Discovery

Chapter 12

I stood on the inner gates' wall, looking down at everyone who was working on getting the houses fixed. I was working on the final repairs to the inner gates. I could feel the sweat beading and running down my forehead like water drops run down leaves when it rains. The sun was up and there was not a single cloud in sight.

I wiped my forehead and took a deep breath as I looked over to Mark and Mary. They were busy helping me with the final repairs and I could tell they didn't mind the work. Each time Mary moved to pick something up and twitched, Mark was immediately at her side to help her back up.

"Why don't you guys come down and have a rest? You've been at it all day." Lira said while holding a silver platter that held food and drinks.

The food ranged from crackers and meat to some freshly picked strawberries we found further inland. The drink that sat in the pitcher on the plate smelled of freshly made apple juice. I could smell apple pie further towards Ashley's and Jason's home. They had Mr. Griffith marry them with all of us watching them. They were excited about finally being married and seemed almost inseparable. Damien and I would stop by every now and then to check up on them; me being a friend of both of theirs while Damien was Ashley's twin brother and Jason's Brother-in-law.

I climbed down the ladder with my younger siblings following after me. Once I was on the ground, I waited for them to get down before looking around for Mabel. Mabel and I weren't blood related, but we were raised together as if we were siblings, so I considered her my sibling regardless. Mark and Mary were my half-siblings, but Mabel welcomed them into our rebuilt home as siblings. Everyone was still a bit skeptical of them, but they were slowly warming up to the idea of my half-siblings becoming part of our group.

"The hunting party is back!" Logan's monotone voice called out.

The tiger-humans that the witches brought back to life were living with us now as part of the group. The ones who had burns had been treated and the wounds that had killed every one of them had been patched up or had healed over time. Riley had decided one of the houses would do as a hospital and appointed Samantha and Jason as nurses while he and James were doctors. We were actually making this ancient ruin of a city into our home, but one question still nagged at me. Whose home was this previously and why did they leave it?

My thoughts were interrupted by someone covering my eyes. I rolled then in frustration and grabbed their arm before twisting around. In front of me stood Alex who looked as if he was sixteen years old. The previous three years had caught up to everyone and they looked the age they should have been if they didn't die. Alex's hair was still in its previous style before his death and he still had his lip piercing, but he now had an earring piercing, a gift from Arthur, nonetheless.

"Good morning, Alex. How are you doing?" I asked with a hint of annoyance.

"I'm good. Lily is good too. Her wounds healed up and she doesn't remember how she died luckily." Alex replied as he snagged a cracker from Lira.

"Hey!" Lira snapped her green eyes glaring at Alex.

"Alex, Damien says that if you don't return to the class, you will be given an F." Lily shouted from a house nearby.

I looked over towards her to see her dark brown hair pulled up into a ponytail by her pink scarf that once was a bow in her hair and around her neck. The years had caught up to her as well and she looked sixteen. She had died a year before Alex had just like Caleb had, only difference was, Caleb was now dead for good. Her glowing blue eyes had a mischievous glint to them as a coy smile danced on her lips. Alex chuckled before looking back towards Lira, Mark, Mary, and I.

"I should get back to class before Damien gives me an F for not going." He chuckled before running to Lily.

Lily and Alex weren't the only two in the class. Samantha, Timothy, Fawn, Blake, and Crystal were all part of their class. We had named the school after the freedom we felt here and since they were all high school students now, the school was called Freedom High School. We had also determined that the ruins we stood on and were fixing was none other than the ancient city named Arilis. The kids were being taught important things like how to survive, hunting techniques, fighting techniques, working in groups, cooking, sowing, and navigating.