What Remains Here

Chapter 7

"Quite a bounty you've got there," Mr. Shepard said. "I presume you all are the authors of that net in the distance."

"We've been working on it for a while, John," Mira replied, looking at Mr. Shepard. "Just doing what we need to do to make it through."

"Of course," Mr. Shepard said before facing the Coopers. "Who are your new friends here? I don't believe we've met."

"I'm Tim," Caspian's dad said. "I know that I've met that fella there, but not you folk. I'd introduce you to my wife and my son, but they've stayed back."

"I'm sure we'll all be getting acquainted soon," Mr. Shepard said, and I wasn't sure if that was a threat or a friendly gesture. Normally, I'd assume the best, but when there are guns involved, who knows where people's loyalties lie?

"What brings you guys here?" Mira asked. "Was there a threat nearby?"

"Fortunately no," Mrs. Shepard replied. "Dean had noticed that you all had brought solar panels back two weeks ago, and we'd noticed that you've suggested a change in our normal patrol path, so we thought that with the influx of supplies, you wanted more protection, which is why you wanted the patrol path to be closer to your home, but didn't want to ask us directly."

"It's hard to talk about these topics," Mira said.

"I understand," she replied. "Communication can be difficult during these times, and it can be difficult to trust your friends with the breakdown of our society and values that hold us together."

There was definitely some bite under the response, a sort of backhanded concern, since there's almost a hundred percent chance that she was referring to the Coopers. I wonder if they'll hold this grudge against us because it's clear that there was at least some degree of hurt, and the only thing that we could offer was a polite smile from Mira.

"Yeah, totally," Mira responded before extending her hand at the wagon filled with seafood. "You want some fish? We've got a couple to spare for friends."

"Oh, thank you," Mrs. Shepard said, the hints of acid from her previous response fading. "You all are too kind."

We handed them a plastic bag, and they ended up plucking a couple of sea urchins from the water along with a generous handful of the miscellaneous molluscs. I could see that they were eyeing the fish, but unfortunately for them, live-ish fish do not fare well in fragile plastic bags. I mean, neither do sea urchins, so I don't know why they choose those. Perhaps because it seems hard to eat a starfish.

"Listen," Mrs. Shepard said to Mira. "What my husband and I are thinking is that the rest of the night watch, the four other families with us, ought to move in the homes around your house. I passed by it, and let me tell you, it'll be a major, major target for bandits since that greenhouse of yours is visible from the street."

"Communities either live together or families die alone," she continued. "If we're close by, we'll be able to do supply runs, organize safer foraging expeditions, and do a stronger job keeping our area secure. While what you all built is impressive, it's not going to be enough to keep your family alive over the winter because you all, and I mean no offense, do not have the hands to expand it. I know you're a big dreamer, Mira. You remind me of when I was younger, and I know that you've got bigger ambitions than what you all have right now, and we're willing to pour our energy and resources into helping grow the community."

"I'll have to talk to my family before deciding," she replied. "But why are you all asking right now?"

"It's better to secure our future now, rather than later," she replied. "The further we go into winter, the harder it'll be to trust each other. It's better that we start on a good foot when we're trying to deepen the partnership between our families."