“Hello? Anyone home? We need your help, please. All we want is clothing. We don’t want your food and we have our own water. Please, can you help us? They’re holding us prisoner at the Hive. My family’s farm is in this county, but they took me prisoner anyway. I’m just trying to get home.” Ian called, wiping again at the sweat.
“Please, please help us.” Megan called. Both waited and still nothing. Ian stepped forward and put Megan behind him. They drew near to the house.
“Hello? Is anyone home? We just need clothing. Please. We won’t hurt you; I just want to go home. I can’t do it in these coveralls.”
Still nothing and he looked at Megan and shrugged.
“I’m going in there first. Stay out here until I’ve cleared the house. If you hear any shooting, head out of here. You know about where my parent’s farm is.” Ian instructed her. He smiled at the fear he saw in her face.
“It’ll be okay Megan. We have to get out of these clothes.” Ian assured her. Turning, he went up to the house and knocked on the door. He listened intently but heard only the birds that flitted around the trees in the yard and the long grass that surrounded the home. There were insects lending their opinions and the low susurrus of the wind, that swept the land. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on the doorknob and turned. It was unlocked and opened easily. He blew out his breath and cautiously opened the door wider.
“Hello? I’m coming in, I’m not going to hurt you. Just looking for some clothes. I’ll give you what I’m wearing in trade.” Ian enticed, stepping into the house. The curtains were drawn over the windows and there was a heavy layer of dust on the floor and the furniture in the living room. It was dim but he could make out a couch, recliner and coffee table. He looked over his shoulder at Megan, who was clasping her hands to her chest, rocking from side to side. He smiled reassuringly and walked farther into the house. He was careful where he placed his foot. He wished he had a flashlight. He moved to one of the windows and opened the curtains. Dim light filled the room.
As far as he could tell, there was no one here, nor had there been in a long while. Perhaps the occupants of the home were now the guests of the Hive, as he and Megan had been? Poor bastards. He moved to the kitchen, and saw dishes in the sink, that had sat there for months, mold growing on the dirty plates. The water stagnant. He moved to the back bedrooms and looked around, opening curtains. He was careful not to disturb too much. They didn’t want to leave evidence that they’d come this way. He was sure that the guards from the Hive would come here, looking for them.
Going back out to the living room, he went to the door. He saw a car toward the back of the house, but there was a tarp partially covering it, and the hood was up. No use there. They’d need to keep their eyes opened for a vehicle. He wasn’t sure one would run after all this time; the gas having gone bad over the winter. But they’d try.
“It’s safe, no one is here. Let’s get some clothes but try not to touch anything. There is a lot of dust here and if we disturb it too much, anyone looking for us will know we’ve been here.” Ian cautioned.
“Good, I want to get these damned coveralls off. Christ, I’m tired of feeling and looking like an inmate.” Megan spat.
The couple went to the back bedrooms and carefully opened the closet. Inside were clothing for both. Ian chose a heavy cotton button up shirt, a light brown color. It was a little big on him, he’d lost a lot of weight at the Hive. He went to one of the dressers and found some jeans. He stood in the middle of the room and bent to unlace his work boots. He kicked them off and shimmied out of his coveralls. His back was to Megan. He could hear her behind him doing the same. They’d not need coats, since the weather was now warmer. But he’d get a blanket from the linen closet if they had one. They’d need something for the nights, which were still chilly.
He turned and grinned at Megan. She was also dressed in jeans, and they were large on her, but she’d found a belt and cinched her waist. The shirts they’d chosen were dull and shades of browns. They wanted to blend in with their surroundings. He bent and put his boots back on.
“What should we do with these coveralls?” Megan asked, tying up her laces.
“Let’s see if we can find a place to hide them. They stick out like a sore thumb.” Ian grinned. He rolled both of the coveralls into tight bundles. Going to the kitchen, he found a brown plastic shopping bag and shoved them into it. He tied the bag up tight. Looking around, he looked at Megan.
“Carefully see if you can find us something to eat, something we don’t need to cook. Double up a couple of brown plastic shopping bags and put the food in there. If there is bottled water, grab a couple bottles. The water we have will last, but I’d like more, just in case. Just be mindful of not leaving any indications in the dust. I’m going to hide these clothes and get us a blanket. We’ll need to get out of here quick.” He said and turned and left the kitchen. He walked back down the hall and looked into the bathroom. Going to the sink, he opened the cabinet below. He saw a
