Finding Home - A Post Apocalyptic Novel (The Ravaged Land Series Book 2) by Kellee L. Greene Page B

library job I worked quickly to get as much done as I could. The faster I worked the quicker time seemed to pass. After I finished putting the books on the shelf, instead of asking Steve if there was anything else that I could help with, I left to meet Dean. I was a solid forty-five minutes early, but I didn’t care. It was better to be early than to miss him completely.
    I couldn’t stop smiling when I saw him finally coming down the hallway carrying two paper sacks. His gorgeous smile matched mine in size. The excitement I felt was too much, and I had to look at my feet to compose myself. When he was next to me I was able to look at him again. He handed me one of the paper bags and grabbed my hand, leading me around the hallways quickly. It was surprising how well he knew his way around. Before I knew, we were outside.
    The fresh air felt amazing, but what felt even better was when I saw the looks on Owen and Sienna’s faces. Surely Dean had told them he was bringing me, but I supposed it didn’t matter how much he had prepared them. I knew I’d be seeing them and I wasn’t prepared for the emotions that surged through my veins either. I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh or cry or scream… or grab them and run.
    Dean and I walked over to where they were waiting. I looked at them each for a long moment. “Hi,” I said, finally able to make my mouth form an actual word.
    I could tell Sienna was trying hard to hold her tears back, but she failed. One escaped and trickled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away.
    “This is Mel,” Dean said still holding my hand. “That’s Owen,” he said pointing with the hand that held the bag, “and that’s my sister Sienna.”
    “Nice to meet you,” I said and sat down on the picnic bench across from Sienna. Behind the picnic table was a shed and I couldn’t help but examine it for a hidden camera or microphone. It seemed awkward how close the picnic table was to the shed. If HOME had cameras out here, they would just say they were there for our protection. They probably had an excuse for everything.
    I opened my bag and took out a toaster pastry and smiled. “You wouldn’t believe how many of these things I ate on the outside,” I said with a small grin. I hoped it was OK to talk about the world before arriving at HOME. There hadn’t been anything in the binder or during orientation that said we couldn’t talk about our old lives, so I assumed it was OK. But anything I mentioned from the outside I’d be sure to keep them out of it. For our own safety. They probably had a million questions about what it had been like on my own. How I was still alive. But that would all have to wait.
    Sienna laughed, “I did too!”
    There was a bottle of water inside the bag and underneath it was a folded up piece of paper. I discreetly removed it and tucked it into my pocket. Whatever was written on that piece of paper would be more important than anything they would discuss out in the open. It was an awful feeling both wanting to stay by them forever but also wanting to get away to read the note.
    It was strange how so little had been said. I didn’t know what to say, or more accurately what I could safely say. And since they hadn’t said much or asked me any questions I had to assume they were worried. By the looks on their faces, when our eyes locked, I knew they were happy to see me. And I hoped they could tell how utterly happy I was to see them.
    After we finished, Owen and Dean had to get back to their jobs and Sienna said her goodbye. We all knew that this time together was all it could be for now.
    “Again tomorrow?” she asked.
    “Love to,” I said smiling, wishing I could hug them all.
    Owen had said the least of all, not much more than a hello the whole time. He looked around anxiously as if he was worried something would go wrong. I could tell he wasn’t any happier about being stuck in HOME than I was, and it only confirmed my suspicions about this place. It