The System by Shelbi Wescott

Author:Shelbi Wescott [Wescott, Shelbi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Young Adult
ISBN: 0615851673
Publisher: Arthur Pree
Published: 2013-07-01T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

Darla and Spencer were the first to sprint out of the den and toward the back; fearless and united, they stumbled out onto the covered porch and then halted in their tracks, scanning the area with guns drawn. Wordlessly Spencer motioned for Darla to take one side of the patio, but before they could fully explore the yard and the surrounding areas, Darla recognized that something was wrong.

“The food,” she said, her mouth dropping open. “Spencer…where is all our food?”

Stopping on the steps, Spencer scanned the porch and then swearing loudly, he took a giant leap out onto the lawn and rushed to the side yard. He fired a warning shot up over the open gate, but Darla yelled after him.

“Don’t fire, don’t fire,” she screamed, running to the side of the patio.

“Joey!” Spencer called. Then he pointed to Darla, “Tell Joey to grab a gun.”

She crouched down and looked at the emptiness of the patio—earlier that day they had mountains of the ready-to-eat meals that Ethan’s father had left them, in addition to the other canned goods and non-perishables salvaged from the surrounding neighborhoods. Altogether they had collected over six months of food for the entire group and all of it was gone.

Darla had suspected someone was squirrelling away food, but Joey had started the nightly inventory and the small disappearances had stopped.

The shock of the empty porch was almost too much to handle.

Joey wandered to the porch and whistled loud and low. His face went white and he tapped his foot “How on earth—”

“Right under our noses,” Darla groaned. “Teddy!” she called back into the house. “Teddy!”

The child appeared just beyond the screen, pressing his nose against the mesh. “Yes, mama?” Teddy asked, tentative and unsure. He knew that something had gone wrong and he frowned and rocked on the other side of the door.

She turned to Joey. “Go tell the others what happened…but don’t be all alarmist…can you exude calm leadership? Seriously. Calm, leadership,” Darla commanded. “And meet Spencer out front.”

With a salute, Joey disappeared back inside as Teddy joined his mother on the porch and Darla, with a furtive look around, put her hands on Teddy’s shoulders and smoothed his curls with her hand.

“What did the man look like?” she asked Teddy. “Do you remember what the man looked like?”

Teddy shook his head.

“Can you remember anything? What he was wearing? Did he say anything to you?”

For a second, Teddy pondered all the questions. Then he raised a finger, “I remember! He asked me if my mommy was inside.”

A chill traveled down Darla’s spine. “Good,” she told her son, steadying her voice, and forcing a smile to comfort him. “Anything else?”

“No. Just…is he a bad guy, mommy?” Teddy asked, wide-eyed.

Darla kissed Teddy on the cheek. “Yeah, buddy. I think he was a bad guy.”

“Oh,” was all Teddy said, but he looked clearly conflicted. “Am in trouble for eating the bad guy’s chocolate?”

“Not at all.” Darla looked at Teddy and turned his head so she could look in his eyes.

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