beyond the virus.

A secret kept

Kate: Inermonolog
My dad was right, it was just a trap. We can't trust anyone now. What if they follow us home or find out where we live. This is all going to end very badly. (BTW: they live deep in the woods, when all these troops came through and scouted their home, John started building a house way deep in the woods. They left just minutes before the troops came. The troops ransacked the home then burned their old house down to ashes.)
I guess it's a good thing I didn't see any one following them. I can't take any chances though, I have to contact Zion and let him know.

Kate pulls out her walkie talkie
"Hey guys"
Zion answers
"Yeah are you ok how did it go"
"Randy and Colton are on their way home, things took a turn for the worse, I can't come home tonight it's too risky that they are following me, do my dad know I left yet"?
" no but I'm going to have to tell him"
"Let's wait a few hours and please don't let Randy or Colton tell him"
"Ok I'll try not to but you have to come home"
"I will I just have to make sure they aren't following me and can't track me"
"Ok I love you and please be safe, I can't wait to see you again beautiful. Please,please, please stay safe. If anyone hurts you, they're dead."
"Ok chill everything will be fine, I'm safe and I love you so much, I can't wait to see you again to bye handsome"
Kate put the walkie talkie away
Back to inner monolog:
I need to find a tree that will hold my weight, if I get up high enough I'll have a better view. Dang this is going to be harder than I thought. Only if these branches were closer together. Yes, I got it. I can see pretty much everything. It doesn't look like anyone is there. Maybe they were too busy with the town and they couldn't afford to send someone to track us. I can head home after I walk in circles a few times to confuse them if they later decide to track us and I could also put a lot of perfume on the rest of the way there. I got this, this should work!

Randy and Colton arrive, Zion is there to meet them and ask him to not tell John. After a little arguing and Zion pointing out if it wasn't for Kate things could have gone a lot differently they agreed. About an hour and a half later Kate is back home. Zion is so happy to have his girl back.
Kate: hi I missed you so much
Peppers his face with kisses
Zion: me to I'm so glad you ok and I don't have to kill anyone
Kate: does my dad know
Zion: no and next time I'm going
Kate: no your not
Zion: yes I am
Kate: we can talk about this later
Kayla: suppers done get your buts in here
They all piled in the house

Kate's inner monolog:
I don't want to eat, I just want to go to bed.
"I'm not hungry I'm really tired I'm going to bed"
Kayla: "really I made this nice meal and your not going to eat, I see how much my hard work means to you"
Kate ignores the comment and just leaves
Zion goes after her worried
Kayla: sit down leave her alone if she doesn't want to eat this wonderful meal I cooked  then let her"
Zion sits down and eat
Back to Kate's inner monolog:
There is always a comment about something, can't just ever leave me alone. I'm just done, I can't wait for this to be over so I can move out.
It's embarrassing she acts like this in front of people.
She closes her eyes
Everyone is done with dinner
Kayla: everyone is done, I shouldn't have to tell you this
Kate:I'm not out there so how am I supposed to know
Kayla: come out and check are you really that lazy you can't come out and check
Kate: no
Kayla: well you sure act like it
Kate gets up and does the dishes and cleans up the kitchen, Kayla is sitting at the table on her phone
Zion walks up
Zion: hey are you ok
Kate: yeah just a little tired, how was your day
Kayla gives Kate a dirty look
Zion: fine, I'm glad you back
Kayla: back from what
Kate: I was messing around in the woods toward town, I climb up in the trees to try to see if it's possible to put a guard post up there or set a trap if they were to come here
Kayla: you know your not supposed to be there
Kate: I wasn't even close to town, I was not even a mile from the house
Zion whispers "I'm sorry"
Kate nods, and finishes up
Zion: for you want to hang out tonight
Kate: yeah sure I would love that
Kayla: you haven't played with your brother today
Kate: maybe a different time zion, you can play with us if you want

Kate: hey kayson do you want to color
Kayson: no,play ball
Kate: what about a movie
Kayson: no ball
Kayson picks up a ball and chucks it at Kate
It hires her square in the face
Kate: really kayson
Kayla: he told you he wanted to play ball
Kate: doesn't mean he should through it aty face
Kayla: you should have listened to him
Kayson throws the ball again at Kate's face, this time catching it.
All three of them play ball together for about 10 minutes, before Kayson takes all the balls away from them.
Zion sits down and Kayson comes up and tries to slap him. Zion blocks the shot so kayson keeps hitting him

Kate: kayson stop
She grabs him and he hits her
Kayson starts screaming at the top of his lungs, not saying anything just screaming
Kate: dad
Kayla: dads not in here what do you need
Kate: nothing
Kayla: what do you need
Kate: nothing
Kayla: well you obviously need something
Kate: I was just wondering if he'll take kayson to go hang out with him
Kayla: you barely have been playing for 5 minutes, wow you can't even spend 5 minutes with your brother but you can spend the entire day with him
Kate: Zion's not mean to me
Kayla:and your brother is
Kate: yes all the time
Kayla: then hang out with him more
Zion leaves the room
Kate: that doesn't change anything you've used that same excuse for 3 years
Kayla: no I haven't, you know what give me your phone, maybe now you'll hang out with your brother
Kate: yep maybe
Kate walks away to the work shed, Zion, Randy,John and Kendra are all 8n the work shed
Randy and John are putting together a machine, Kendra is giving them tools and putting stuff away where they go and Zion is sitting watching them. Kate comes up to Zion and whispers " I got my phone taken "
Zion: why
Kate: because I said she's making a excuse for his behavior
Zion: oh

Randy: today in town Colton got beaten in front of the whole town, they held me and covered my mouth. They used him as an example of what would happen if anyone stepped out of line. The government has taken over and they will lock us up until we run out of supplies and die.
John: I knew this was going to happen when you went now. If they followed you here, they will lock everyone up and take the kids.
Colton: they didn't follow us if they did they would have already attacked
Kate: not necessarily they could be doing 1 step forward and 2 steps back, they might know our location but wait a little bit to attack or slowly take us out one at a time. But I highly doubt they followed us
Randy: they seemed more focused on keeping the town in line then following us, and they probably figure were not going to come back
John: no one is going into town ever again
Kate: there's another town over that might be better but we have to be really careful if going to Scout we'll have to mask our scent then change scents about half way back in case they try to track us
John: there's not going to be any in town trips anymore
Kate: Dad, we're running really low on supplies, we're going to have to go into town eventually. I know after what happened all of us are going to be more skeptical but that doesn't mean we give up, for all we know the next town over will be abandoned.
Randy: ok, we're heading to bed