Seeker

No Place Like Home

"You okay?" Chris asked, leaning over my shoulder.

I smiled and nodded, putting my book down. "Yeah."

He vaulted over the couch to sit next to me. "I dunno, you've been so quiet since..."

"I'm always quiet."

"Yeah, but... it was a lot."

I nodded again. "We made it, though."

He nodded, watching Evelyn limp down the steps with mom. She'd gotten a broken leg and like me, a few bruises and scratches and a nasty case of frostbite. It was a miracle we hadn't lost any fingers or toes. She plopped down in the living room and opened her new sketchbook. I'd offered to repair her old one, but she said no.

"How you feeling, Lyn?" I asked.

"Better." She mumbled.

"Hey, Claire." Chris huffed, waving.

"Hey, honey."

Chris and I both stiffened in surprise.

"Who were you talking to?"

We slumped.

"No one, Mom." I sighed. "Thinking out loud."

She walked out for a moment, and Lyn looked up.

"Hi, Chris."

She wasn't looking directly at him, but she was smiling for the first time since the Game.

"I figured out a way to introduce myself to her." He explains, walking over and picking up one of her pencils and writing something in her sketchbook. "Hope you don't mind."

"That's brilliant." I moved off the couch for a better look. 

Evelyn hugged me. "Is he okay?" She asked, tapping the book.

"Yeah, Lynnie, Chris is more than okay." I smiled. It was good to have my sister back. "Talk to him all you want."

"Believe me." He says as he writes. "I need it."

—————

I figured out how to keep June out of the school park, with a little help from Chris. A few weeks later it was accessible again, though they were going to set up a better security system later—all I told them was that we were attacked. The only lie was the part where I said we hid in the freezer...

So I went back.

I ducked under the slide, flicking out a blade on my pocket knife.

"You're back awfully soon."

I paused.

"Didn't think I'd find you here, Lawrence."

"It's still June. Speaking of, she wants to know what you're doing."

I started etching. "It's a keep out sign." I told him. "A strong one."

"Oh. She won't like that."

"She's not supposed to like it." Almost done, but I stopped and turned to him, jumping about a mile.

He looked like... a kid.

My reaction earned me a small smile. "Thanks. Big improvement?"

"Yeah... I mean—"

"Say no more, while it's still a compliment."

"I..." I shook my head hard. "You won't be allowed in, either."

He was quiet for a moment.

"It's for the best." He looks past me. "Hurry! She might intervene."

I put the last line in, and felt the cold breeze that had been blowing around the place stop. Lawrence was gone, and June as well. Evelyn could stop worrying about her next year at school, and everyone else who went with her. The place was safe.

...until they decided to make another park.

I stopped short.

...

...not my problem.