They get to the back door and quickly enter the house. Once inside Sweetie faces Rosaline.
“What’s goin' on nena?” she asks, her voice low and filled with concern.
“There’s a diseased behind the barn. There’s probably more. Mikey gathered everyone upstairs, join them. I’ll take care of this.”
Rosaline turns from her and grips the door knob, but before she can turn it Sweetie grabs her arm.
“Hey.”
She tenderly tugs on Rosaline, pulling them closer together. With longing resting in her gaze, her lips part again, but she hesitates for a moment, then pulls Rosaline in, hugging her firmly.
“Be careful nena.” she whispers into Rosaline’s ear.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
They separate, Sweetie places her hands on Rosaline’s face.
“Don’t let anything happen to you.”
Rosaline’s face flushes, her eyes stinging red, she nods.
“Go.”
Their connection holds for another moment, then Sweetie hurries to the stairs. Her foot hits the first step and she stops. She peers around the wall, only to find a closed back door. Anxious and afraid, her mind races as she ascends the stairs. She’s confidant Rosaline is capable, and yet she still worries. No matter what she tries to convince herself of, she cares about that woman, differently than she has for any other.
Her pace quickens as she nears the top of the stairs. All of the bedroom doors are closed. She knows her brother isn’t a light sleeper, and not a morning person, it makes sense they would’ve gathered in his room. She knocks on the door, but there is no answer.
She knocks again, a little louder, and still nothing.
“It’s Sweetie! Let me in!” she says, her pitched elevated, but her volume low.
She twists the knob and the door opens without any resistance. She’s surprised to find no one in the room. Outlaw’s bed isn’t made, he left in a hurry. They must be gathered in another room. Hawaii and Zee’s room is the largest, they must be in there.
She jogs to the other end of the hallway. She knocks again and still isn’t met with a reply. She attempts to turn the handle, but it’s locked.
“It’s Sweetie! Let me in!” she says, a bit of exasperation in her voice.
Only a moment passes before the door flies open, and she’s greeted by Hawaii, Zee, Rad, and Outlaw in defensive positions, all holding knives.
“¡Coño!” she exclaims.
Startled by the sight of them her hand covers her chest. Outlaw grabs his sister’s arm and pulls her inside the room.
“What the hell is goin’ on?!” he asks.
Her head weaves back and forth as her hand runs through her hair.
“I don’t know. Rosaline said there’s an infected on the farm. She’s gonna kill it.”
“We know that much.” Hawaii responds.
“She just sent you up here? She doesn’t want help?” Zee asks.
“I mean, are you surprised?” Sweetie replies.
Rad steps in front of the others, his large frame towering over Sweetie.
“Just one or are there more?”
“I don’t know. Rosaline said there could be.”
“So, what do we do then?” Zee asks, a palpable haste to her words.
Rad’s attention turns from Sweetie to the others.
“If she wanted help she would’ve asked for it.”
“So we just leave her out there? Alone?” Zee replies.
Hawaii’s hands wave in the air.
“I don’t know what we should do. Is she really going to need our help? She’s a better fighter than all of us, maybe even all of us together.”
“I don’t know about that.” Rad says.
A smirk upon the lumbering man's face, he holds his fist out to Outlaw, who taps his knuckles against it, and gives a reassuring nod. Sweetie shakes her head, her eyes rolling hard in the process.
“¡Ay chachos! Calm down.”
Mikey moves from the bed, joining the semi circle they’ve formed.
“Rosaline will keep us safe. She’s good at that.” he says.
The confidence in his words hangs in the air as though it were a declaration of an absolute. Zee’s head shakes, her frustration showing.
“Look, she’s doing this to protect us, we can’t leave her alone. What if there are more?”
“So we risk our own lives?” Rad replies.
“¡Pendejo! She’s risking hers!” Sweetie forcefully interjects.
Rad’s head snaps to Sweetie, his eyes piercing with anger.
“Don’t fuckin' start with me.”
“!Mámame el bicho!”
His brow furrows, his jaw clenches.
“Be glad I don’t know what that means.”
“I’m not afraid of you chacho!”
“Fuck you!”
"!Vete pal carajo!"
"Stop that!"
Hawaii quickly places himself between the two, his hands held up in the air.
"Both of you stop!" he says.
Their glares at each other hold for another long moment as silence overtakes them. Finally, Rad relents and turns away from her. He stomps over to the bed and sits. Sweetie scoffs, breaking her attention away from him.
Mikey moves to Zee and takes her hand. The action catching her off guard, her brow raises as she looks down at him. The little boy's face holds no contempt, only a distant formation of worry, despite his assured demeanor. She forces a smile to him and he returns in kind, then wraps his free arm around her leg.
"Zee's right, we can't leave her out there alone. We asked her to leave, but she's doing this to help us, we have to help her." Hawaii says.
He glances to his companion, gratitude and relief showing on her face.
"Rad, you're strong, I need you with me."
Rad opens his mouth to protest, then sighs after a short moment, and bobs his head.
"The rest of you stay here. There's no need for all of us to be in danger."
Hawaii motions to Rad and he joins him at the door.
"Slow and quiet, we make sure nothing is in the house first."
"I got you."
Hawaii timidly cracks the door open, just enough for each of them to slip out. They wait until they hear it lock again before moving forward. They crouch down and stay low to the ground. Upon reaching the railing that connects to the stairs they pause, listening for any noise or movement in the house.
If anyone, or anything, is inside there's a good
