"He's my cousin." She didn't know what else to say about that. Tony hadn't appreciated the lie and she didn't think any lie could explain Jed away. "He's not right in the head so I keep him locked up most of the time. He wouldn't have really hurt you. He just like scaring people." Now that last part was a blatant lie but she had no choice. She thought she recognized this girl from the prison and didn't need her to go running back there screaming about a lunatic with a chainsaw.
"You were on our property. That's why he came after you. He keeps the zombies away and he's a little weary of strangers." The lies just kept coming more easily than the first one. Heather hated having to do it, because she was sure this girl was nice and everything. She had no choice. She had to protect Jed. It was her inheritance. He was her only blood and they had to protect one another. Even if he wasn't quite right.
"Are you alright?" She checked Rogue over for any cuts but there wasn't anything that she could see. She reached out to help the girl up and was surprised when Rogue shrugged away from her. Heather withdrew her hand. She was used to being rejected physically. Her cousin was so moody she never knew when he would welcome any tenderness or not. Some people were just that way she guessed.
"As long as you're okay maybe we can not mention this to anyone else? We're just trying to survive out here." She pointed to her own ragged appearance. Life had been significantly better in Everett than it had been in some of the other places Heather had stopped at along the way. It was still a tough world where zombies roamed freely.