Another Time

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Reluctant Save

 Gentle hands shook my shoulder, stirring me from my heavy slumber. "Thyme, stop that. The sun isn't even up." I groaned and turned on my side. The shaking continued, and finally I was forced to open my eyes. "What do you wa-!" I was cut short.

 Rex stood in front of me, his face full of persistent worry. "Oh, sorry, buddy. I thought you were—never mind. What's up?" I sat up and began rubbing my ankle sorely. Almost completely awake now, I found that Nott and Gizmo were in the living room too. They sat on the ground, anxiously packing bags. It's time to leave. Kilo warned me. I suddenly remembered that we were relocating. "Oh, okay." I stood up and found my black bag.

 Besides a few knives that I had in my belt, I was already packed and ready to go. "Hey, where's Kilo?" I asked Gizmo. He didn't look up from his bag, but still answered. He's had to do this before.

 "Stretching outside." I nodded.

 "Can I go out there?"

 "I'm not your babysitter. Sure, kid." He looked up for a moment to wink at me, but then went back to shoveling supplies into his bag. In a short amount of time, I assessed his outfit...or what was left of it. Gizmo was shirtless. He had black shorts on that hung loosely around his hips, but besides that, he only wore his goggles on his head.

 He didn't have as many muscles as Kilo, but Gizmo was still pretty chiseled. His arms were thin, but his chest and abs looked strong. Just like Kilo, he had tattoos all over his body. They were completely black, too. Burning bullets were etched into his chest, lighting his neck on fire. A dagger-holding snake curled around his right bicep. His left arm looked as though someone had written in cursive with an ink pen. Although I didn't have time to read what it said completely, I could make out a few phrases: death do us part...fear is for the weak... I shook my gaze from the ink and walked out of the house. 

 The sun hadn't risen completely yet but I could see glimpses of light over the horizon. It was enough to see, though. Kilo stood on the porch, scanning the yard. He still wore the same sleeveless shirt that showed off his gorgeous biceps.  "Lookin' for something?" I tightened the straps of my backpack and slung it over my shoulders.

 "No, just seeing what we're up against." He shrugged, not taking his eyes off the tree line.

 "Hm, yeah. Those grasshoppers might be an issue. I think we might have to send Nott to clear them out." I smiled at him, trying my best not to anger him. He chuckled and finally returned my gaze.

 "I agree." Before I could make another witty comment, the rest of the crew stepped outside.

 "Ready?" Gizmo sighed and kicked up his legs playfully. Nott still held a rueful gaze, clenching her teeth as she strung her bag over her shoulders. She wore a black tank-top that revealed glimpses of her gray bra that matched her gray shorts. Rex wore a T-shirt and shorts. It seemed like he was the most modest one of the group.

 "I think so. I say we go until the end of the tree line. When we come outta the forest, that's when we take it easy."

 "You're the man, Kilo." Gizmo stepped off of the porch. Not wanting to seem stupid, I didn't ask what their plan meant. Nott and Rex followed him. "Nott, I want you taking the back. Make sure nothing follows us. Rex, you're the front as usual. Know where you're goin'?" Kilo asked. The long-haired man nodded. He went to the front of Gizmo and waited for the mark. Nott stood a few feet behind him. "I'll rotate between front and middle when I need to, understood?" Everyone nodded. Kilo ushered me to stand beside Gizmo while he stood by Rex. "Stay silent. I don't wanna hear anybody huffin' or puffin' about being tired, you good?" This was an intimidating voice that Kilo used well. He knew what it meant to be leader, and he knew how to treat his fellow survivors. "If you fall behind, then you stay behind. We won't be stopping for anyone, you good?" Everyone nodded.