Free Zomblog 05: Snoe's War by T. W. Brown

with a curt nod to Bob. He looked like he wanted to protest, but thought better of it. I was really starting to wonder about Mary. Everybody treated her different…almost like they were afraid of her.
    “You don’t do a very good job of hiding your feelings,” she said once we were alone and walking down a path that I would have never seen if she hadn’t led me to it.
    “Never really had to,” I answered with a shrug.
    “Yes, well when you are dealing with people who make the decisions for groups, there is more to it than just stating your piece. You have to learn how to ask for what you want in such a way that makes them want to give it to you.”
    I wasn’t exactly sure what she was talking about.
    “And when you deal with men, especially older men, you have to let them think that they are doing something for you.” She really stressed the word ‘for’ in her statement like it had a special meaning. Unfortunately, I was just not catching on.
    “Like now,” Mary laughed. “You look like somebody just asked you how to fly an airplane. You have to learn how to keep what is on your mind from showing on your face.”
    “Is that why Ethan got so touchy?” I asked.
    “Considering that you were looking at him like he was a total idiot? Yeah, I would say that might have something to do with his reaction.”
    I gave what I was about to say some careful thought. I decided that it wouldn’t hurt.
    “So why does everybody act weird around you? Almost like they are afraid of you.”
    Mary stopped walking. She looked at me and her eyes sort of clouded over. Not like she was going to cry or anything, but more like she was remembering something and reliving it at the same instant.
    “I met your mother.”
    Those four words hung in the air for quite a while. I wanted her to say more, but I didn’t want to push. I could see a few things on Mary’s face…and one of them almost looked like shame or embarrassment.
    “I was travelling down south for a while with several other girls. A few of us had escaped from some very bad men. We sort of took it on ourselves to make them pay. Only, after them there were others…”
    As I listened, I instantly remembered the entry from my mom’s journal. She and Greyfeather had found this group of girls while heading south towards Las Vegas. They had a guy that they were “dealing with” when Meredith found them. I tried to picture this woman involved in that sort of thing and it just didn’t fit. I guess people can change over time. However, if this was common knowledge, no wonder folks gave her so much space.
    After she finished speaking, I just stood there quietly. Seriously, I didn’t really have anything to say. She was talking about something from almost twenty years ago for one thing; and for another, it didn’t really have anything to do with me.
     
    ***
     
    The next few days went by with very little going on. Scouts from the area reported that two more tribes had been hit and that there was nobody left behind. One of the tribes that got raided by Dominique’s forces apparently ran into some resistance and I guess they decided to hang every single person—including women and children—to send some sort of message.
    A huge sign was posted in the center of what used to be the village that read:
    Attention!
    All tribes are officially notified here with this posting that any further resistance will be met with your execution. Spread the word (we know that you have been watching us) that any tribe within five miles that does not surrender at Warehouse City within one month will be seen as an enemy combatant. You have been warned.
    Posted under the authority of President DuBois
    by Major James Carson
     
    The word spread quickly through camp and renewed the argument of what should be done. While they were busy fighting and arguing, I had managed to locate a map. I started plotting the camps that were known to have been hit. It didn’t take me long to find what I was