Free Run by Gabby Tye

of all the little kids huddled up beside me shivering and wonder how their parents could’ve been so selfish to abandon them. What stupid parent, even if they were dying, would send their child into this hell? Not that I know what hell’s like. But I’m sure it’s no worse than this.

CHAPTER 29
    Dyanne is in take-charge mode again, and I am grateful. She moves us all into the living room and divides us into three groups of five. There are two older kids per group. Brion and I are put in charge of one group. Eryn is in my group. Her smile cheers me up. Dyanne and Shulin are in charge of another group, while Kyl and Jae take the last group.
    We should have done this a long time ago. Then poor Nicky wouldn’t have been left behind. I look over at him. He’s lying on the floor, asleep. From exhaustion, trauma or sickness, I can’t tell. At least he’s stopped whimpering.
    Jae catches my attention and waves me over to the window overlooking the backyard.
    â€œAre you sure there are Eaters in there?” he asks, eyeing me carefully. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on with you?”
    I avoid his stare. Should I tell? Why not, I decide. What’s the worst that can happen?
    â€œI can see things,” I say.
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œSometimes, when something bad is about to happen, I can see it before it happens,” I say.
    â€œYou saw Eaters in the storm drain?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhen has this happened before?”
    â€œBoth times when the Tattoo Guy attacked us. Also in the house just now, with the Eaters.”
    â€œIf you can see danger, why didn’t you warn us before?” Jae says. He is angry. He grabs my arm painfully. “Why?”
    â€œIt’s not like I can control when I can see things,” I say, shaking his hand off.
    â€œAnd your fighting skills?” he asks coldly. “Where did that come from?”
    â€œI don’t know,” I say. “I really don’t.”
    Jae sighs. He places his hand on my back and leans towards me. He rests his forehead on my shoulder. “What am I going to do with you?”
    I shrug. His head moves up and down with my shoulder. I smile at the sight. I shrug again. Up and down, up and down, until his head rolls off my shoulder. I laugh at the indignant look on his face.
    â€œAre you going to tell the rest?” I ask.
    He makes a face. “No, I’m not. It’s probably better this way. For now.”
    He’s so cute, I think.
    Shut up! I stop myself, slapping my face.
    Jae frowns at me and I grin sheepishly, waving my hand in front of my face. “Ahaha… Sorry, I was thinking about something.” Something like your face.
    I slap myself again and Jae stifles a laugh. “Are you okay, dandelion?”
    Dandelion?
    How many flower names can one boy think of? Well, two can play at that game. “
    I’m fine, chocolate muffin.” I glare at him.
    I see his cheeks turn pink but I pretend I don’t.

CHAPTER 30
    We settle down in the new house. I keep going back into the backyard to see whether there are any Eaters. But I guess luck is on our side this time, and I spot none of them.
    Dyanne spends the day sorting through all our supplies, deciding on our one meal for the day. Everyone gets one can of baked beans. Yuk. But I’m too hungry to care. I scrape the bottom of my can. I check out the mound of food that we have carried with us. What will happen when that runs out? Will we, too, turn into Eaters, crazed with hunger? I push the thought away.
    It’s about eight, and we’ll have to wake up early tomorrow. The younger kids are herded into the upstairs bedrooms.
    I check all the windows and Jae relocks all the doors. Dyanne and Shulin line up all the bags, in case we need to grab them and run, like we did this morning. Then they go upstairs to tuck all the kids in.
    I look in one of the rooms and I see Eryn and Brion in