Apocalypsis: Book 3 (Exodus) Read Free Page A

happened here, Coli?” said Trip.  He sounded mad.
    I tried to open my eyes so I could glare at him and tell him what a ho-bag his cousin is, but my eyelids wouldn’t obey my command.  All I could get out was a low moan that I wasn’t even sure anyone heard.  My arms and legs felt like rubber bands.
    Slowly, other nerve endings woke up, and I stopped worrying so much about what they were saying and focused more on the burning pain that was coming from my arm.  I groaned louder this time, but the voices around me continued to ignore my wordless pleas.
    “Give her to me,” said the third voice.  It was familiar but more serious than I remembered anyone other than the chiefs ever sounding around here.  It sounded like Kowi, but it wasn’t.
    “You shouldn’t be doing that.  Your leg…” said Coli.  Her voice cut off in the middle of her sentence and she said no more.
    I felt myself lifted up into someone’s arms; they were warm and strong, reminding me of Bodo.  It wasn’t my boyfriend who held me, though.  This person smelled differently.  Not bad or anything, but not like Bodo.  The tears came again and I ignored them, instead blocking out the sounds and the feelings that tried to come.  I wanted to escape into oblivion again, but Coli’s annoying voice wouldn’t let me.
    “I don’t know why you’re babying her like this.  She attacked me .”
    “You probably deserved it,” said the voice carrying me.  It was more familiar now with a smiling tone added to it.
    “Shut up, Paci.  She’s the one who deserves to be slapped around a little.  Always walking around here like her stuff doesn’t smell.”
    “Take a look in the mirror, Coli.  I think you’re talking about yourself.  It’s called reflection,” said Paci.
    “Shut the hell up,” said Trip.  “Let’s just get her back to the clinic and we’ll figure everything out there.”
    “I’m not going,” said Coli.  “I’ll see you guys later.”
    “Not so fast,” said Trip.  “You’re going with us.  I’m executing my power as chief over you, officially.”
    “Are you kidding me?  That’s bullcrap.  I am not responsible for her attitude.  I have nothing to say anymore about it, so you don’t need me there.”
    I heard the sounds of scuffling and tried to open my eyes, but my brain didn’t want to let me.
    “Let me go , Trip!”
    “No.  You’re coming with us.”
    “Fine!  I can walk by myself.  I don’t need you babysitting me, you jerk.”
    She was really fuming now, and all I could do was smile.
    I heard a quiet voice near my face.  “I see you smiling.  Good for you.  Just hang on to that,” said Paci.
    His words were for me, and I doubted anyone else had heard them.  Coli was making too big of a stink right now.
    I was finally able to open my heavy lids and look around a few minutes later, as we were entering the area around the clinic.  All of the pallets outside of it were gone now, and just a few kids from the canner place remained inside.  One of them was LaShay.
    I avoided looking at her or Paci, closing my eyes instead.  I was embarrassed to be coming in here like this when there were so many other kids with bigger problems than mine.
    “What’s her deal?” asked LaShay.
    Paci laid me gently on a cot, and I opened my eyes again.  Before I could thank him, he stepped back, limping out of the hut but keeping his eyes on me the entire time.  It should have probably made me uncomfortable, but I clung to it, hoping at least he didn’t hate me like everyone else did.
    He smiled at my desperate look, and it immediately made me want to look away.  I decided it was a bad idea to smile back, just in case anyone would take it as me leading him on, like Coli had accused me of doing before.  Plus, the realization that he’d rescued me from the toilet seat was more than a little embarrassing.  I wondered who had pulled my pants back up for me, since I couldn’t picture Coli doing it.
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