Gray (Book 2) by Cadle Lou

Author:Cadle, Lou [Cadle, Lou]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Post-Apocalyptic
Publisher: Cadle-Sparks Books
Published: 2015-07-26T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

The next morning, she was woken at first light to help Joli haul water. The woman led her silently away from the camp. Coral, carrying two empty pitchers, tried to take in everything, the worn paths, the terrain, big rocks she might duck behind to hide. They passed the animals and came to a flat spot covered with ice, and Joli took up a four-foot long chunk of metal pipe—which could be used as a weapon during their escape, Coral thought—and smashed at the ice.

Water spilled out of the cracked spot. It was another natural spring. Something must keep it warm enough underground to keep it flowing. Were these mountains volcanic? Benjamin had said something about animals and springs. What was it? Right, that you might not want to drink what the animals did. “Is this safe?”

Joli smashed more ice then set the pipe aside. “We’ve been drinking it for years. It’s like fancy bottled water you people in the cities pay five dollars for.”

Coral had never paid five dollars for a bottle of water in her life. She watched as Joli smashed more ice, and then did as instructed and filled two pitchers. Joli had a pair of galvanized buckets. She filled those and they walked back to the center of the compound.

There was a fire going, and when Coral walked up with the water pitchers, Brynn told her to empty them into the same two big cast iron pots used last night. Coral stood shivering next to Polly, watching the pots until they finally began to steam. Polly hurried inside. Moments later, Ellie and Polly brought out big bowls of dry oatmeal, studded with raisins. Coral’s job was to scrape the mixture from the bowls into the pots and then watch over them, stirring the oatmeal as it cooked.

“There’s powdered milk in it,” said Ellie, who stayed to make sure Coral knew what to do, though a five-year-old kid could have handled the job. “For more protein.”

“You’ve planned well,” said Coral.

“And sunflower seeds to sprinkle on at the table. But we’re running low on sugar, so no more of that, I’m afraid. Or honey.”

“I’m hungry enough to eat anything.” Unsweetened oatmeal was fine. Her body craved the calories, and as the pots began to give off the musty odor of oatmeal, her stomach twisted, demanding to be filled. “I was trying to figure out how much you had stored away, trying to work out the calorie content, but I don’t know the calories in beans.”

“Pound of beans or rice per person per day, was what we base it on.”

“And you stored supplies for how long?”

“Six months.”

Coral was surprised Ellie was so forthcoming. “Getting close to that now.”

Ellie seemed unconcerned. “It’s enough food.”

“What happens at six months?”

“Tithing can tell you. He explains it better.”

“Okay,” said Coral. She didn’t really care, except she wanted to understand their beliefs—either to pretend to share them, to manipulate them, or to find some side of them that would let her convince them to let her and Benjamin move on, unharmed.

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