CHAPTER 14: The Garden Of Mankind
With a cautious breath, the yank of the teleport knotted her stomach. It wasn't enough for her to vomit, but she still let out a long, painful groan. Hands holding onto the machine's soft, button-up shirt.
Once she had calmed, her eyes scanned to the left where he had taken her. Her mouth fell at the picturesque scene. A wisp of color painting across the sky in a fine light blue-gray, to yellow and a magenta red where the sun was due to rise behind the blurry outline of murky-purple mountains far out into the distance. Wispy clouds streaked across the expanse of sky in bright pinks and purples. Faint dots of remnants of stars peeked from the atmospheric curtain. The air warmed from the impending heat from the sun.
The pre-dawn light bathed the landscape in a dull purple-blue hue and light fog pooled around the low-lying areas. On rows along haphazard rows were trees. The fragrant aroma she detected from the light wind held a fruity scent reminiscent of apples. The foliage and grass thick from being unmanicured throughout the long centuries. She could see the shapes of deer and dots of bouncing rabbits darting between the fragrant trees and shrubbery from her vantage point. The song birds and crows were loud in their chirps and caws; as were the crickets in the last of their calls.
Lilia turned the other way, still holding on to Adam and gasped. She stared at the remnants of a single-story house constructed out of thick, beige-gray stone that expanded at least eighty feet wide. Time withered the roof, doors, and windows; the wood, glass, and shingles eroded leaving only the walls and foundation remaining. Coarse ivy grew on the right side of the house. A flower garden she stood within spilled across the yard in a patchwork of a dozen or more colors; their heady scent perfuming the air while bees buzzed as they set out to their instinctive task.
Despite the beauty of the scene surrounding her, it reminded Lilia of the human absence who maintained the grand stone house and surrounding land. The weeds needed pulling in the sprawling garden, bushes needed pruning, and young trees needed the axe. They stood on the cracked patchwork of concrete that led from the house into the driveway. A rusty four-door truck sat lonely its interior, wheels, and doors missing leaving a hollow metal shell.
"Adam... where...?" Her voice low to absorb her new surroundings.
He made a half-cocked smile. "According to the network archives, this is a small apple orchard thousands of years ago. We're four hundred and eighty-two kilometers north-west from the city ruins."
"Um, how far?"
"Oh, sorry. Three hundred miles. Is this far enough? The network hasn't detected YoRHa or even the android Resistance for the next hundred miles for the last few decades. It's a dead zone to machines, the few remaining are low-level and pose little threat."
I'm so far away from everyone. She pinched her brows, the realization of what she asked of him knotted in her chest. This is what I wanted. I need to make this work. I can't go back.
Worry and anxiety pushed below her heart before she said, "What of water sources? Animals?"
"There is a stream running through the middle of the orchard. It formed when a dam thirty miles away failed a thousand years ago. As for animals, I'm assuming you are asking about predators?"
She nodded.
He sighed in regret, "I will not lie, you might face coyotes, wolves, and perhaps bears. However, those predators are much smaller than the ones closer to the coast and are not as aggressive."
A deep groan escaped her chest. Well, it might not be paradise. But, as long as I keep my distance I'll be OK. And what should I have expected? A water source and abundant and prey? No wonder. Prolly have to deal with opossums and raccoons too.
"Well, it can't be helped. And thank you, for bringin' me here."
He nodded. "Of course. This was the only place I could think of that might have what you needed to live." A brief pause before he added, "I admit it's not perfect."
She laughed without mirth. "Nothin' ever is. But a few homey touches couldn't hurt." Then, she pointed at the house; her mangled hand intertwined with his. "Let's look inside."
Before she could take a step, her stomach growled.
"It seems your body demands nutrition Lilia." Adam gave a cocked grin at her body's response.
She responded with a frown before turning towards the apple trees. "I guess we should go to the orchard first."
Adam then knelt, offering her a ride to reprieve her of her sore ankle and Lilia took the offer. At full speed, Adam ran toward the orchard. It only took him a few minutes to reach the tree line. The heady perfume of apples fermenting overwhelmed her. A seductive, tempting voice in her head told her to eat the sour fruit. Her hands shook. The old temptation seducing her with the evil ambrosia.
Lilia, it cooed. Lilia don't you remember Markus? You left that good little boy alone. You took his mother and now he's without you. Don't worry, I'll give you forgiveness. Take from me, I want to be within your sweet body again. I'll take all your worries, all your fears.
She was ten years older and stronger, and once more, she pushed back at her former addiction. You'll take more from me than my worry. I never needed you to face them.
You're alone Lilia. All alone. Alone. Alone. Alone.
When she dislodged from Adam's back she walked with a purpose to a rotten apple and stomped on it with her uninjured foot. The knuckles on her right hand turned white from gripping the metal staff hard. Reddish eyes gave her brash action to the blackened apple an analytical stare.
She turned to face the curious machine with a small smile. "Well? You gonna help me pick some?"
He wanted to know why Lilia crushed the fruit, but she was already walking to the nearest tree and reaching for one of the low-hanging sweet fruit. The silver-haired machine put the question at the back of his mind as he joined her. The apples were a blushed red with a yellow-green spot on the bottom. A darker red striped the fruit from the stalk to the calyx. They were the right size that fit within her palm.
After picking a few and putting them in her purse, she bit into one. She about cried with how sweet and tangy it was. A long, pleasured moan vibrated in her breast. The crisp, yellow-white pulp lingered on her palate as she chewed and swallowed and savored the distinctive flavor. After the first bite she bit into the fruit again, her hunger demanded her to chew with vigor. After eating to the core of the delectable apple, she let it fall to the ground and yanked off another from the tree, repeating the process again until her stomach was full. Adam observed her while eating one of the ripe fruits but at a more languid pace.
"God... that was so good." Satisfaction threaded her voice. Her lips sticky with the apple's juices as her moist, pink tongue ran across her full, glistening lips to lap the rest of the nectar off.
"Apparently. And what have you learned?"
"Huh? Learned?" She gave him a very confused expression.
He inspected her like she had grown a second-head. "Some data I've uncovered suggested you humans gained great intelligence from eating fruit like that apple. What have you learned?"
Lilia gave a slow blink before she processed his statement and couldn't contain her laughter. "Adam... a-haha! What 'data' gave you that idea?! A-haha! I'm sorry! But! Oh my god!"
At her laughter Adam frowned, confounded in the humor he didn't recongnize. Then, he materialized the book that suggested it and showed it to her. At seeing the cover her laughter renewed a hundred fold to where tears streamed her cheeks.
"I fail to see the humor in this." He remarked through pursed lips.
After a minute her laughter died and Lilia was better prepared to tell him the bad news and why it was funny to her. "I'm sorry, but that's not a human history or evolutionary book. That's a religious text. It's fiction. Remember how I told you I grew up in a religious house? That's the book we read from. It's called a 'Bible'. And let me take a guess: Because you didn't realize it was fiction, you thought we gained knowledge like, er, Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden story?"
With the way his eyes looked away and the abashed expression, she hit the nail on the head.
"Look... Adam, I don't blame you for assumin' the statements in that book as factual. Hell, I'm pretty ignorant about you guys myself, but... that's not how it works for us humans. I'm sorry. I was just laughin' at the idea that, um," Lilia scratched her head in thought. "Well—jeez how do I explain this? That someone, who knows nothin' about humans, comes across a book and mistakes it for somethin' it isn't? It was at your expense, but, yeah. It doesn't surprise me you found a Bible considerin' how popular the religion of Christianity is."
"Oh... I see..." Adam looked at the book in his hands with self-mortification.
Now Lilia felt terrible for her outburst of laughter. "Hey," she said while touching his arm, "I'm sorry for laughin'."
He shook his head. "No, it's all right. I was just—nevermind—thank you for telling me what this was."
"Next time, I'll do it with a little less laughter and more understandin'. And I guess I'd never see the day when something so... common from my time would be important. Since, ya know, you've said not much remains of us here and any discoveries is treasured. I'm guessin' when us humans escaped to the moon we took a lot of that stuff with us."
"I'll learn more one day."
Then, an idea came to her head, and she giggled.
Adam frowned at her chortle. "What's so funny now?"
"What? Oh no! It's nothin' funny, it's just well, you are one lucky, curious little machine."
"What?" He said raising his brows.
"Adam... I have a lot of that stuff on my iPad."
"'Stuff'? What do you mean?" His eyes searching and hopeful.
"Remember what we discussed about school earlier? The level above is called 'college' were we specialize in a field when we become adults. Well, I wanted to be a geneticist, but... turns out I'm not much of one and I was better suited for software and computers. But, I've never lost my interest in the sciences. I haven't deleted those books and videos on there, you can read them if you want. They can explain how we humans work better than I can since they're experts and I'm not."
"You... you do? You'll let me?"
"Well, yeah. I mean. It's no big deal—"
He then materialized the Bible off his hands and rushed at her. His hands grabbing onto her shoulders and pure excitement on his face. "Please! Let me see!"
"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down Mr. Machinehead!" Lilia exclaimed. "I'll be more than happy to show you, but we have other things to do first."
His face down-turned in realization and disappointment while letting go of his hold on her shoulders. "Oh... sorry. I was just..."
She smiled and chuckled. "It's all right, I can see why you would be excited at the prospect. I promise I'll let you look at it." Lilia then readjusted her purse full of apple and other belongings. "Well... I think I got enough apples in my pack for the rest of the day. Can you show me where this stream is? I need to know how to get to it."
The silver-haired machine nodded. "It's not far, and it runs perpendicular to the tree rows." He said as he knelt. She climbed up and watched the trees zip passed her as he ran.
True to his word, in a straight line from the orchard edge sat the stream. It was a slower paced flow that allowed it to be a darker color due to the sediments and mud. It was much wider than the stream near Pascal's village, but she guessed it is two hundred yards from where she located to the other side.
"You know how deep it is? What does the network say?"
After a minute he said. "I don't know myself, and the database doesn't have that information."
"Well, I'll figure it out tomorrow when I need to refill my canteens. Let's go back to the house now."
Adam nodded, and they returned to the dilapidated house. Once again he gave her a piggy-back ride and ran full speed. At the stone steps he let her walk herself.
They stepped up the crumbling stone steps up to the covered archway and past the entry that was wide enough for double doors. Directly ahead she saw the entry way for the backyard was wide for double doors. Inside the wood, insulation, and drywall, which separated the spaces, had eroded. Only the major sectioning of the house for support remained due to the thick, one-and-a-half-foot stone still in place. Patches of fuzzy moss lined the mortar, discolored stains streaked the walls and bunches of dead leaves littered the floor. The odor of animal droppings along with a decay of an animal permeated the air. The same ivy which grew on the right-side of the house spilled inside and onto the stone floor.
Seven stone pillars stood in the rectangular space once she had entered. They were half eroded, the stones sprawled on the foundation made of the same material. Lilia did a precursor eye sweep of the enormous single-story house from left to right. From the left-most stone wall all the way to the right-most spanned sixty feet. No wonder they constructed columns in the foyer area for support.
Her mind fancying that space as an office if drywall were to separate it using the three pillars which made a sideway L-shape. However, behind the second pillar on her right she saw the shape of a giant fireplace. Her mind laser focused at the discovery, sent her walking toward it.
The area that housed the fireplace looked thirty feet across and was a living room due to the central focus of the six-foot-wide fireplace. The top third of the chimney was missing due to age, and she saw a bird fly out of the opening. Where the firewood would have been, was black with soot and the deposits of caked bird droppings. Lilia wasn't sure if the fireplace was suitable for use. Maybe if the gunk inside got removed, played animal control on that bird, and cleaned the base? It was worth a shot. If not, the foundation was stone and anything flammable disintegrated from time.
"This thing is filthy." Adam remarked.
She nodded in agreement. "No shit Captain Obvious. But, if it gets cleaned out I could prolly use it." Lilia explained as she walked over to the right side of the fireplace and deposited her heavy backpack and purse. Her back, shoulder and ankle sighed in relief of the removal of the extra weight. "It'll protect any fires I start, and well, that's what fireplaces are for, anyway."
He crossed his arms and pointed up at the open sky. "You realize there is no roof, right? You won't be much protected from the elements."
She sighed while looking upward at the brightening blue-gray sky. "Yeah, you're right on that. If anythin' you can bring me the tent from our old meetin' place here. If you don't mind."
"Not at all if you need it."
"Thanks. Let's look around the house and out back before you do." She suggested. "We might find something useful."
They explored the left-side of the house first. Stone mortar completely enclosed the room next to the living room with a ten-foot-long arched entryway in facing the fireplace. Adam asked the sections purpose, and she hypothesized it a kitchen by the plumbing holes for a sink, electrical sockets, and kitchens were next to living rooms.
Continuing onward beyond the kitchen were three sections, which had a hallway separating the kitchen and them. The first room she came into contact with is a bathroom and laundry by even more plumbing and the remnants of a blue-green tile on the floor and the large tub. Left of the bathroom and next to the columned foyer is the master suite. The right of the laundry is another room, but much larger than the master suite and had double windows. She thought it might be a den or spare room. However, it had thick, course ivy growing out of a corner and found the source of the rotting odor.
Lilia scrunched up her nose. Not fond of being near the gross carcass that—with her luck—had fleas on it. "And if you wanna know what I think this space was for it could've been anythin', but right now it's Meeko's funeral home. Bleh!"
With a shake to rid herself of the rotting raccoon corpse out of her mind, she walked away to the other side of the house.
A family lived here, a large one by the three equal-sized, fifteen-foot square bedrooms, two of which had a bathroom. Unfortunately, for room two, the far corner was separating from the rest of the house. The foundation had cracked six feet from that corner and the section dipped and going outside the house. In room three the same ivy that grew in the large, columned foyer and had spilled into the bedroom. Other than the damage in room two, the stone house was intact, for the most part.
After finishing her walk-through of the house, she and Adam went back into the central room.
She chuckled. "Not much of a house tour, but I'll take it. Never thought I'd be a homeowner ten thousand years late."
"I don't know Lilia." Adam's face scrunched in doubt.
"Oh c'mon. Just needs a few homey touches and who needs a roof over my head?" It wasn't the best thing to say, but a little pick-me-up couldn't hurt.
"I'd feel better if you had something over your head when I have to leave." He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms.
"Yeah. I know. Well..." She looked out the backyard entranceway. "Let's look around the property. Maybe we can salvage something or find a better spot."
Adam sighed, but nodded.
Hazel-green eyes narrowed at the tone of that sigh. "What was with that?"
"Hm? Nothing. I didn't expect this."
"'This'? What do you mean by 'this'?"
He shook his head. "Nevermind. Forget it."
Lilia slumped her shoulders. She wasn't sure what brought that mood from him. However, from her lack in sleep last night, an achy body, and the emotional roller-coaster she endured the last twenty-four hours the last thing she needed was her only support system to be, well, bratty.
Clanking her metal pole on the stone, placing her mangled hand on her cocked hip and giving him a piercing stare, she huffed out, "Adam it's barely morning. Day one isn't over yet by a long shot. You were the one who brought me here."
Adam clenched his fists and tightened his jaw. His silver brows furrowed, and Lilia detected a faint pinkness where his pupils were.
Mortified at sounding like a brat herself, she recovered. Loosening her posture and shaking her head. "Christ. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound like a bitch. Look," She walked towards him and held his gauntlet hand with her mangled one. With all she could muster she explained to him without sounding like an ass. "It's not that I'm ungrateful. And realized it wasn't gonna be easy wherever you took me. But I need to salvage what I can and know what's around me. You at least covered two of my basic needs, and you're right, I do need something over my head."
His expression softened and the faint pink in his pupil faded away. With gentleness, he reciprocated holding her hand. "Then let us see what we can find. I want adequate protection for you by sundown."
A broad smile came across her face as she leaned up and placed a quick kiss on his right cheek. "OK then!" A little nudge from her prompted him to follow to the backyard, their hands still intertwined. "Think of it this way, we're what we called 'house hunting' and now we got ourselves a fixer-upper. It's... somethin' that every, um," a faint blush formed across her cheeks, "couple does eventually." She then chuckled. "Only we don't have to worry with mountains of paperwork and gettin' a loan."
She could tell thoughts were shifting through his eyes of what she said to him as they walked passed the double entry for the backyard. Her own thoughts rummaged over her new surroundings.
I wonder what little Markus would say. Well, he wasn't so little when I... came here. Her thoughts trailed further with each step. Something that every couple does... when they want to start a family, like I wanted. Markus, what would you have thought of Adam? You adored Bradley when you were little; I hope you would give Adam the same. A small smile graced her lips. 'Uncle Adam' has a nice ring to it. Then a frown formed, the sting of wishful thinking pierced her reverie. Let them rest Lilia. With a little pressing, she let go of her trailing thoughts to concentrate on the here and now.
Whatever the previous owners grew at this portion of the wide expanse of the land had overgrown the land. The foliage grew as far as she could see to the left and right, unsure how far back it went, and it came up to the house. At a precursor glance she could see thick vegetation, pockets of red and yellow flowers, and spruces of young trees. Her boots clicked on the haphazard remains of the brick path that had shoots of grass growing from the gaps between, moss, or delicate vines.
As they walked along, small animals from squirrels, rabbits, and birds scurried away. Lilia made the mental note to catch a rabbit since she saw abundance of them and they were close to the house.
Further along the brick path she saw low-growing bushes which looked like ivy and several rabbits eating from them on her right. The patch must have spanned a hundred yards or more she guessed. Curious to what they were eating and deduced if they liked it she could use it as bait if she wanted to catch one. She let go of Adam's hand and walked toward these ivy looking plants, the rabbits nearest to her scampered away. His footsteps close behind her.
It only took her a second to register the reason the rabbits were eating from these plants.
"Cucumbers!" She shouted, surprised and elated at the find.
It was unmistakable with their long cylinder bodies, medium green color, and dimpled skin. Lilia knelt on the dirt, dropped her staff, grabbed one off the vine, knocked off the dirt and bit into it uncaring that she was still full of the apples she ate earlier. She moaned in pleasure from the cool, crisp flavor and crunchy flesh.
Her machine companion knelt beside her, inspecting the plant. "So, these are cucumber plants?" He asked.
The satisfied human woman nodded with a bright smile. "Did you know this was back here?"
He shook his head. "I was more interested in the apple orchard than the stone house and surrounding land. Whatever we find here is new to me. I am pleased you've another source of nutrition for your diet."
"You can say that again. Wouldn't be surprisin' if the... er, previous owners planted these thousands of years ago and they've still thrived." She then got up, dusted off her knees, and grabbed her staff; determined to keep exploring the garden. "Let's continue. They probably planted more veggies. I didn't know these sorts of plants kept comin' back."
Adam made a humming sound before he said. "According to the data base, humans genetically engineered hardier plant varieties such as these that didn't require much maintenance, the leaves produced a repellent for insects, and re-populated themselves if planted in a specific area. Those cucumbers are an example."
"Sounds a better than the ones from my time. Not that I know much about, er, farm work. But, first time for everything. And did you say the leaves produce a bug repellent?"
He nodded. "I assume it was to keep crop losses to a minimum to better feed the local human population who did not engage in large-scale agriculture. Or, in this case, to feed a small human family to eliminate the need for travel. The repellant works on pest insects and not pollinators."
"Well damn, no wonder I don't see swarms of insects, and that gives me an idea." She picked one of the fuzzy leaves and rubbed a small spot on her left arm with the leaf.
Adam narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing?"
"Testin'. If these leaves have that bug repellent, I could use it to keep 'em offa me. But... I don't wanna break out in a rash, so I'm testin' it on a small spot on my arm. I'd rather a coin-sized rash be on my arm than all over my face, neck and arms."
The silver-haired machine nodded in agreement. After that they continued their exploration of the garden. Even going beyond the brick path. And yes, they found more garden plants. Spring onions, squash, tomatoes and even two grape vines. Seeing the edible variety gave her ideas, but she didn't want to get ahead of herself. Even though it gave her even more determination to make this place work.
It took a few hours for the two to explore the vast backyard. At the end they found bodies of deactivated machines riddled with holes that looked like those made from a machine gun the Resistance force used. They had been there for a long time due to having moss and vines on them even if they had no rust.
"Those deactivated over a hundred years ago." Adam explained before she could ask.
"Oh good. I was a little worried."
Then she looked at the long legs of the twenty-five-foot-tall biped machine. The thigh portion was about as tall as Adam with a large hole at the top and bottom where it would have attached to the body and calf part via a giant screw.
An idea formed in her head as she smiled.
"Adam, I have an idea. Tell me what you think."
She then explained her idea to him, even using a crude drawing on the dirt to better illustrate it. He provided his own ideas and advice. Once they decided on the best course of action, he yanked off the two thigh segments of the machine, his strength allowing him to do so as he held one in each arm as he dragged them back to the house. Lilia walked with him, hoping that the plan worked.
Once at the stone house, Lilia let him go in through the entry way first. The metal legs screeching on the stone and creating white lines. He dropped them with a loud clang on the opposite wall of the fireplace. Then eight feet away from the fireplace he summoned that golden-yellow energy. His mastery of that energy allowed him to pack it tight and swirl like a drill. With precision, he pierced the stone floor with that energy. Lilia covered her ears to protect the drums inside from the loud screech. Watching the stone dust waft out. Then, ten feet from that hole he repeated the process. With ease—thanks to his machine strength—he lifted the metal machine part vertical and placed it in one hole. Only the bottom third of the part went in and the same repetition with the other part.
Then, Adam teleported away for a few minutes. On his return he had with him two beams that looked like head pins that were four feet long. He set those at the fireplace then, just like did with the poles in the foundation, he drilled, but it was at the same wall as the fireplace. The first hole was two feet from the fireplace and just above his six-foot tall self and it was at a slight angle. The same process repeated at the other side. Adam then put each of the head pin machine parts through the hole, only the rounded, ball end sticking out. Next he ran to the other side of the wall. She heard him grunt from exertion and listened to a squeal of bent metal for both beams.
As he came back around, he examined the fireplace and looked up the chimney stack. Summoning golden energy, he scraped off the gunk at the bottom. Then, he made it turn ninety degrees and go up the chimney. The angry caws of the birds echoed as they vacated along with the mess, nest materials and whatever else got flung out into the garden. Observant reddish eyes glanced up the chimney again and smiled satisfied.
"How's it look?" She asked, hopeful.
A silver brow cocked as he replied, "You won't have to worry about birds for a while. Nothing in there except the stone."
A wide smile came across her face. "Thanks Adam."
He nodded and said, "I'll be back with your tent."
"Remember to save as much of that rope as possible."
"Of course." He assured before teleporting away.
While he was gone, she took the twine out of her backpack and waited at the step on the fireplace. Having a moment to observe the stone surface that no longer had the soot and caked on bird droppings. Excitement bubbling in her chest.
Quietly, she listened to the surrounding sounds. From the chirps of the birds and squirrels and the drowning buzz of the cicadas. A soft breeze danced through the house and rustled the foliage outside. The low wooo noise of the wind passing through gave her the creeps. She hummed to fill the void.
Her thoughts turned dark and solemn in the quiet loneliness. In a stone home of solitude housed the only human on Earth. She watched the crumbling shadows of mankind. Just as she began to push the thoughts from her mind, a familiar voice echoed in the wind.
"Hey Auntie, you don't mind if I bring the team over do ya? This is such a cool place you got with Uncle Adam."
Her hands shook as the phantom image of her nephew walked into view. He was just as she remembered; tall, dark skinned, the beginnings of a mustache, cracking adolescent voice, and his gray eyes. Fear sank it's claws into her psyche as her heart sped, but also a deep longing which outweighed her fear.
The team?
"Yeah, the football team. Remember? We've already started practice, though school is in a few weeks. Freshman over here!" He puffed out his chest in a display of his newly discovered masculine powers and his typical smile beamed.
Lips quivered of the last conversation he had with him.
I should have said 'yes'.
"Um, you did Auntie that's why I'm on the team. You OK?"
Her hands balled into fists at cruel thoughts tricking her. Hopes, dreams, and people who brought comfort and happiness now twisted a sharp knife into her heart as her chest contracted in pain. Stomach rolling in nausea and her throat constricted as cold hands threatened to pull the life from her. All that remained are warped contortions of human normalcy in creatures made of metal and wires.
"Big man Jack is starting school too Lily. Four-year-old kindergarten."
The loud laughter of a boy echoed the stone house. Their ghosts materializing from the leaves and stones from the house. The man she loved gave her a crooked smile with a little boy holstered on his shoulder. He is just as she remembered—short-cropped hair, dark brown eyes, tall, muscular build, the jagged scar on his left temple, and wearing civilian clothes.
But Jack...
He is just as she imagined. A sweet, healthy boy with dark wavy hair, his father's brown eyes, and bronze skin a few shades lighter than her's. Skin unmarred by red and blue—so full of life she could not give him when he needed it most.
That's what you wanted to call him if he—
"We did baby."
"Ah! Mommy he's ticklin' me! Ahaha!"
An unwanted smile cracked on her face from her husband's and son's antics. The dream that never came true for her.
My boys...
"I'm not a boy anymore Auntie." Markus said as he continued to puff his chest.
"Just because you got fuzz on your upper lip and two chin hairs doesn't make you a man Markus." Bradley's ghost said while rolling his eyes and flipping their son from his shoulder to the ground.
"Again daddy!" Little Jack said while raising his arms.
"Sorry, all out. Why don't you and Markus go out into the backyard? I'm sure he's got some football moves to show ya."
The man gave the teen a stern expression, and he played along, knowing what he meant.
"C'mon little dude, I wanna show you a tackle!"
The boy smiled oblivious to the groups undertone. "OK!" he stopped to wave back at her as his little hand grabbed Markus's. "Bye mommy!"
The longing within her welled up as they walked out the back entryway and faded. Lilia wanted to cry out to hold her little boy one last time, but a cursed lump froze her voice.
Once she swallowed the jagged lump she said, Why are you here?
"Why you still holdin' on?"
Bradley...
He shook his head. "I got the boys, you worry about you. Besides, someone's got your six since I," her husband paused unsure if he should say it, "well, as long as someone does. And if he don't I'll cannibalize him into a piss-tube." A long smile etched on his face, letting her know he meant it.
A single tear streaked down her cheeks; that was something he'd say. She clenched her hands into fists, and steel welded into her heart even as a knife pierced it. I need you to do something for me Bradley.
He kept his signature smile even when his eyes darted with nervousness. "Sure, what is it?"
Go play football with the boys.
His brow furrowed and his smile faded. "You sure?"
Through choked tears she said aloud, "Go play football with the boys." His hurt and abandoned face further twisted the knife in her heart, but still she repeated, "Go play football with the boys."
All right Lily. But you remember what I said you hear. I got the boys and Metal-head got your six.
Piece by piece the ghost of her long gone husband crumbled into dust.
I love you Lily. Take care.
Just as the last bit faded she replied, "I love you too Bradley. Give the boys my love."
With one last smile he eroded away.
Helpless to withstand the invisible lashings to her skin, she doubled over and released an echoed wail into the emptiness. Her pain no longer reaching her human brethren, cold and unfeeling to her suffering in their eternal sleep. The shaking subsided as she fought to better control herself and to wipe away hot tears.
I can't worry for them anymore. I can do this... I can do this. Shaking her head to push against dreary thoughts. What's taking Adam?
Even though her ankle protested, she got back up and followed through the forms with her metal staff. With her mind preoccupied, she kept the melancholy away. Lilia continued the forms until Adam came back, the room lighting up from his teleportation and she turned toward him relieved. However, it was short lived as she noticed the state of his shirt. Torn like something had cut it and had patches of dirt over it. Not only that, but red splatters that stained the shirt and pants. Thankfully it didn't seem like his blood.
"The tent is still in good shape Lilia. Let's get started." He said.
"What happened to you?" Concern engulfed her voice.
"Hm? Oh, it's nothing. It was another dire bear, and I was careless. It's been taken care of."
She gritted her teeth. That didn't look like dire bear claws, it was clean of a slice for the jaggedness of a claw. "Adam..."
He sighed to dispel her worry. "I'm all right Lilia. I won't make the same mistake again when I see one. Now, let us get your tent set up."
A hard lump formed in her throat as she swallowed it. Did she want to know?
No, she already knew. Hoping that it wasn't 2B or 9S he came in contact with, she gave him a half-smile she joined him to help set up the tent.
"And did something happen while I was gone? The whites in your eyes are red."
She bit her lip and said, "I took a brief nap."
His silver brow crooked in doubt but said, "All right."
They folded the ten by twenty tarpaulin just as before to form a characteristic triangle tent shape. However the side that faced the fireplace lifted and the end metal circles attached via the twine to the head pin poles on both sides of the fireplace. That end of the tarp flushed with the chimney part of the fireplace and she had to attach the twine the second grommet so the tarp wouldn't bunch against the stone. At the opposite end, she folded about six feet of the end of the tarp inward. It was only a couple feet away from touching the step of the fireplace. Lilia intended on using that piece where she would sleep. She attached twine to the metal rings on the base of the makeshift poles so it stayed in place. He then helped her carry loose heavy stones from the crumbling pillars to keep the part of the tarp on the floor in place.
By the end, the two of them stepped back and admired their work.
It was a strange hybrid of a tent and a patio awning, but they crossed their fingers and hoped it worked to keep the rain and sun out. One more than the other did, anyway.
"If I see any more tarps or anything that would be useful, I will bring it." Adam promised to her.
A return smile was his reward as Lilia replied with gratitude, "I'd appreciate it." She leaned in and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Then she announced while putting her things under the protection of the tent, "Now, there's only one thing left to do today."
"Which is?"
She shook her head and groaned and made a disgusted expression. "Gettin' rid of that funky-ass raccoon corpse."
A scowl came to his lips. "You mean you want me to get rid of the corpse."
"If you don't mind."
With a roll of his eyes he said, "Well, I don't want you to catch anything."
A small smile cracked on her face. "Thank you, I appreciate it, and for everything you've done for me today."
"Hm, what is the idiom humans would say in this situation? I think it's 'I got your six'. Is that right?"
She gasped at the military jargon and a genuine smile formed on her lips. For the first time in the last few months, her worries and fears ebbed away. Even if they were true, she'd enjoy this small piece of happiness while it lasted.