Chapter 23

Family:

Dust sighed and looked over at where Josie was sitting on a pile of pallets. She was staring moodily out at the empty road. Ever since her dad and brother arrived, she’d hardly said two words to anyone. 

“I was wrong,” Beau muttered, holding the end of a thick water hose that they had found. They had cut a section of it and were siphoning diesel fuel out of a barrel they had discovered near the remains of a dilapidated old bus shed. “If we’d of had her help, we probably could have killed those damn creatures.”

Dust looked down at the other end of the hose where it disappeared into the gas tank of the small school bus. With a little work, the bus had started. The tires weren’t in the best shape, but at least they weren’t rotted. He figured being up against the building helped protect it from the worst of the weather. 

“Probably,” he finally said when Beau had grown silent again. “It might help if you were to tell her that.”

Beau grunted. “She won’t believe me,” he replied, spitting on the ground. 

Dust looked at the ravaged face of the old man. “She might,” he said. “Or she might not. Either way, you should tell her.”

He saw Beau glance over at Josie again. A reluctant smile curved his lips when Beau muttered a soft curse and straightened. Beau might have been the boss back in the silo, but here, he was just like the rest of them – vulnerable to what the world threw at him. 

“Guess it can’t hurt none,” Beau said with a sigh. “If she catches me on fire, just let me burn. I’ll be the first to admit I was never the best father or husband and probably deserve it.”

“Yeah, you’re right. You weren’t the best dad,” Dust agreed.

Beau shot Dust a nasty look out of his good eye. “I did what I thought was right,” he snapped.

“Killing people because they are different is never right. That’s the only reason I tried to stop the She Devil from killing you,” Dust murmured, glancing back at Josie. “Josie’s heart is in the right place.”

“If you say so,” Beau muttered, casting another glance at where Josie was sitting.

Beau spit again before he released the hose and reached for the rag in his back pocket. Dust could see the look of uncertainty on Beau’s face before it hardened into the familiar mask he normally wore. He shook his head and watched Beau walk warily toward Josie.

*.*.*

Josie raised her face to the chilly breeze. She wished it could freeze her heart so that she couldn’t feel the pain radiating through her. Of course, if it did, she’d just melt it. Bending, she picked up a rock and rolled it between her fingers. 

The sound of footsteps drew her attention back toward the gym. A dark scowl crossed her face when she saw her dad walking toward her. He slowed and stared back at her with a wary expression, his gaze flickering from her face to her hand. 

Josie glanced down and grimaced when she saw that the rock in her hand glowed a bright red. Drawing in a deep breath, she focused on the flames until they went out. Her lips pinched in distrust when he kept walking toward her.

“I wouldn’t, old man,” she warned. 

Beau’s lips pursed together in irritation. “I want to talk to you,” he replied in a sharp tone.

“Well, I seem to remember being very specific about what I would do to you and Randolph if either one of you came near me,” she retorted angrily.

“I’m going to say what I’ve got to say and you are going to listen,” Beau snapped in a stubborn tone. 

Josie rose from the pallets and clenched her fists by her side. She could feel the power surging in waves inside her. As far as she was concerned, there was no need for any type of discussion. 

She and her dad had never gotten along. Nothing had changed. She didn’t care if he came looking for her. He’d only did it to save his and Randolph’s sorry butts, not because of any feelings of love or concern. 

The world was a bigger and badder place than her dad thought he was and he didn’t like it. Well, too… damn… bad! It wasn't her monkey. It wasn’t her circus! She belonged to a different freak show now – a freak show where she was one of the normal ones. It was also one where she could pick who her family was going to be. 

“Stay away from me,” Josie muttered and turned to walk away.

“Damn it, girl, I just wanted to tell you I was wrong,” Beau growled and ran a stained hand down over the good side of his face before he released a deep, loud breath. “I was wrong.”

Josie stood stiffly, looking at him in disgust. “Do you think saying you were wrong is going to make everything better? Do you think I’m supposed to forget that you treated me like some deranged animal?” She asked in disbelief, turning to face him. 

Beau’s face hardened. “As far as I knew you could have gone crazy and killed everyone! I did what I thought needed to be done. At least, I didn’t kill you,” he added at the end, his voice fading as he looked away from her.

Josie stared at her dad with growing disbelief. Even now, he was making excuses for what he had done to her and to the others like her that were ‘different’. She stared at the ravaged side of his face. Bitterness fought with pity. 

“You have always been a judgmental son-of-a-bitch,” she whispered with a shake of her head. “I guess mom was the lucky one out of all of us, after all.”

Beau turned back to glare at her. “She’s dead,” he replied with a frown.

“I know,” Josie answered in a quiet voice before she turned and walked away.

*.*.*

Several hours later, Dust was finishing up on the bus when Josie came around the end. She had her hands in the front pocket of her jeans and her head down. Dust wiped his grimy hands on the towel hanging from the mirror.

“You okay?” He asked, walking toward her. Josie lifted her chin and shrugged. Her gaze didn’t quite meet his and her lips twisted with a bitter smile. He came to a stop in front of her and waited. “Hey,” he murmured, reaching up to touch her chin. 

Josie’s eyes filled with tears. She tried to hide them, but failed when one slipped down her cheek. Dust wasn’t sure what to do. This was a side of Josie he had never seen before. Reaching out, he pulled her into his arms and just held her.

“I hate my family,” Josie whispered in a broken voice.

“Yeah, I would too if they were mine,” Dust replied.

A choked giggle escaped Josie and she shook her head. “You always say the weirdest things,” she muttered, resting her cheek against his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his waist.

“It’s a natural talent,” Dust retorted teasingly. “Wait for my next show.”

Josie leaned back and stared up at Dust with a serious expression. Dust looked down and gave her a crooked smile. He really didn’t know what to say. 

His eyes widened in surprise when Josie suddenly leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. He started to pull back, but Josie’s arms were around his waist and prevented him. His hands slid to her hips. He was about to gently push her away when the sound of a throat clearing startled them both apart.

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Dust turned his head to see Sammy standing at the corner of the gym. She was staring at him with an uneasy expression. Her gaze moved back and forth between him and Josie several times before she pressed her lips together. 

“I thought she was telling you that dinner is ready,” Sammy replied in a voice edged with anger. “Neither one of you normally passes up a meal, so I was worried that something had happened. Obviously, I was wrong.”

“Sammy,” Josie started to say. 

“I’ll talk to her,” Dust interjected in a quiet voice.

Josie looked at Dust and flushed. “I shouldn’t have….” Her voice died when Dust shook his head.

“Don’t feel bad, Josie,” Dust muttered, moving from one foot to the other. “It didn’t mean anything. You just needed someone and I was here.”

Josie nodded. “Yeah, good ole Dust to the rescue again,” she muttered, turning on her heel. “Dinner is ready, by the way.”

Dust watched Josie walk by Sammy and murmur something softly under her breath. Only when Josie disappeared around the corner did he walk toward Sammy. She was still scowling at him. A slight grin curved the corner of his lips. She would never admit it, but he could tell she was jealous. 

“It doesn’t feel good does it?” He asked curiously.

Sammy glared at him and folded her arms across her chest. “What doesn’t feel good?” She demanded in a tight voice.

“Feeling jealous,” he said, coming to a stop in front of her. “I didn’t like it, either.”

A frown crease Sammy’s brow and the scowl turned to a look of confusion. Dust lifted his hand and ran it along her cheek. She stared warily back at him when he slid his hand down her throat and wrapped it around the back of her neck.

“When did you feel it?” She asked in a slightly husky voice.

Dust took a step closer. “When Randolph was eyeing you,” he admitted. 

“Randolph?!” Sammy scoffed. “He’s a slime bag.”

Dust’s lips twitched in amusement. “Yeah, he is, but I was still jealous.”

“I wouldn’t let him kiss me,” Sammy whispered, staring into his eyes. 

“I’m glad,” Dust murmured, pulling Sammy a touch closer. “She’s just hurting. She isn’t really interested in me.”

“I know,” Sammy forced out in a barely audible voice. “And yes, she is. Interested… in you, that is.”

“Dust! Sammy! Dinner is… Oh,” Todd stopped in his tracks and looked back and forth between them with a wide-eyed expression. “Are you kissing again?”

Sammy pulled back and shook her head. “No, we aren’t kissing again,” she said in a husky voice. 

Todd looked at his sister with a doubtful expression. “Are you sure? It sure looked like it,” he muttered.

Sammy turned on her heel and reached for her little brother’s hand. “I’m sure. Besides, Dust smells like a diesel engine at the moment. Who wants to kiss a motor?” She asked in a teasing tone.

“Is that why you have a black mark on your neck?” Todd asked innocently.

Dust bit back the laugh when Sammy released a soft curse and glanced over her shoulder to glare at him. With a shake of her head, she muttered something about needing to go clean up before they ate. Todd giggled and looked back at Dust with a huge, knowing grin. 

“She likes you,” Todd whispered to Dust as Sammy stomped back into the gym.

“Yeah, well, I like her, too,” Dust admitted with a crooked grin. “Tell everyone I’ll be there in a minute. I need to get cleaned up first.”

“I will. Miss Martha made a big pot of chicken flavored rice and vegetables from the stuff we brought. I didn’t even know we had any of it. It smells a lot like what mom used to make,” Todd said excitedly before the gleam in his eyes faded a little. “I miss my mom and dad.”

“I miss mine, too, Todd,” Dust murmured, laying his hand on Todd’s thin shoulder. 

*.*.*

Two hours later, Dust sat next to Sammy on one of the mats in the locker room. The others were sitting around it as well. In the center, a fire burned inside the rock circle. It was just enough to keep the chill out of the room.

Raymond had surprised everyone by pulling out a harmonica. He was playing several old tunes, some of which Dust didn’t know. Todd was lying with his head on Josie’s lap, his eyes growing heavier as the night wore on. What surprised Dust the most was that Denise was sitting close to Randolph. Martha was sitting beside Raymond while Beau was doing a perimeter check. 

“That was nice, Raymond,” Martha replied when the melody faded. “I never knew you played so well. I heard you at some of the different functions, but it never dawned on me that you were so good.”

Raymond chuckled and gently cleaned the instrument before he wrapped it in the handkerchief and placed it back into his shirt pocket. It was obvious that he cared about the tiny reminder of when the days were normal. For a moment, Dust wished he had some small reminder of his own to carry around with him. 

“Being the president of the bank left me little time for my playing. Still, I do enjoy it. I learned how to play when I was about Todd’s age,” Raymond reminisced. “I begged my father to buy me one. He gave me my first harmonica on my eighth birthday and I’ve been playing ever since.”

“I wish I had learned how to play an instrument,” Sammy said with a grin. “I tried out for the band, but I wasn’t very good.”

“I play the piano,” Denise whispered, glancing nervously around. “Not that I could carry that around with me.”

“I played the drums for two years,” Dust admitted. “I quit when I broke my arm.”

Martha chuckled. “I can imagine it would be a little difficult to play one-handed,” she replied with a sigh. “I sang in the church choir.”

“So did my mom,” Josie replied in a soft voice. 

“She had a beautiful voice, didn’t she, Josie,” Randolph said, glancing at his sister. “So do you.”

Josie glanced up in surprise at her brother and scowled. “How would you know?” She asked in a clipped tone. 

The smile on Randolph’s lips faded and a sad look came into them. Dust could tell the other man felt uneasy about conversing with Josie. He watched in surprise when Denise reached over and threaded her fingers through Randolph’s in encouragement. 

“You used to sing when you hung out the laundry,” Randolph finally said. 

“Oh,” Josie muttered, falling silent.

“I remember…,” Randolph’s voice faded and his eyes glazed over as if he was seeing something that wasn’t there. “She’s coming. I can see her. She isn’t far.”

“Who?” Raymond asked in surprise.

Randolph blinked several times before he shook his head and looked around at everyone. “The She Devil. She’ll be here soon,” he choked out.

“We have to get ready,” Dust said, rising to his feet. “Raymond, get Beau. Sammy, you have to hide.”