A Month of Doomsdays by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Published: 2023-06-07T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 23

“I’ve lived here all my life,” Greg Brannigan said, riding a little closer to Anna. She muttered enough to show she listened to him but offered nothing about her own background. “I’ve got two sisters. I suppose you’re lucky you do, too. And I’ve got an older brother who hogs everything. Oh, Matthew’s all right, I suppose, but he thinks he’s so much better ’n me just because he’s older.”

He looked at the girl sidelong. She rode staring straight ahead as if she was a stone statue. No hint of emotion crossed her face, even when a bug flew up and landed on her forehead. She let it crawl about for a few seconds and never moved to brush it off. It got tired of exploring the dusty, dirty expanse of her eyebrows and flew off.

Greg swiped at his eyebrows in reaction.

“Is it hard, having Jasmine and Ruth depend on you?”

Anna nodded slowly and finally spoke in her little girl voice. “They help, but they’re kids.”

“I know what you mean. My sister Caroline is a real pest.”

“They’re too weak to scrounge for victuals. I have to do it all for them since Ma left.” She clutched at the gunnysack with the food taken from the way station. A quick, fearful look in Greg’s direction made him think she worried about him stealing what she’d found in the way station.

“I wish I’d packed up enough to help out,” Greg said. “Me and Mack weren’t going to be gone long. But when we get to town, you’ll have all the food you want. You and your sisters. Just wait and see.”

Anna said nothing. They rode in uneasy silence. Greg felt the need to say something, anything, to fill the emptiness. But he saw that the silence went all the way down into Anna’s soul. He wanted to ask what she’d been through but knew she wouldn’t answer.

Worse, she’d clam up and never say another word. Being on the run like she was had to be awful. Having her mother disappear was even worse. Fifteen years old and the weight of taking care of her family fell on her thin shoulders.

“Why’d she leave you?” he blurted. Greg bit his tongue to keep from making matters worse.

“Ma? She wanted to lure him away from us, I reckon. She never told me. Maybe she told Jasmine. Her and Jasmine would sit and talk for hours. They ignored me.”

“You mean she decoyed your pa away? I understand that,” Greg said, hurrying to change the subject. “My folks and Matt and Mack all put their heads together and stop talking when I come in. They ignore me.”

“Your sister, too?”

“I—” The question caused Greg to consider this. “Yeah, Caroline, too. That’s because they don’t think I’m grown up enough. But you and your ma. Why did she talk with your sisters but not you?”

“Greg!” Mack called to him again. “We’re going to take the cutoff into town. That’ll save us a half hour’s ride.”

“That’s a good idea,” he said.

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