Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Riley

It has been hours since the message first came on the TV. Now the only thing playing is the same warning about the virus and how to stay safe. It feels strange. No news about wars overseas, no weather report, nothing from the President. Just the virus over and over.

“Move out!” a man in full military gear shouts. His pack looks heavy on his back.

“W-where are you going?” Finn asks one of the soldiers who is packing up. He stands and walks closer. I get up too and pull the loose joggers higher on my waist. I run my fingers through my hair.

“He asked you a question,” I say, looking down at the kneeling man. He glances up. Dark circles sit under his eyes like he has not slept in days. I cross my arms and wait.

“We’re not needed here anymore. It’s safe. Listen, if you have more questions, sweetie, we’ll be back in a week,” he says. He shoves one last thing into his bag, swings it over his shoulder, and jogs out of the building. I stand there frozen. Just like that, every uniform is gone. Their vehicles roll away too.

They will be back in a week? This thing is still going to be a problem next week? Anxiety climbs fast at the thought. What if it never ends? Questions and worries crowd my head.

I look out the classroom window and watch the trucks get smaller until they disappear. The sun has set. The sky is a deep purple. A door slams somewhere nearby. I leave the classroom and walk toward the entrance we used earlier. A taller woman in her thirties and a girl about my age and height come inside. They carry heavy bags. One of them has a metal baseball bat. Someone checks their temperature with a wand on their foreheads. After a nod they are allowed the rest of the way in.

People start to gather around a cafeteria table. I follow, and Finn comes too. A person at the table hands out packages and bottles of water. I take mine and give her a small smile before heading back to the classroom I claimed. Finn gets a package as well and joins me. I look at the pack. Beef stroganoff. I tear it open and dump the food onto the vinyl floor. It would taste better warm, but I am too hungry to care.

While I eat I feel someone watching. I look up. My face lights a little when I see the mysterious, scary guy from earlier staring at me with one eyebrow raised. It is the same guy who… Finn puts an arm across my chest. His eyes go narrow and cold as he stares the guy down.

“You might want this,” the guy mutters, looking away now that we are both watching him. His hands hold a couple of pillows. He tosses them to me, then pulls blankets and my shoes out of his bag. “And these.” He sets my shoes on the floor along with the blankets. He adjusts his bag and walks out of the classroom with a sharp turn.

“I don’t like him,” Finn mutters, dropping his arm. His face softens and he goes back to eating. I walk over to the things the guy left, gather them up, and bring them back to Finn.

“At least he got us some comfort stuff. And I don’t have to wear your smelly shoes anymore.” I unlace the Converse and toss them at him with a grimace once they are off. I spread both blankets on the floor and fluff the pillow. I finish the meal and throw the trash in the nearby bin. “I’m going to bed,” I say, and lie down on the hard floor. I do not think I will dream tonight.