SurvivorZ: Grave Harbor

53

DREW

No matter how long he stood by the window, staring out at the dark forest in the back yard, Drew couldn't shake the feeling that he was bound to see hosts of undead appearing through the trees at any moment.

The group's restless night seemed to last forever. For hours after their arrival, the cracks and booms of warfare echoed from Hanscom like a raging thunderstorm. It all stopped sometime around midnight.

In many ways, the deathly silence since then was worse. The weight of not knowing whether the army had beaten back the horde or joined them wore on the entire household. Even the children, the few among them who could summon an appetite for breakfast, awoke as gloomy and pessimistic as everyone else.

A hand lightly brushed his back. Drew started from his sober reverie and peered over his shoulder. Judith's drained face smiled back at him. After the burdens of their long night, his girlfriend appeared to have aged ten years since yesterday.

"See anything?" she asked.

He took her by the hand and kissed her cheek. "Morning, babe. No, nothing. It's all quiet out there."

"Hmm. Quiet." She stared out the window. "I was just starting to get used to the noise again. I really hate the quiet."

"I'll take it over the moans of the dead."

"Mm-hmm." She patted his chest. "Did you eat yet? You're going to need all your strength for what's in store today."

"I'll grab a bite after the group meeting," he replied. "I don't think I could keep anything down right now."

"Okay."

She turned to leave. Before she could take her first step, she realized he wasn't letting go of her hand. "Hey, how are you doing?" he asked.

"Hanging in there."

He slipped his arms around her. She cozied up against him, but still apparently hadn't found the dial to turn her emotions back on. In her present state, the only face she seemed capable of wearing remained stuck on tired disinterest.

"You know I'm here for you if you want to talk about anything," he said.

She shook her head, not following his meaning.

"What happened with Lee's grandparents?" he prompted. "I know that couldn't have been an easy thing to go through."

"Oh." Judith lowered her eyes. "Right. No, I suppose not."

"I overheard Lee crying this morning in the bathroom. Poor kid. He's taking it hard."

"Lee's a strong boy," she said. "He'll bounce back. We just need to be there for him and give him time to grieve."

"What about your grieving?"

Judith blinked at him. "Mine?"

"Watching two people die right in front of you and not being able to do anything to save them couldn't have been easy. I can see it in your face. You don't need to shoulder that burden all by yourself."

A faint smile touched the corners of Judith's lips. She caressed his cheek. "You're so sweet," she said. "You don't have to worry about me. I promise I'm all right. I did what I could to keep us all safe. The Lord must have had a reason for taking them when He did. He probably did it so the rest of us could make it out of there safely."

"Not sure how I feel about that," Drew replied.

"You need to trust that He has a purpose for each one of us," she said. "Either as His sword, His shield, or His sacrifice. His ways are mysterious, and not for us to know."