Serendipitous

31.

After harvesting the carrots and washing them off, I bring them to the part of the cave that most of us consider to be the kitchen area. Where most of us prepare the food and store it after it's cleaned until it's time to eat. I skipped breakfast until Noah gave me his blackberries, "I don't like them much" He'd said before giving me the bowl. Not wanting to be rude, I ate them later feeling full and a little more cheerful today. While walking to go back to my room Noah catches me in the hallway. His eyes seeming to light up when I look up at him and a mischievous grin appearing on his face.

"Feel like going out to the sand dunes?" He asks, I was just going to lay down and sleep but his offer seems intriguing.

"What's at the sand dunes?"

"I want to try and catch a lizard" He answers, I ponder for a moment deciding if I really want to go outside and do this.

"Well," A pause comes from my lips, "Okay" I smile. His expression seems satisfied as we begin walking in the other direction to leave the cave. The sun is bright and hot but I don't mind it, I desperately need some vitamin D and a nice tan. Noah and I rush for the nearest sand dune on the empty land, the farm had looked as empty as this—Just completely walker free, which I am everyone else  loves as much as me.
Three attempts go by before Noah catches a small green lizard, he carefully holds the creature extending his arm out to me. His green eyes are bright and full of excitement.

"Want to hold it?" He asks, I look down at the scaly lizard observing it closely.

"Will it bite me?" I ask, feeling stupid for asking a question I already know the answer to but I just want confirmation after second guessing myself. Noah trills a laugh, shaking his head.

"No, I'm pretty sure it would have bitten me by now" He admits, my hand brushes against his skin giving the lizard close enough space to go from his arm to mine. It quickly crawls to my arm as a happy grin grows on my lips at the sight of it, it's been so long since I've actually seen a reptile or a animal at that.

"It's really pretty" I state looking at the way it's scales shine from the reflection of the sunlight. Noah just smiles at me, his eyes watching me fondly as I give the lizard back to him. As he gently rests his hand on the sand, the lizard quickly crawls away and is out of sight before long.

"Do you think it knows the world has ended?" I question turning to look at Noah, he shakes his head no.

"I think it just thinks about survival" He responds.

"I'm glad a lot of us don't have to do that right now" My words come out as a wave of guilt hits me after I say them. Maybe we don't have to fight to survive because wherever we are, we're safe but Shane isn't safe and that doesn't sit right with me at all. My smile slowly fades which Noah seems to notice, concern flashes across his features.

"Come on, let's go back inside before the sun cooks us both" He leads me back to the small cave entrance were we go down the lit hallway walking aside one another. "Did you hear the news?" He asks, I turn my head to look at him.

"What news?" I ask, peeking up slightly.

"They brought in more people last night," He informs me, my heart jumps wildly for a moment before it sinks again. Getting my hopes up is the last thing I need right now.

"Where are the new people?" My voice comes out timidly as if I'm afraid to hear the answer that they are already here meaning if Shane was here I would have seen him already.

"I'm pretty sure they're still under inspection. Don't you remember, you have to get inspected twice. Once when they find you, you get checked for the walker bites and scratches, then once you're down in the cave you have to get checked out by the medical specialists to make sure you don't have a cold or anything" He reminds me, I nod my head slowly listening to his words.