The Ruins

Chapter 18

She opens the door to spot a pair of bare knees and shorts under a white - dirty white van. Lugh was busy on whatever he was doing and then she felt a heavy figure land on her back. she holds her ground and flips them over her should, landing the figure on the ground.

He groans in shock, laughter of girls and Max in the background. "Rin told me to do it." She held a hand to Killeen and picks him up.

"No I didn't!" Rin said. "You wanted us to watch and I said to you you'll be regretting it punk."

"It was worth it!" He grinned painfully.

"You're good," Mal said, starting to think on how to tell him about his favorite pig dead, "but next time lock up around my neck and hold it tight. You might be the one to take me down."

People would find this conversation difficult to tell a kid about an animal had died. Killeen, so rebellious and destructive became gentle and caring for a runt pig, it broke everyone's heart. Mal is the cold heart according to Lalon. It wasn't that she wanted to be rude, she told about not naming the pig because its livestock, for food however Killeen understood yet kept the pig in good care.

"Uh-Killeen?" He stop himself, those innocent grey eyes haunted Mal.

"You remember the pig, Lighting Dash?"

"Yeah. Why?"

She clicked between her teeth. "He was sick and he was too late to treat him so I had to put him down."

What she was expecting was sadness then fury. There's sadness in his hazel eyes, fist clenching hard they turn pale. "Why was he sick? Why?!" He put his hands upon his ears, shaking his head back and forth. "I know we need him for food but why be harsh to him! THAT'S CRUEL!"

He yelled, throwing his jean jacket off across the floor, tears draining his rosy cheeks, and runs upstairs. She sighs. Rin comes out of her corner where she wrote in her journal. "Do boys always be sissy when angry?"

Lugh just laughed under the car, Mal huffed one out. "Only Killeen gets too silly when being angry. But everyone can be like that. It just different for all of us."

"I thought the animals never get sick."

"They don't. Somehow someone fed something that made them sick. It's ridiculous."

Then a crash from upstairs was heard.

Max jumps off the balance bar. "I'll talk to him."

"You sure?" She asked.

"It's fine."

Man, they're growing up.

"Hey, you girls wanna come with me and guard. Maybe go bring some bubbled water for supper?"

-:-:-:-:-

There were four guard towers. One were at the main front gate at the south wing with all the cars. The other is at the northeast wing where it heads into the ruined city of what's called 'Salt Lake City', taking up a bridge. The Scouters would go into the uncharted territory of Infected and scavenge the city for a bit.

Rin's eyesight was too poor to spot Infected at the right distance. Johan was like an eagle, she wants this job, and a few people offered her a job as soon as she finished reading the smallest numbers of charts. Mal couldn't tell about half of them they were numbers before.

Johan wanted to take the job so badly. People were surprised for a seven year old to take a job but Mal didn't mind. As long as someone in the RK's is with her. Her first day, she wanted Mal out of there but she didn't take any crap from her. Mal knows a few however can't trust enough, especially if Charlie wants to come out. So she decides to go into the other guard tower. Nothing came along, barely any Infected or Runner so that's a plus.