Seeking Atonement by Morey Kitiera

Author:Morey, Kitiera [Morey, Kitiera]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-03-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

I didn’t feel any better when Annie woke me up a few hours later. I’d dreamt of Jane’s murder, but this time, instead of screaming in terror and pain, my sister had berated me as the demons tortured her. I couldn’t remember her taunts, yet they left me more chilled than usual.

Annie poked my shoulder; my eyelids had stayed shut. “Do you need a few minutes? We don’t have to leave—”

My eyes opened, and I rubbed my face. “No, I’m moving.”

“Okay.”

Her quiet, slow tone caught my attention.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Annie glanced at Sierra, who examined our food supplies and rationed out our breakfast. She must have been up longer than either me or Annie. She’d washed her face and hair the best she could and had changed out of yesterday’s clothes. Parts of her old clothes could be seen burning in the fireplace.

Annie’s gaze returned to me. “You will do it?” She spoke in a whisper, but I noticed Sierra stiffen, though not stop in her task.

I sat up and shrugged off my blanket. “I didn’t shoot her, did I?”

I kept my voice just as low as Annie’s despite not caring if the girl overheard me or not. I did it for Annie. She looked more on edge than I felt.

“No, but—”

“Annie, I’ll go through with the plan. I don’t like it, and I’m—It’s best we get it over as soon as possible.”

Annie’s lips (which now sported a much-needed layer of lip balm thanks to Sierra) crafted the weakest smile. “You’re a wonderful man, you know that?”

I grunted as I jumped to my feet. I stretched, and my entire body complained about the night’s sleeping accommodations. I focused on my various aches and not the anger that still simmered below the surface.

What more could I say, and what would it matter?

Sierra handed me and Annie our food, and we wolfed it down. I instructed the girls to make the house look as undisturbed as when we’d first arrived, then went outside to do a quick patrol. Like last night, the forest held no threats, and an hour after I’d woken up, we continued our journey to Awfor.

Unlike the previous day, Annie seemed distracted. She’d jump at odd sounds, and more than once tripped over her own feet because she’d been glancing over her shoulder. Both Sierra and I asked what bothered her so, but she’d only mumble, “I don’t know,” and go right back to what she’d been doing. Over the course of the morning, mine and Sierra’s inquiries lessened until we stopped altogether.

For the first few hours, I ignored Sierra. The petty, childish act didn’t help improve my mood, and what did I think I was doing? Was being an ass to the world’s only hope worth the effort?

It wasn’t like I could get back at God by treating his miracle child like dirt.

“So, does it bother you knowing you were created as a tool?” I asked during the break we took at mid-morning.

Sierra chased the crackers she’d

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