The Nameless Army

.::Erica::.

I untwisted the cap of my reused water bottle and drank the last few sips at the bottom. I noticed the boy staring at me. Michael.

"What's your name?" He asked suddenly.

I swallowed. "Erica."

He shifted his eyes immediately. "Sorry about the cat."

I tried smiling a little. "It's alright. I wouldn't have been able to protect her out here, anyway."

Michael checked for his brother and Eli, walking a short distance behind us. "I hope he'll let you stay more than one night."

I smiled again. This boy was too kind for his own good. Kind of like me. "I'm sure Eli won't want to stay much longer than that."

"Your brother?"

I nodded. "We're twins."

Michael looked back again, probably at Eli. His eyes found my face. "You kind of look the same. Who was born first?"

"I was." I said smugly. "But Eli doesn't like to think of me as his big sister."

Michael nodded. "How old are you?"

Eli cleared his throat before I answered. I still ignored him. "Seventeen."

Michael blinked. "Oh." He was quiet. "Do you remember what it was like?"

He means before the blackout, when The United States still existed, fifteen years ago. "We were only two."

"Peter was four. He remembers a little." Michael kicked a rock at the base of a tree. "My mom was pregnant with me when it happened."

I almost asked him about his parents, but I decided against it. I didn't think it was the right time.

Michael picked up his pace. I saw the brick building ahead of us and gradually stopped walking. Eli caught up with me.

"What is it?" He asked. He spoke before he saw the mass of children spill from the inside. 

"Oh, right." Peter muttered when he walked by. "We're not alone."

I wasn't going to let Peter's impressive facial features get to me. He was rude, and I decided to hold a grudge for Stella's sake. I couldn't think about her without putting a hitch in my breathing.

We watched even more children appear out of thin air. Eli shook his head. "You just had to pick flowers, didn't you?"

I ignored him -- again -- and approached the brick building. It was decaying and crumbling, but structurally sound. The children followed Peter inside. Michael waited for us to catch up before leading us in.

In the center of the complex, there was a large fire that warmed the entire surrounding area. There were more than just the children we saw outside, each with their own little setup. They couldn't all be from one family, with the different shapes and sizes and colors. They all stared at us upon our entrance.

"This is Erica and Eli." Michael introduced us. "They're going to stay with us for a little while."

"Just one night." Peter corrected.

The kids didn't care much for us. "Where's our supper?" A very young boy asked.

Peter revealed a bundle of collected traps with rabbits inside them. "We have less tonight, and more mouths to feed." Peter made an effort to glare at me.

The children followed his lead. That was the first time I saw him smile.

Three of the boys approached Peter without being called. They took the rabbits and scurried away, probably preparing to make a meal. The rest of the children returned to their respected places.

"This is bizzare, isn't it?" I whispered to Eli. "All of these children living together, without any parents?"

"Sure."

I noticed his sour expression. "What's the matter?"

"You're lucky it was Peter Pan over there that found you instead of the Militia. We could easily be dead right now."

I gulped at the reality of his point. "Well let's be thankful it wasn't and we aren't." Something else was bothering him, but I knew he wouldn't share it with me. Not yet.

"Is there anything we do to help?" I asked both Michael and Peter. Eli elbowed me in the ribcage.

Peter blinked and surveyed the scene around him. "Lily."

A young girl with dark skin hurried to Peter's side. He crouched beside her and whispered something, pointing in my direction.

"This is why you should keep your mouth shut." Eli whined.

"I'm being polite." I insisted. Lily looked at me and walked back to her station. Peter motioned for me to follow her. I looked at Eli one last time. "Would it kill you to be grateful?"

Lily sat down and crossed her legs before a large plank of wood. I followed her lead. She didn't say much, but she didn't need to. I saw the collection of vegetables, some already cut and others waiting. I picked up the extra knife and sliced a potato in half.

I could hear the other children talking and laughing every now and again. Lily preferred to work in silence.

"Your name's Lily?" I asked.

She pushed her pile of carrots away.

I kept my eyes down, giving her a chance to look at me without being seen. I could tell through my peripherals that she did.

"Don't cut them so big." She warned me. My potatoes were sliced in round pieces. "The little ones need them smaller."

I couldn't help but smile. "Okay." I diced the potatoes into smaller pieces.

When we finished, Lily scooped the vegetables into a pot of water and set it over the fire. I was surprised at her fluent motions. At her age, I was just learning how to use a knife properly.

Lily gathered our knives and took them elsewhere. I sat in a wooden chair beside the fire and waited for her to return. I heard the rumble of thunder in the distance and looked for Eli to rub it in his face. 

While I wandered around, I got a better look at their humble home. It was interesting, with the odd furniture and spray-painted graffiti on the walls left over from before the blackout. I came across a room, shielded by a hanging cloth. Inside, a twin sized bed and two wooden blue drawers beside it. 

Draping down from the ceiling was a worn and battered flag, with the forbidden colors: white, red, and blue. I took hesitant steps towards it, running my fingers over the stitching of the stripes and stars.

"You wouldn't tell on me, would you?"

I jumped at the unexpected voice. Peter eyed me carefully, though his tone was joking.

"I-I didn't -- I'm sorry, I..." My words were lost. "I wouldn't."

Peter stood close to me, a mere arm's length away. He wanted a clearer answer.

I directed my eyes to the flag again. "I've just never seen one so big." I dug in the pocket of my jeans and pulled out the stamp with a poor depiction of the American flag.

Peter chuckled. "A stamp? You mean you've never seen a real flag before?"

"My mother gave this to me when I was seven." I slipped it back to safety in my pocket. "It's all I have left of her."

Peter frowned, just as he did whenever parents were mentioned. "What are you doing in here, anyway?"

I shrugged innocently. "I was looking for my brother. I wasn't trying to bother you."

Peter dropped his green eyes to the stamp in the center of my palm. "You know, the Militia would kill you for having that. It means you're a Rebel."

I lifted a handful of his flag and showed it to him. He laughed, as did I. "At least I can swallow mine if I need to." I said.

Peter chewed on his lip. "They wouldn't waste any time if they found this here." He picked at one of the frayed ends. "We'd all be killed."

I watched his face turn towards guilt. Why would he keep something so dangerous around so many children?

"Hey." It was Eli, poking his head behind the hanging cloth. He shifted his eyes between Peter and I. "What's going on in here?"

"Nothing." I said instantly. Eli spotted the flag between us and looked at Peter accusingly.

I cleared my throat. "I told you it was going to storm."

Eli dragged his eyes to me. "Huh?"

Peter followed my lead in distracting him. "The undersides of the leaves have been showing all day." Peter said. He eyed me curiously. "Is that how you knew?"

I nodded, probably a little pink as well. 

Eli rolled his eyes. "Well excuse me for interrupting, but dinner is served."