The Decay

Chapter Nineteen

"Supply check." Announces Noah as they all sit together at the top of the hill.

     The biders continually groan on below them as they refuel themselves and take inventory on the supplies they have left. Miyonah sits with Lucas in her lap as he eats an apple and reads from his sign language book. Tanner sits thigh to thigh with her and sharpens a knife glancing over occasionally. Miyonah and Noah go through bags and determine that they need to go on a supply run.

"We can't very well just charge down there," deadpans Tanner looking up from his knife, "They'd tear us apart."

     "We just have to be careful," Sighs Zayna, "Their hearing and sense of smell is heightened so if we mask our scent and be quiet we'll be fine. Of course they can still see so we should try to stay covered but if you don't make a scene they won't be interested without the smell of flesh."

     "I agree with her," Noah says nodding, "We need supplies and the only other option is to find a way around or go back. Both of those options are days out of our way and we could run out of food or water by then. We have to go forward."

"Alright. How are we doing this exactly though?" Miyonah asks joining in.

Noah looks out at the mass of biders below them and they all see his face go hard in thought.

     "Okay, this is how it's going to go. I'll be in the front leading the group through. Zayna, you take the back with Lucas in front of you. Tanner, you're in front of him and lastly, Sarah, you'll be beh-"

     Everyone freezes. Tanner and Noah's faces immediately darken and Miyonah looks on the verge of tears. Zayna watches in surprise as the silence stretches on. No one knows what to say. The slip up came from nowhere and takes everyone by surprise. Miyonah. He had meant to say Miyonah.

"Miyonah," He says in a quieter voice with his eyes still far off, "You'll be behind me."

She nods her head slightly.

"Twenty minutes." He says and turns away.

     The three of them disperse in their own directions leaving Zayna and Lucas in the center glancing at everyone curiously.

"Stay here for a minute, okay?" She signs to Lucas and he nods, sitting down with his book.

     Zayna makes her way over to Tanner who sits under a tree with his knife, sharpening it once again. He scrapes at it vigorously and she notices how white his knuckles are from the force. Quietly sitting down beside him she rests her hand on his stopping him from scraping. She watches him watching an unknown point in the distance and doesn't say a word. Finally, he squeezes her hand and exhales.

"I should talk to Miyonah."

"You should." She says quietly.

     He stands to go and smiles a sad smile down at her who returns the gesture. Watching as he walks over to Miyonah, she wonders when and how they became close enough to comfort each other by silence. After-all, they barely knew each other.

. . . . 

"Hey." Tanner says standing by Miyonah.

"Hey."

"Are you okay?"

She laughs sadly, "Yeah, we're all okay."

"You know what I mean, Mi."

     "Sorry, yeah, I know." She sighs, "She was your sister. It's just... She was like my sister too, you know? Her being gone... it just doesn't seem right. I've tried to move passed it and not think about it like we all have but it hasn't been that long. How can we all pretend it wasn't a big deal? She was there, Tanner, then she just wasn't. I didn't even get to hear her last words."

Tanner pulls Miyonah into a hug and rubs her back comfortingly.

     "We aren't pretending it wasn't a big deal, Mi. We're just trying to keep moving. All of us. Sarah wouldn't have wanted us to get ourselves killed over her. She loved us and we love her. We just have to move forward and keep her in our hearts. We'll never forget her and when we find a safe place, we can all grieve and let our guards down. That could be today or a year from now but when we're out here, we can't be vulnerable."

     "When did you get so mature?" Miyonah asks pulling away and sniffling. She smiles, "You sound like Noah. Or- or maybe Zayna. I don't know, one of them."

     "I don't know," He says looking over at Zayna sitting with Lucas. His heart pulls with an unfamiliar feeling, "I guess it just happened."

     After Miyonah is better, they walk back to Zayna and Lucas and sit to pack their stuff back up. Miyonah watches Tanner watching Zayna like he's in deep thought and she smiles to herself knowingly.

No wonder he's gotten so mature. She's like his stone.

     Noah walks back over from wherever he walked to and looks down at the kids who watch him back. He looks to Tanner and Miyonah expecting to see sadness but gets something else. When he looks to them, they nod in a silent gesture that says, "I know." and Noah gets it. They both forgive him. They both understand. They both know how it feels.

"Let's move out." He says feeling more sure than before and they make their way down the hill.   

****A short chapter that I hope you guys enjoyed :). Until next time, keep rea- well, you know.           (^-^)****