“That makes sense,” Rey said.
“Then something else…” Finch instructed. “Just find dates and any info you can. This town was not hit with any major disasters. It’s still standing. Let’s see if we can find out why there are no signs of life.”
They left the parking lot and the ship, crossing over the six-lane road to a side street that nestled between another strip mall and a convenience store.
At the end of the block, just before the residential area, was a tiny building that housed two eateries. Like twin restaurants, one on the left the other on the right. The big front windows of both restaurants were broken. Both had an outdoor patio. The railings were overgrown with weeds and not a single outdoor table was out.
As they started to pass, Tucker lifted his hand for Nate to stop.
“Do you see something?” Finch asked.
Tucker walked to his left and to the restaurant and stood there for a second. He reached out and grabbed something, then returned to the buggy.
“What is it?” Finch asked.
“Was a sign,” Tucker replied. “They had it in plastic too, but it’s really faded, probably from the sun. Can’t make it out.” He gave it to Finch.
“A sign on the door. The place was probably closed. I’ll hold on to it.” He opened a case in the back of the buggy, placed it inside, and closed it again.
He then signaled for them to continue.
The road curved around into the residential area. An apartment complex sat on one side of the road and houses on the other. They were quaint houses, all frame, and most were one story. They were all set up the same: a wide driveway and small front laws that had long since grown over.
The street was cracked as roots from the trees made their way through.
“Be careful inside,” Finch instructed. “Watch your step, these houses may not be the sturdiest right now.” He looked at his watch. “Tucker time has us at four p.m. Let’s do a few houses, get what we can, head back to camp and examine our findings.”
There were five houses on that small bend and they would be their starting point.
Rey grabbed the empty gear bag and placed the strap over her shoulder as she, Finch, and Nate walked to the first house. Even staying on the pathway to the house was difficult to get to with all the overgrowth.
Finch walked ahead to the front door and turned the knob. “It’s not locked.” He pushed on it, but it didn’t open. Stepping back, he examined the archway.
“Is something blocking it?” Nate asked.
“No, I think it’s just warped.” He gave it a couple of shoves with his shoulder, and it budged enough for him to put his head inside. “Not blocked. It’s the floor.” He kept at it a few more times, opening it enough for them to slip in. “Watch your step, the hardwood floors are lifted.”
Nate passed inside first, with Rey behind him.
She waited for Finch to enter. The front door brought them straight into the living room. It was a simple layout, the kitchen right off the living room and a small dinette area in the corner.
The floor was lifted in so many spots; at one time it was probably beautiful. The sofa looked as if insects or something had eaten it. More than likely it was just the passing of time causing it to fall apart.
“Finch?” Rey asked. “Why are the windows here not all broken?”
“Probably because they’re better windows. Windows loosen over time and a good wind can take them out. These are sturdier, I would think.”
“Pictures,” Nate said.
Finch and Rey looked at him questioningly.
He walked across the living room to the fireplace and the mantle. “There are pictures here.”
“Okay,” Finch said, not quite understanding where he was going.
“It’s a well-known fact that if someone is leaving home for good, they take personal items over anything else.”
“Unless they left in a rush,” Rey said. “Maybe there was a threat of something happening and they just ran. I didn’t see a car in the driveway.”
“Evacuation would give them enough time to take photographs,” Finch added. “We should check the garage after we leave.”
“It could have been a biological event like what happened with my family,” Nat said. “Maybe something like that happened here.”
“We’ll find out,” replied Finch. “Nate, look around this room. Check the closets. Rey, you have the kitchen and I’ll head to the bedrooms. Call out either of you if you run into any problems.”
“It’s a little house,” Rey said. “I think we’re good.”
Nate stayed in the living room and Rey went to the kitchen. It wasn’t very wide. It was long and a vine-like mold crept up over the walls. There were dishes in the sink with some sort of crust growing over them. Her first instincts were to open the cabinets. There weren’t that many, and it wouldn’t take long. She opened the first one to find a set of dishes and cups, the next was exactly the same. She thought it strange and opened the wide one. A red piece of tape ran vertically down the center. Each side had boxed and canned goods.
Whoever was there left and didn’t take food. To Rey that was strange.
Checking drawers would be just as easy. The first one she opened was next to the dishwasher. It contained serving utensils, the next one aluminum foil.
Nothing else.
She shuffled over to the first row of drawers by the wall and started on them.
Top draw was silverware, under that…silverware.
She tilted her head in confusion, then pulled open every drawer. Out of everything, and more odd than them not having a junk drawer were the two identical silverware drawers.
“Finch?” she called out.
“Yeah,” he answered from the back of the house.
She left the kitchen, turned right immediately and walked down the short hall. He was in the last room to the right, standing at a dresser. “Hey,” she said.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“I saw something strange.”
“Me too.”
“Not only do they not have a
