Joey has to quit his job with the kids! He says it's fine and he will just tell them stories in his free time and that because he is doing this he is actually helping the compound.
" The kids will survive without their daily fairytale, and I know they understand why I need to do this."
"Joey, you don't get it! There was a reason your job was literally just to tell kids stories. You help them ignore everything outside. Your stories are the only thing keeping them from looking out the windows and connecting the dots."
" Please, the fifth and sixth graders know what's going on," Joey responded.
"Take a wild guess why they listen to your stories Joey." I grabbed his hands to emphasize the point I was about to make, " Your stories are a beautiful distraction. A distraction that is meant to stop the most fragile minds in this building from falling apart. Dammit, Joey, you have the most important job here because you keep the children from going insane."
It was so hard to get things like this through Joey's head. He is such a numbskull sometimes, and I am starting to wonder if he was always like this. I wish I had gotten to know him before this all started. Just to see if he was always this stupid.
Joey seemed to have gotten the message because he talked to García and she allowed him to take breaks out of practice to tell the children stories. After he talked to García he came back to talk to me again.
"You need to give me space," he told me, " I need to think about some things and figure out some stuff about myself, but I promise I will talk to you within a week." he held out his pinkie finger.
I looked at him a bit confused at the sudden need for space but I took his pinkie anyway. I have to wonder if this is because I pushed for him to leave the security position.
YOU ARE READING
The Refuge
Science FictionThe world is ending and this is the diary of high school girl at the end of the world. Go with her through her journey as the mysterious ending of civilization affects her life.
