The Dry Earth (Book 1): The Phone by Orion W.J

Author:Orion, W.J. [Orion, W.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Post-Apocalyptic | Dystopian
Publisher: Chris Philbrook
Published: 2019-03-25T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Four

Arguing With Mom and Dad

“You have to be careful,” Brent said to Yasmine after swallowing a bite of his after-dinner cinnamon cookie. “When you leave this apartment building, everyone can be a threat. Double the chances now that there are strangers inside the walls.”

“Could you wait for the doom saying?” Kim chastised. “Wait and let me get the boys to bed?”

Behind her Liam and Owen scampered about in the apartment’s living room in their hand-me-down pajamas. Handed down by whom… who knew? But they were happy. Fed and watered, safe, and cool.

“Yeah, sorry,” Brent sat his cookie down and waited as Kim organized the boys into the corner room with all their toys. Same room Yasmine recuperated in… forever ago.

Yasmine waited until Kim returned and took her seat at the table. She wasn’t gone long. After long, hot, and busy days the boys settled fast. When the two adults and one teenager talked, they spoke in hushed tones.

“I’m aware of the dangers, Brent. Thank you for being concerned all the same.”

“I’m serious, Yaz. These people are dangerous,” Brent added. “They don’t have the reputation they have without some basis in truth.”

“Brent. I get it,” she said to him. “These aren’t the first dangerous people I’ve come across, or avoided crossing.”

“Look, I know you’re confident. I know you say you killed a crab-“

“I killed a crab. I didn’t ‘say’ I killed a crab. It’s dead at the bottom of the school I was picking over. Well, as dead as crabs can get.”

“What does that mean?”

“I killed a crab. Either believe me, or don’t. And it looks like you don’t,” Yaz spat.

“Yasmine,” Kim said, resting her hand on Yasmine’s. “Brent is being protective. There’s no malice. Don’t get angry.”

“Don’t get angry? He just accused me of being a liar.” She stared at the cookie on the plate in front of her, and didn’t have the appetite to touch it, let alone eat it. She pushed the plate away.

“I didn’t accuse you. I’m sorry it came across that way.”

“May not have been an accusation, but you definitely don’t believe me. If you did, you wouldn’t have said it the way you did.”

“Yaz, this is not the conversation I wanted to have with you,” Brent said. “I’m just trying to look out for you.”

“Well maybe I don’t need you helping me,” Yaz replied. “Maybe I do just fine on my own.”

“Yeah? Like when you stumbled up to the gates, inches from death, bleeding out? That’s just fine? Or when you went into that ditch, and came back hurt again? That’s just fine too?”

Yaz tilted her head down and felt anger rise. “I went into that ditch for medicine. For the people here. For your son. Don’t you dare.”

“Brent, stop. Please. That’s too far. Yaz has shown us that she can take care of herself admirably,” Kim said, reaching out with her arms to break up the growing argument.

“Yet another stranger trying to take care of me,” Yasmine said. “I can take care of this, Kim.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.