Rich stepped back in the far side of the cart. Pulling a mask out of his bag handing one to me and one to Juno.

  The piece was carved from different colors and types of wood, mine only had two, but the way it was formed must have been impossible to glue. There was a seam down the middle. The sheen was smoothed and thin but had a very strong smell of fresh cut grass, smoke? Pine? even with it being sealed. It seemed to be carved by hand with holds and grips on the inside making only a single strap needed to balance it. The pattern was two swirls around the eyes almost as if they formed a very tired appearance, eyebags and slanted eyebrows hooking around the eyes only then falling flat down nose to the chin. I began playing with the straps and running my fingers over the edges. As Rich began to speak again.

  “The trading town, it works with all the groups in the area. We don't want to cause trouble, but more importantly we don't want to stand out, if they take us for Morrowmen. were more likely to get through this fast.” That name sounds familiar…

  Juno doesn't seem happy. Gripping the mask so hard his knuckles turned white. Rich talks a bit slower only to me this time.

  “There moving travelers it's not uncommon for them to request large amounts of medical supplies, it's just easier.” Rich is only talking to me, which is making things more complicated.

  “Why are we hiding in the first place? Don't they know us?” I ask desperately hoping for a piece of comfort in all this.

  “They do know us, it's just that we aren't their best customers. They have a habit of putting us on wait lists… they don't consider us as valuable as the Morrowmen.” This feels wrong, very wrong.

  “What makes them so valuable?”

  The train screeches to a halt as Juno and Rich jump off. I don't think they could have gotten off faster.

  “The Morrowmen work guarding them. Two groups came together making the Morrowen as powerful as they are, the medics were going to see were called the Drayfolk, before they began working for them.” Juno looked at Rich or through him for just a second before lowering his head and placing the mask on.

  Juno’s mask was the most simple no bending shapes, just two draped triangles. Giving off the idea of ornate fabric short near the temples only to flow down to the other side and end under the eyes, making almost the shape of a mask over his nose and mouth. Two other triangles for his eyes and a diamond formed on the forehead due to the two cuts.

  It's not uncommon around here to see people in masks, but those are medical. This feels extreme.

  Not long after I began to relax again we arrived in a very old town. It was an odd view, people chatting and living, many sitting in the shade behind the stalls turning to see the new faces. The air still chilled seems to be still here.

  The people are calm yet as if the world beyond this point means nothing to them. The stress and strain we've been living is nothing to them, they know nothing of the blood being spilled in the woods just miles from here.

  Just shopping and living as if it's the most normal thing. The buildings are built in two distinct lines making an endless row of shops, softly lined in draped fabrics and canopies, its loud many people making their way around. More than I ever would have guessed the smell of fresh bread and honey fills the air, dried meats and crops can be seen stored about, between the stalls other homes can be seen spotting the walls interlaced and less elegantly organised. This was built to be a bustling inner city, the beginning of the next generation's expansion east. It backs into dense woods, blackberry and shrubs coating all of the pathways that once led people astray. There's no way to get through. Rich pulled forward leading the way with confidence that isn't uncommon for him, but he moves at a quicker pace than usual. Clearly nervous.

  The mask he was wearing

  a dark stripe from the chin to forehead forming a nose bowing into the middle as if it was being squeezed. Two lighter colors stand beside it then follow the same line but flow up over the eyes ending above the ears. The mask was flat and smooth like the others.

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  We follow him through the market only to duck down one of the alleys to a patio tucked away from all the noise and chaos just a street down, not hidden but clearly not as valued as the others, older and run down. Well-cared-for all the same, just older. The wind whips what's left of the snow up onto the deck and the stairs, Rich stepped up knocking on the door. Juno and I stood back a ways waiting for… something.

  “Hello?” a smaller woman around May's age opens the door, she's soft, her voice and her features, she couldn't be calmer.

  “Laura, we need help.” She paused for a moment studying him before turning to us, her eyes resting on me longer than the others as if she's trying to see through the mask. She opens the door and allows us inside, the homey exterior doesn't give a hint of what's being held within the walls, the smell of disinfectant is strong in the main room.

  What was once a beautiful living room has been turned into a waiting room, the mantel and fireplace that once warmed the home has been closed off for more practical methods. I doubt she'd ever let ash or smoke into the home's heart again. Beds line the next room and the stairs trail into a hall painted a nauseating white the one any nurse would know well.

  “Rich, it's alright the others are gone, you don't need the mask.”

  “I’m not willing to take chances, and we aren't staying long, we need medical supplies, gauze, painkillers, sterile threads… antibiotics, all of it.”

  “It's not May is it? Ella?”

  “Laura.” She looked at him for a long moment, but was smart enough not to ask.

  “The Morrowmen or anyone fighting for their cause get emergency kits, it's the best I can do without getting permission… But truthfully we can't really spare anything right now, they're planning to head out with as many people behind them as possible. I've even heard rumors of them cutting out rats or anyone in the organization that isn't willing to...”

  “I know.”

  “Rich, for what it's worth… I…” she looks back at me and Juno.

  “I know you don’t agree it's alright, I'll tell May that things haven't changed too much over here.” she smiles, handing over a plastic shelled briefcase.

  “I’d appreciate it, I hope you and Will are doing well over there. I worry about all of you being so far away. Please come to visit when things calm down a bit. It would be nice to have May working with us again, we could use the help.”

  “We’ll see.” With that he hands the case to Juno and quickly ushers us back out the door before anything more could be said.

  We began making our way back down toward the train. It will be a bit of time before they can turn it around, and make their way back to this stop.

  We have time, maybe for a bit of normalcy in life again?

  “Bug.” I turn back to Rich. He seems to have been reading my mind.

  “I need to go grab a few things, you two need to stay out of sight. Oh and take off the masks, There are enough people around now that you won't stand out.”

  “Where are you going?” Juno probes, he already doesn't want to be here. Rich being so cagey is clearly putting him on edge.

  “Just stay here for a minute, you're out of the wind and the weather's clearing up anyways. Here.” He hands Juno the shotgun and gives me a nod before taking out his smokes as he wanders away.

  Juno slumps down, fluffing up his hood and pulling the jacket under him.

  I sat down beside him opening my back pack pulling out some sunflower seeds and jerky happily chewing on my new treats. I wonder if there's an old gas station or someone who makes pre-packaged snacks around here.

  Juno pulls the gun closer to his chest gently tucking the base into his coat.

  I peek out from around the corner looking out into the shops, and smelling the air, looking for some entertainment while I eat.

  There's a man tucked behind the next row, he's older and he's walking with a medical case like the one Laura gave us. And with the same wooden masks, these must be the Morrowmen.

  “We’ve got it, now what?.” Another man just a bit younger trails behind him. I slowly began to make my way to my feet to try and get a better look. The older one with a gruff expression and tan jacket began talking again.

  “We've already wandered too far, let's find the others.” He had his hair up, it's long, He looked like every other 50-year-old, scruffy, beard, etc.

  The younger one just stopped and watched the stalls for a moment. He had a similar jacket on and some kind of design similar to a medical mask, covering his nose and mouth with a darker tint of wood. But I didn't get a good enough look at the other before having to duck down out of sight. The older one started walking clearly not interested in babysitting for long. I wanted to follow. But my feet wouldn't let me. They got just a few steps ahead.

  Before Juno finally decided to see what I found so interesting. He seemed more shocked than I was grabbing my hand and began pulling me back down.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “They didn't see me, I just wanted to know what was going on…

  You heard them talking about ‘planning to head out with as many people as possible.’” I glanced over my shoulder seeing them head down another alleyway.

  “I HEARD them talking about cutting out rats or anyone in the organization that isn't willing to give their life for the “greater good.” That's us! We're the rats dipshit." I grabbed the med kit from where Juno had set it down, and slipped on the mask.

  “Bug there is absolutely nothing you can do to get me to follow them.” By the time he noticed I was gone I was already following them, he had the choice to follow me or warn Rich.

  He made the dumb decision.