“Which one should we take?” Megan panted, bent at the waist.
“We have the time to check them all out. Let’s see if there is a flashlight of some kind, that would really help us.” Ian smiled at her. They walked up to the first house. The light was now illuminating the yard, but the interior of the house was dark.
“Let’s go slow, I don’t want to trip and fall on something and get hurt.” He advised. They moved into the house cautiously, Ian listening intently. He was sure no one was here, but he didn’t know if animals took up residence. They move toward the kitchen, and weak light was coming through the window at the sink. It wasn’t much, but it helped. Going over to some drawers, that had been pulled open, he moved the junk around. He smiled and pulled up a small LED flashlight. Holding his breath, he clicked it on. Bright light made him wince.
“I don’t think there will be any food, but let’s take a quick look around. Then go to the next house.”
“Maybe if we also see a good place to hide, and sleep.” Megan yawned, causing him to yawn as well, his jaw cracking with the effort of it. Careful not to disturb a lot, they looked in the cupboards and pantry. No food was found, but they did find one bottle of water between the refrigerator and counter. They looked around the rest of the house quickly, the whole thing had been torn apart. The TVs had been toppled over and smashed. Ian wondered why people did that? Destroy whatever came into their path. Assholes, he supposed.
He and Megan moved to the next house. It was the same, destruction and no food. They did find a bicycle in the carport, but the tires were flat. There was a tire pump and they’d give it a try later. Moving to the third house, they were more cautious. There had been no damage to the exterior.
“Do you think someone still lives there?” Megan asked, looking around.
“No, there’s debris up against the front door. No one’s opened that door for months. Be careful though, just in case. Let’s also look for a weapon, it might come in handy.”
They entered the house and Ian moved the light over the space quickly. It was as he thought, there was a thick layer of dust all over everything. Moving to the kitchen, they checked the pantry. There was a dented can of peaches, two tuna cans, and there were Raman noodles on the floor, a mouse having chewed through the wrapper. He grabbed the peaches and tuna, putting them in the bag. He didn’t find any water. They moved through the house and to the back bedrooms.
“Look through the nightstands for a weapon and I’ll look in the closet and dresser.” Ian said.
“I found another flashlight.” Megan grinned, clicking it on. Ian moved quickly through the drawers but found nothing.
“I found a gun and a box of shells.” Megan said excitedly, holding up a snub nose, .38 special.
“Awesome.” Ian grinned.
“Do you just want to crash here?” Megan asked, looking around.
“Hell yeah, but we can’t. If I were looking for us, I’d look here first.” He smiled crookedly.
“Guess you’re right.” She said, her shoulders slumping.
“Let’s go back to the first house. The bed on that was up pretty high. We could sleep under it, and I don’t think anyone would see us. Also, there’s a bathroom next to the bed. We can open the window and punch out the screen. That way, we have an exit, if we need it.” Ian suggested.
“Good idea. We don’t have to sleep on the carpet, do we?” She asked, making a face, causing him to laugh.
“No, we can find some clean sheets and make a bed under the bed. But, I’m so tired, I don’t think I would care.”
They went back to the first house, by now, the sun was glowing brightly, casting the landscape in soft colors. They quickly ran in, and Ian stood in the doorway, looking around.
“Are you going to shut the door?” Megan asked.
“No, we’ll leave it as we found it. Let’s go get some sleep.” He said tiredly.
Ӝ
It was an overcast day, and Tilly was glad. She was now planting corn; she had a stick and a sack of seeds slung over her shoulder. As she walked, she poked the stick into the raised mound and then dropped a kernel of corn into the hole. She walked on a step then repeated. Behind her was a six-year-old, covering the holes. Her mind was wandering, and she thought about the night before. She’d come back to her cell and there were three guards. They’d turned and looked at her.
“What?” She’d asked them.
“Where are your roommates?” A tall, beefy man asked.
“I don’t know. That’s why I told the lady earlier, I hadn’t seen them, and I was worried.”
“So, you don’t know where they are?” The man asked again.
“No, I don’t. I’m worried. I didn’t see them at dinner. Can you find them?” She had asked, worry on her face. She just hoped that she was a great actress.
“When did you see them last?” The man asked.
“This morning. Can’t you go find them? They could be in danger.” She said, clasping her hands to her chest. Her eyes had begun to tear up, not from acting, but from fear. She was concerned for her friends and their safety. She was also grieving their absence.
“We’ll see what we can do. I’m authorized to have this man chip you.” The beefy man said and stepped aside. Another man opened a case that held a kind of gun. That frightened her and she’d backed away.
“What is that?” She asked, fear real
