Free Surrounds (Bonds) by S.L. Simps Page B

had done it by turning the little creepy buggers into dust.
    Henderson hadn't voiced his disbelief, because he wouldn't, but his face told all.
    Lacey presses her lips against one another in annoyance. "You don't believe me." The girl accuses. Her finger pointing at him. "You think I've lost it."
    "No..." Henderson actually is brave enough to smile. As in amused by her. Lacey's face grows dark and blank. She hated being laughed at when she wasn't trying to be funny, which was ironic considering it use to happen daily.
    "Stop laughing!" She tells him dryly. "I'm not above hurting an already wounded person more."
    "I'm not even laughing, Lace. This," his finger points at his face, "is a smile."
    "Oh?" Lacey questions. "You only do it every millionth year, I wasn't very sure."
    "Good one..." He zips up his backpack and stands. Henderson looks at her for a while before quietly snorting, trying to cover his laugh with cough. Lacey face twitches.
    "Hey," she quickly gets onto her feet and stomps forward, only stopping when right in front of Henderson, poking him in what was an unwounded area on his shoulder. "What in the hell is so funny?" Suddenly she finds herself in a warm hug, her face now deep in Henderson's new shirt. His arms are tight around her, his nose buried into her neck.
    He is shaking.
    "I'm so sorry..." He whispers voice wavering.
    She hesitates before encircling his arms around him, fingers digging into his shirt. "For saving me?" The girl lightly jokes, blinking away the wetness building in both eyes. "If that's it, then I'm also starting to regret that I saved you." His body stops shaking, but he continues holding her. "Why are you so dramatic, Hen?" She finds her arms subconsciously tightening around him. She could have truly lost him forever. His arms in response tightens around her.
    (O)
    Lacey's been seeing a lot of things she thought were wrong the last month and a half. Empty neighborhoods, insane men with bone armor, bleeding skies, hordes of tiny, ugly creatures, and magical machetes, but this is something else indeed.
    A caravan, a traveling group of off looking travelers. She and Henderson hid behind a rusted vehicle on the other side of a stretch of highway, too close but no time to sneak away.
    They traveled, in mostly bulky vehicles which rumbled and kicked up heavy exhaust into the morning air. But they also walked behind some of the vehicles, dressed in bone armor and loaded down with frightening looking swords and other weaponry. At least ninety of them made there way down the highway, laughing and hooting, talking in strange languages.
    Lacey pressed her back against the van's side, breath lost inside of her, shoulders stiff, back ridged. She could see them all, snippets of piercings and odd markings on flesh between the vehicle which they hid and one in front of that one. It was impossible to look away.
    A loud caw echoing out has her flinching and sucking in a breath of air, instantly looking up. But there is laughter from the group and she turns back in time to see two of 'them' yanking at three heavy chains, lugging one of those huge flying creatures down the highway. Like. It. Was. Nothing.
    Henderson nudges her lightly, drawing her attention away. He's sweating and quietly panting, hair shielding his face. The chains rattle and after a while the hoots and yells grow quieter and quieter until its silent again. The group is gone.
    Without a word Lacey stands, helping Henderson up along with her. He's unstable on his feet at first but ends up being able to stand on his own. Sweat continues steadily down his face. Her own sweat was seeping into her already stinging eyes, making it worse.
    It was much to hot to be out. If they didn't find a place to rest in the next hour it wouldn't be good. She thinks of the water bottle in her backpack and how cool it would be against her parched mouth, how wonderful it would be, but they were limited on water. She could wait.
    Her attention is drawn to