Chapter 145: The Camp
Step. Step. Sit.
The sound of footsteps echoed softly on the dirt floor before Steve eased himself down with a grunt, settling cross-legged within the circle of firelight. He didn’t say anything at first—just walked up and sat, right there beside Lemon.
Lemon was already there, back straight, surrounded by Jane, Fiona, Sarah, and Tonya. The five of them had entered the open side of the camp just moments ago, the canvas flaps swaying gently in the breeze behind them. Through that gap, the outside world was still visible—a sliver of wilderness, shadows shifting beyond firelight. And beyond that... people.
The realization was strangely comforting.
They weren’t the last ones. They weren’t alone.
The boy’s mind wandered, numbed by exhaustion and the long road behind them. But Lemon’s voice cut through the haze, startling him back to the present.
"You’re safe now," he said, her voice loud enough to carry but warm enough to hold them together. His gaze swept over the group before flicking toward Steve.
He looked up, eyes flicking to her, and then to the others.
Lemon leaned forward. "Are you hungry? We don’t have much," he admitted, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear,
"but we managed to bring down a deer this morning. There’s stew on the fire."
"For the whole camp?" Fiona asked, raising a skeptical brow.
"That’s not going to be enough, is it?"