{"id":775,"date":"2011-10-19T00:00:41","date_gmt":"2011-10-19T04:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=775"},"modified":"2011-10-17T11:08:41","modified_gmt":"2011-10-17T15:08:41","slug":"day-18-chapter-11-08","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=775","title":{"rendered":"Day 18 – Chapter 11 – 08"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDid Kellin get to check the wards this morning, before they went off on this wild goose chase after Leah?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom hadn\u2019t quite expected the reaction he got from both J.T. and Rory, who blinked at him, staring like he\u2019d suddenly grown a second head.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0 He demanded, grimacing.\u00a0 Okay, so maybe I believe a little that they do something.\u00a0 Hell, maybe I just give a damn that her little morning ritual hasn\u2019t been disrupted.\u00a0 Either way, it\u2019s not an invalid question.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rory looked at J.T., who shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t look at me,\u201d the bigger man grumbled as he shepherded them toward the tent and the fire within.\u00a0 \u201cI was asleep until Matt came and poked me to tell me what everyone else was doing.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t actually see her do it,\u201d Rory said.\u00a0 \u201cShe might have forgotten in all of the hubbub over Leah\u2019s little disappearing act.\u00a0 Why do you care, anyway?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Swallowing bile, Thom shook his head slightly.\u00a0 \u201cI think I\u2019m starting to be one of the ones that likes the idea of them so I can sleep better at night.\u201d\u00a0 And function in daylight.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A strange expression crossed J.T.\u2019s face and Thom suppressed a wince and waved a hand.\u00a0 \u201cNever mind.\u00a0 Do you know how to fix them?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rory snorted and shook his head. \u00a0\u201cI wouldn\u2019t know where to start.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWouldn\u2019t know where to start with what?\u201d\u00a0 Carolyn asked, dusting her hands off on the seat of her jeans as J.T. herded Thom and Rory into the light of the now-roaring fire.\u00a0 Angie still sat there, huddled under Matt\u2019s arm, and looked up at the three men with big eyes.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom swallowed hard as he met her gaze.\u00a0 She\u2019s just a kid and we should be able to protect her.\u00a0 Instead we\u2019re about as useful as corn on the cob to a toothless geezer.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cKel\u2019s wards,\u201d J.T. rumbled, lumbering over to put the tea kettle on over the fire.\u00a0 He glanced toward Carolyn as he got it settled.\u00a0 \u201cWatch, that, will you?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She caught his arm as he came around the fire, headed deeper into the tent.\u00a0 \u201cWhere are you going?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cTo find something sharp,\u201d he said, then walked away.\u00a0 Carolyn stood in his wake, blinking in confusion.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat was that supposed to mean?\u201d\u00a0 She asked, glancing toward Rory and Thom, since J.T. wasn\u2019t going to answer.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Guns won\u2019t hurt what\u2019s coming.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom shuddered violently at the thought and hobble-marched to his usual spot by the fire, sitting down heavily and drawing one knee up to his chest.\u00a0 He brooded there silently for a moment, keenly aware that Carolyn was looking at him strangely and that Angie\u2019s eyes were on him, too.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Where the hell did that come from?\u00a0 How did I know that?<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He knew the answer, though.\u00a0 It came from something he couldn\u2019t remember\u2014something he didn\u2019t want<\/em> to remember.\u00a0 Intuitions that he\u2019d been refusing to believe for fear of what they might mean.\u00a0 They weren\u2019t going away just because he didn\u2019t want to believe them, but apparently he was getting much, much better at forgetting<\/em> them.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, but a little part of him was relieved that most of their number were across the ruins of M-45 today, though he couldn\u2019t quite articulate why.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The moment passed and Carolyn huffed softly, then looked Rory over.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened to you?\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom glanced up at Rory and frowned at the expression on the other man\u2019s face.\u00a0 There was a tense set to his shoulders and a pinched look to his features, almost furtive.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHe doesn\u2019t want to talk about it,\u201d Thom said, then immediately turned his attention to the fire as Carolyn looked at him again.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rory shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s right, I don\u2019t.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cToo bad, because you\u2019re going to tell me.\u00a0 Sit.\u201d\u00a0 Carolyn took Rory by the arm and manhandled him to a spot next to Thom by the fire.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If he hadn\u2019t been trying to fight down the strengthening feeling that something was going to go terribly, horribly wrong, Thom would have laughed at the absurdity of it all.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Goosebumps started crawling along his arms again.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a boring story,\u201d Rory said.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThen you shouldn\u2019t mind telling it,\u201d Carolyn countered.\u00a0 \u201cSpill.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cFine,\u201d Rory grumbled, glaring at her, at the fire, at everything within his line of sight.\u00a0 \u201cBut you\u2019re not going to like what this old soul has to say.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Carolyn crossed her arms.\u00a0 \u201cTry me<\/em>.\u201d
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rory opened his mouth to speak.
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 That\u2019s when they heard the scream.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDid Kellin get to check the wards this morning, before they went off on this wild goose chase after Leah?\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom hadn\u2019t quite expected the reaction he got from both J.T. and Rory, who blinked at him, staring … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chapter-11","category-day-18"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-cv","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=775"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":778,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775\/revisions\/778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}