembered the true reason why he couldn't return back to Boston, but constantly blamed it on Caleb because he was completely oblivious to it all. If Caleb believed it was truly his fault, James could project the guilt on him and find it easier to forget. Ultimately, it would lessen the blow. He couldn't explain to Caleb that his own Captain wanted him dead, because it would be all the proof that Caleb needed. He respected himself too much to validate the a Firefly's beliefs and ambush.
"I don't need to explain shit to you," James spat.
Shifting gears into his notorious walk, James stomped away in anger to avoid hearing any more of Caleb's blabbering. The only way Caleb could retaliate was rolling his eyes in frustration and touching his forehead. He walked away and headed back to the corridor they were previously in, which was the opposite direction that James headed.
"You give me a fucking headache," Caleb spat before exiting the exhibition room.
"Oh yeah!?" James shouted, "Well you–!" unable to insult on his feet like Caleb, he turned away and left the situation alone.
Minutes later, James' temper cooled off. He sat in the theater room for a couple of minutes, slouched up against the wall. He made his way back to the thin corridor that stretched from the lobby. Entering the final passageway that the corridor possessed, he spotted Caleb from afar, who was loitering for the past half an hour. He sat on the floor, legs crossed, with his exposed katana resting in his lap. Closely approaching the doorway, it wasn't hard to notice that a huge fragment of the ceiling had collapsed, but in a slope-like angle.
"You ready?"
Caleb looked up, surprised. His eyes looked filled with more anguish than usual. It took him a while before he could answer,
"Yep," he groaned as he stood to his feet and properly equipped himself, "This is our way to the second floor."
The fallen ceiling didn't make the perfect ramp, therefore, Caleb had to do most of the work in scaling the wall and jumping to haul himself up to the second floor. Unlike the first floor, the second floor wasn't a museum and the ceilings were lower. It possessed a long hallway that stretched endlessly from his end to the other, with multiple doors and lockers spread on both sides.
Enhancing Caleb's technique, James took a running start for him to run up the inclined ceiling and jumped up to grab the very edge of the floor. He failed the first couple of times, and finally grabbed hold on his sixth attempt. However, the fallen ceiling they were constantly walking on gave way and immediately fell apart after taking so much abuse. The drop down was quite a fall and if James happened to slip, he could kiss his legs goodbye.
"Caleb! Caleb! Caleb!" James panicked.
The more he panicked, the sweatier he got, and the sweatier he got, the more his fingers began to lose friction. Caleb walked to the edge and wrapped his hands around James' wrist and forearm. He pulled with all his might, giving James the chance to haul his powerful legs over. After one last successful pull, James rolled over on his back and laid on the floor. He wiped his forehead and rested one arm underneath his head for support. His torso slowly rose and fell. Turning his head to the side, he looked up at Caleb who immediately turned away and began to venture deeper into the second level. James opened his mouth to speak,
"Than–" he paused, realizing that Caleb was purposely walking out of range. So he spoke louder in order to be heard, "Thank you!" James swiftly stood up and quickly paced after Caleb, "I was thanking you."
"You're welcome," Caleb replied dryly.
James slowed down after being proven that trying to keep up with the Firefly was pointless. Before Caleb could take another step, James rested his hand on his shoulder,
"Look, j-just stop,"
Caleb let out a frustrated groan, nearly rolling his eyes into the back of his skull. If there was anything that both boys were better at than working together, it was arguing; and there was never a day that went by that the foes didn't. Admittedly, Caleb's expression was regularly lackluster, but after spending more than a few months with him, it was easier to decipher his undercover frame of mind. As if he were getting over stage fright, James inhaled and exhaled before speaking,
"I wanna apologize for what happened earlier," Caleb lowered his defense and crossed his arms, listening closely, "I thought about what you said down there and you were right. The entire thing isn't your fault."
Caleb dipped his hands back into his pockets and nodded in approval,
"That's good enough. I accept."
James smiled and gave a small chuckle. He reached up for the visor of his cap and turned it backwards. He would've preferred a different response, but it was a start. James walked passed Caleb and continued to lead like the very beginning. Both of their footsteps were heard on the hard textured floors, as ambient echoes bounced off the lockers and walls. Caleb decided to take accountability for his own actions as well,
"Well, I can't let you have all the glory," Caleb plainly admitted, "I know I'm probably nothing but a stupid Firefly to you but..." He noticed James briefly look over his shoulder. Although it might have been a seen as a joke at first, it would eventually come from a genuine place, "When we get you back to Harrisburg, I understand we'll go our separate ways, and everything will go back to normal...normal for you at least," James showed signs of listening, but couldn't bear to look at him bringing up such a sensitive topic, "It probably won't make much of a difference...but I really appreciate you for not killing me," Caleb sighed, "And for what it's worth, I'm really sorry for what happened back in Boston…"
James gave a soft chuckle, a reaction Caleb didn't expect,
"You helped me out a lot after that, uh..." James played with his cap, "That...ceremony back in Boston—don't think it would be fair to kill you." Caleb didn't answer, "I can't forgive what you did...but the least I can do is let you walk," he abruptly turned and faced Caleb. He looked down at him since he was only a few inches smaller, "But that's gotta stay between you and me, alright?"
Caleb figured that asking for forgiveness was a little too extreme, but it felt good to take it off of his chest. He nodded in agreement to the truce and the pair stared at each other for a brief moment. Believe it or not, it was actually a sign of improvement considering that they couldn't stomach looking at other for more than a second unless it involved a dispute.
James returned his attention back to the hallway, and couldn't understand why the second floor looked more like a school or office building instead of a museum,
"So where's all the exhibitions on this floor?"
"It continues on the fourth floor. The second and third floor isn't accessible by the public."
"Oh yeah? How do you know?" James asked.
James confidently walked up to a door on the left of the hallway, hoping to see more exhibitions. He twisted the doorknob, only to learn that it was locked. Tightly holding the doorknob, James decided to use brute strength to open it. Veins popped out his arms, using his husky shoulder and arm to repeatedly ram into the door. So much for James' showing off, a loud ram was returned back to James from the other side of the door and powerfully repelled him from the door. His boots squeaked against the floors as he maintained his stance. The wooden door frame cracked in multiple places, and a deep, screeching croak escaped from the inside. Caleb ran past the doorway and tugged James by his elbow, pulling him deeper into the hallway,
"Pamphlet…" Caleb answered James' question. While frightened, he slapped the pamphlet on James' chest without taking his eyes off the roaring door.
"...Oh," James responded, grabbing it.
He too, kept his eyes pinned on the door. Small specs of rubble fell from the ceiling. Each time the door was slammed, the boys gave an involuntary jerk, startled by the noises of this particular Infected. Instantly, the door was broken through. It's croaks were deeper and louder than the average Clicker, but something about it felt different. Through a flurry of spores and debris that swarmed out the room, a heavyset silhouette emerged out of the cloud, revealing a Bloater.
"Oh shit! Run!" James demanded.
Taking off, Caleb followed after him and they both ran deeper into the second level. As usual, the predator chased right after them.
The hallway felt like it stretched on forever. Caleb and James both ran deeper into the hallway as the Bloater pursued them. James turned and fired about five shots. He either missed or the bullets had no effect, but he was too hysterical to pay attention. The jar head pulled the trigger once more and realized that his pistol was emptied by his irrational shooting.
The Bloater was protected by plates of fungus, and it threw strange sacs that exploded a toxic gas on impact. If there was anything Caleb learned from facing Infected, it was to never look back once they pursued you; and James was the living example of what not to do. Thankfully, they could outrun the Bloater since it lacked speed, however, the sacs and strength made up for it. This wasn't Caleb's first time facing a Bloater, so he knew exactly what to expect. James, on the other hand, didn't seem so experienced despite being a soldier who vowed to serve and protect.
The doors in the hallways were either barricaded by stacks of heavy furniture or sealed shut from the insides. Having only a couple of doors left before they reached the end of the hallway, both boys sweated profusely at this point. Caleb slipped to the ground, feeling incredibly fatigued. The drain was beginning to show since they hadn't slept and eaten very much in the past few days. He was best at shoving that kind of stuff to the side, but it was beginning to take a toll. He held his stomach as he began to feel sharp cramps. James knelt to the ground beside him and held his arm,
"Come on, let's go."
Interlocking arms to help Caleb to his feet, a bright light shined in from the direction they were going down. The boys squinted their eyes and the light became brighter as they heard footsteps inch towards them. The flashlight eventually steered elsewhere and, out of the light, came the stranger that they had been looking for all along—the stranger that initially lured them into the museum when they were in danger. The person had just came out of an unlocked room. They were dressed, in what resembled a flowing beige cloak that reached their ankles. However, their face was entirely covered, and they wore brown gloves and a pair of goggles to protect the small space that their eyes peered out of. The person pointed back at the doorway, directing James and Caleb to take cover. Seeing that the boys were hesitant, the stranger began to point more aggressively. The boys would've looked for a reason to rebel, but the raging Bloater made them pick their battles more wisely. Both clumsily made it to their feet and rushed to the doorway.
Looking out from behind the door, they watched the stranger set up a sniper rifle on the floor. They laid flatly on the floor and looked right through the scope, firing one powerful shot at bloater. It didn't die but it let out a deafening scream before it could locate where the gunshot came from. The gunman fired a second shot with finesse, and the Infected's screams were cut short. It was seen in the distance, falling to the ground. After the Bloater was declared dead, the person stood up and nonchalantly dusted themselves off like finishing a day's work. Slowly, the person turned around and casually walked back to the room they exited from.
James retreated and quickly pushed himself along with Caleb deeper into the room before they could be spotted spying on the deadly shooter. The covered up stranger became visible as they sauntered at the opening of the doorway. James pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the entrance. A drop of sweat escaped from the scalp of his head after remembering that his handgun was emptied. He didn't budge or show one change in his expression to give that away.
"Stay right there!" he shouted.
"James…" Caleb said, attempting to help him think rationally. He placed his hand on James' wrist and tried to lower his gun, "James, not now, they just saved us…"
The stranger placed their rifle down against an overturned trash bin and reached up to push up their goggles. They removed the wrappings around the lower half of their face, revealing their lips first and eventually their eyes. However, a scarf remained wrapped around the top of their head. Revealed underneath the coverings was a girl with a very feminine, square-shaped face. Her eyes were dark brown, and her lips were somewhat thin—the top being much thinner. She had an olive skin tone and possessed thick eyebrows that beautifully defined her face.
"Is that how you thank someone who saved your life?" She placed a fist on her hip and put her weight on one leg, "Twice?"
She had a vague accent.
"I actually second that comment…" Caleb supported.
James shot him an pestered stare and Caleb walked off into the corner of the room as if something else had grabbed his attention. James still had his pistol pointed at the young woman, and he looked at the gun, sort of displeased with how programmed he actually was.
"I'm sorry...I'm a military soldier," he said, hoping she would take that as an excuse.
"From here?" She asked as she took a step forward.
A sudden spark of interest appeared in her eyes and it almost looked desperate.
"Boston..." James replied, cautiously taking a step back.
"Then what are you doing out here?" she replied, silently closing the door behind her.
"We were hoping there was a quarantine zone out here…" Caleb joined in.
She gave, what sounded like, a sigh of desperation. She remained silent for a couple of seconds. The girl was clearly deep in thought and she looked back at James as if she had just returned from a vision of nightmares,
"I'm from that zone," she paused and looked to the side, "Well...was."
"Was?" James repeated just to clarify.
She nodded. From the unsure look on her face, James could tell that a 'but' was going to come afterward. Caleb watched their discussion take place by standing a couple of feet away from both of them.
"It was taken over by slavers a couple of weeks ago. They chased out all of the military soldiers and started putting some of the remaining people to work for them."
"Slavers…?" James asked, sounding horrified.
"Yes. They're west of here and not too far. We're lucky we haven't been seen yet."
"Then why haven't you left the city?" Caleb asked.
"Trust me. I have a good reason."
Caleb didn't bother questioning it since it was none of his business. All three stood still while thinking to themselves in an awkward silence. It was until Caleb's stomach growl broke the silence that the girl decided to finally speak up.
"I'm guessing you both are hungry?"
"What gave it away?" James joked.
He gave a light chuckle and looked back at Caleb, who didn't bother giving eye contact nor crack a smile. Another failure.
Respectively, the girl was kind enough to give a genuine grin. She could already notice that James was the polar opposite of his comrade. The girl backed away from the boys and grabbed her sniper rifle that was very tall compared to her. She tossed the sling of the firearm over her shoulder and walked towards another exit in the room. It didn't even occur to the boys that were was another doorway because they were too invested in her rescue. Grabbing the doorknob, she looked back before turning it.
"I'm Olivia by the way."
With the help of Olivia's quick wit and familiarity with the location, the trio were able to safely make it out alive from the second floor. They slipped through random cracks within rooms and slid down hills of rubble that led both boys back to the first level. They were finally on the side they were trying to reach all along. Just before they exited, she warned for them to all be quick on their feet, because they weren't too far from the overthrown quarantine zone. Lastly, Olivia opened her mouth and gave a warning that almost sounded like an urban legend: To look out for men on horses. Once they spotted you, you belonged to them.
The travel with Olivia was fairly long, but it was clear that they didn't leave the city. The only risk about the whole travel was having to cut through the territories of the slavers. Of course, there weren't enough to take control of the entire quarantine zone, but there was enough to get a good handful of people, so they were in the clear for the time being.
Caleb was growing impatient and irritated during the travel. He was exhausted and just wanted a good time to eat and rest. He felt like he was babysitting James for all of these months and Olivia finally came to relieve him of his duty. Finally, the words Caleb waited for spoke from Olivia's mouth,
"We're here."
These apartments weren't like the ones back in Boston. They almost resembled small, two story houses that were connected to one another. Despite being unattended to in years, they were still in pretty good condition. There were about four doorways, each leading into its own place. The trio partially split up as they walked around a wild forest of weeds. They met up on the other end and Olivia led them to an old door with a dying red color. Much to their surprise, the door was already left ajar.
"You just leave your place open like that?" James asked.
"No…" Olivia replied with horror. Olivia proceeded to bum rushed into the door and tossed it open. James and Caleb looked at each other in surprise and exchanged glares of question. They were now on the offense and James had his hand rested on his empty pistol. They heard vigorous shuffling and things being overturned and broken. Olivia's distressed breathing could be heard from the entrance, "Oh my god…" she said as light sobs escaped her.
James confidently stood straight and carefully peered into the room by only sticking his head inside the interior. It wasn't that large of a living space, so Olivia was in clear view. She was sitting on the couch in a state of torment. She was using her arms to hold her head up and claw her head wrap.
"What happened?" James asked.
Olivia was so far into her condition that she jumped at the sound of James voice. It was like she completely forgot about being accompanied by two men. Caleb entered the room behind James and looked at the woman in curiosity.
Eventually, James and Caleb followed Olivia out of the house. She just stood around, completely out of her zone. She was staring into space and anxiously biting and picking at her nails.
"Can you just tell us what going on?" Caleb asked candidly.
Olivia figured it would be best to not make them lose their trust in her, so she did what she was told,
"I-I have a friend."
"A friend?" James stepped in. He rested his hand on Caleb's chest, slowly pushing him back, "Don't you think you should've told us that before we followed you?"
"It's not what you think…" Olivia said, "Remember when I told you that I had a good reason for not leaving?"
Before either could even get a chance to reply, a young voice was heard behind them,
"Olivia?"
Olivia looked over the shoulders of both James and Caleb and noticed a young boy only a couple of doors down from her apartment. She dropped the sniper rifle and dashed to the doorway. Once she reached him, she dropped to his height and hugged him. She released him and held his shoulders, staring deep into his eyes.
"Mikey, you have to stop doing that and stay in one place!" she ordered.
While groaning, she examined his body. She lifted his arms and checked his ankles for any notable scratches or bites. She looked into his face one last time,
"Are you hurt?"
"No…" Mikey replied.
A soft smile appeared on Olivia's face and she pulled him back in for one final hug. Mikey possessed an aura of an innocent spirit, and his face was genuinely confused as to what Olivia was probably worrying about. He softly pushed off of her and looked at her,
"Did I do something wrong?" he asked.
Olivia gave a soft chuckle,
"You just scared me, that's all."
"I was hungry so I went looking for food in the other houses."
Olivia sighed and looked away momentarily. She stood up on both feet and looked down at her smaller partner. Opening up her palm, little Mikey reached up and held her hand.
"Who are they?" Mikey asked, pointing towards James and Caleb.
Olivia hesitated,
"They'll be staying with us for a little while."
Although they necessarily never had one, James and Caleb were treated kind enough to feel like they were at home. Olivia found a bunch of canned beans left in the cupboards down in the basement. She brought four cans up for each of them, and all there was left to do was roast them over an indoor fire. Caleb and James sat beside one another on a torn up love-seat sofa. Caleb kept readjusting himself because he could feel a spring digging underneath his thigh. Once he got comfortable, they looked at little Mikey who sat across from them in the living room.
Mikey wore a green cap, blue sweatpants, and a regular grey shirt with the graphic of an old cartoon he probably never knew about. Mikey was your average kid, probably sheltered for too long. He was a lot more untroubled than Caleb ever remembered himself being. He was closest to the entrance and slouched in a stained sofa chair, staring back at the peculiar swordsman and US soldier. Caleb awkwardly looked away, staring at the ground.
"What are your names?" Mikey's high voiced asked.
"My name's James," James instantly answered with a giant smile.
Caleb was going to remain silent in hopes that James would introduce him. He didn't find it important to introduce himself to a child, but found it wrong to ignore Mikey's innocence and likability. Besides, James knocked his knee with his own after noticing the reaction.
"Caleb," he replied softly.
"I'm Mikey," he replied, revealing two front missing teeth, "I'm seven, how old are you guys?"
"Mikey…" Olivia spoke from the kitchen.
Mikey knew that was his signal to stop talking so much. He knew that it could get himself into trouble, especially if these were bad people, but he also knew Olivia would never let bad people into their house. In that case, Mikey decided to whisper. He noticed a long contraption along Caleb's back, it was something he had never seen before.
"What's that?" he whispered softly pointing, "On your back. Is it a gun?"
Caleb shook his head and began speaking,
"It's a-"
"Shh!" Mikey said, putting his finger to his lips.
He knew his Olivia could still hear them, but for the sake of the child, Caleb played along.
"It's a sword."
"Coooool," Mikey exclaimed with his eyes smiling in sync with his mouth, "I never saw anyone use a sword before. Can I see it?"
"Maybe later," Caleb replied with a genuine whisper.
All Caleb could do was smirk back and look away. It was hard to admit, the but kid was pretty adorable. Mikey looked over at James and noticed that he had a big assault rifle slung over his shoulders and rested along his back with his backpack. Despite Mikey appearing innocent, he was only considered innocent by this world's standards. He recognized a gun when he saw one, and he proceeded to point at it,
"Where'd you get that?"
"Get what?" James asked.
"The gun."
James was hesitant of answering, but he knew that the Mikey's time would come eventually. It was inevitable to not put a gun in a child's hand. He had to learn to protect himself sooner or later.
"I worked with the army in Boston."
The change in Mikey's demeanor was so sudden that the tension in the room immediately became thick. He fell silent and even fell back in his chair, almost like he was petrified by a monster. Of course it wasn't something they both suspected, so Caleb looked on just as confused with an eyebrow raised. Mikey slid out of his chair and disappeared into the other room with Olivia.
James looked at Caleb and lifted his palms up with a shrug,
"W-what'd I say?"
All Caleb could do was sit back in his seat and shrug. All he wanted to do was eat and catch up on some rest. Maybe things would make more sense.