They Walk (24 page)

The thought that there are a lot of people here makes me feel slightly nauseated, in a good way if that’s even possible. For a while I thought that we’d never be around large groups of people that are alive ever again. Nearing the end of the hallway, it widens out into a smaller version of the lobby and has two separate places to go. An open set of double doors where the sounds of other people carry, and I notice the plague over the doors reads The Pal Hop Stadium.

There is another smaller door with a picture of stairs on the side of it off to the left of the small lobby.

The sergeant leading us comes to a stop just outside the doors and Noah practically crashes into him, but he’s grinning. He steps away from the guard with an apology and turns to Claire, and his grin widens if that’s possible.

“
Claire, your mom is here and has been for a couple of days.” He says in an extorted whisper.

As her face goes white, she answers his grin with her own and turns to me with tears in her eyes.

She crashes into me and I hold her tight and watch Noah over her shoulders. When his eyes meet mine, I can tell from the way his smile just falters at the edges that my parents aren’t on the list. He can’t stop the grin from returning when Claire spins out of my arms with a cry and into his, and I can tell from the shared excitement that his sister must have been on the list too. I know I should be happy for them, because this is why we came out here. But I can’t stop the raging jealousy that my own parents aren’t here.

The hollow feeling of never knowing if I’ll see them again.

“
Right then, you’ll find some empty cots inside, so you can help yourself to them. Dinner is served around four in The Shrine Circus Stadium just inside the hallway beside this one.” He says as he starts to walk away.

“
Wait, I’d like to take the Captain up on his offer if that’s alright?” Noah interrupts still clutching the clipboard to his chest.

I’m puzzled that he’d want to go see The Captain, since I had the feeling that finding his sister was important to him. So I’d thought if he found her he’d want to go and see her, but I guess we’re different in that way. When the guard nods his head and begins to follow him, Noah heads off before giving us a serious nod.

“
I’ll find you guys later, and I’ll get us some answers of what the situation is.” He says over his shoulder, and is gone before we can ask him to elaborate.

When Gabe squeezes my hand that is in his, I feel my face heat up in a blush. With all the hugging and finding out my parents aren’t here, I actually forgot he was beside me. What kind of selfish person does that make me?

All I know is that I could sleep forever, and am so numb I don’t know if I’d mind if I never woke up. Claire brings me back to myself though, since she is bouncing on the tips of her toes and peering into the Stadium before us. Pulling Gabe with me, I step up beside Claire and the three of us take a look inside. I have to be honest here, since I didn’t expect to see what is inside, but it’s pretty impressive.

The Stadium is large, and reminds me of a football field that is inside. It has a stage in the middle of it and rows of seating circling the entire place from floor to ceiling. It’s a little dim inside since most of the light is coming from the windows lining in between the seats on the back wall. But there are flickering lights of candles here and there, which make up for it.

The most impressive thing though is the fact the entire floor space is covered with cot like beds and has people on or around them. I’m talking dozens upon dozens of people ranging in ages, sizes, race, and gender. Who knew there were all these people in Maine? But I love the feeling of relief at seeing all of these people; it makes everything that has happened seem less harsh, like we actually have a chance or something.

“
It’s amazing right?” Claire says in an excited lite to her voice.

“
Definitely is.” I say, as I walk inside behind Claire and clutch at Gabe like he’s my lifeline.

Chapter Forty Three

Sometime later found me sitting on a cot, starring around at everything as if I’m in a haze and not really here. Gabe had managed to score us a couple cots and linens that were being stored up on the stage for new people. Thankfully we counted, and Claire found us a free spot in the back of the Stadium between an elderly couple and a young woman with two young little girls.

When we were setting up the space for ourselves, the kids played with Barbie dolls on the floor and watched us while their mother was fast asleep on her cot. It would seem we’re not the only ones that had a rough time of things, and I’ve been keeping an eye on the kids for the last couple of minutes. As for the elderly couple, they have been telling us all sorts of gossip about the Collisee, since they said they have been here for the last week before most of the people arrived.

Apparently, it wasn’t so smooth sailing when people first got here.

I guess that would explain the guard’s with guns that are stationed at all of the doors.

After we set up our cots, Claire had left us almost instantly and has been pacing through the rows and rows of cots searching for her mother. I could have helped her, but I didn’t want to leave the little girls alone, even though I know it’s not my responsibility. Gabe has been talking with the supervisor of the sleeping courters for a little while, since we had to give up all of our weapons when we first came inside. We had to sign in to a roster and list all items of weapons that were ours.

Even though we were reassured that if
and
when we left we just had to sign our stuff back out and take them. To say that it didn’t set well with us is an understatement. I suppose that would explain why I feel so lost at the moment; it’s not a good feeling having no protection, especially the ax I’ve relied upon recently.

“…
penny for your thoughts?” Gabe says as he sits down beside me on the cot, and joins me in watching the girls play.

“
Just a penny…is that all? With what’s on my mind, you could make a fortune.” I say as I lay my head on his shoulder.

“
Well I somehow lost my wallet, but we could use kisses as a substitute. What do you think?”

He leans back enough so that he can wiggle his eye brows at me, and gives me his best mock smoldering look. I can’t stop the giggle that slides out of my lips, as I push him back when he tries to kiss me. The girls on the floor start giggling too and the way they stare up at Gabe it’s like he’s the moon, and I definitely feel the same way. So in order to please our young audience, I pull Gabe to me and plant a smacking kiss on his cheek. This makes the girls sigh.

When they go back to playing I scoot closer to Gabe and nestle into his side.

“
So, we’re really weaponless in here aren’t we?” I say softly.

“
It could be worse I guess, they seem mostly sure we’re safe, so I won’t go revolting just yet.”

“
That’s good then, I don’t want us getting voted out of the house just yet.” I say only half joking.

Gabe pulls me close to him and rests his chin on the top of my head.

“
I wouldn’t go as far too wholly trusting big brother yet, but it’ll do for now.”

I nod my head in agreement, since I was pretty much thinking the same thing when he came back earlier. The woman on the cot beside ours wakes up then, and sits up and begins coughing. Her girl’s discard they’re dolls, and run over to her. One of them pats her on the back, while the other reaches for a bottle of water that is on the floor below the cot. When the coughing ceases and the woman lays back down and shut’s her eyes, I suddenly feel like I didn’t have to keep an eye on the children after all. It would seem they are the ones who are looking after their mother, and that is just one of the many things on how messed up things are. Gabe raises his arm that is around me and places it on my hair and holds me closer, and I wish again that I could be closer to him still.

“
How are you holding up Mag pie?” He whispers into me as he lays his cheek on my forehead.

I sigh into him, and really try to think how I am, but even I don’t really know.

Everything has happened so fast and we keep losing people, first with the accident and now with Sam. I can’t help to think if I was just stronger and hadn’t gotten surrounded he wouldn’t have had to save me, and he would never have gotten bitten. But I can’t say this to Gabe, for some reason I can’t fathom, I don’t want him to know that I keep getting weaker. It makes me nervous that maybe I’m not completely healed, but that’s a luxury I can’t get into right now. If anyone, especially Gabe thought I might not be well, they’d never let me go searching for my parents. It doesn’t make sense I know, but it’s something I have to keep to myself.

The way Gabe’s arm tenses around me, I know I’m thinking to deeply, and he’s getting worried.

“
I’m still holding, I guess.” I say softly.

He pushes me away gently and peers into my eyes, and I try not to look away so that he doesn’t think I’m lying. But I think he really knows me better than I thought, since I think he does think I’m lying.

“
Losing Sam like we did isn’t easy, and you don’t have to pretend everything is fine. Not with me Maggie.”

“
I know.” I whisper.

Being this close to Gabe, his eyes are so blue and I can’t stop my hand from rising from my lap and gently placing it on his cheek. He leans into it and closes his eyes with a sigh and I’m just sliding my hand down his jaw when someone clears their throat in front of us. Gabe opens his eyes with a groan and we turn to see who interrupted us at the same time.

It’s Claire, and she has her arms crossed and is glaring at us with a smile.

“
You know it would really help, if you could…I don’t know, maybe stop touching long enough to find my mom with me.” She says as she sits on my other side on the cot with an exaggerated sigh.

I pull out from Gabe’s comforting arms and face Claire.

“
Still no luck huh?” I say.

She shakes her head, and I wrap and arm around her and pull her to me, and no the coincidental pose is not lost on me.

“
You’ll find her Claire, she has to be here somewhere, don’t give up.” I tell her confidently.

“
Yeah, don’t be so dramatic Claire.” Gabe says with a smile, as he leans around me to face Claire.

She leans around me and flips him the bird.

“
Shut it Gabriel. The reason I came by though, is that a bunch of people are heading for dinner. I thought we could use the grub, it’s been a while I think.”

Gabe glances at me and then back to Claire, before standing up in front of us.

“
I could eat. How about it Maggie, care to join me?” He asks as he holds out a hand to me.

Smiling while shaking my head I reach for his hand and he pulls me to my feet with ease.

When Claire stands up, Gabe guides us towards the doors still holding my hand. However bad things are and confusing, I still love the feeling of holding onto him and it makes me have a sense of peace. We have to zigzag through the cots, and squeeze around the stage in the middle of the room. When we reach the front of the room, there is already a line of people waiting to leave. I wonder what is taking so long, when I see two guards at the door taking a variety of flashlights from containers on the floor and passing them out to everyone as they pass.

Gabe seeing my confused expression leans close to me while we wait to leave.

“
I saw those when we came in earlier and asked the guard’s I handed the weapons to. It’s for later when it gets dark, so we can find our way back here. They take them back though, a way to preserve battery life I guess.”

While he explained that, I watched a middle aged couple with three kids walk to the door next and the guard only gives them one flashlight. That doesn’t seem all that fair, but it would make sense though, making sure the kids stay with the parents. There are a lot of people here, and they can’t have an unlimited supply of flashlights let alone batteries. The wait in line isn’t as long as I’d thought and soon enough we are passing through the doors with our very own little blue flashlight.

Ironically enough, Gabe and I share one, and Claire has one of her own.

We follow the crowd out of the Stadium and out into the hallway, and within minutes we’re crossing into the wide expanse of the lobby. As we follow the group to the next hallway on our right, I try to ignore the banging of the dead against the steel doors, beneath the sounds of the people in the lobby. It’s easy enough though, because before we know it we’re halfway through the next hallway.

I notice that there aren’t any lamps hanging on the walls, and everyone clicks on their flashlight, us included. The hallway is shorter than the others, and opens up into a small lobby with double doors off to the left with a plaque reading Shrine Circus Stadium. They are wide open and have two more guards with guns stationed by them, and watch every one as they pass through.

The three of us stick close to one another as we pass through the entrance, and have a flashback to my first high school cafeteria nightmare, from the amount of people that are inside. The room is about the same size as where we are all sleeping, but has numerous large folding tables and chairs instead of cots. Along the back wall are tables of food and drinks, and have a dozen army dressed workers passing things out to everyone.