“We need to talk to you,” Sam said as she walked toward them, swinging her arms.
“Did I do something wrong?” Erik asked, his eyes darting to mine.
I shook my head. “No, no. Nothing like that.”
Everything that had happened burst from Sam’s mouth like a pipe bursting. Erik’s expression didn’t change, but Dorian’s mouth dropped open.
“This just keeps getting worse,” Dorian said, shaking his head. “You think you know people. Were they locals?”
“How would I know that?” Sam snapped.
“We wouldn’t know,” I said, my voice pillow-soft.
Dorian set down the bucket and started pacing. “You’re right. Yeah. Sorry.”
Erik’s eyes scanned the area. He looked nervous. “I think we should get inside.”
18
Erik walked around, lighting candles. Sam and I sat side by side on the couch, watching him move around the room.
Dorian moved from window to window. He stopped, turned to us, and laughed.
“At least it’s not something spearheaded by my dad.” The laughing faded. “None of them were my dad, right?”
“I don’t think so,” I said, barely remembering what Dorian’s angry dad looked like.
I wouldn’t have been able to pick anyone from the town to the north from a lineup either. We made it out of there with our lives, and that was really all that mattered to me.
Although we did have to worry about them coming for us. We were outnumbered, and they were armed… they could get anything they wanted.
My fingertips glided side to side on the plush couch cushions. The soft texture reminded me of the stuffed bunny Dott always carried with her wherever she went.
Erik sat down in a chair and gripped the armrests. He focused on a spot on the floor before he cleared his throat.
“I really think you both should stay here,” Erik said, sucking in a quick breath. Sam opened her mouth, but he held up a finger. “It’s safer here. I have deadbolts, the windows are new with thick glass panes. I paid a good amount of money to keep this place secure when I was away.”
He reached behind him and pulled out a gun. Erik set it down on the coffee table and looked over at Sam and then me.
“And I can keep us all safe,” Erik said.
Sam placed her hand on my knee. “I’ll stay if Mel will.”
“Yeah, at least for the time being,” I said, picking at a fingernail. “We should bring over the water, though.”
“I’m sick of soup, but maybe we should bring over the food too,” Sam said. “Don’t want to give anyone a reason to break in and nose around Mel’s mom’s things.”
Erik steepled his fingers. “We can go tomorrow and gather anything you guys want or need.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“I don’t think either of you should leave without Dorian or me,” Erik said.
Sam groaned, slapping her knife down next to Erik’s gun. “We need the big, strong men to take care of us now?”
“It’s just smarter to stick together,” Erik said.
“Well, Mel and I can take care of ourselves,” Sam said, stiffening her spine.
“That’s why you came right here?” Erik asked, his lip twitching.
I bit my lip to stop a smile.
“We just thought you would both like to know,” Sam said, turning her head to the side.
“I think it’s probably a good idea to stay together,” I said, and Sam groaned, clearly not thrilled I wasn’t aggressively taking her side.
“I was wondering something, though,” Erik said, looking back and forth between Sam and me.
Sam’s eyes narrowed. “What’s that?”
“Why did you go there?” Erik said. “You saw what it was like. People are losing their shit right now, and maybe rightfully so.”
“Why didn’t you tell us how bad things really were?” I asked, my jaw clenching.
“I tried to talk you out of it,” Erik said, scratching his eyebrow. “But you two are very determined. I don’t know what’s going on, but I know shit has really hit the fan, and it sounds like it’s just getting worse.”
I placed my hands in my lap. I pulled in a breath, filling my lungs. We were safe, but still, my body was struggling to calm.
“You didn’t answer,” Erik said. “What were you doing?”
Sam opened her mouth. I held up my palm to stop her before she could make something up.
“I lost my medicine, so I wanted to replace it,” I said, exhaling as I looked down at my hands. “Anxiety medicine. Something I need.”
“I see,” Erik said. “Maybe we can figure something out.”
“If I haven’t heard that a thousand times,” Sam grumbled.
My forehead puckered. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“That’s what you keep saying about getting back to Dott,” Sam said, pushing herself to her feet. “How about some honesty? We’re all screwed.”
Sam stormed off. She grabbed a candle and stomped up the stairs.
Dorian’s eyes were glued to the stairs. He looked bewildered.
“What just happened?” he asked.
“Long story,” I said. I stood and rubbed my hands together. “Sorry about everything. Thank you for everything. I think I just need to go rest for a bit. Today was exhausting.”
“Wouldn’t you like something to eat?” Dorian asked. “It won’t take long.”
A breath leaked out between my lips. “Thanks for that too, but I don’t think I could keep anything down right now. Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Dorian muttered after me.
I climbed the stairs, making a conscious effort to keep my steps quiet. It wasn’t until after I tossed Mister Cat out of the bedroom and sat down that I realized I hadn’t eaten much all day. My body and mind were too tired to care.
The second my head hit the pillow, I fell asleep. It was completely dark when my rumbling stomach woke me what I assumed was hours later.
The bedroom was dark except for the pale blue light of the moon filtering in through the window. Crickets chirped from outside the window.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and rubbed my eyes with my knuckle. My spine zipped at the distant sound of what sounded like a woman screaming.
The crickets stopped their noises. I tip-toed to the window and peered out, but there wasn’t anything to see. The trees were still, and it was only a few seconds before the crickets started up their strange song again.
I combed my fingers through the back of my hair as I walked toward the bedroom door. Erik had likely left candles glowing to light the way. Hopefully, I’d be able to find something to eat in the kitchen because if I didn’t feed the grumbling beast, it wasn’t going to let me get back to sleep.
The stairs barely creaked as I slowly descended. There was a candle on the coffee table and one in the dining room, providing me with more than enough light to see my way.
Erik or Dorian had closed all the curtains, which should have eased my mind, but instead, I imagined people creeping around outside the house. My mind liked to play tricks on me. The idea of them out there and me not being able to see them sent a shiver down my spine.
I turned the corner. My chest tightened, and my eyes glazed over.
Someone was there.
19
I sucked in a breath. It felt like I was choking… unable to breathe.
My arms flailed as I reached out to grab onto something. Dorian’s face became clear as he took several steps closer, catching me before falling to the ground.
“Sorry!” Dorian said, holding most of my weight. His eyes were wide with concern. “I didn’t hear you coming. You’re quieter than Mister Cat.”
He helped me over to a chair. I gripped the edges of the table, struggling to take in each breath.
It was getting worse. As much as I hated to admit it, I needed my medication.
“I’ll get you some water,” Dorian said.
He
came back with a tall glass and set it down in front of me. My hand shook vigorously as I brought it to my lips.
“I’m really sorry about that,” Dorian said, staring at my hand. “You were just so quiet.”
“It’s fine,” I said before taking another long drink. The vibrating in my body began to slow. “What are you still doing up this late?”
Dorian’s eyes shifted toward the window. “I thought I heard something, then decided I was still hungry. You must be starving. Can I get you something? We saved you some—”
“Yes, please,” I said, pushing my chair back. “I can get it myself, though.”
“I don’t mind,” Dorian said. “It’s just fish and potatoes again. Nothing fancy.”
“That’s perfect. I’m so hungry I could eat the crickets outside,” I said, grimacing. Dorian grinned as he rubbed the short hair at the back of his head. “Okay, maybe not that hungry yet.”
“Good. I have no idea how to prepare insects. I’ll be right back,” Dorian called over his shoulder. “It’s downstairs in the mini-fridge.”
I clicked my tongue. “He’s going to use up all his gas running that generator.”
“That’s what I told him,” Dorian said before heading downstairs.
I rubbed the back of my neck and stretched my arms over my head. It didn’t take long for Dorian to return.
“Sorry, it’s cold,” he said, setting down a foil packet and a fork on the table. “Not going out there alone to heat it up.”
“It’s fine. I wouldn’t want you to,” I said, scooping up a mound of potatoes. I covered my mouth and swallowed. “What did you hear?”
He shook his head.
“You said you were up because you heard something.”
“Oh,” Dorian said, bobbing his head. “Well, I don’t want to freak you out.”
I stared at him for a long moment before allowing a smile to curl my lips. “We’re past that. Also, you could just assume that I’m in a constant state of freaked out with everything that’s going on.”
“I know,” Dorian said. “None of this feels real. But it is nice to have finally separated from my insane father.”
I took another big bite. The fish and potatoes were scrumptious. Either it was because I was starving or because they were slathered in oil and sprinkled with salt and dill.
“So, what did you hear?” I asked, feeling like he was dodging the question.
“Um,” he said, rubbing his brow. Dorian cleared his throat. “It sounded like a woman screaming, I guess.”
I exhaled and set down the fork.
“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Dorian said, waving his hand as he leaned back in the chair.
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s not that. I think I heard it too.”
“It was probably just a wolf or something,” Dorian said. “Maybe a hyena.”
I laughed. “Lots of hyenas in the area?”
“You never know what kind of animals people get for pets these days,” Dorian said with a half-smile. “I haven’t heard it again, so I thought maybe I had just imagined it.”
“But we probably both didn’t imagine it.”
“Right,” Dorian said. “Which is why I think it was probably an animal.”
I took several bites. “Or maybe it was a woman screaming somewhere.”
“I guess that is a possibility,” Dorian said, looking down at his hands. “At least it sounded far away.”
“Not far enough,” I said. “And after what Sam and I saw in that town, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t petrified. Those people lying on the ground.”
I shook away the thought. I needed to finish my food. My pants were feeling loose, and I felt weaker with each passing day. I couldn’t let my fear stop me from eating.
After I finished, I crinkled up the foil into a small ball. Dorian reached over, snatching it away before I could stand up. He tossed it into the trash and took the fork out of my hand.
“I can clean up after myself,” I said, frowning.
Dorian splashed water onto the fork and wiped it clean. He looked at me as he placed it in the drawer.
“Of course, you can, but I don’t mind. Doing stuff helps keep my mind off the other things,” Dorian said.
“Isn’t that true for everyone?” I asked.
“I suppose you could be right.” Dorian grinned. “Are you going to go back to bed?”
The thought of more sleep brought a yawn to my lips. “Yeah, I’ve probably only been getting a couple hours of sleep a night.”
“Same,” Dorian said, jerking his thumb toward the stairs. “Want me to walk you up?”
“No, that’s okay,” I said.
“Yeah, don’t want to upset Sam since she thinks I’m some weirdo stalker guy,” Dorian said, rolling his eyes.
I patted his shoulder. “Don’t take it personally. She thinks every guy who looks in my direction is a creepy stalker weirdo. In her defense, I do attract weirdos.”
“I don’t know what to say to that,” Dorian said.
I laughed. “See you in the morning.”
“Hey, Mel?”
“Yeah?”
Dorian squinted at me as he scratched the back of my neck. “Why were those people lying on the ground?”
“I wish I knew,” I said with a heavy sigh. “I don’t want to end up on the lawn.”
“Me either,” Dorian said. “I mean, we won’t. That won’t happen.”
“Good night,” I said.
He nodded. I could feel his eyes on me as I walked back up the stairs. It wasn’t that he was being creepy, he was just making sure I made it up to bed okay. I would have done the same in his shoes.
It was strange how quickly we became friends. At least, that’s what I considered us all to be. I never thought that if there were some kind of disaster, I’d find new people to care about… to worry about.
I pulled a chair next to the window and sat down. I stared into the night, waiting for my food to settle and listening. There were no more screams, just the crickets.
After breakfast, the four of us walked back to the house to gather the water and anything else we wanted to keep at Erik’s house. Erik had seen the mess, but Dorian hadn’t, which meant I needed to avoid looking at him.
It was easy not to look at him because when I entered the house, I froze. The living room had been cleaned, and there was smoke coming from the fire pit in the backyard.
“Oh shit,” Sam said.
It was the last thing I heard before my surroundings spun, and I was sucked into blackness.
My eyes opened, and I was staring at the familiar ceiling. I knew exactly where I was without looking. I’d laid on the couch and stared at the ceiling many times when I was growing up, and it was no different.
“Are you okay?” Erik asked, taking a wet cloth off my forehead.
I popped up! “We have to get out of here! Someone’s been here!”
20
Erik grabbed my hand, stroking the back with his thumb. “We checked everything. There isn’t anyone here.”
“Someone sure as hell was here,” I squeaked, throwing my hand into the air. “It must have been those people. They must have followed us back.”
“Why would they come in here and clean up?” Sam asked, staring toward the still-smoking fire pit. “They didn’t really seem like the type to just tidy up, take nothing, and leave.”
“They didn’t take anything?” I asked.
Sam shook her head. “As far as I can tell, nothing is gone. They could have taken some old clothes or a shirt, but as for our food and water, it’s all still here. Even my bags are still here.”
“Where are my things?” I asked, my eyes darting from side to side.
“Um,” Sam said, dragging out the sound as her eyes scanned the floor.
“What are we looking for exactly?” Erik asked.
My eyes landed on the gun in his hand. I scooted away, pulling my hand from his.
“If you checked
the place, why are you holding that?”
“My gun?” Erik asked.
“Yes,” I said firmly.
He gave me a half-shrug. “Just in case.”
“Right. Sorry. They just make me uncomfortable after… after…,” I said, letting my voice fade into nothing.
“After what?” Dorian asked.
I ignored his question. The last thing I felt like talking about was Elijah.
“I had a black backpack with lots of pockets and a navy suitcase,” I said, getting to my feet. I pointed to the floor. “They were right here when we left. Unless we moved them when we were looking for the medicine.”
“We didn’t move them,” Sam said, opening the closet.
I groaned. “We didn’t put them in there.”
“Well, I don’t know where to look?” Sam said, closing the door.
“Did they burn my stuff?” I walked over to the window and pressed my hand to the glass. “Why would they do that?”
Dorian stepped up next to me. “I don’t think they burned your suitcase. It would be a melted lump of goo, probably giving off black smoke.”
“So, then they took it,” I said. “My clothes. They took my clothes.”
“You can borrow anything you need,” Sam said.
“Thanks, but don’t you think it’s weird that they didn't take your stuff? Just my personal belongings?” I said, pressing my fingers to my temples.
Erik walked over with his arms crossed, the gun peeking out from under his bicep. “I think it’s super weird. We should get what we need and get back to my place.”
“Lead them there?” Sam asked.
“If they’ve been on the road at all, they know my house exists,” Erik said. “Let’s just take what we can for now, and Dorian and I will come back for the water.”
“It’ll go faster if we help,” Sam said.
Erik turned away. “Let’s not argue about it.”
“You’re not any safer with that stupid gun,” Sam said, her voice rising. “They were all armed.”
“We don’t know who was here,” Erik said. “Can’t we agree to get moving?”
Sam glanced at me. “Fine.”
My stomach was swirling as memories of being locked up returned. I hadn’t been in the cell long, but it had been long enough to do damage. For some reason, it was like being with him all over again.
Absolute Darkness - A CME Survival Thriller Page 10