Behind Our Walls Read Free Page A

you had had a crystal ball, what exactly do you think you could have done? Frankly, I don't see how our situation could be any better. There are dozens of ways they could be worse, though. You think I don't beat myself up, everyday? I can't tell you how much I'd give for a few more minutes with my girls, for the chance to try this all over again."
    It occurred to her how little she really knew about him, despite having been in such close quarters over the past year. It had likely been luck, coming across him along the side of the road that day. She didn't know what she would do without him, but there were still moments when she caught herself wishing that she knew more of his story. She looked up and saw that the others had become tiny specks on the horizon. They resumed their walk, increasing the pace to try and catch up. After a few minutes, they found that the rest of the group had come to a halt, just short of a fork in the road.
    "We want to go up that way," James said, pointing to the left. Sophie looked up, noting that the pavement came to a halt after about a hundred yards. The dirt road went up and wound its way into the hills.
    "Why?" Sophie asked. All she could imagine was sore knees and backs after leaving the concrete behind.
    "The main road is too dangerous," James said. "Besides, there might be somewhere up there we could stay for a while."
    Sophie looked up at Rowen and could see the same concern in his eyes.
    "Okay," she said, "but don't you think that we could be putting ourselves into more danger if we end up walking onto someone's property? What if you spook someone who's already barricaded into their farmhouse and they come after—"
    "We're going up this way," Adam snapped at her. She shifted her glare towards him, furious at his need to insert himself into every argument. She was tired. Tired of playing the parental role for all of them and she suspected that the votes were against her. As tempting as it was to walk off and leave them behind, the prospects of letting them go on their own made her shudder in apprehension. She nodded at Rowen.
    "Fine," she said. "Let's get moving."

-5-
     
     
    The sun was almost completely out of sight, the last tendrils of light chased away by the whiplash of night. They trudged up the road, now going up at a steep incline. Tall trees flanked them on each side. Corrine and Adam were in the lead, with James lagging behind, half heartedly. Sophie and Rowen followed along in silence. She felt like they were just ascending up and up, until the road would dead-end and they would be left trying to find their way back down in the dark.
    "We need to stop soon." She tried to use a level tone of voice to avoid inciting a rise out of the others. "Even if we're just sleeping along the road at this point, we can't be wandering around when we start to lose light."
    She noticed Corrine and Adam speaking as they slowed to a stop. Turning back, they made their grand proclamation. "We can stop here. There's a clearing down a ways from the road where we can camp."
    Sophie managed to stifle the immediate urge to retort. The fact that Rowen had the most experience and survival skills made their show of bravado absurd. She looked off into the forest around them and shook her head. There was no point in arguing as it would just make things worse.
    "Fine," she said.
    "I'll get everything set up." Adam's voice seemed to suggest that they should all be bowing down and scraping for his magnanimous generosity. "Corrine is going to go ahead and scout for supplies."
    "You don't—" Sophie forced herself to stop, pinching the circulation out of her nose as she struggled to keep control. This was still just a long excursion for them. "You shouldn't go off on your own," she said. "We have no way to stay in touch and we have no idea who might be up there."
    "There's no one," Adam said, the smirk nearly acting as the match, tossed into Sophie's pool of rage. "We would have seen someone by now."
    "Unless