Apocalypsis 04 - Haven

all the kid-eaters wanna kill.”
    “Why all the hate?” I asked. “I mean, it was just one fat asshole who’d had too much to drink and thought he was going to rape me. Why do I have such a big target on me now?”
    “Well, the EWS say it ain’t just that. I guess you also kicked a few butts up near Orlando and caused a ruckus out by the Amazons’ place. And those particular kid-eaters were all related somehow. They move up and down I-95 keeping in touch. They do it the old fashioned way, though - using cars and motorcycles.”
    “They’re going to run out of gas eventually.”
    “Yeah, maybe. Or maybe they’ll figure out or find an alternative energy source, who knows. We just gotta hope they never catch on to our EWS is all.”
    “What could they do to it? I mean, countries used them in the old wars, right? And they weren’t a secret, but they still worked.”
    “Yeah, but if them cannibals know where the control points are, they could come in and smash us up and kill the birds. We’d have to start all over, and it’s work, let me tell you.” She sighed. “I ain’t complainin’, though. We got a good thing going on here, and even if someone comes in and smashes us up, I know we’ll press on. We’ve got friends now. More than we ever had before, really, even when the world was all put together right. And what’s funny is, no one seems to care anymore that Jackson and me grew up on a dirt patch and talk different. We’re all judged by how we survive and what we do for others now, and that’s all right by me.”
    I looked around, out into the mostly empty fields and at the dogs goofing around with a stick in the dusty yard. “But don’t you get lonely out here with just your brother to keep you company?”
    “Nah. Well, maybe a little. But that’s okay. It beats being dead.”
    “You know, you could come live with us.”
    “In a prison?” She chuckled. “No, thanks. Our daddy spent most of his time in one-a those places. I ain’t in a hurry to continue that particular family tradition.”
    “It’s not like that, though. We’re turning it into a nice place.”
    “I’m sure you are. And maybe someday we’ll join you. Who’s to say what tomorrow will bring? But I thank you for the invite. That’s awful generous of you. I know you got a lot of mouths to feed there.”
    “Yeah,” I said, falling back into the reality of my life and why I was even here in the first place. I stood. “We gotta get going.”
    Jackson came walking up at a fast clip from around the corner, taking two steps at a time. “You’re right. You gotta go now.” He pushed past me and into the house, letting the screen door slam behind him.
    “What’s got into him?” asked Katy, no longer rocking or crocheting.
    I shrugged. Whatever it was, it didn’t look good. I stood, suddenly nervous. “He got a message from one of your birds right before I came back here.”
    Katy jumped up and ran in through the front door, abandoning her yarn and needle on the chair.
    “What does dis mean?” asked Bodo softly.
    I turned to face him. “I hope there’s not a problem at Haven.”
    Jackson came bursting through the front door with a shotgun in each hand. He came right up to me without stopping, shoving the heavy weapon at me. “Take it.”
    He stepped to the side and did the same with Bodo. “Take it.”
    He reached behind himself and pulled a box out of his pants. “Take these. They’re shells. You have to go. I expect to get those guns back when I see you next.”
    “What’s happening?” I asked, fear straining my voice.
    “Your friends in the Glades are in trouble. The Miccosukees. You need to get down there and fast if you want to help.”
    “How do you know that?” I nearly cried, freaking out about my friends and what Jackson’s words actually meant for them.
    “Amazons got the message from the ‘hood near their place. Big old group-a kid-eaters are headin’ that way. You gotta move quick.”
    He ran down the stairs and around the side of the house.
    I stared at Bodo, searching for solace or something in his expression that would make me feel better. He looked as panicked as me, though and was no help at all with calming my racing heart.
    “Good luck. I hope we see you again,” said Katy, all her vigor gone. She sounded sad.
    “What about us?” asked Chantal, sitting up and wiping her eyes. “Can we go too?”
    “No, you stay,” I said. “You’re too weak to help, and it’ll be too