Austin stepped outside his cabin with his backpack slung over his shoulder. The sun was shining down, warming the breeze. It would get colder soon. But Austin had a feeling that everything would be okay.
“You heading out soon?” He turned to see Darsha walking over to him.
“Yeah,” he said. He noticed she didn’t have a bag or jacket with her. “You’re not coming?”
Darsha shook her head. “Not yet at least. My parents like the idea of forming a leadership council here. They want to stick around and help organize things. And so do I.”
Austin couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed, but he understood. “That’s cool that you want to help.”
“Well, I was maybe a little inspired by a friend of mine,” she said with a teasing smile.
“You’re always welcome to come find us if things don’t work out here.”
“Of course,” Darsha said. “I’ll come visit anyway. It’ll probably take us a few weeks to get reorganized, but after that I’d like to come see this new place. It’ll be good to know we have a partner in this thing.”
Austin nodded. It had been a little over a week since the Visitors had attacked, and so far they hadn’t heard anything else. Forrester had eventually admitted that he’d been exaggerating what had been going on beyond their shelter. But everyone was still on edge, waiting for something to happen next.
His mom stepped outside. She looked healthier than he’d seen her in days. She grinned at Darsha, then turned to Austin. “Ready?”
Darsha walked with them to the front gate, where about a dozen others were waiting. People had taken a few hours to pack their belongings, and they’d been allowed to take some food and water with them for the trip.
Michael came to stand next to him, his own backpack on his back. His parents talked with Austin’s mom.
Darsha gave Austin a hug. When she turned to Michael, he laughed. “I’m kind of surprised you actually want a hug from me,” he joked.
She rolled her eyes teasingly and pulled him into a hug. “You were only kind of a jerk.”
“We’ll see you around?” Michael asked her.
“Not even the Visitors can keep me away.”
Austin was surprised to see Forrester walking over to the group. He braced himself for some kind of last-minute protest to keep them here. But Forrester actually looked sheepish when he reached them. “Best of luck to you all,” he said quietly. “You’re always welcome back.”
“Thank you, Mr. Forrester,” Austin said. “Good luck here.”
Then he turned to Michael, pulling out the scrap of paper containing the directions to the other shelter. He was nervous, but it was good to move on. He was ready to see what would happen next.