“My name’s Dietrich,” he said as he passed the church and made his way to the far end of the compound. “I wanted to apologize for the trickery.”
“Trickery?” Melissa asked, looking at Nash.
“Ever since I started doing sweeps of the woods with Scott, Dietrich’s been standing down at the creek, pretending to be a slowpoke so he could spy on us.” Nash’s words were cold and full of factual malice as he stared out the tinted window.
“Nash, it wasn’t easy being out there and seeing you everyday, knowing what was going to happen.”
“Then why’d you do it?” asked Melissa. They drove for a moment in silence as Dietrich weaved his way through the compound.
“I think in the short time you’ve been here, you’ve realized how persuasive of a man Fletcher Crawford can be. I honestly expected that all of your group would join with us, but I was wrong. Coming forward and talking to you or alerting you to the fact that I wasn’t one of the dead would only have endangered your entire community.”
Dietrich took them past the back gate of the compound. The iron gates stood firm as the dead pressed their faces and arms as far as they could through the slats.
“There’s something you’re not going to hear from a lot of people around here, but it needs to be said; I’m sorry for what’s happened to you and your group. I truly am.”
“Where were these feelings before they stormed our camp?” said Nash.
“Again, Fletcher is a very persuasive leader,” said Dietrich, pausing for moment as he continued through the compound. “We all have our motivations.”
Dietrich turned the car down a street lined with new looking houses. Men with rifles were leading members from the Treefort into their new homes as they passed by in the BMW. He took them up a longer driveway and parked at a beautifully tended to colonial home. It was one of the only homes that sat atop a hill with a large manicured lawn spreading out in front. They sat in the air conditioning and stared at the house as they absorbed the cool air.
“I’m not going to lie to the two of you, this is going to be a very hard transition for your group. You need to be prepared that some of them may not make it through.”
“What do you mean, not make it through?” asked Nash coldly as Melissa continued to tighten her fingers in his hand.
“I’ve seen entire groups come in here and be all dead within a week. The ones you were finding around your camp, they all belonged to a group we raided two months ago. I don’t think there’s anyone left living here from that group. If you’re not with him, you’re against him. My suggestion to you and your folks is to just fall in line…for now.”
“For now?” asked Nash.
“Come with me,” said Dietrich as he turned off the car and stepped outside.
They followed Dietrich up the walking path to the home while they admired its outside and tried to not show any sign of appreciation. Nash had never even been near a home so large, let alone given one to live in. Dietrich pulled out a pair of keys and unlocked the door, then handed them to Nash.
“Welcome home,” he said and stood aside to let them into the house. The inside was just as perfectly put together as the outside. The entire main floor, including the stairs that led to the upper levels, was made of dark cherry hardwood. The walls were painted a soft taupe, with beautifully framed wildlife scenes throughout.
“This place is huge,” said Melissa as she admired the molding and the carved intricacies of the staircase railing.
“Yes, it is. Biggest house in Mansion Heights, actually, and it’s all yours,” said Dietrich.
“Mansion Heights?” asked Melissa.
“Yeah, that was the name of the community here before the world ended. He’s just shortened it to the Mansion.”
“How do you have electricity here?” Melissa asked, feeling the cool air.
“Fletcher has had a few engineers join our group over time. They were able to get the power grid up and running awhile back. It’s not perfect; we have some outages every so often, but it’s better than nothing.”
“Why does everyone else have to share while we get this place all to ourselves?” asked Nash.
Dietrich exhaled and sat on the steps as he looked up at them through his mangy dreadlocked hair. “I guess you have me to thank for that. I vouched for you; I told him that after deceiving you for a month, it might lessen the blow. As much as he likes Duncan, I think he’s grown to have a bit of a soft spot for you. Not sure how long that will last, so enjoy it while you can.”
“No thank you,” said Nash sternly. “We don’t want special treatment. We want to be with our people.”
“See, Nash, it’s that kind of talk that’s going to get you killed. We’re your people now, whether you like it or not. I have my reasons for wanting you apart from everyone.”
“Yeah? What’s that?” asked Melissa.
“In time,” he said before he got up and walked to the open door. “I hope you’ve taken my advice to heart. Just know that you have friends here, and I don’t mean the people you came in with.”
With that, Dietrich shut the door and returned to his car. They placed their bags down in the foyer and watched him as he drove away, turned a corner, and disappeared out of their view. Nash pulled Melissa toward him and hugged her as they stood in the foyer soaking up the cool air.
“What now?” she asked, her arms still around him as her head rested on his shoulder. “I don’t want to go out there.”
“I don’t either,” he said and looked around at the ornate carpentry of the house. They walked around the space together, surveyed their new belongings as they moved from room to room. The kitchen was bigger than the entirety of their RV and was stocked with all sorts of canned goods and frozen meat. They climbed the staircase to the upper levels and looked around at the five bedrooms, each perfectly readied to accept a guest.
“This isn’t right,” said Melissa as the two of them stood at the doorway of the main bedroom. A king size bed stood before them, ready to accept them whenever they were ready to give in to the Mansion’s way of life. “Everyone who stayed behind at the Fort is more than likely dead and we’re…here.”
“Come on,” said Nash as he took her hand and led her into their new room.
The two of them crawled into the huge bed, cuddling together in the middle as they both sobbed into each other’s arms. As wrong as it felt to be lying in the comfortable, air-conditioned room, Nash felt that Dietrich was right. This wasn’t their home, and eventually he’d find them a way out. For now though, he knew they had to fall in line.
With that thought, he drifted off to sleep with Melissa still in his arms.
Chapter 20
Nash and Melissa were torn from their sleep to the sound of banging that came from the main floor of the house. Morning light illuminated their room as Melissa brushed stray hairs from her face and strained her eyes against the harsh morning light. Nash rubbed his eyes in a stupor as the banging continued downstairs.
“This bed is dangerous,” he said as he stood up and stretched quickly as Melissa joined him.
“We were supposed to meet Fletcher last night with the rest of the group!” she said as she adjusted her hair in the mirror the best she could.
The two of them hurried downstairs and looked through the window beside the door to see Fletcher standing with his hands in his pockets. He was wearing the same designer jeans and shoes, but now wore a green t-shirt instead of the golf shirt and jacket from yesterday. Melissa and Nash gave each other an uneasy glance as Nash opened the door.
“Good morning!” said Fletcher cheerfully.
“Wakey wakey!” cooed Duncan from behind him.
“May we come in?” asked Fletcher.
Nash hesitated for a moment as he watched Duncan glare at him with the demented grin that he hated so much.
“Of course,” he said and stepped backward, allowing Fletcher and Duncan to join them in the foyer.
“We missed you last nig
ht at our little meet and greet,” said Fletcher who stood with his hands in his pockets as Duncan closed the door behind him. “I assumed you’d fallen asleep, which is understandable. Our friend here gave you a bit of a jolt from what I heard last night, and for that, I apologize.”
“Bop!” yelled Duncan as he mimicked hitting Nash with the butt of the rifle. Fletcher gave Duncan a disapproving look before he continued on.
“You’ve got the best house on the block here. You can thank Dietrich for that. I guess he owes you that, seeing how you’re really the only one he spent the last month deceiving. I trust you slept well?”
“Yes, thank you,” Melissa said quietly, her head down. “The house is beautiful.” She was playing the game already, leaving Nash impressed and ready to participate.
“I’m glad you like it. I want you to know that I understand the reservations your people have about this place. Like I said yesterday, I truly feel if you embrace the Mansion for what it is, you’ll grow to love it.”
“Give it time,” said Nash. “It’s a big adjustment for everyone. They’ll come around.”
“I certainly hope so,” said Fletcher. They stood in silence as Nash and Melissa tried to hide their nervousness over his presence. “Anyway, I come bearing gifts!” He reached into his pocket and produced two long, red strips of fabric. “Everyone else was fitted last night at our meet and greet.”
“He usually doesn’t do house calls,” said Duncan with a grin. “You should feel honored.”
“I’d feel more comfortable if he were outside,” said Nash as he watched the smile slither from Duncan’s face.
“Of course. Duncan, please wait outside,” said Fletcher without taking his eyes from Nash.
Duncan stood steady in the foyer as his anger toward Nash bubbled inside him. After another moment of silence, Duncan left, slamming the door behind him.
“He’s a wonderful number two, but he’s all about the theatrics,” said Fletcher, confirming just how close Duncan was with the man in charge.
“That’s an accurate assessment,” said Nash.
“I understand that the two of you have a bit of a history.”
“What has he told you exactly?”
“Bits and pieces. He’s not overly fond of you.”
“The feeling is mutual,” said Nash while he looked outside to see Duncan with his zipper undone, urinating on the hedges. “How exactly did he end up here?”
“That’s a story for another day. Miss, if I could please have your left hand.” Fletcher’s undeniable charm was quickly chipping away at the murderous façade they’d conjured in their heads. He gently turned Melissa’s hand over so her wrist was facing up as he tied the strip around it. The loop was loose around her wrist, but the knot was tight and strong. He did the same for Nash afterward, clapping his hands together once he was finished.
“Welcome to the family!” he said loudly with his hands in the air to celebrate. “And how rude am I, I’ve never asked your name.”
“Melissa,” she said with a shy smile.
“Well hello, Melissa, and welcome to the family. I think you two are going to fit in just fine around here. I’d like for you both to stop by the church sometime today.”
“Of course,” said Nash. His stoic facial expressions hadn’t cracked once during the encounter with Fletcher. The underlying tension between the three of them dissolved as Fletcher nodded and left their house with a smile.
“He’s a charmer, isn’t he?” asked Melissa while she looked at the red strip now tied firmly around her wrist.
“That’s an understatement. He looked pretty chummy with Duncan too, which tells me everything I need to know about him.”
The two of them made their way up the stairs to investigate their new surroundings. Melissa walked into the ensuite bathroom and found it fully stocked with toiletries and fresh towels. She turned on the faucet and let water flow as she tried to hide the smile that crept to the surface. She opened the door of the shower and turned it on, watching the hot water fall freely from the nozzle as it slowly filled the room with steam. Before she knew it, her clothes were off and she was closing the shower door behind her.
“Hot water!” said Melissa. “I feel awful for caring after what happened yesterday but I have to say it’s an upgrade from the rain water we used to collect.”
“Nobody would blame you for enjoying a hot shower, Mel.” Nash pulled back the curtains of the large window that overlooked the community. He squinted against the bright sun. The Mansion’s sprawling properties were bathed in a fairytale glow, a deceptive illusion given what he knew about Fletcher and his group. Far in the distance he could see the front gate, secured tightly as the dead pressed their bodies against it. It would be impossible to hear them from where he stood, but his memories were flood with them.
The steam from the shower had completely overtaken bathroom as he stood and leaned in the doorway. He used his palm to wipe the mirror, creating a circle in the middle of it. Dirt from his hand left smudge marks on the mirror and taunted him to take a shower as he looked through them at his reflection. He hadn’t really had the chance to look at himself in months and marveled at the newfound ruggedness of his face.
“Have I always been this dirty looking?” he asked as he unwrapped a new toothbrush from the counter and applied a line of toothpaste onto it.
“You should see the dirt flowing off me right now,” she laughed. “I think we were all a little dirty.”
Melissa turned the water off and grabbed the towel she had draped over one of the walls of the shower. “I could have spent the whole day in there,” she said, reaching for a second towel to dry her hair. She opened the door and stepped out, the oversized towel wrapped around her as Nash spit his toothpaste into the sink. He looked at her as she stood clean and smiling in front of him, and was surprised by the new butterflies in his stomach.
“I want this with you,” he said, admiring her as she stood in front of him. “I want a life like this and I want you with me, but not here. This isn’t right.”
“I know,” she said. “It’s like Dietrich said though; we need to blend in and play the game. If I show up without showering today, Fletcher will know something’s up. I know this can’t last, but I’m going to enjoy it while I can.”
“I guess you’re right,” said Nash as he took off his clothes and stepped into the shower himself.
He let the hot water rush over him in waves as he absorbed the therapeutic heat. He hadn’t had a real shower in over a year and it was a feeling he missed terribly. He looked around to find the shower had been stocked with all sorts of soaps and lotions, a few of which Melissa had already gotten into. He used a bar of soap to lather himself and grabbed a bottle of shampoo and squirted an unnecessary amount into his palm before he massaged it into his scalp. The smells of the soaps brought a smile to his face as he stood there inhaling the scents.
He quickly patted himself dry and wrapped the towel around his waist, stepped out of the shower, and noticed a heart drawn into the fog on the mirror. He smiled and moved into the bedroom to find that Melissa was standing in front of a spacious walk-in closet.
“Wow,” she said as she stood back from the closet.
Nash joined her and looked inside to see it completely stocked with brand new clothes, ready for them to slide into. There was a large dresser inside, filled with all sorts of clean underwear and socks for both of them, ranging in sizes like they weren’t sure who would be occupying the space next.
“I don’t even remember what it feels like to wear fresh underwear,” said Nash as he slid into a brand new pair. He picked out a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt that seemed like it would fit and laid them on the bed. He grabbed a pair of socks and left Melissa to pick out her outfit. He sat on the edge of the bed and slid on his socks, feeling the fresh fabric on his feet as Melissa stood in a matching set of bra and panties as she fingered through the numerous dresses.
“There’s nothing but sundresses
in here,” Melissa said as she rifled through the clothes. “Would it be too much to ask for a pair of jeans and a t-shirt?” Nash threw her old, dirty clothes at her and they landed at her feet. “I see your point. A dress it is.”
Nash had completely dressed himself and was trying his best to style his hair in a mirror outside the closet. She walked out of the closet with the dress she’d picked, settling just above her knees. It was a thin, pale-blue sundress with white polka dots that clung softly to her clean skin. She nudged Nash away from the mirror with a smile and admired the dress as she tied her damp hair into a bun.
“Not practical at all but I guess sit is cute.”
“You’re adorable,” said Nash with a smile. She closed the closet door before she kissed him on the lips. She didn’t say a word, just lovingly smiled at him before she walked to the window and looked out over the community.
“The Mansion,” she said. “What a funny name.”
“I think we have to be ambassadors around here, Mel,” said Nash when he joined her by the window. “I get the sense that Dietrich might be someone we can trust. If we can all play nice and be patient, I think we could have a future here.”
“I thought you didn’t want to stay,” she asked as she took his hand and looked out the window.
“I said we,” he repeated as he stared at the church in the distance. “That doesn’t include Fletcher Crawford.”
Chapter 21
“This is more unbelievable than the closet,” said Melissa, standing in the kitchen as she marveled at the assortment of food.
“It almost feels like nothing happened to this place,” said Nash as he pulled out a can of peaches and used an electric can opener to pry the lid off.
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