The Rebellion

Chapter nine

Olive

Heaven. One word to describe this place was my type of heaven and I was very tempted to move here.

The Tremor brothers and I had been welcomed with open arms and we spent the majority of the first couple of days helping them around camp as well as getting to know some of the locals. There were some that kept to themselves, which was normal for them, but there were others like Tracy, her boyfriend Chris, Michelle's son Connor and Mack's daughter and her boyfriend who were around me all the time. It was like my band of merry men had grown.

I'd finally been introduced to Mack's daughter after my shower on the first morning and I was kind of taken back by her beauty. She had her father's unnatural grey eyes and her father's mousy light brown hair but there was something about her smile and the ways her eyes sparkled that wasn't her father. I almost commented on it but realised that that other feature would have been from her lost parent. Constantly attached to her was her boyfriend and the infamous marine I kept hearing about.

Abe was a quiet brooding type that had only eyes for Lucy. Complete total opposites it would seem. With his haunting green eyes that told stories of violence and war, he seemed to intimidate most. But once you got him talking, he would give up the occasion chuckle or smile.

Tracy introduced me to her little girl and I instantly fell in love with her. With her afro hair style that was tied into two balls on the top of her head and missing tooth grin, I played with her for hours. Ezra thought it was hilarious but he didn't get it. To be near someone, in this time, who was so innocent was a miracle. Little Cat made me feel... sane again.

Back before the invasion, back in middle school, I would babysit for the people in our apartment complex as an after school job. So being around little Cat was as if I was suddenly getting in touch with my youth, my innocence... My old life. Even around being around Connor was nice little reminder of having someone to care about as well.

Mack had gathered a few of the people who were in charge of the Seattle division and was in deep discussion with Duke and Frankie. I kept away from it all, not wanting to be part of the discussion but Spencer said that a lot of people were really interested in coming with us. There were even talks about the possibility of making a detour to Colorado and getting them on board. And just like that, our problems suddenly seemed manageable.

As I made my way out of Mack's house, that had become our temporary living quarters, I found saw Connor storming out of his own house, Michaelle right behind him.

"Con! Please get back here!" Michelle cried out but Connor continued on, a reaching over and pulling a hoodie over his head. Walking down the steps of the house, I readjusted my jacket wrapping it tightly around me and watched as Connor began running out of the circle of houses and sprinted off between two houses. Everyone ignored the commotion, everyone passing Michelle simply touched her shoulder or her arm.

Concerned for Connor, I walked over to Michelle, who had moved to sit on her make shift porch. "Everything alright Michelle?" I asked softly and she looked up, sniffling as she rubbed her nose. Her eyes were red, as though she been crying. I leaned up against the beam post that was holding her house together.

"It's nothing." She tried to play it off and I raised an eyebrow at her. "It's always the same every 365 days. About two years ago, his older brother... My son, Terry died. And every year, Connor always runs off. He comes back in a couple of hours but I just hate-" Michelle choked up and stared into the sky, looking as though she was praying.

"I understand." I muttered and she continued to stare into the sky, not at me, "My brother, my younger brother was killed."

"We aren't the only ones who have faced tragedy." She replied and I nodded in understanding.