Chapter 4
"K!" a kid called out to Kmart when she saw her passing by.
"Yes?" Kmart went to the kid.
"Can you tell us story again?"
"Uhm maybe later, I still have some work to do."
"Aww…" the little girl pouted her lips.
"Don't worry, I'll tell you two stories later." Kmart smiled at the kid.
"Yehey. What stories are you gonna tell us?" the kid asked with her eyes shining.
"That's still a secret. You have to wait till later."
"Oh okay, we'll wait for you." The little kid smiled. "Maybe I can help you so you can finish early."
"That's a great idea. But if only that's okay with Otto."
"Come on. Let's ask him." The girl excitedly pulled Kmart to Otto's place.
"Oh okay."
When Claire was already calmed, she went out of the Hummer to look for Carlos. The redhead found Carlos talking to Chase while they are having a smoke and sitting on the log. The redhead hesitated at first but when she noticed that Carlos is looking at her, she immediately went to them.
"Claire." Chase nodded at the redhead.
"Uhm can I talk to Carlos alone?" Claire looked at Chase then to Carlos who is looking at her also.
"Sure." Chase stood up and handed Carlos the pack of cigarette to the soldier and left the two.
Claire sat beside Carlos and sighed. The soldier offered her the cigarette but Claire refused it. "No, thanks."
Carlos raised an eyebrow. That Claire's attitude is new to him. "That's something new."
"I'm not in the mood to have a smoke." Claire said.
"Oh okay, so what do you want to talk about?" Carlos asked.
"Uhm…Tomorrow…I want you behind the Hummer." Claire said without looking at Carlos.
"Really? Why?"
"I just want you to…"
"That's not what you're gonna tell me." Carlos declared.
"What do you mean?"
Carlos chuckled lowly. "Just tell me Claire."
Claire rolled her eyes then looked at Carlos. "Okay I'm sorry about earlier."
"Hmmm… You owe me an explanation." Carlos smiled at Claire showing his white teeth.
"Well, I don't why I got mad."
"It's because you cannot accept the truth that you are refusing to be happy and what I was saying to you was right all along, am I right Claire Redfield?"
"You're really a good mind reader, aren't you?"
"Yeah, that's why you trust me in this convoy." Carlos said proudly.
Claire smiled. "You're so "humble", you know that?"
"Thank you. Thank you." Carlos said jokingly.
Claire slapped Carlos on the shoulder. Then they both fell silent. "Claire…"
"What?"
"There's one thing I wanted to ask you." Carlos said and made a puff of his cigarette.
"What is it?"
"Do you hate Kmart?"
"No I don't hate her."
"But you don't like her also. Am I right?"
"It's not like that Carlos."
"Then what?"
Claire sighed and fell silent. "I can see her in Kmart. They are so much alike."
"I can see that also. But Claire they are different people. Don't blame Kmart for being like her" Carlos said.
"I'm not blaming her. I just don't wanna be so close to her." Claire said lowly. "Every people who gets close to me die. I don't want her to end up like them."
"But we live it now. We live the fact that people around us gets killed."
"I know. I just don't wanna be hurt again."
"You're so unfair Claire." Carlos said.
"Call me whatever you want Carlos but that's what I feel." Claire replied. On the other hand, instead of arguing with Claire again, the soldier patted the redhead's shoulder. He understands Claire's pain. She's still mourning since that day happened but what could he do? He couldn't ease away the pain his friend's feeling and this is the second day he saw he that way. And guess what? He was the only one who witnessed Claire in that state.
Claire sighed. "I gotta go. I'll check Mikey."
"Sure." Carlos nodded and Claire left.
But before that, she turned to Carlos again. "And by the way I still want your truck behind the Hummer tomorrow."
"Copy that ma'am." Carlos smiled and Claire finally left.
Claire is on her way to Mikey's when a ball rolled to her. Claire picked it when a little blonde boy came running. The boy stopped dead and narrowed his green eyes when he saw that Claire's holding his ball. The boy turned around and was about to walked away when Claire stopped him.
"Wait, this is yours right?" Claire asked.
The boy turned to Claire and nodded but there's fear in his eyes. "Here." Claire handed the boy the ball.
The boy smiled at first then gladly accepted the ball from Claire. "Thank you and I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for?" the redhead frowned.
"I know we're not allowed to play."
"Who told you that?"
"My mom. She said you might get angry, that's why sometime's we're hiding from you because we don't want you to get mad." The boy explained.
Claire kneeled to match the boy's height. "I'm not angry. Just don't go too far and out of the perimeter okay?"
"Yes. I will be safe." Those words struck Claire. It reminds her of someone. "Thank you again." The boys smiled at Claire warmly which made Claire smile too.
Am I that hostile? She thought then shook her head.
Mikey is watching a movie on his computer when Claire arrived. Claire knocked on the door that made Mikey turned his head. "Hi there Claire Bear." Mikey greeted and grinned.
"How many times o I have to tell you not to call me that?" Claire raised an eyebrow as she hopped in the media van.
"Why? I like it when I call you that." The Aussie boy smiled.
Claire rolled her eyes. "So, how's the status here?"
"Fine. There's no detection. And no signs of any infected."
"That's good. I want to ask you something." Claire looked at Mikey.
"What is it?"
"Is there any way you can detect if someone is in danger?" Claire asked and Mikey frowned at her. "I mean for example, I'm out of the perimeter then an undead attacked me, will you be able to detect it?"
"Whoa! I'm good in computer but I'm not that genius Claire." Mikey said. "But I know something that can work. For example I have a mobile phone and when I'm in danger I just need to press a button then it will alarm the whole system and find the victim's location. But that's a lot of work to do. Maybe it will take months or even a year to finish that."
"Can you do it Mikey?"
"I don't think I can. And we need some supplies of hardwares and gadgets and also we need to do some programming for that."
"Oh."
"Why did you ask that?"
"Well, I'm just thinking of everybody's safety. You know we can't monitor them all the time. There are circumstances wherein they are getting out of the perimeter."
Mikey nodded. "But maybe I can try. But I need the things I said."
"We can look for those things in our next hunting."
"Okay." Mikey nodded and smiled.
Everybody is already settled that night. Everybody is done eating their dinner and they are ready to go sleep but then Claire noticed a group of kids including Kmart circled around the bonfire. There are some adults around them too.
Then suddenly, Claire saw Betty passed her going to the group of people. "Betty!" Claire called.
Betty looked back at Claire. "Hey Claire what is it?"
"What's going on there?"
"Uhmm nothing. Just some sort of story telling."
"Story telling?"
"Yeah, Kmart is gonna tell the kids a story and we will listen too. You know we missed this kind of stuff too." Betty smiled.
"Oh okay."
"You wanna join us?"
"I don't think so. Maybe later. I don't know." Claire answered.
"Come on. Just take a break."
Claire paused for a moment. Maybe taking a break won't hurt. Claire thought. "Okay." And Claire walked with Betty to the group of people.
As the story of Kmart goes on, there are laughters in between the story. Claire could see the happiness in everybody's eyes. She could tell that these people missed being normal. Living normal, with no worries of death. Just pure happiness. And Claire could admit that she missed living normal too. With no people and love ones dying around her. And she's glad to be so normal again even just this time.
When Kmart's story ends everybody clapped their hands. And Claire smiled. Kmart looked around the people and smiled in each everyone of them. And then she spotted the smiling Claire. Her heart leapt with joy upon seeing her smile. Well, this is a rare scene for her too. Kmart smiled widely at Claire.
"Thank you." Kmart said but she meant to tell it to Claire.
AN: Sorry for the delay of this chapter. I got busy. Anyway thank you for those who reviewed my last chapter. And to the new reader of this story (barbeed). I hope you guys enjoy this chapter too. Happy reading.