“I am not afraid of you, your kind, or your god.”
There’s a part of me that cringes at the lightning strike that I am sure will come. But it doesn’t. There isn’t even dramatic thunder outside in the storm. It doesn’t make me feel any less afraid though. I am an ant in the battlefield of the gods. There’s no room for pride or ego, and barely enough room for survival. But I can’t help myself. Who do they think they are? We may be ants, but this field is our home, and we have every right to live in it.
His expression changes just a fraction before he shutters it in his godlike way. I’m not sure what it means, but I do know that my insane statement has some kind of an effect on him, even if it’s just amusement.
“I don’t doubt it, Penryn.” He says my name as though he is tasting something new, rolling it over his tongue to see how he likes it. There’s an intimacy in the way he says it that makes me want to squirm.
I toss the remaining blister packets onto his lap. “Now you know how to use them. Welcome to my world.”
I turn around, showing him my back, emphasizing my lack of fear. At least, that’s what I tell myself. It’s also convenient that by turning my back on him, I can let my hands shake a little as I dig through my pack for something to eat.
“Why are you guys here, anyway?” I ask as I rummage for food. “I mean, it’s obvious that you’re not here for a friendly chat, but why do you want to get rid of us? What did we do to deserve extermination?”
He shrugs. “Beats me.”
I stare at him, open-mouthed.
“Hey, I don’t call the shots,” he says. “If I was good at marketing, I’d spin you an empty story that sounds profound. But the truth is that we’re all just stumbling around in the dark. Sometimes we hit something terrible.”
“That’s it? It can’t be as random as that.” I don’t know what I want to hear, but that’s not it.
“It’s always as random as that.”
He sounds more like a seasoned soldier than any angel I’ve ever heard of. One thing’s for sure—I’m not going to get a lot of answers out of him.
Di
He scarfs down his portion so fast that I can’t help but stare. I don’t know when he last ate, but he certainly hasn’t eaten in the two days I’ve known him. I’m also guessing that his super-healing consumes a lot of calories too. We don’t have much, but I offer him half my share. If he had been awake the last couple of days, I’d have had to feed him a lot more than this.
My hand stays out with the offered food long enough to make the moment awkward. “Don’t you want it?” I ask.
“That depends on why you’re giving it to me.”
I shrug. “Sometimes, as we’re stumbling along in the dark, we hit something good.”
He watches me for another moment before taking the offered food.
“Don’t think you’re getting my share of the chocolate, though.” I know I should conserve the chocolate, but I can’t help eating more than I’d pla
My longing for the candy must show on my face because the angel asks, “Why don’t you just eat it? We can eat something else tomorrow.”
“It’s for Paige.” I zip up my pack with finality, ignoring his thoughtful look.
I wonder where my mother is now. I’d always suspected that she is more clever than my father, even though he is the one with the masters degree in engineering. But all her animal cleverness won’t help her when her crazy instincts are demanding her attention. Some of the worst times in my life have been because of her. But I can’t help but hope that she’s found a dry place out of the rain, and has managed to find something to eat for di
I dig through my pack and find the last styrofoam cup of dried noodle. I walk to the door and leave it outside.
“What are you doing?”
I think about explaining to him about my mother but decide against it. “Nothing.”
“Why would you leave food outside in the rain?”
How did he know it was food? It’s too dark for him to see the cup of noodles.
“How well can you see in the dark?”