“So that's our plan,” I finished explaining it all to Renee once she joined us in the wings. “I want you to come with us, so we have at least one of the staff with us. Chloe and Nicole are coming because I want to get to know what working with them is like. Todd and I are going as heavy-hitters.

“Once we get back, I want to go home while you guys get started on shields and spears. I need to see if my mom made it home, and leave a note for her just in case.”

Renee nodded along. “I think I can sell the Director on this. The only thing she might object to is Chloe and Nicole going, but since I'm going and you're so protective of them, I think I can convince her.”

“I know it's not … safe. But I don't think anything is gonna be safe anymore. We can't just hole up and wait to die, just because surviving is dangerous, y'know?

Renee sighed, rubbing the inner corners of her eyes under her glasses. “I get the feeling that's what a lot of us would be doing if you hadn't come along.

“Alright. Let's start with making plans. It's already afternoon; if getting to-and-from the box store is anything like getting here was, we'll need a whole day to get there and back while we're all carrying stuff. We'll find you some paper and pencils, and you can make a list of what we need.”

Renee was true to her word; I had a clipboard, pencils, and paper not twenty minutes later. Todd went back to helping his mother and the other staffers keep the kids calm and not fighting, but Chloe and Nicole stayed stuck to me like little shadows. I didn't want them following me away from the group, so I sat with my back against a wall and propped the clipboard against my helmet in my lap.

“Here's what we're going for,” I said, sketching out for them a basic outline of a person, followed by a rectangular shield covering half of them and some space beside them.

“Why not scoot it over, so it covers the whole person?” Nicole asked.

“Couple reasons,” I said, “One is that the person using it can just move a little a they'll be mostly behind it.

“The other big one is that it's not meant to be used alone. If the three of us were fighting together with shields like these, we would each be using that other edge of the shield to guard each other, with the strongest fighters anchoring the corners since they'll only have one person to share with while the one in the middle gets two.

“And if somebody tries to run in between us, you cover me and I lean into your shield, then the bad guy would have to be stronger than both of us together before they could push us around.”

That got “ooo”s out of both girls, and an approving nod from Percy.

“We keep the shields a little below the shoulder and a little above the feet, so they don't interfere with you when you're moving around. If one of the leaf-hounds goes for your feet, you just plunk the shield down and they run right into it. If they try to jump over, you can either lift it up and hide behind it, or lift it up just a little to protect yourself and smack 'em with whatever you've got.”

“So how do we make shields like this?”

“We need a few things. Wood is best, or plastic in a pinch; those box-store-colors buckets make better armor than you'd think, but they're also kinda tough to work with because the plastic is so good. They're too small for shield-making but trash cans will do if you layer them up. Some people make shields out of special aluminum but I don't know where they get it from or how to make those...

“Anyways... Wood glue. Saws to cut the wood with. A hand drill would be nice. Some nuts, bolts, and washers to put everything together. Something for the grip...” I wrote down 'drywall floats' on the list there; there was a particular brand Mom always swore made the comfiest grips, and no matter who made them they were always the right shape. And another line for “bolts tools” because I didn't figure the daycare center had wrenches or a socket set floating around.

“And something to strap it to your arm, so, those leather toolbelts. Duct tape, in a pinch. Heck, we could use duct tape anyway; there's practically nothing it can't do...”

I looked up and saw Chloe holding Percy up over her head. I was curious, but waited until they sat back down.

Percy explained, “We are almost certainly going to require more than one trip to outfit everyone here. The odds that you five will be able to carry enough supplies to arm all of the children and staff are... effectively nil.”

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“Hmm... Maybe we should scavenge some stuff to carry more stuff. Not so much a cart, but … like a stretcher, but for stuff. Something to make it easier to share carrying. Then the people we arm this time can protect a scavenger team for next time.” Escort missions. Eew. No helping it, though.

I went back to my writing after talking with Percy, and soon found myself bobbing my head. I wasn't sleepy, but I had a song stuck in my head and ended up fidgeting while I wrote.

I didn't realize I was also humming til Chloe asked what song it was.

“It's silly,” I said.

“Tell us anyway!”

“It's called Beneath the Black Flag,” I said, “It's kind of about pirates? Really it's about a video game that's about pirates, but mostly it's about pirates.”

“I like pirates,” Nicole said, “Sing it for us?”

I laughed and put aside the clipboard. “Sure. I can't do any justice to Gavin Dunne's voice, but...”

I sang and the kids listened. It was nice, especially when I finished and they started clapping. That got the attention of some of the other kids, but when they tried to butt in, Nicole stepped up and shooed them off, saying “Sir Emma was just taking a break but she's working now!”

The others weren't happy about that, but they took the hint eventually.

By the time I had my shopping list all figured out, it was getting late. Renee and Todd rejoined us again after helping the rest of the staff pass out a bit of food to the kids. Dinner wasn't much; boxed apple juice and a small ham sandwich.

“How is our food situation?” I asked, nibbling my sandwich slowly to make it last. I was so hungry it was starting to hurt, but I forced myself to go slow.

“We're... okay for now. We'll have to do some hard math come morning, but the other teachers will take care of that while we're out. It's not so dire that we have to do something about it in the same trip.”

I nodded, continuing to nibble. The apple juice helped, too.

After dinner, they took the kids in groups to go get sleeping bags. While they waited their turn, Chloe explained that the kids were required to each have their own, for nap times. Even the older kids, even though most people close to my age weren't interested in a midday nap. Never mind that it sounds kind of nice, looking back on a day in the Apocalypse. It ended up being a saving grace this time, though. When their turn came up, Chloe went but Nicole stayed behind, letting her sister get her bag for her while she held their spot... right next to mine.

The bathroom situation was something else I wasn't eager to have to ask about, but they had solved that before I even showed up; the toilet stalls each had a bucket and a box of trashbags in them, wet-wipes were available as needed, and everybody was getting really good at making friends with the handful of people who knew Cleanse. Nobody begrudged me a Cleanse, though; my reputation for having “rescued” Renee still preceded me.

Once we were all situated, I found that my away team had all pitched their sleeping bags in the same corner where I had been writing earlier. Somebody had even found a spare sleeping bag for me, “borrowed” from somebody who had stayed home sick that morning. Todd had positioned his between us and the outside door, Renee was right behind him, mine was in the middle, and the twins nestled in the corner. Nicole's sleeping bag even had a teddy bear rolled up in it, but nobody commented on that. And Todd had borrowed my shield, sleeping with it covering his sleeping bag. It made sense, if his intention was to tank anything that might try to break in while we were sleeping. The Information Assistants said we were safe indoors for the first week, but none of them could answer if it was all buildings that were safe or just houses.

I knew I should've gone to sleep right away, but I sat up a while, too lost in thought to really unwind. Thinking about tomorrow. Trying not to think about today. Thinking... long enough that Nicole started bugging me for another song. I was going to say no, but she plopped her head in my lap and gave me the cheatiest puppydog eyes I've ever seen in my life. I swear this kid is no fair...

“You liked my song about pirates before, so, here's another sailor-flavored one I learned at the Renaissance Fair...” I cleared my throat, and started to sing quietly.

“Though my sails be torn and tattered

and my mast be turned about

Though the night wind chill me to my very soul...

Though the salt spray sting my eyes,

And the stars no sight provide,

Give me just enough morning light to hold...

I will not lie me down,

This rain a-ragin'.

I will not lie me down

In such a storm.

And if this night be un-blessed,

I shall not take my rest,

Until I reach

Another shore...”

Two more verses of “A Sailor's Prayer” later, I found tears trickling down my cheeks, but between the song and me gently petting her head, Nicole had fallen asleep somewhere along the way.

Chloe managed to stay awake long enough to say, “That was really pretty,” before she was out.

When I realized I had no way to lie down without disturbing Nicole, Todd grinned like he was trying not to laugh and quietly whispered the words “cat hostage?” He wasn't totally wrong – Nicole sure acted the part of 'spoiled house cat who knew nobody would dare to move her' well enough.

I rolled my eyes at him and looked to Renee instead, but she had found a sudden interest in one of the theater posters on the wall and was also ever-so-politely not laughing. I stuck my tongue out at both of them, then let my head droop against my chest, one hand resting on Nicole as if I could hug her like a plushie. It wasn't a comfortable way to sleep, but I wasn't about to take a comfy night of sleep from a kid who clearly needed it, either.

And so, eleven hours or so after the world ended, Day One wound down.