The boys and I headed out again.

We made it through our backyard without incident. I assumed that the monsters would respawn, like in video games. If that was the case, it didn’t seem to happen very quickly. Or perhaps our backyard was full of enemies, and we just couldn’t see them.

Not a pleasant thought. I took a minute to lob a few rocks into the trees and bushes, but nothing emerged. I hoped that meant there was nothing there.

“Get ready,” I told the boys as I unlatched the gate. Between the goggles, helmet, and face shield, it was hard to see much of their faces. But they both held their guns at the ready, pointed in the right direction. As far as I could tell, they were focused.

I flung open the gate, revealing another leafenrat in our side yard. Two blasts of water streamed past me, and this time, both hit. I stabbed my spear into it repeatedly as it thrashed around, and it eventually puffed into smoke. A helpless target, and I still couldn’t kill it efficiently. I had to get better.

I’d barely finished the first one when a shout made me look up. I was being charged by another. One of the boys hit it before it got to me. It managed to put some superficial cuts into my boot, but its claws didn’t make it through the paper I’d stuffed around my foot and I managed to repeat the process.

There was a hairy moment as we neared the street. One ran out from under a bush when we were practically on top of it, too close to shoot. Micah used his ability, setting the leafy scales that covered one forelimb aflame and filling the air with an unpleasant smell. It didn’t seem to do a huge amount of damage - the leafenrat could still easily put weight on the limb - but it did confuse and distract it long enough for me to finish it off.

After that, the combat became almost routine. It seemed we’d killed the ones hiding nearby, and with the open yards and street, it became nearly impossible for the rats to ambush us. They seemed to follow odd rules. The ones in the open would attack as soon as they saw us even if they had to run from quite far away, but the others, the ones that hid in bushes and trees and under cars, would wait until we were much closer, or until we’d done something to disturb them. I wasn’t sure why, but it made things fairly controllable as long as we advanced slowly and carefully. They were quite fast, but if even a tiny drop from the boys’ squirt guns got into an eye or mouth, they freaked out and became easy pickings. Even fighting multiples was no big deal as long as we could get them with the squirt guns. We killed over twenty in less than an hour.

It was exhausting work, but it was hard to see how things could be more favorable to us. We had to make the most of it before worse enemies arrived.

“What in God’s name do you think you’re doing out there with kids?”

The voice scared the hell out of me. I’d almost forgotten other people existed. That it wasn’t just me and my kids, utterly alone in a world of monsters. I scanned the area, at first seeing no one.

“Over there, Mom!” Gavin pointed at the house across the street from us. No one was outside, but a window on the house across from ours had been opened slightly so the man inside could yell at us. Another adult.

“Let us in, and I’ll explain!”

I’d barely met the man before. I didn’t remember his name. His first comment to us was basically to call me insane.

But he was another adult. Someone I could potentially rely on to help protect the kids. Someone who could help spread the information we’d learned from Pointy, information that might save lives. A potential ally. I was desperate to make the most of this opportunity.

I scraped my mind for everything I remembered about our neighbors, which wasn’t much. It was an older couple. I thought they were probably retired. They’d been there for over a decade, since before we’d moved down to Alabama. That was pretty much all I knew. They had a lawn company do their mowing, and they kept their porch lights off on Halloween. I’d seen their cars come and go from their house, but I very rarely saw them.

The door cracked open and I heard him talk again.

“Get your fool asses off the street.”

We did. I shepherded the boys in and waved back at our house before I entered. Cassie had been watching us the whole time. Every time I glanced over, she was in the exact same position in a chair she’d pulled up to the front window, Pointy clutched on her lap. We’d have to make this fast. I didn’t want her to worry.

As I entered, I got my first good look at my neighbor in a while. What I’d remembered about his age had been accurate - he was likely in his late sixties or early seventies, with graying hair and the start of that dry, loose texture skin can start to have as you age. In spite of that, he seemed in good health, standing straight and unsupported. He was probably a good half-foot taller than me, and I wasn’t a short woman. I moved my spear to my left hand and held my other out for a handshake. “Meghan Moretti. I don’t know if you remember me? We live across the street.”

He frowned, but took my hand. “Robert McKlasky. You’ve got some serious explaining to do.”

I winced. His grip on my hand was overly tight, and he held on a second too long.

“We’ve got a source of information on these events. My daughter took an ability that-”

“You let her take an ability? After what those aliens did to us, you’re gonna let them have power over your kids?”

I thought about explaining that I hadn’t let her do anything, but his aggressive comments were irritating. I knew if I started defending myself to him, I wouldn’t be able to do so calmly. Just ignore it, I told myself. I’d do my best to share the information, and maybe he’d understand. His attitude was getting under my skin, but it was a fairly reasonable reaction, if you didn’t know what I knew.

I continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “My daughter took an ability that gave us access to information about the upcoming month. Everyone - adult and child - will likely be forced into a situation where they have to fight for their lives. We can’t avoid that, so I’m trying to make sure my kids are as prepared as possible. Kills seem to earn us ‘points,’ so I’m hoping that-”

He interrupted, “Points? Like some damn video game? I saw your Pikachu decorations last Halloween and I thought they were childish, but I can’t believe you’re endangering your kids just so you can play. Grow up. Act like an adult. You all look like you got in a car wreck at a bookstore.”

“Those were Ghastlys. Ghastly is not Pikachu,” Gavin interjected, offended.

Both of us ignored him.

“Perhaps you didn’t hear me,” I said, voice tight. “Everyone is going to be forced to fight for their lives soon, like it or not.”

He snorted. “According to what? Some information you got from the same damn alien assholes pulling this crap? Look, honey, you need to take your kids home and keep them safe inside until the military comes. We’re in a better situation than most with the Arsenal south of town. You only need to stay put for another day, maybe two, and then your worries will be over.”

“The Arsenal’s probably a good thirty minutes drive from here, and cars aren’t working anymore. I assume guns aren’t either,” I said, skeptical. “I’m sure the military will try to help anyone they can, but I don’t think it’s wise to count on them anytime soon.”

My words seemed to make him angry. “You don’t have any faith in our military?”

“That’s not what I said. I’m just saying, their stuff got broken too. It’s going to take them some time to figure out how to deal with this, just like the rest of us.”

His eyes narrowed. “Whatever you have to believe to let you play hero, eh?”

What was with this attitude?

My eyes fell on a women’s dress coat hanging from a hook on the side of the wood-paneled entryway.

“Where is your wife?”

“Brenda is fine.” The words practically exploded from his mouth. “She just ran out to a sale. Store’s in the same plaza as a grocery store. She’s got plenty of food and water and she’s a smart woman. She’ll sit tight until the military comes to rescue us.”

Ah.

I wasn’t going to be changing his mind on this today.

“Come on, boys. We’re heading home. Robert, if you need anything, you know where we are. We’ll do our best to help. We have a good stockpile of fresh water.”

“You gonna keep taking those kids out in this mess? I don’t think I can allow-” he cut off as I swung my speartip under his nose.

“You aren’t making choices for us. Goodbye.”

We carefully backed out of his door as he glared.