Mom got on the phone calling three of her top paying clients, telling them her kids were chained up and they could have a two-for-one special.
She glared at me, "You want to eat so badly, then you both can earn some money."
___
Hensley finally opens her eyes when she smells the food. "That smells good. How old do you think it is?"
"I scraped all the bad stuff off. I tested it and I'm still alive."
She smiles. "Did you just taste it or did you eat anything?" she asks. Hensley always worries if I eat or not. She knew if it was between her or I, it would be her every time.
Raising an,you know better than thateyebrow at her, she tears the sandwich in half and hands it to me. Shaking my head no, she got that stubborn look on her face. The one that says,you will fucking do what I say or the rest of your life is going to fucking suck.Sighing deeply, I take a granola bar out of the bag, twirl it in my fingers in front of her face, then open it and take a big bite.
She nods, takes the sandwich back and digs in. Hensley does not care for granola bars. Mostly that is because they were our main source of food since the event. People looted most of the big chain grocers, but they didn't seem to want the granola bars. So, we took what we could. After a while, we decided, beggars actually could be choosers. I do what I can not to make her eat them unless we have no choice.
I walk into the bathroom to get cups we had found so I can fill them with water. The water doesn't work great. It isn't like a stream; it is more like a drip.
Drip-drip-drip.
Finally, the cups are full. By this time, I can hear the chaos going on outside. Hensley seems to be able to ignore it, still eating her sandwich like it is the best meal she's ever had. That's the thing about Hensley, she's the most appreciative person I've ever known. I have heard my mom call her every name in the book, talk about how worthless Hensley is, but my sister is the most resourceful, loyal, and loving woman I've ever met.
My mom is an ungrateful cunt who thinks you only have kids to support your habit.
Looking out the window, I can see the dust rolling like a tumbleweed down the street. On the windowsill, two cockroaches fight over a crumb of some sort. I wondered if they were out in the weather if they could survive. It seems like nothing could get them. I've heard it said that if there were a nuclear war, the only thing that would be left alive would be cockroaches. Really, unless you step on them, they live forever. It's odd the useless facts that float around in your head.
This sandstorm is going to create a whole new slew of sick people. Which oddly enough, makes them like roaches. You can't seem to kill those fuckers either unless you crunch them.
That doesn't particularly affect us. Our goal is to find our mother and exact the revenge she deserves. She made us who we are. It only makes sense she gets to share in the madness.
CHAPTER6
HENSLEY
Ishoot back the cup of gnarly tasting tap water that Tieran hands me, my eyes fixed on him over the brim.
He watches me with a warm smile on his face, and while I do feel like shit for bringing up the same argument each time he comes home with some smack, I’m starting to feel better.
With a sigh, he looks away, his jaw squaring and I immediately know what’s on his mind again.
Mom.
“I’ve been thinking about her, too,” I admit quietly after I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.
“Sorry, Hens,” he says with a heavy sigh as he drops back down on the edge of the bed. “I hate that I can’t get her off my mind.”
“Me, too,” I say thoughtfully, “but we’ll find her, Tieran. I know we will.”
“And then what?” he asks as he drops his face into his hands. “A family reunion isn’t going to do either of us very good.”
“It will if it ends the way it should,” I reply mischievously as I set the cup down on the floor then go sit next to my brother on the bed.
He shakes his head and chuckles, dropping his hands, then looking into my eyes. “And how’s that?”
“Honor.”
“Honor?” he echoes in confusion.
“Yeah, think about it,” I continue as I tuck my hair behind my ears, then tuck my legs underneath myself. “How many people know who we are? Almost all of them, right? That’s why the only one that’s really nice to us is Ben. I think he’s gone through some shit, too, so he sees us through different eyes than everyone else. Anyway, if we find Mom, we can get our honor back by getting rid of the wasted bitch.”