An old man in a wheelchair glided by to the front of the line. His arms were covered in tattoos and he looked older
than God. Rune was impressed with how things were run in the fort. It almost felt like normal life.
“Maybe I’ll drop by and get my hair properly done. Wind is hell on it after awhile. ” Rune folded his arms over his chest, edging up in line a little.
“You could stay here, you know. Not head back out there. It’s so dangerous. So many people have died. ” Maddie shook her head sadly.
“Like that poor little girl. ”
“Can’t. Once they figure out I can see them, they won’t stop badgering me,” Rune said in a soft voice.
“Oh, right!” Maddie’s eyes widened and she looked around the dining room cautiously. “Are they here now?”
“A few. Over by the bar,” Rune said, trying hard not to look at the bar.
“Has to be a bitch having what you got with this shit going down,” Dale growled. “Damn, man. Glad I ain’t you. ”
“We all got our crosses to bear. ” Rune shrugged.
A tall, homely redhead walked into the dining room and right behind her was a perfectly formed ghost of an old, angry woman. Rune caught himself before he shivered.
“More, huh?” Dale shook his head. “Nobody is getting to rest in peace nowadays. ”
“Whole world is full of the dead. Nobody, living or dead, ain’t getting no peace,” Rune answered.
A boy in his teens entered the dining room, closely followed by a big German Shepherd. Something about the boy made Rune take notice and he felt a strong premonition hit him. “That boy is special. Real special.
People gotta take care of him. ”
“You’re weirding me out again,” Dale grinned. He folded his big arms over his wide chest. “All creepy and mysterious. That’s Rune. ”
“I’m sure he doesn’t have the name Rune for nothing,” Maddie said, laying her delicate hand on Rune’s arm. A huge moonstone glimmered on her finger and Rune covered it gently with his hand. He could feel the energy in it and he smiled.
“My mama nicknamed me that when she found me making my own set when I was three. Got a bunch of rocks from the backyard and was trying to draw on them with a marker. We got old Nordic blood in our veins. ”
Rune looked around the dining room again, feeling the energy of the living filling it and pushing away the presence of the dead. It felt fantastic.
Maddie peered up at him. “Stay until you need to go, Rune. Everyone deserves a little rest. ”
Rune nodded and looked at Dale. “Maybe we can rustle up a bike for you somewhere and get you back to riding. ”
“You have no idea how happy that would make me, dude. ”
A young, black woman and young man with his hair tipped with gold walked by, both clutching trays heaped with steaming food. The young man gave Dale a flirtatious smile and slightly waved with his fingers. Dale waved back.
“That boy is so sweet on you,” Maddie teased.
“Yeah, but I’m sweet on her. ” Dale pointed across the room at a grumpy looking woman.
“That’s the city secretary, Peggy,” Maddie told him.
“She’s hot. ”
Rune shrugged. “She ain’t much to look at but she’s got that vibe. ”
“Oh, yeah. She does. That hellcat vibe. ” Dale grinned even more.
Maddie shook her head and laughed. “Oh, boys. ”