Remains of Humanity - Book 1

Chapter Twelve

Outside the tent, Emilia stood still, nervously looking around until the sharp sound of a whistle caught her attention. Linda and Naomi was sitting on logs placed near the fireplace, Linda waving at the girl, "Over here!" she called.

Emilia was shy to go over, but she mustered the bravery since she had to admit to herself standing where she was would eventually cause her legs to give in. She has walked far to much for her own good, as her feet felt blistered and swollen from the journey. When she arrived near Linda and Naomi, the woman both gave her a warm smile.

Linda stood up and walked over to Emilia, "You hungry? Naomi is busy cooking up some pork and veg."

"Can't believe Melvin managed with this while we were away." Naomi said, collecting paper plates from a bag nearby.

"He told me once he cooked all the time in the city." Linda explained, before facing Emilia again, "Anyway, come take a seat over here."

Linda offered Emilia to sit on the log she was sitting on, and when Emilia accepted this, Linda sat right next to her.

"It's done right?" Linda asked Naomi, who shifted from the bag to the boiling hot pot.

"Yep. Ready to feast. I'll go get Henry and the others." Naomi ended as she walked off toward the blue tent the two teenagers were in.

Emilia did not look at Linda, who herself was looking at her, "My jacket doing fine for you?"

Emilia faced her, "Do you want it back?"

"Oh no, keep it. I got more."

There was silence again, but Linda soon spoke up, "You don't need to be scared anymore. Jesse is being treated right now, and everything will be back to normal."

"Not everything." Emilia added depressingly.

Linda struggled to find the words in order to reply, which paused her for a moment first, "Thats not entirely true. Sant-Monica is still normal."

"Me and Jesse was going to Sant-Monica. Nothing good came from it so far..." Emilia seemed more depressed than before, bowing her head and bringing her shoulders forward to shroud herself like a ball.

"Bad things happen. You can't stop that Emilia, but just know that as long as you have people who care about you by your side, everything will always be alright." Linda explained, while facing the fireplace, "Believe me, I know how you feel. I have been seeing bad things most my life."

Emilia remained silent, but then Naomi returned, with Henry and the two teenagers along with her.

"Where the food at?" Henry asked with excitement, while the two teenagers stood beside him, staring at Emilia which only made the little girl more nervous.

"You guys take a seat while I get the plates." Naomi said, going to the paper plates she took out already and bent down to the pot, propping open the lid which released hot steam fading into the air quickly.

Naomi then used a wooden spoon she grabbed from the nearby bag and began scooping the food inside onto the plates. Every plate she filled, she passed on to everyone around the camp fire, first to the teenagers, then Henry, Linda fourth and when she offered Emilia a plate, there was a pause.

Emilia was nervous to take the food, "Can I wait for Jesse?" she asked.

"If you want but we don't know how long he and Melvin will take in the tent. It's alright Emilia." Linda assured.

Emilia reluctantly opened the rain jacket and reached out with both hands for the plate from Naomi. After, everyone was holding plates filled with cooked pork, chopped carrot and potato, beefy sauce and pieces of corn, all steaming.