On the thinnest of ice, I lie back in Mama's truck. I tap my knee as Mama smirks, "A soldier stuck on defense duty?" I grab my forehead, "I wanna head out with the scouts!" Rose shakes me lightly, "Oooh! Tell me a story, cowboy!" "I'm no cowboy." She giggles, "You talk like one! So- Cowboy!" Mama forces a smile, but her tone doesn't match, her mind's somewhere else, "She ain't wrong." "Mama?" She looks up, "Don't worry about old me." I sit myself up and sit next to her, "Just tell me what's on your mind." She bows her head, "Should we have stayed in Memphis?" "An interesting question." She continues, "It's a safe haven for people like us. Whatever I heard, those voices- ghosts. I think they controlled the beasts, or-" She taps a little, "Or what?" "Or they can talk." I squint, "Talk?" "I couldn't detect anything in Memphis. It's odd- Even for these recent times." I sigh, "I've seen the animals depicting the concept of family." Rose's eyes go wide, "A spider, it's final moments was it begging for me not to end it's children. That wolf- Only wanted to chase us away from her cubs." Mama bows her head, "That's horrible." "But that spider warned me of something." Mama looks my way, "Never betray nature." Mama tilts her head, "Your own, or?" "More like try not to burn it all down." Rose couldn't take any more, she blurts out what was on her mind, "No hurting things?!" I sigh, "Unless it saves people."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Rose talks away as I look to Mama. She stops tapping, "Diesel." I sit up a little more, "Nashville, survivors. Safe haven." I stretch as Rose shouts, "I wonder what it's like!"