A Candle in the Dark
E Z R A
It was the second day of searching the forest. They were in smaller groups now, with Carter, Maddie, Bill and Javier making up one and him, Astrid and Jack in the other. Ezra tried to get Bill to go with them, but he was in conversation with Maddie and walked away with her before Ezra got a chance to ask.
He tried not to look too sullen as Jack captivated Astrid’s attention for the next three hours. They didn’t come across any Walkers, but their search area today brought them dangerously close to Snatcher land. Maddie had been very adamant about her group going in the other direction, and the only reason Ezra had noticed the urgency in her voice was because he’d been looking at Astrid. The fiery haired girl’s eyes had gone to Maddie the moment she mentioned Snatchers, first with curiosity then sadness. There was something that she knew, Ezra was sure of it immediately.
They stopped to eat the granola bars that Ezra had put in his backpack when the sun was high in the sky. Astrid broke hers in half and tossed one part to Monroe, after making sure she hadn’t gotten one with chocolate chips.
Jack went off to relieve himself, leaving Ezra alone with Astrid. She looked at him through her eyelashes, as if she didn’t want to be caught. But since he’d been acutely aware of her all day, it wasn’t an easily accomplished task. It took her a fraction of a second to realize that he was looking right back at her.
“Why the long face?” she asked, offering a small smile.
“It’s nothing,” he replied.
“You can tell me, you know,” she said. “You can tell me anything.”
And there it was, flickering in his chest. The burning desire to pull her to him and press his lips against hers. A flame growing stronger and stronger inside him, only to be sharply diffused as Jack appeared from behind a tree.
“Let’s keep going.”
Ezra set his jaw. He prepared to be walking a few feet behind the pair for the remainder of the day, but Astrid seemed to have a different agenda. She let Jack stride ahead with purpose, and fell into step next to him. She nudged him with her elbow, one of her eyebrows edging upward. “Okay, out with it. What’s bothering you?”
“I told you, it’s nothing.” he said, this time with a more genuine tone. Now that Astrid was walking next to him, instead of ahead with Jack, there really wasn’t anything to put him in a sour mood.
There was a crack that echoed through the trees. Ezra’s shoulders stiffened, and he inhaled deeply before drawing his machete. Beside him, Astrid was loading her crossbow. But Monroe’s tail was wagging, which threw them off. A few feet ahead, Jack’s eyes were narrowed as he peered into the forest.
It was Carter that came into their vision, a serious expression on his face. He picked at the bandages on his hand, his gaze flicked between their faces. “We found Lynnette.”
Ezra stepped forward, his eyebrows knit together. “Phillip?” he asked, and Carter shook his head. “How’s Lynnette?”
“She’ll heal. Her lip is cut and she’s got some bruises and Bill thinks a broken rib or two.”
Ezra sucked in a breath. But it was Jack who spoke. “Snatchers.”
“Where’s Maddie?” Astrid asked.
“With Lynnette. She was hella mad, too. Kept sayin’ something about breaking trust.”
“We have to find Phillip,” decided Astrid, and started walking again.
Ezra lunged forward and grabbed her arm. “That’s not safe,” he said urgently.
She tore her arm from his grasp. “I don’t care. It’s wrong what they’re doing.”
“You’ll get caught.”
“I’ve been doing this on my own practically since the beginning. I know how to keep quiet.”
“But you don’t know Snatchers. They aren’t mindless monsters, Astrid, they’re human. Not as easy to fool.”
He could tell she was fighting the urge to listen to him with every fibre of her being. One of his hands was still outstretched toward her. When he realized this, Ezra quickly let it fall to his side. He swallowed, noticing how Carter and Jack had been watching them with curious eyes. He’d made a risky decision being so open about wanting Astrid to stay with him, and there would be questions that he would have to answer, he was certain of it.
“Fine,” said Astrid.
As they made their way back to camp, Ezra felt relief seep into his bones. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if Astrid was in any danger, especially from Snatchers. He knew she could defend herself, but fighting people wasn’t like fighting Walkers. Humans were smart, and Snatchers were the most cunning of the lot.
He tried not to look too sullen as Jack captivated Astrid’s attention for the next three hours. They didn’t come across any Walkers, but their search area today brought them dangerously close to Snatcher land. Maddie had been very adamant about her group going in the other direction, and the only reason Ezra had noticed the urgency in her voice was because he’d been looking at Astrid. The fiery haired girl’s eyes had gone to Maddie the moment she mentioned Snatchers, first with curiosity then sadness. There was something that she knew, Ezra was sure of it immediately.
They stopped to eat the granola bars that Ezra had put in his backpack when the sun was high in the sky. Astrid broke hers in half and tossed one part to Monroe, after making sure she hadn’t gotten one with chocolate chips.
Jack went off to relieve himself, leaving Ezra alone with Astrid. She looked at him through her eyelashes, as if she didn’t want to be caught. But since he’d been acutely aware of her all day, it wasn’t an easily accomplished task. It took her a fraction of a second to realize that he was looking right back at her.
“Why the long face?” she asked, offering a small smile.
“It’s nothing,” he replied.
“You can tell me, you know,” she said. “You can tell me anything.”
And there it was, flickering in his chest. The burning desire to pull her to him and press his lips against hers. A flame growing stronger and stronger inside him, only to be sharply diffused as Jack appeared from behind a tree.
“Let’s keep going.”
Ezra set his jaw. He prepared to be walking a few feet behind the pair for the remainder of the day, but Astrid seemed to have a different agenda. She let Jack stride ahead with purpose, and fell into step next to him. She nudged him with her elbow, one of her eyebrows edging upward. “Okay, out with it. What’s bothering you?”
“I told you, it’s nothing.” he said, this time with a more genuine tone. Now that Astrid was walking next to him, instead of ahead with Jack, there really wasn’t anything to put him in a sour mood.
There was a crack that echoed through the trees. Ezra’s shoulders stiffened, and he inhaled deeply before drawing his machete. Beside him, Astrid was loading her crossbow. But Monroe’s tail was wagging, which threw them off. A few feet ahead, Jack’s eyes were narrowed as he peered into the forest.
It was Carter that came into their vision, a serious expression on his face. He picked at the bandages on his hand, his gaze flicked between their faces. “We found Lynnette.”
Ezra stepped forward, his eyebrows knit together. “Phillip?” he asked, and Carter shook his head. “How’s Lynnette?”
“She’ll heal. Her lip is cut and she’s got some bruises and Bill thinks a broken rib or two.”
Ezra sucked in a breath. But it was Jack who spoke. “Snatchers.”
“Where’s Maddie?” Astrid asked.
“With Lynnette. She was hella mad, too. Kept sayin’ something about breaking trust.”
“We have to find Phillip,” decided Astrid, and started walking again.
Ezra lunged forward and grabbed her arm. “That’s not safe,” he said urgently.
She tore her arm from his grasp. “I don’t care. It’s wrong what they’re doing.”
“You’ll get caught.”
“I’ve been doing this on my own practically since the beginning. I know how to keep quiet.”
“But you don’t know Snatchers. They aren’t mindless monsters, Astrid, they’re human. Not as easy to fool.”
He could tell she was fighting the urge to listen to him with every fibre of her being. One of his hands was still outstretched toward her. When he realized this, Ezra quickly let it fall to his side. He swallowed, noticing how Carter and Jack had been watching them with curious eyes. He’d made a risky decision being so open about wanting Astrid to stay with him, and there would be questions that he would have to answer, he was certain of it.
“Fine,” said Astrid.
As they made their way back to camp, Ezra felt relief seep into his bones. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if Astrid was in any danger, especially from Snatchers. He knew she could defend herself, but fighting people wasn’t like fighting Walkers. Humans were smart, and Snatchers were the most cunning of the lot.
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hello! sorry for the delay, but uni is my higher priority and i had like a bazillion assignments due in the first two days after reading break.snatchers will be playing a more significant role later in the story, and i'm excited for what's coming up! thank you for reading, and comments are always appreciated!