Katherine Barlow sat before the small fire in her twin sister's small home.
Jenny was still asleep, as was her husband, Peter. Kate smiled at her
sleeping sibling's face remembering their childhood days. Sighing she rose
and gathered her meager belongings, pausing a moment to lay a note on the
table along with a small bag. No one had seen the contents of the sack
since the girls' mother had died years ago. Taking one longing glance back
at the sleeping couple Katherine slipped out the door and mounted her
horse. She had a new life before her and a past to leave behind.
~~~
A week after X-Ray's find the water truck pulled up bearing the much coveted liquid and an afternoon meal. However, the boys were surprised, if a little relieved, to see that Kate was driving. Squid was the first to speak, "Great, the snob."
"It beats Sir," Magnet told him with a shrug. No one replied as they realized that, no matter what they thought of Kate, she was preferable to the disjointed counselor. As the truck pulled to a stop she gave them a small smile and laughed. "Not who you expected?" In return she got nothing but glares. "Fine, line up." This time they responded and formed a line, gathering their lunch and water. As they ate they eyed the truck, waiting for it to leave. Apparently Kate had other ideas, simply situating herself in the driver's seat with the engine off and the door open. For fifteen minutes there was nothing but silence as they watched her and she gazed at the never ending lake of sand. Finally Zigzag spoke up, "Are you gonna' sit there all day?"
Startled she looked at him then said, "If it means avoiding Lou, yes."
Stanley gave her a hard look. "You're going to sit out here in the boiling sun just to avoid the Warden?"
"Wouldn't you?"
"No." X-Ray retorted.
"Well, then you don't tick her off like I do."
Armpit picked up his shovel and turned to her "He's not her daughter."
Kate glared at him, "Neither am I." After that no one spoke. As the boys returned to their holes Kate continued to look across the waste land. After an hour had passed Zero climbed out of his hole and headed back toward camp. Kate offered him a ride but he rejected it and kept on walking, causing Stanley to glance her way. She was still staring at the horizon. "Is there something out there?" he asked, squinting in the direction she was looking.
"If you know what to look for," was all she said.
Stanley looked at the others. Armpit shrugged and Squid rolled his eyes. No one was sure what she meant. The only one who didn't respond to what she had said was Zigzag, he had a feeling that he knew what Kate was thinking. Now if he could just shake the feeling that she was there just to watch them, the thought that she was the Warden's eyes.
~~~
"Thanks for the break," Sir told Kate as she parked the truck and climbed out.
"Sure." By now she figured that most the boys were on their way back. She hadn't left until four-thirty had rolled around. "Has Lou cooled down?"
The man shrugged, "Couldn't tell you, no one's seen her today." Kate nodded and headed toward the wreck room, another hour should calm her nerves. Inside about half the boys were gathered and it stank with sweat. Around here showers didn't seem to make a difference. From out of nowhere a body slammed into her, causing her to wince. "Watch it," someone said. Kate shrugged and moved to a table, tenderly touching the bruise that ran down her right arm, the one that kid had run into. Suddenly she felt someone's eyes on her, causing her hand to drop into her lap. Looking up she saw Zigzag standing in a corner, watching her. He must have come in when she wasn't looking. Quickly she diverted her gaze, the look he had given her was one she recognized. He didn't trust her, but, then again, the feeling was mutual.
"Mind if I join you?" Stanley asked walking up to the table.
"Sure, Caveman."
Taking a seat he pulled out a box of stationary and a pen. Kate smiled, "Another letter to home?"
"Yeah, Mom worries a lot."
"Sounds like my dad. Could I use a piece of that?"
Without a word Stanley gave her a piece of paper. Digging a pen out of her pocket she put it to the stationary. Almost hesitantly she began writing: "Dad, how are you?"
That was as far as she got. Suddenly Pendanski approached the table, "Katherine, we just got a phone call. It's about your dad." The counselor stopped.
"What?"
"You might not want me to say this with everyone around."
"Like you really care. Just tell me!"
He shrugged slightly. "His plane went down two nights ago. No survivors." Turning he walked away, not bothering to play the role of counselor for her.
From somewhere nearby Sir added, "Yeah, just fell out of they sky."
Silently Kate looked down at the letter she was writing. "Guess there's no point in this." Slowly she rose from her seat and headed toward the door. Behind her Stanley called, "Kate, I'm sorry."
For a moment she looked back at him and then gave a curt laugh, "Yeah, like you really care."
Night fell on Camp Green Lake and Kate had not been seen for hours. Even Armpit and Magnet were discussing her whereabouts. "Bet you she ran." Magnet told the rest of the boys in the tent.
"Man, why? It's not like she's digging or anything." Armpit replied.
"Well, she doesn't get along with the Warden," the other answered.
X-Ray cut in, "Why do you care?" No one bothered to answer.
Out of nowhere Armpit said, "Hey, where's Ziggy?"
"What is it with you?" X-Ray asked. "Do you have to know where every one is all the time?"
"Shiesh. Sorry, X, but there's not a lot to think about around here."
"Think all you want, just quit asking stupid questions."
In the corner Zero and Stanley sat talking about their new agreement. However, upon overhearing the other boy's conversation Zero looked over and whispered to Stanley. "I know where she is."
"Where?"
"She's out on the lake."
Stanley laughed a little, "Why would she be there?"
"She likes it out there, I can tell." After that Stanley didn't ask about it anymore, Zero was probably right. He could pick up on things like that, which meant Kate was somewhere on the lake. Then another thought struck him, one the worried him: Who knew how far she would go.
~~~
A week after X-Ray's find the water truck pulled up bearing the much coveted liquid and an afternoon meal. However, the boys were surprised, if a little relieved, to see that Kate was driving. Squid was the first to speak, "Great, the snob."
"It beats Sir," Magnet told him with a shrug. No one replied as they realized that, no matter what they thought of Kate, she was preferable to the disjointed counselor. As the truck pulled to a stop she gave them a small smile and laughed. "Not who you expected?" In return she got nothing but glares. "Fine, line up." This time they responded and formed a line, gathering their lunch and water. As they ate they eyed the truck, waiting for it to leave. Apparently Kate had other ideas, simply situating herself in the driver's seat with the engine off and the door open. For fifteen minutes there was nothing but silence as they watched her and she gazed at the never ending lake of sand. Finally Zigzag spoke up, "Are you gonna' sit there all day?"
Startled she looked at him then said, "If it means avoiding Lou, yes."
Stanley gave her a hard look. "You're going to sit out here in the boiling sun just to avoid the Warden?"
"Wouldn't you?"
"No." X-Ray retorted.
"Well, then you don't tick her off like I do."
Armpit picked up his shovel and turned to her "He's not her daughter."
Kate glared at him, "Neither am I." After that no one spoke. As the boys returned to their holes Kate continued to look across the waste land. After an hour had passed Zero climbed out of his hole and headed back toward camp. Kate offered him a ride but he rejected it and kept on walking, causing Stanley to glance her way. She was still staring at the horizon. "Is there something out there?" he asked, squinting in the direction she was looking.
"If you know what to look for," was all she said.
Stanley looked at the others. Armpit shrugged and Squid rolled his eyes. No one was sure what she meant. The only one who didn't respond to what she had said was Zigzag, he had a feeling that he knew what Kate was thinking. Now if he could just shake the feeling that she was there just to watch them, the thought that she was the Warden's eyes.
~~~
"Thanks for the break," Sir told Kate as she parked the truck and climbed out.
"Sure." By now she figured that most the boys were on their way back. She hadn't left until four-thirty had rolled around. "Has Lou cooled down?"
The man shrugged, "Couldn't tell you, no one's seen her today." Kate nodded and headed toward the wreck room, another hour should calm her nerves. Inside about half the boys were gathered and it stank with sweat. Around here showers didn't seem to make a difference. From out of nowhere a body slammed into her, causing her to wince. "Watch it," someone said. Kate shrugged and moved to a table, tenderly touching the bruise that ran down her right arm, the one that kid had run into. Suddenly she felt someone's eyes on her, causing her hand to drop into her lap. Looking up she saw Zigzag standing in a corner, watching her. He must have come in when she wasn't looking. Quickly she diverted her gaze, the look he had given her was one she recognized. He didn't trust her, but, then again, the feeling was mutual.
"Mind if I join you?" Stanley asked walking up to the table.
"Sure, Caveman."
Taking a seat he pulled out a box of stationary and a pen. Kate smiled, "Another letter to home?"
"Yeah, Mom worries a lot."
"Sounds like my dad. Could I use a piece of that?"
Without a word Stanley gave her a piece of paper. Digging a pen out of her pocket she put it to the stationary. Almost hesitantly she began writing: "Dad, how are you?"
That was as far as she got. Suddenly Pendanski approached the table, "Katherine, we just got a phone call. It's about your dad." The counselor stopped.
"What?"
"You might not want me to say this with everyone around."
"Like you really care. Just tell me!"
He shrugged slightly. "His plane went down two nights ago. No survivors." Turning he walked away, not bothering to play the role of counselor for her.
From somewhere nearby Sir added, "Yeah, just fell out of they sky."
Silently Kate looked down at the letter she was writing. "Guess there's no point in this." Slowly she rose from her seat and headed toward the door. Behind her Stanley called, "Kate, I'm sorry."
For a moment she looked back at him and then gave a curt laugh, "Yeah, like you really care."
Night fell on Camp Green Lake and Kate had not been seen for hours. Even Armpit and Magnet were discussing her whereabouts. "Bet you she ran." Magnet told the rest of the boys in the tent.
"Man, why? It's not like she's digging or anything." Armpit replied.
"Well, she doesn't get along with the Warden," the other answered.
X-Ray cut in, "Why do you care?" No one bothered to answer.
Out of nowhere Armpit said, "Hey, where's Ziggy?"
"What is it with you?" X-Ray asked. "Do you have to know where every one is all the time?"
"Shiesh. Sorry, X, but there's not a lot to think about around here."
"Think all you want, just quit asking stupid questions."
In the corner Zero and Stanley sat talking about their new agreement. However, upon overhearing the other boy's conversation Zero looked over and whispered to Stanley. "I know where she is."
"Where?"
"She's out on the lake."
Stanley laughed a little, "Why would she be there?"
"She likes it out there, I can tell." After that Stanley didn't ask about it anymore, Zero was probably right. He could pick up on things like that, which meant Kate was somewhere on the lake. Then another thought struck him, one the worried him: Who knew how far she would go.