Free The Risen: Remnants by Marie F Crow Page A

man who started it all standing across from us, Collin.
    Alicia pauses for a moment, unsure of what she heard before turning to me to confirm the story. Knowing my sister well, I reluctantly nod and brace for heat wave of anger.
    “It was a misunderstanding.” Collin volunteers and accepts the blame for what has happened. He is either very brave or just wishing for his life to end. I know the wrath of Alicia. With as much as his actions anger me, I almost pity him for what is to come.
    “You. Did. What?” Each word is clipped and short, her anger, and the target for it, evident with her teal-green eyes glaring. Her arms bind Genny closer to her, protecting her now from what she was not able to before.
    “I didn’t know who they were. I didn’t know what to do.” Collin pleads his case, but when Alicia’s eyes are this green, the best thing he can do is cower and apologize. Alicia’s anger is the perfect example of why men are taught to just answer “Yes, Dear.” and walk away, slowly.
    “You didn’t know that a teenage girl and two women couldn’t overpower you and Terrence? That says a lot about you, don’t you think?” Alicia’s words are biting and he winces from the verbal slap.
    “I didn’t tie her up.” Collin tries to better his story while pointed to Genny.
    “He had me put the tape on Mom and Mrs. Ginjer after dragging me through the store to make them follow us.” I don’t know if my daughter is seeking some form of payback or if she’s just not aware of how well she is stirring the pot now with her answers. Watching Alicia’s face, we are all very aware. The pot is stirred and boiling over.
    If anger had a shade, it would not be red. I have seen enough red to know to what that shade belongs. No, if anger were a shade it would be the color of Alicia’s eyes, because looking into them now there is no question about her thoughts. The peaceful teal-green has slowly deepened into the color of a green so dark it almost appears black with her anger.
    I watch all of Collin’s bravery slip from him with a sigh. I have a sense that he has seen this side of her before with how easily he gives over to her anger. Watching her mood deepen, he has switched to the gear of self-preservation instead of defending his actions. His head bows sideways as he waits for her verbal explosion like a child knowing they have done wrong and their punishment is coming.
    “We have rules in this group. Rules Peyton has made to keep ourselves safe and any others that we may find safe. One of those is that we do not hurt innocent people to further our causes. We especially do not take advantage of children! It’s bad enough you left your own children to die, but now you have to harm others’, too?” Her words are like heat-seeking missiles and they find his heart like the weapon they were intended to be.
    I don’t know the man’s story, or what his real relationship is with Alicia. I do notice by the spasms of emotions on his face that she knows him well enough to know exactly what to say to wound him mortally. The whispering murmurs around us shame him further with his hinted backstory.
    “Who’s Peyton?” Genny resembles a china doll with her pale skin tone and blank wide eyes. Hiding in the security of Alicia’s arms, she seems just as fragile.
    “I am and I’d like a hint as to what is going on here.” Peyton is leaning on the side of the Jeep watching their little domestic show-and-tell and at the sound of his voice the crowd around us disperses. It’s as if they all suddenly are remembering something very important they have to do. Something that they have to do that will allow them enough distance to be out of the way, but still close enough to pretend they are not listening.
    Peyton’s stance seems to be relaxed as he stands beside the sleeping teenager and his father, but his face is all for us. His pale colored eyes, showing his age with the slight wrinkles at their edge, pause on each of us as he