After Grace

irection. Tom walked several feet ahead of me, every now and then he would climb inside one of the more pri

e blood. A single dot, then a long trail. "You carried the boy all this way?" I asked. My shoulders had start

bled, lighting an

how to get back? The ca

" he didn't turn arou

ipped the pack off my sh

rong?" he

ry." I rested against

e woods across the highway. That's

they he

hoot, I'm just gon

O

tried not to think about Joseph. Mostly because I didn't know what to think. I was pretty sure he'd been lying to me all my life, though I wasn't ex

had begged as I wa

n what the pastor created at your funeral. After hearing Tom mention other people in need, strangers who may die if not for us, I realized that simply surviving was only one of many ch

broke through the new tree line. "No one at

rt puff of his cigarette and scanned the trees in eve

icks as I moved. It was as if all the skills I'd learned ab

ing the butt on the ground. The cinders swooped into the air, floating like ora

o out the first

th all the

believe anyone does anything out

se you've ne

? 'Cause you're good?" I

ed the duffel bag on the ground and pulled at the zipper. He took a piece of chalk from inside and crossed

Pick that up." He pointed to the rifle.

ll at once I realized just how

the butt of the gun to my shoulder. I looked through the scop

e w

our b

ost admirable skills one could attain in our small community, but when we thought of who wou

e to kill an

hink you can

g my eyes from the scope. "Prob

h to scare 'em off, " he said. The look he gave me then was the same as

? Just some V

d g

lled that bo

ea

to help the others o

ur breath, get the target in your si

lines stopped swaying in the scope. When the crosshairs matched the

natural, "

now? I could

try it sitting, then kneeling, then standing. Whe

e time for

d to know it, just in case. T

losing

me to do the same. I did. "Here, this is for you to keep, " he took a butte

the etiquette here. "Why did

hese people aren't workers, they don't grow

I think I can do it, " I to

es in the east. He picked up the backpack and put it on my back as soon as I got up, I n

food and drinking

g able to mo

s." He picked up the duffel and led the way back to the road. It wasn't more than a few minutes before we saw the exit signs: H

it. We'll cl

ant it?"

on't want the

n, I was terrified. "When I was little, " I began, hoping that conversation would ease my anxiety. "I used to

rubbing his thumb over th

ll them all by

hina. All over Asia really. They went 'round basically just killing honeybees

e the ho

oking down the road to th