The Lightkeepers

13

I waved at Ellie when we approached. Her blonde hair flashed as she disappeared into the

beacon room. I stood to the side as I opened the door for Henry. Glancing around once more, I

shut the door quickly behind us and bolted it. Dad stood near the cut-off on the stairway, trying to

help Henry without reattaching the stairs. I ducked between them and clambered up the six-foot

gap, using the center post as a hoisting point. Crawling to the edge, I reached down and grabbed

two of the deer ’ s legs. Dad tied the front legs together and twisted around for the hook we had

hung from a couple landings up and hung the deer from it. I reached down and offered to help

Henry up. He let me, being too exhausted now to drag himself up.

“ You need to wash that shirt, ” I said, frowning at the amount of blood. “ And your hair. ”

“ I don ’ t know, ” Henry said, fingering his shirt, “ It ’ s kinda like tye-dye, dontcha think? Or

what ’ s that stuff girls were really into? Hombre? Sombre? ”

“ Ombre, you dork! ” I laughed, playfully slapping his shoulder.

“ Yeah, that, ” he chuckled, already peeling the drying shirt away from his body.

“ I ’ m glad you found something so quickly. I can ’ t remember it ever being that easy, ” Dad

said as he wiped his brow and I wondered if he was eating enough. Mom joined us with the

necessary tools to finish dressing the deer with Dad, while Henry and I proceeded up the tower. It

was too dangerous to keep the meat here. Zombies were like bloodhounds, but deadlier. The sooner

we ate it and discarded the rest, the better.

I climbed higher, joining Ellie on the catwalk. We paced, passing each other at times,

rotating views, and swapping a few words. I shivered, blowing on my hands to keep them warm

and rubbed them together.

It must be winter already.