*Mae*
The afternoon was fading into the evening by the time Henry and Mae reached Samuel’s house. They both felt tired and exasperated but not from the run. Mae had tried to make sense of all the questions and worries swarming around in her head but had come to no resolution about anything as they walked up the familiar steps.
The door swung open wide before Mae could even knock. Samuel stood there with a wild smirk.
“It’s a good thing you two aren’t in charge of leading any kind of impending attacks; you are terrible at subtlety. I could hear you coming from more than a mile away,” Samuel started with a chuckle.
Under different circumstances, Mae would have been as amused as ever listening to his jokes, but now, she could barely force a smile.
“We need your help and anyone else you think might be willing to join us,” Henry replied, changing the tone quickly. Samuel’s expression turned somber quickly as he stepped aside to let Henry and Mae in.