Burn Our Houses Down [Book One]

by Kelsey Garmendia

  Hayley holds up her hand and shakes her head. A moan escapes her mouth and she gags once more. “Probably a shrink,” she says into the toilet bowl. “I did just murder someone, Xavier.”

  I kneel down and rub her back. “He was going to kill Aisley,” I whisper. “You did what you had to—to keep her safe.”

  “You know if this were a normal time we lived in, I would be going to jail,” she responds. She removes her head from the toilet and leans up against the bathtub.

  Well, no shit. But when people are eating other people, I think the police have bigger worries to deal with—if there are even police left. “I need to shower,” she says trying to push herself up.

  “Let me help,” I say pulling her to her feet. She nods her head and peels her clothing off. I help her into the shower and get the water running.

  When I turn to leave though, she grabs my hand and pulls me into the shower with her. “Don’t leave me,” she whispers. “Please, I’m—kinda having a moment here.”

  She smiles weakly and pulls my clothing off as well. I let the heat of the water melt the stress out of my muscles and rub Hayley’s shoulders as she washes her hair. I want to kiss her again. It feels like the right thing to do, but just being near her makes things better.

  She leans her head back on my chest, letting the water beat on her face. Then, she turns around and buries her face in my chest. Her body shakes as she lets the tears blend neatly with the water.

  “I’ve got you, Hayles,” I whisper in her ear. “I’ll never let them take you or her. Ever.”

  She looks up at me blinking the tears from her eyes.

  “Promise me.”

  “I promise I’ll never let anything happen to you,” I respond. She smiles and returns her head to my chest. I turn off the water and wrap her shrunken frame in a towel. I leave her in the bathroom for the rest of the time while I dry off in the room.

  I look out the window up at the sky and for the first time in years, I find myself piecing together a prayer. “Uh, God,” I start but then frown. I don’t know if God is the person I should be talking to right now.

  “Cass? If—if you’re up there right now, I need you to help keep us safe. Please? Just for a couple more days. Hayley needs to get herself together, and we can’t do that on the road. Please, just give us a little bit of security. Just for a day and then we’ll be gone.” I bite my lip trying to think of what else I can add, but I can’t think of anything. “Um, that’s it. I love you, Cass if you’re listening. Amen.”

  I dry off the rest of the water and throw on the only clothes I have left and lay down on the bed. Hayley comes out of the bathroom with her eyes completely bloodshot. She throws on a white long sleeve shirt I picked up from the store and the same pair of jeans.

  She climbs into bed and closes her eyes. “We need to leave here,” she whispers. I only nod my head in agreement. “We’ll die if we don’t.”

  Day Nine: Pompeii

  I don’t fall asleep at all. I’m still too wound up. I munch on some muffins and watch the “news” for a while. Hayley lays in bed sleeping, but occasionally will twitch awake from a nightmare. I can’t stop my heart from pounding on the back of my ribcage. I’m paranoid now.

  Aisley almost died back there, Hayley is a basket case, and I’m not far from one. I decide to add more to my letters instead—the news is depressing anyway. I turn off the television and grab another sheet of paper and begin writing:

  Hayles and Aisley,

  My letters to you were ok, but I wanted to leave you both with something you could share. Things will never be the same again you two, let alone the United States—possibly the world.

  Aisley, you can’t trust anyone in the real world anymore. I kept so many things from you because I wanted you to still be a

  kid. But I know that was selfish of me. Today, when that man held that gun up to your head, I would’ve crumbled if you had been killed under my watch. But thank god Hayley had a gun.

  I know you never wanted to have to kill anyone, Hayles. I feel horrible that you had to. But seeing you be able to do that today only proves that you are ready now. You can take on anything that crosses your path. Both of you can.

  I can’t describe the feeling that lingers in my heart. Of course, I’m paranoid now. I’m scared that something will happen, and I’m scared I’ll never see you again. But for once in my life, I trust that things will be ok.

  We’ve all sacrificed something to get where we are today. We’ve all lost. We’ve all had our share of near-death experiences and yet, we come out stronger from it.

  Hayles, I love you. I’ll never forget how much you lost and yet are still able to smile and laugh at the small things that happen everyday.

  And Aisley, you’re like the daughter that I dreamed of having. I hope one day I do and you and her become best friends. Or something corny and cheesy like that. I never was good at writing sentimental things. I at least hope that you both are laughing now.

  I don’t really know what else to write—I’ll save the rest for later. I tuck the letter neatly into Hayley’s back pocket without waking her up. I guess I am getting better at sneaking around. I look out the window again before checking on Aisley. I open the door to her passed out on her bed with the television watching her. I laugh and walk over to tuck her in. I kiss her forehead and whisper, “Love ya kid.”

  I make my way to the doorway and hear her tiny voice say, “I love you too, Dad.” I flip my head around in shock. Maybe she was saying it in her sleep or something. Either way it makes butterflies jump around in my stomach.

  I climb into bed with Hayley and kiss her on the lips. She wakes up and grabs hold of the back of my head. Her fingers run down my stomach.

  She laughs softly into my ear and bites it gently.

  “I see someone is feeling better,” I say smiling.

  “Much better,” she whispers running her hands over my belt buckle.

  Score.

  Found

  “Xavier,” Hayley whispers in my ear. I can feel a smile spread across my face. And it’s not that fake one I’ve been throwing on to put up a good front for Hayley and Aisley—it’s real. Her skin is warm against mine. I squeeze her side and press my lips against her collarbone.

  “Morning,” I croak. Man, I need some water. “How’d you sleep?”

  Hayley sighs. “Like an angel.”

  I kiss her collarbone again and trace the outline of her ribs. I wish I could get some more meat on her now, but the fort will take care of that. She suffered silently for so long that I feel partially responsible for it. I’m going to fix that and then we’re going to be accepted into Fort Ticonderoga, and we’ll never have to worry about anything ever again.

  “What do you want for breakfast?”

  “Hmmmm,” Hayley responds holding her chin. “Can we just get away from this awful place?”

  “That sounds perfect except for one thing,” I pull her on top of me and kiss her neck. “I want a little bit of you before we make a run for it.”

  Hayley laughs and pulls my head from her neck and kisses my lips softly. “I thought I kept that part of you under control,” she laughs. “Judging by our night last night.”

  “I’m still a guy.” She smiles and kisses me again. “What about running away though?” she says pouting.

  I roll my eyes—guess I’m not getting anything this morning until we get out of here. I wave an imaginary flag of defeat and let my head hit the pillow. “Well, I’ve gotta go out and get the car and the rest of our weapons ready—”

  “Can I help!” Aisley squeaks. She sprints and jumps on the bed in between Hayley and I.

  “All right,” I say getting out of bed. “You two get everything settled up here, and I’ll call you when the Four Runner’s ready.”

  Hayley blows me a kiss over Aisley’s shoulder, and I throw a wink over in her direction. I pull on a thermal and grab my sweatshirt from the closet. I close t
he door to our room quietly and slip into the stairwell across from our door. My footsteps echo off the concrete steps as I make my way to the emergency exit.

  A fresh blanket of snow covers the parking lot and continues to come down hard. Shit. I hate driving in the snow. It means I can’t drive as fast as normal. The scavengers nearly caught us last time—almost killed Aisley while doing it too. I march through the snow and head for the Four Runner under the brush.

  This is it, we’re finally leaving.

  The wind whips wet snow at my face turning it numb very quickly. I climb in the car and turn the engine over.

  “Knew this was a workin’ truck,” I hear and then everything goes black.

  * * *

  I wake up in the forest. I can feel a shoe pressing in the middle of my spine. “You get up, I pull the trigger. Got it?” the voice says.

  I try and get a look around to see where I am, but the man digs his heel deeper into my spine. A scream echoes from somewhere—Aisley. Oh god, no. I can hear her crying in between screams. “Aisley!”

  “Xavier!” she calls out.

  “You move, I’ll kill ya,” the voice says again. He presses harder into my back. Where’s Hayley? I feel my heart pound harder against my chest. Where is she? My eyes dart around my head. I don’t see her anywhere.

  “Xavier!” Aisley cries out. I look up at her voice and see her tear-streaked face. Two men grip her arms and drag her through the snow.

  “It’s ok, Aisley. You’re all right.”

  “They hurt Hayley. They hurt her bad,” she cries.

  “Where is she,” I ask.

  Aisley’s eye widen, and I hear a thud land next to me. My eyes pan across the whiteness of the snow to Hayley’s limp body. “Hayley!” I squirm under the man’s foot. “What did you do to her?”

  “She had a lot of fight in her,” the man pinning me says. “Killed one of us. My guys had a tough time taking her down. But like I said, she did had a lot of fight in her.” A throaty laugh escapes his mouth, and he leans down towards my ear. “She’s got a pretty good stab wound somewhere in the stomach— that knocked her out pretty quickly.” A deep red inches outward from under Hayley’s body.

  No, no, no—

  “No!” I scream in a voice that sounds nothing like my own. I grab a hold of the man’s foot and twist his ankle until it snaps. A gun falls from his hands as he collapses to the ground. I aim and fire two bullets at the men holding Aisley. I turn my gun to the man who threw Hayley on the ground to see him sprinting off in the opposite direction.

  “Hayles!” I scramble to her and turn her over. Her lips are a dark purple and her skin looks like wax paper. “Hayley, please,” I beg. “Please!”

  Her eyelids open halfway and she smiles. “I–I got one—”

  “Shhh, I’m gonna get some help for you.” I look around for the Four Runner, but can’t see anything but trees and a brick house.

  A brick house—oh god.

  “Follow me!” Aisley says. She runs ahead, and I follow close behind with Hayley in my arms.

  “You’re gonna be ok, Hayles. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “Xavier, am I dying?” Hayley’s eyes are barely open, but I can still see the fear in them.

  “No. You’re not dying unless I say so.” I press my lips on her forehead—Jesus, it’s like ice.

  “Come on hurry,” Aisley says in between breaths. “The fort’s close! I saw it!”

  We’re sprinting now through the woods when I hear a gunshot from behind us go off. Aisley screams and starts weaving in and out of the trees even faster than before. I copy her movements and can almost feel bullets flying by us. Shouting from behind me makes me turn my head to see who’s following us. The one guy who ran away before is running alongside a group of six other men—scavengers.

  “Move Aisley!” I can her crying over my heavy breathing.

  “Xavier,” Hayley breathes. “I love you.”

  “We’re almost there, Hayles!” I can see the fort’s walls through the thick barrier of trees. “Run Aisley! Run!”

  Aisley reaches the clearing before Hayley and I do. A soldier aims a gun at the tiny figure running ahead of me. She points over our way and speaks words that don’t make it past the gunfire and shouting. The soldier signals to someone, and I feel a bullet whiz by my head coming from the direction of the fort entrance.

  Are they firing at me?

  I keep running in zigzags hoping that they aren’t. I reach the clearing and sprint straight to the officer. “She’s been stabbedpleasehelpher!” I say.

  The door opens to the fort, and a group of soldiers come out with a stretcher. “I’m sorry sir, but only them,” the soldier says.

  “But they’re my family!”

  “Only them,” the soldier responds.

  “We’re only taking children and women. I’m sorry.”

  “Xavier!” Aisley cries. A soldier is struggling to carry her in over his soldier; her arms thrashing outward towards me.

  “Where am I supposed to go,” I ask.

  “Somewhere safe,” the soldier responds. “The government will be sending assistance soon.”

  “Xavier,” a small voice says. Hayley reaches her hand out and holds the side of my face.

  “You have to go here, I’ll be back to get you soon,” the words are barely escaping my throat. I swallow past the hurt fighting its way out and look Hayley in the eyes. “I love you, Hayles. Always have, always will.”

  “I love you too,” she breathes. I kiss her icy forehead and lower her onto the stretcher. They wheel her off before I get another word out. The soldier who was outside of the doors shoots one of the men running towards me.

  “You best get out of here, sir. We’ll only hold them off for so long,” she yells. I nod my head watching Hayley disappear completely. “You know you’re never going to be let inside here,” the soldier says.

  I nod my head. “I wasn’t about to tell a dying girl that, was I?” The soldier shoots her gaze at me, her eyes wide. “I’d rather give her a reason to come looking for me,” I say. “If I even make it that far.”

  And then I run. I don’t look at my surroundings. The gunshots fade, the scenery all begins to look the same.

  Cassie, if you’re hearing me, give me some luck—don’t let me burn with the rest of these psychos.

  Want more?

  Keep reading for a preview of If I Lose,

  the second book in The Burn Our Houses Down Series

  Prologue

  I never thought I would run from safety, but this place will kill me if I stay any longer. It’s been five years, 6 months and 15 days since Xavier left Aisley and I at the Fort’s gates.

  Aisley turns 14 in two days; they’ll try and take her next. I need to get our family safe. The only way is to run—like before.

  I need you, Xavier. I need to find you—for all of our sake’s.

  For You

  Book One

  January 6, 2013

  “Hayley,” a tiny voice says into my ear. I try to open my eyes, but they’re just too damn heavy. “Hayley, please wake up! I don’t want to lose you too.”

  I don’t hear Xavier. I know that’s Aisley but—where am I? I can’t remember—

  You have to go here. I’ll be back to get you soon. I love you, Hayles. Always have, always will.

  I’m—I’m at the fort. He got us here! But, he couldn’t—come with us. He—

  A scream rips through my throat. I sit up feeling a sharp pain shoot through my spinal cord.

  A door slams shut. “Ms. Henderson!” a voice yells. “Please, lay back down! You’ve been seriously injured—”

  “Where is he?” I yell. I try and get out of bed, but a small voice stops me.

  “Mom?”

  Oh my god, Aisley? Her dirty blond hair falls to her lower back; her face fuller and less defined by protruding bones. She looks so grown up. “Aisley?” I reach an
d touch her skin. It’s so smooth, like it’s never even seen the outside.

  The nurse walks with a small needle to where I can’t see her anymore. I start crying, and Aisley reaches out to wipe the tears from my face.

  “Yeah,” she responds smiling. “You’ve been out for a week.”

  “What day is it?” I ask. My body relaxes, and I lay back against the softness of my mattress.

  “My birthday was yesterday,” Aisley responds. “I’m 10 now.”

  I smile and take hold of her hand. She’s 10—which means it’s 2013. Her birthday was January 5. The nurse reaches behind my head and pulls a tube under my nose.

  “I gave you something to help you relax, Ms. Henderson,” she says. I nod my head and rest it on my pillow.

  “Where’s Xavier?” I ask. No one responds. I look over at Aisley, and her eyes are wide. “Is he dead?”

  Aisley’s eyes shift down. No—please, no. I look over at the nurse. She reaches out and squeezes my hand. “I’m very sorry, Ms. Henderson.”

  “No!” I sob. I want to get up and run, but all the energy I had when I first woke up is gone. I sob harder when I look at Aisley—our child, the one we saved from the fire—and see her begin to cry as well.

  “Please try and relax, Ms. Henderson,” the nurse says releasing my hand. “Miss Aisley, 10 more minutes.”

  Aisley nods her head and follows the nurse with her eyes all the way to the door and waits for it to shut.

  “Hayley, I need you to listen to me,” her voice is coming out so fast that I barely catch what she’s saying. “Xavier ran. . .not dead. . .remember. . .try and remember!”

  I nod my head, but I don’t really know what for. Everything is just so peaceful right now, don’t you think?

  * * *

  “Xavier,” I say.

  He looks down at me. It feels like I’m floating. Like we’re miles above the clouds somewhere no one can touch us. I reach for the side of his face—I can feel the warmth through his scruff.