“Now?” Kate asked.
“Maybe.”
The sounds of someone coming up the stairs filled the air. Ethan pressed his finger to his lips and held up his palm.
The slow footfalls of someone coming down the hall made Kate’s skin crawl. Her eyes moved along the wall as if it were see-through and she could see the shape of whoever was on the other side.
All the moisture left her mouth and the dryness in her throat it made it hard for her to take in a breath. Whoever was on the other side hesitated for just a moment before continuing down the hall.
“What do you think they’re doing?” Kate asked.
“Shh,” Ethan said even though Kate’s words had been feather soft. “No idea.”
Kate sat down on the edge of the bed with her hands folded into her lap. The air in the room felt icy. Kate turned toward the window and noticed that the sun was no longer peeking through the cracks in the curtain.
She couldn’t see it, but she heard the lightning smack into the ground not too far off. Seconds later, rain poured down, tapping hard against the window rapidly.
The footsteps in the hallway quickly made their way back down. Kate listened as whoever it was moved down the stairs. The sounds disappeared into the raindrops.
Ethan stepped over to the window and pulled open the curtains. The clouds moved across the sky angrily, and thunder shook the house around them.
Several minutes later, someone was running up the stairs. Before Kate could turn to Ethan, there was pounding on the door.
“We need to get downstairs!” Kate recognized the voice. It was Scott.
Ethan opened the door, and they both looked out at a panicked Scott. “What’s going on?”
“Twister,” he said between heavy breaths. “We have a cellar. We need to all get down there.”
Ethan shook his head. “I was just looking out the window.”
“It’s to the west… it’s coming this way,” Scott said stepping away from the door and moving toward Nikki and Jasper’s room. “Come with me.”
Kate wanted to go back and look out the window to see if she could see the tornado. There was a small part of her that was worried it was some kind of trap. It was storming, but she didn’t trust them.
She took a step back, but Ethan grabbed her arm. Kate looked over her shoulder just as a branch slammed into the exterior of the house and slid across the window before flying away again.
The wind howled and blew so hard the walls creaked. There was an odd energy in the air that prickled Kate’s skin, making the hairs on her arms stand on end.
“We need to get downstairs,” Scott shouted as he pounded on the other’s doors. Garrett, Jasper, and Nikki emerged, fear bulged their eyes. “Let’s go! Come on!”
They followed Scott down the stairs, through the living room, the dining room and into the large kitchen. There was a door around the corner that was open, and Scott stopped in front of it.
“Go on,” he said when Ethan hesitated. “They’re down there.”
Ethan glanced over his shoulder at Kate, but something caught his eye behind her. Kate turned and saw the dark clouds through the window. She’d never seen clouds so dark during the daytime in all her life.
The trees outside were still. It was like someone had just turned off the wind.
“Holy shit,” Ethan said. “Is that a….”
Kate blinked and saw the funnel spinning on top of the ground several miles away. It was wide, and while it was moving slowly, it appeared to be heading straight for them.
“Enough gawking,” Scott said. “Move!”
They moved down the stairs, each step rumbled through the air like a bass drum. At the bottom, David was pacing, looking only slightly relieved when they were all downstairs safely.
Mr. Earle was sitting in a chair, holding his gun on his lap. The calm expression he wore seemed to only make Kate more nervous.
“This happens a lot around these parts,” Mr. Earle said. “Lived here all my life, and the house is still standing.”
“Way to jinx it, dad,” Scott said crossing his arms as he leaned back against the wall. His father ignored him.
Tricia smiled as she rocked back and forth in an old squeaky rocking chair. Her fingers worked fast as she worked on a knitting project of some kind.
“Do you knit?” Tricia asked barely looking up from her work when she noticed Kate staring at her.
Kate shook her head. “No. My grandma did. I had lots of scarves as a child.”
Tricia smiled. “Well, winter will come soon. You’ll wish you had one of those scarves, that is unless you stay. Plenty of nice warm scarves here.”
“I think we’ll need to move on in the morning,” Kate said.
Tricia set her project down in her lap. “Aww, really? Are you sure you couldn’t stay just a bit longer? We love having the company.” She inched forward in her chair slightly. “You know, there is a river not far from here. Clean water. You all could freshen up and wash your clothes with some detergent before heading back out.”
“We’ll think about it,” Ethan said answering quickly.
It looked like Tricia was about to say something to Ethan when she snapped her mouth shut. The whole house felt as though it was shaking and concern filled her eyes.
Kate could hear that the wind had picked up again. The howling leaked in through the cracks, and the door at the top of the stairs rattled.
It felt like the house was rocking. Kate held onto Ethan’s arm and closed her eyes as her heart pounded inside her chest.
Nikki whimpered as she pressed her face to Jasper’s chest. Even Mr. Earle couldn’t hide his concern.
David turned toward his dad. “Guess you really did jinx us.”
“Shut up,” Mr. Earle said through clenched teeth as he glared at his son. “Protect your mother.”
A window upstairs shattered and everyone dropped down to the ground, covering their heads. Kate almost found it amusing that the weather was what was going to take her out of the world.
26
For several minutes the storm raged on, quaking the earth aggressively. Kate couldn’t stop imagining the house flying through the funnel like she’d seen in one of her all-time favorite movies.
It was like someone had turned off a switch when the door stopped rattling, and the wind stopped howling. Kate looked up at nearly the same time as the others, all of them wearing the same expression she was.
“Is it over?” Nikki asked.
Tricia’s eyes were wide. She blinked several times before they returned to normal. Her mouth opened but not a single word came out.
“I… I think so,” David stammered. He turned to Scott. “Go up and check.”
“You go up and check,” Scott countered.
“Both of you go up and check,” Mr. Earle said with a scowl.
Kate watched the brothers as they slowly crept up the stairs. They moved as if they were afraid something was going to pop out of the door and knock them back down the stairs.
As she waited for their report, Kate looked around the room. It was a normal basement although cleaner than most. There were labeled boxes packed with what appeared to be supplies for the bed and breakfast that Tricia had hoped to open one day.
On the shelving unit just behind Kate were all sorts of gardening supplies, rope, duct tape and even a garden hose. There were several packets of seeds organized neatly in a wooden box.
Tricia noticed Kate looking. “Not sure when I’ll get around to planting those.”
Kate pressed her lips together into a thin smile. She was having trouble even pretending to care about Tricia’s bed and breakfast or her plants. After all, this woman was still here with her family, supplies, and maybe still her home. Kate didn’t think the woman realized just how lucky she was.
“Oh, thank God,” Scott said from the top of the stairs.
“We lost a window, dad,” David called out. “But the house is still here.”
Tricia lo
oked at Mr. Earle and offered him a sweet smile that was oozing relief. Mr. Earle slapped his knee and grinned at them.
“Go on up,” Mr. Earle urged. “Go on.”
Nikki looked back and forth between Kate and Ethan. She didn’t move her feet until Ethan gave her a nod.
Garrett was closer to the stairs and stepped in front of her. He glanced at Nikki over his shoulder. “Let me lead the way.”
“You got it,” Nikki said holding up her palms.
When they stepped into the kitchen, Kate saw the shards of glass scattered across the floor. David came around the corner and leaned in the doorway.
“Everything looks good on the first floor,” David said turning as his mom came up the stairs. “I haven’t checked the second floor yet.”
“Do it later, dad wants you boys downstairs,” Tricia said as she took the broom that was leaning against the wall into her hands. “This one wasn’t boarded up like the others because I liked looking out the window when I cleaned dishes. Guess I’m out of luck now. They’ll have to board this one up too.”
Tricia pointed at a dustpan just behind Jasper, and when he realized she wanted it, he grabbed it and handed it to her.
“Maybe you boys could help my sons fix up the window, and the girls could help me get tea sorted.” Tricia stood and placed her hands on her hips. “Although, I’m not sure Mr. Earle is going to be up for tea after all that.”
“Umm,” Ethan said looking at Kate as he tried to come up with an excuse.
“It won’t take long,” Tricia said as the men's footsteps drummed against the stairs. “Here they come. Boys?”
David stepped out from the basement first. “Yeah, ma?”
“Take Ethan, Jasper, and Garrett with you to the shed. They’re going to help you board up my window,” David glanced at Kate for a moment as he walked by over to his mom.
David leaned in close to her. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Tricia said straightening her spine. “Or I wouldn’t have said it. The girls will help me with tea.”
“Dad wants us to help him first,” Scott said.
“You’ll do the window first, I’ll let him know,” Tricia said turning to go down the stairs. “Take them. Wait here girls, I’ll be right back.”
Kate and Nikki exchanged a glance. They both looked like they wanted to run out the back door and keep going.
“Okay,” Nikki said even though it was obviously the exact opposite of what she wanted to say.
Ethan took Kate’s hand and pulled her close. He looked into her eyes and let out a heavy breath. “If you need me—”
“I’ll scream,” Kate said raising her brow slightly.
Ethan nodded and kissed her cheek before following David and Scott out the back door. Kate couldn’t help but feel as though they were trying to separate them, but even if they were, Kate wasn’t afraid of Tricia. She was however afraid of the big shotgun that Mr. Earle seemed to carry everywhere like it was his security blanket.
The stairs creaked slowly as Tricia helped Mr. Earle back to the first floor. Kate could hear their whispers, but she couldn’t hear what they were saying.
When they got to the top of the stairs, Tricia let Mr. Earle get his bearings before she let go.
“Ready, girls?” she said and clapped her hands.
“Sure,” Nikki said.
Kate couldn’t stop herself from looking out of the broken window as the boys walked toward the house carrying wooden boards and a tool chest. She could tell that Ethan was carefully watching their surroundings even though Scott and David weren’t. They trusted their security system which utilized The Unholy.
“Take this,” Tricia said handing Kate a kettle. She turned to Nikki and handed her a variety box of assorted teas. “We need to boil the water.”
“Okay,” Kate said, but it sounded like a question.
“We use the fireplace,” Tricia explained.
Kate pressed her lips together and followed her to the living room. The fire was already going, and maybe it had been going since lunch, but Kate didn’t ask.
Tricia went on and on about the house and their life as Nikki and Kate stood there watching her boil the water. Kate looked at the pictures on the wall as Tricia told her stories. Her thoughts kept drifting to the men working in the kitchen. Kate could hear them pounding the boards into place
“I had such big plans for this place, and for my boys,” Tricia said shaking her head. “I’m sure you girls had different ideas for your lives too.”
Nikki nodded, and Kate shrugged.
“I bet you both thought about the men you’d marry and the big weddings you’d plan.” Tricia smiled with a distant look in her eyes. “All the kids you’d have.”
“I guess,” Nikki said.
Kate flashed the woman a simple smile. She was totally uncomfortable talking with Tricia about anything about her life before the disease. Kate had been uncomfortable telling anyone anything personal for that matter. Except for Ethan, but even that had taken a long time.
“I always dreamed about the day there would be little kids running around this house again,” Tricia said. “My sons, pfft, if only they would have had their ducks in a row.”
Tricia took the kettle of water out of the fire and set it down on a tray. She shook her finger as a little spark shot out of the fireplace.
“Well, maybe one day,” Tricia said, and Kate’s eyes narrowed.
“One day?” Kate asked.
“Sure! There is still time,” Tricia said. “Maybe it’ll be harder, but it’s not impossible.”
Kate didn’t feel like she should pop the poor woman’s bubble. She’d lost her dreams of running her bed and breakfast, there was no reason for Kate to take away her hopes of having grandkids.
“Let’s go have some tea,” Tricia said jerking her head toward the coffee table. When she looked at Kate, she clicked her tongue. “Don’t worry so much. They’ll join us the minute they're done.”
“I know,” Kate said, but her nerves wouldn’t settle. And she didn’t think the tea would help.
“You must have seen some terrible things out there,” Tricia said sitting down on the edge of the sofa. She leaned forward offering Kate and Nikki the opened box of tea. “Go on, pick one.”
Nikki chewed her lip for a moment. “Thanks, but I don’t care for tea.”
“What?” Tricia said leaning back as she placed her hand on her chest. “Everyone likes tea, you just haven’t found the right one for you. I’ll choose… how does orange spice sound?”
Nikki shrugged. “I’ll try it.”
Kate picked something at random and handed it to Tricia. She hadn’t even bothered to read the package.
“You were saying?” Tricia said.
“About what?” Kate cocked her head to the side slightly.
“About your adventures out there,” Tricia said.
Kate swallowed and rubbed her palms up and down her thighs. “Oh, I don’t think we should talk about all that.”
“Ah, I understand my dear,” Tricia said lightly placing her hand on Kate’s arm. “So very sorry for all the terrible things you must have seen out there. That man you’re with, is he your husband?”
“No,” Kate said shaking her head.
“And you?” Tricia asked leaning forward to look at Nikki who was shaking her head. The pounding stopped, and Tricia glanced toward the kitchen. “They’ll be joining us soon. My sons can entertain us with some wonderful stories about the farmhouse. You girls will love it.”
Kate flashed her a quick smile. She would have almost preferred to gulp down the boiling liquid than to sit around listing to David and Scott talk about the house. But of course, she couldn’t tell Tricia that.
Before she knew it, Kate would be lying in the bed upstairs with the door locked. She’d be in Ethan’s arms trying to rest while waiting to leave behind Tricia’s awkward bed and breakfast.
27
After dinner the group excused themselves. Befo
re they had disappeared into their rooms, they’d talked about their plans for leaving first thing in the morning.
It was going to be difficult to get their backpacks and their weapons back, but they hoped it would go smoothly. The family had been nothing but kind and helpful to them, but it did worry all of them that it didn’t seem as though they wanted them to leave.
They’d fed them a large dinner with so many wonderful ingredients it was hard to believe they’d be willing to share. Others out there would have killed for fresh chicken and mashed potatoes made from potatoes fresh from the garden.
It was the first time that Kate had actually felt full after the disease had spread. There had been plenty of food with Simon, but it hadn’t ever been very good. Kate had eaten what she needed to survive, but Tricia’s meal had been tasty. Decadent.
After Ethan locked the door, he flopped down on the bed and pressed his palm to his stomach. He closed his eyes and patted his other hand on the empty space on the mattress next to him.
“Rest with me,” Ethan said. “The door is locked.”
“They probably have keys,” Kate said stopping to look out the window.
There was a full moon hanging low in the sky. It lit up the yard in a haunting, pale blue hue. She thought she saw something moving in the distance, but she couldn’t be sure.
Kate dropped the curtain and sat down on the bed. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep.”
“You’ll surprise yourself.”
“I can’t stop thinking about him.”
Ethan’s eyes popped open. There was a flicker of jealousy that washed over his face, but it was quickly replaced with sorrow.
“I’m sorry,” Ethan said leaning to the side to rub Kate’s back. She knew he wanted to say something that could ease her pain, but she also knew there wasn’t anything he could say.
It was weird traveling around without Will. And it was even weirder that he wasn’t far away. His body was laying somewhere beyond the line of The Unholy’s bodies out by the barn. He was out there but was gone.
Kate lowered her head and chewed her fingernail. She bit low on her nail so that the physical pain would take over and push her emotional pain into the background.
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