Blood Moon by Gwendolyn Harper (books for students to read .TXT) 📕

For the rest of the day, the kids ran around kicking and punching the air like superheroes.

Better for them to find some kind of joy from it than live ignorant and afraid.

Booker promised to show the older kids—Travis, several of the girls, and the camp counselors—all about gun safety after dinner. Even Debbie requested to be part of the tutorial. She’d never held a gun before the world fell apart, and she wasn’t steady with one yet.

Icy fear crept up Caitlin’s spine once more.

She tried to ignore it, tried willing it away as she ate her sandwich and chocolate pudding cup from the church stash. But as she watched everyone eat and smile and enjoy themselves, the fear clutched her tighter.

They’d gotten lucky with the fire. Lucky with the door and Sarah and finding her just in time. Travis had gotten lucky finding them and not people who would kill him and steal his gear.

Luck was a fickle thing. It always ran off eventually, and then what? What did that leave them?

“Thinkin’ too loud, songbird,” Booker murmured, glancing sidelong at her.

She took a sip of water, trying to release the tension in her shoulders.

“Sorry.”

“Ain’t nothin’ to be sorry about,” he said. After a moment, he added, “Wanna talk about it?”

Caitlin looked across the room at a trio of elderly women eating.

“I don’t want to leave them here,” she whispered.

Booker tore a corner of his sandwich off, quietly waiting.

“They’re sitting ducks,” she continued. “They don’t have enough weapons or people to look out for things. I mean, what happens when Travis has to make another run and he stumbles across the wrong kinds of people, or more Geeks than he can handle? They can’t keep this place safe forever. Look at what happened today with Sarah in the basement.”

Regarding her for a moment, Booker turned in his seat to face her. “Darlin’, today was a win. Multiple wins, in my book.”

“And what happens when the winning streak ends?”

He frowned. “What’re you sayin’, that we should pack ‘em all up and take ‘em with us?”

“Yes,” she said, nodding. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

Booker shook his head. “Cae, we can’t offer these people anythin’. Here they’ve got shelter, food, running water… Y’really wanna try running from a herd of groaners with Lucille and her walker?”

“But Jack—”

His hand found hers under the table. “I know. I know, darlin’. It’s hard to watch and it’s even harder to imagine what might happen when we leave. But these people have managed pretty damn well on their own for two months or more. Maybe it ain’t perfect but they’re doin’ their best.”

“And what about when more scavengers come? In groups bigger than they can handle? What about when a goon squad rolls through and torches the place? Then what?”

For possibly the first time since they’d met, Caitlin saw Booker at a loss. The wheels were turning but he was coming up short.

“I dunno Cae,” he finally said. “But we can’t just take these people on without a promise to keep them safe and healthy. And that’s not something we can even promise ourselves yet.”

Caitlin scowled at the crumbs on her paper plate.

“They need an escape route.”

“They have one, it’s out the back.”

She rolled her eyes. “No, not from the building. From town. From every worst possible situation.”

To his credit, Booker didn’t argue with her. He only rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand soothingly as they watched Nicole play checkers with some of the other kids.

* * * * * * *

That night, laying on her makeshift bed on the floor of the church, Caitlin stared up at the rafters and thought over her options.

She pulled each one apart in her mind, listing pros and cons just like they had sitting at the table in the farmhouse.

Close to her side, Booker snored softly in the darkness.

She hadn’t seen him sleep that soundly since they’d left Mississippi, and knowing they would be on their way again in the morning broke her heart.

The final option that felt most likely to be approved tumbled through her mind as her eyelids began to droop.

She couldn’t say she was satisfied, but she had to admit it was better than nothing.

It’s what she would have done for Hannah, Jeremy, Josh… Every single soul in that house, every single person who cared for her, who took her in.

Rolling onto her side, she inched back until she gently bumped Booker’s chest. In his sleep, he reached for her, wrapping a thick arm around her waist and hugging her close.

As she drifted off, she let herself enjoy the simple pleasure of being held, knowing it might be a while before she had it again.

* * * * * * *

Sunrise came too early in her opinion.

But at least they’d slept through the night.

As Booker finished loading up the Jeep, Caitlin and Nicole made sure Kyle had enough medicine to last a week. He’d already perked up in just a few hours, and his coughing wasn’t as frequent.

Debbie thanked them profusely, shoving bottles of water and a couple jars of peanut butter into their hands.

“I know it’s not much, but…”

Caitlin smiled. “It’s more than enough.”

As Jorge and Travis walked up, Booker returned to tell them they were set to head off.

“I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done,” Jorge said, shaking Booker’s hand. “All of you. We’d started to wonder if there were still good people out there, and then there you were.”

Travis looked to Booker and Caitlin, straightening to his full height. Not quite a child, not quite a man yet.

“Thank you for yesterday,” he said.

Booker nodded. “Y’just remember how to hold that shotgun level like I showed ya.”

“Yes, sir.”