Survivors | b.m.

Chapter Five

The next morning I was awoken by Hal shaking me.

"Morning sleepy head. Come on, time to get up." He said, smiling at me.

"How was the armory?" I asked, sitting up in the bed.

"It was ah...it was good. No one died...we took fire though. But we're okay. Didn't go in...there was a mech and dad didn't want to risk it." Hal said, helping me out of the bed and handing me my backpack before we left the house.

A couple came up to Hal, asking if he had seen their son.

"If I see him I'll let you know, I'm sorry." Hal said.

The couple nodded and walked off as Matt and Mason walked out of the house.

"What was that about?" Mason asked.

"Word's out I saw the harnessed kids at the warehouse. They wanted to know if I saw their son." Hal replied.

"Aw man, oatmeal again?" Matt complained.

"We passed a Denny's, maybe you can get a Grand Slam." Hal teased.

"Bite me." Matt retorted.

"Not much of a morning person are you Matthew?" Anthony asked with a smile.

"Why don't you go with Alyssa and get in line, I've gotta report in." Mason said.

"Are you going to look for Ben tonight?" Matt questioned.

"That's the plan." Mason stated.

"Alyssa, I found some sticks in the basement, wanna play catch later?"

"After school buddy." I said as we got in line.

-

I was helping out some of the other's fold clothes as I listened to Uncle Scott give the lesson to the younger students.

"I hated biology." Hal said, sitting down next to me and picking up a shirt to fold.

"What's this? The great fighter Hal helping out in civilian duties?" I teased, smiling.

"Ah come on now, you know I don't think like that. We're all the same, we're all fighting for our survival." Hal replied.

"Alyssa!" Uncle Scott called, waving me over.

"Gotta go fighter boy, keep up the good folding work." I said as Hal gave me a shove.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I want you to tell Mason about what you told me during class yesterday."

"Well I mean...I was just thinking. Whenever we imagine robots and things we always think of them looking like us, a head two arms and two legs right? Well the skitters have six legs, but the mechs only have two. So I was just wondering why they didn't build them to look like themselves you know?" I explained.

"Well chances are they've been studying the earth a while, maybe they built mechs that way to have a bigger psychological impact on us." Mason said, rubbing his chin.

"Yeah maybe." Uncle Scott said.

"Alyssa? Can you help with the water?" Karen asked as we walked past her.

"Yeah." I said, taking one of the jugs from her and walking it over to a table.

"So we're going out tonight for the kids right? For Ben?" She asked Hal as we walked up the hill to one of the houses.

"Yeah that's the plan."

"Hey Alyssa I need to talk to you." Mason said as Hal and Karen continued on into the house.