How could I forget to lock the fucking door?
Jacob’s heart raced as several shapes filtered into the room. The palpitations caused the back of his head to throb and stung the space deep behind his eyes as they struggled to adjust in the darkness.
Daniel was the first to recognize they weren’t alone; his steps stuttered and he squared himself to the figure opposite. He raised his hands, palms outstretched before him.
‘Jesus Christ,’ he stammered, flatfooted and unsure how to react. Daniel stood rigid with Keeley right behind; she was quickly supplanted by Isaac who brandished his knife menacingly.
Jacob’s knees felt weak and his vision clouded.
In the darkness, it was difficult to pick out the source of the voice; Daniel’s ebony skin cast him as little more than a silhouette against the gloom.
Jacob’s head swiveled as his brain fought to process the images before him. Instinctively, he backed up, stumbling slightly as he bumped into the coffee table.
‘Woah, pal,’ Daniel continued, voice finding a more level tone. ‘Take it easy, man; we didn’t know this was occupied.’
As Sullivan entered the room he picked up on Isaac’s positioning. The two circled out from the entrance on either side of the couch. They slowly flanked the silent stranger, angling themselves out as a fifth person froze in the doorway. Sullivan turned the flashlight over in his hands but didn’t light it.
Jacob immediately understood the significance of their movements. If they were to come at him, he would need to divide his attentions. The assailants meant to establish a wide angle, something he couldn’t contain.
Their movements were practiced, deliberate.
They’d done this before; quick and wordless, it was automatic for them.
The problem he now faced was whether they had developed that comfort on ghouls – or people.
Jacob frantically scanned the floor and couch cushions for his hatchet.
Aside from the glint of the knife, the intruders looked unarmed.
Nevertheless, he didn’t like his odds.
Isaac and Sullivan continued to circle out.
‘You better start fucking talking,’ Isaac stated grimly.
Jacob inched away from the blade as he noticed the other shape was almost beside him.
The noose was tightening.
Recognizing that Isaac and Sully were fully focused on the task at hand, Daniel continued.
‘Look man, we don’t want any trouble…’
Jacob remained silent and used his leg to push the coffee table away, employing the newfound space to adjust his own positioning in the room.
‘Nobody needs to get hurt here.’
Daniel’s voice was calm, steady.
Sullivan cracked his knuckles audibly and Anders stepped in to stand beside Daniel and in front of Keeley.
Jacob’s eyes bounced from figure to figure, fighting hard to process the scene. He held his breath as he struggled for words.
‘You look a bit busted up,’ Sullivan snipped.
The number of voices in the dark was dizzying.
‘Are… are you hurt?’
Jacob froze.
He hadn’t expected a woman’s voice.
Daniel noted the slight change in the stranger’s energy.
‘Please, maybe we can help,’ Keeley started, tone pleading. ‘Are you alright?’
Isaac glared sideways at Keeley before refocusing on their quarry.
Jacob considered his options.
Her delivery was convincing, but the two kept circling.
Jacob shot another searching glance and caught sight of the hatchet. It must have slipped off the cushions as he slept and lay partially concealed under the couch.
If he could just get to it, his chances would improve dramatically.
Jacob’s hands rose slightly to show he was unarmed.
Anders watched nervously as the dance continued.
Daniel was becoming frustrated the stranger remained mute; his continued silence did little to defuse the tension.
Jacob considered his adversaries. Their clothes looked nothing like the trio he had encountered earlier in the day. Plain clothed and simple, they looked like refugees.
Nevertheless, he was well aware that desperate people are capable of terrible things.
He was prepared to fight for his life.
His pulse quickened and his head swooned; Jacob stumbled slightly but caught himself.
The two men circling him didn’t use his slip as their opportunity to pounce, but neither did they relinquish their angle.
‘Look, I was studying to be an RN – if you’re hurt, I might be able to help,’ Daniel began. ‘We were looking for a place for the night, get off the streets.’
It was believable, but it was difficult to trust.
Jacob finally broke his silence. His tone and words were pointed.
‘I have food, and some water. I can give you a bit,’ he paused for emphasis, ‘but you need to leave.’
Daniel’s heart sank. He vainly searched for the words to prolong their dialogue, hoping to negotiate.
‘You’re not in a position to make that kind of statement,’ Isaac chided.
Now it was Keeley who shot Isaac a glare. The escalation was poorly timed.
‘What, are you going to steal it from me?’ Jacob shot back, squaring his shoulders. ‘Going to kill me for a meal?’
Jacob’s glare burrowed into Isaac, who returned it evenly.
‘People die for less.’
The gravity of the statement wasn’t lost on Sully.
‘No one is fucking dying,’ Anders interjected.
Jacob’s eyes burned with an equal threat for Isaac.
Keeley scrambled to salvage the situation. She stepped from behind Anders and took center stage.
‘Isaac, Christ,’ she started, her disdain for the posturing plainly evident as she turned her eyes to the stranger. ‘Listen, we’re good people. We can help each other here.’
Jacob listened and the words did ring true – he didn’t doubt her sincerity. She sounded kind, if kindness yet existed.
Isaac’s stance eased and the tip of his blade lowered.
The severity in the room seemed to lighten.
Daniel stepped ahead to join Keeley.
‘Look, I’m a nurse – if you’re hurt, tell me what happened, we’ll go from there.’
Everyone’s eyes had grown more accustomed to the darkness and each could see their features softened. Though Jacob wanted no further quarrel, he’d still feel much more comfortable with his axe in easy reach.
Boldly, Jacob advanced and sat on the couch. Daniel took it as a sign of confidence, an indication the stranger trusted them and would pursue no further confrontation. Unbeknownst to the rest, Jacob had chosen his seat carefully, sitting with the hatchet imperceptibly at his feet. He used the heel of his boot to obscure the small portion of the handle that poked out from the sofa.
Daniel and Keeley could immediately see the wound at the base of his skull and the dark stain on his collar. They shared the realization that wounded animals fear being cornered.
‘I fell,’ Jacob explained. ‘Got pretty banged up.’
‘Yes, you did,’ Daniel replied as he assessed the damage, ‘that must have been one hell of a fall.’
Isaac sheathed his knife and Sully found somewhere to plunk down.
‘Let me see the flashlight,’ Daniel called over to Sully, who passed it over.
Daniel clicked the beam on. Jacob’s eyes blurred with the sudden burst of light, faint as it was; he closed his eyes for a long moment before reopening them in a thin squint. His shadow was cast long and large against the floor.
‘I don’t think there’s a crack in the skull; looks like it was just a nasty impact
cut.’
Jacob winced as Daniel’s fingers probed around the wound.
‘You’ll need that stitched; otherwise you’ll keep aggravating it and risk infection. Keeley, can you look around, find me a sewing kit or something?’
Keeley nodded and immediately set to work canvassing drawers and cabinets with Anders following right behind. She smiled to herself; Anders always had a reputation for being helpful. She was glad his ordeal at the compound hadn’t robbed him of that quality.
‘Do you feel dizzy?’ Daniel continued.
Jacob groaned but offered no further complaint as Daniel continued to work around the cut.
‘Comes and goes.’
‘How’s your vision, hearing?’
‘Not great,’ Jacob admitted. ‘Sudden movements make it worse.’
Daniel nodded, ‘Bad headache, obviously.’
Jacob chuckled as Daniel dug through his jacket pockets and pulled out a bit of gauze and some assorted pills.
Isaac watched Daniel rifle through what little supplies they had managed to pull together with some contempt. He cared little for any outside their band, and would not condone anything to jeopardize Keeley’s safety – even if that made him abrasive, it was a trade he would make every time. Nevertheless, patching the stranger up was the decent thing to do, and what she would have wanted.
Daniel leaned over the couch and checked Jacob’s pupils for their response to the direct light.
‘You’re probably concussed.’
Jacob acknowledged the statement with a slow nod.
Anders managed to come up with a golden tin stacked with mismatched buttons, a few needles and some shabby thread.
Daniel frowned as he looked over the makeshift sutures.
Hardly surgical grade.
‘The wound doesn’t look dirty, but we should clean it all the same,’ Daniel turned the sewing kit over in his hands. ‘Ideally we’d have something to sterilize this with, too.’
Jacob reached into his pocket and produced the engraved lighter, held it over his shoulder for Daniel without turning to face him.
‘I have some water,’ he mentioned, motioning to the pack on the floor. Keeley knelt down, tucking her dark hair behind her ears. As she rummaged through the pack, the unmistakable clink of several tinned items echoed faintly through the fabric. It had been days since any of them had enjoyed a proper meal; she couldn’t help the ensuing growl from her stomach.
The others heard it, too.
In the newfound light, Jacob could see their pallor. Clearly they were exhausted, and clearly they had been hungry for several days.
Jacob could almost hear them salivating.
‘Please,’ he offered. ‘Take something to eat.’
Despite the invitation, Keeley refused the kindness, in no small part due to Isaac’s indiscretion.
‘No,’ she replied dismissively, defying her hunger. ‘This is yours.’
Keeley pulled a bottle of water out and broke the seal. She poured a bit onto a strip of gauze and gently scrubbed at the wound, careful so as not to dislodge the scabbing.
Daniel removed a needle and some thread from the kit and flicked the lighter. The flame licked and blackened the tiny metal. As he leaned in to start the stitching, Anders interrupted.
‘Please,’ he began, ‘show me how to do this.’
The simple request caught everyone off guard.
Isaac and Sullivan exchanged glances from across the room.
‘You alright with… that?’ Daniel asked, unsure how to delicately phrase the request.
Jacob paused in consideration. Though more than a bit uncomfortable with his wound becoming the center of attention, this could be a rare opportunity for someone to learn a valuable skill.
‘Have at it,’ he snickered.
Isaac stood with his arms crossed and surveyed the scene.
Daniel passed the flashlight to Anders before turning back to his patient.
‘This is going to hurt.’
***
Daniel swatted Jacob encouragingly on the shoulder.
Jacob loosened his fist and stretched his fingers as he opened his eyes, each firmly clenched to endure the digging needle as the wound was sewn closed.
‘Well done,’ Daniel’s tone mirrored the smile on his face. ‘All set. But take it easy, don’t go ripping my masterpiece.’
Jacob ran his fingers along the needlework. Though the skin about the wound was pulled taut and felt itchy, the relief was near immediate. As he turned to face Daniel to offer his thanks, he was greeted by an open hand holding two nondescript white pills.
‘Wish we had something better for you,’ Daniel lamented. ‘This is all we’ve got.’
Touched by the stranger’s sincerity, Jacob was rendered speechless.
Daniel poured some water over his hands and wiped them clean as Anders lingered over the stitch work with the flashlight, trying to commit the finer details to memory. Keeley crossed the floor to stand with Isaac, who put his arms around her as she placed her head upon his shoulder. Sully sat quietly in the darkness, resting his chin in his hand, and listened to the last traces of the rain as it beat against the roof above them.
As Jacob processed their movements, he arrived at an inescapable conclusion.
Maybe they were just simple people.
Isaac interrupted the quiet reflection, voice thick with interrogation.
‘What are you doing out here, alone?’
Keeley raised her head and woefully turned her eyes to Isaac, as if pleading with him to not start this line of questioning.
‘Doesn’t look like this is home,’ Sully agreed as he straightened in his seat, lowering his hand to the arm rest.
Jacob turned his eyes and scratched at his scalp.
‘It’s not,’ he replied flatly.
‘Is there such a thing?’ Anders asked sarcastically.
‘…are you alone?’ Daniel asked as he found a seat on the couch next to Jacob.
Jacob glanced sideways at the tall African and leaned forward.
There’d be no going back, now.
‘No. There’s a few of us,’ he started before drawing a solemn breath, ‘the leftovers.’
Keeley shivered in Isaac’s arms as she considered the connotations.
‘How many?’ Isaac immediately shot.
Jacob leaned back in his seat.
‘Three, myself included.’
‘Where?’ Sully broke in, suddenly very engaged in the conversation.
‘Why aren’t you with them?’ Keeley added inquisitively.
Jacob proceeded to relay the story of the day’s events, of his encounter with the armed trio and his graceless escape, the two women he felt responsible for and his need to return to them. Each listened intently and allowed him to complete the retelling without interruption.
‘So,’ he added in climax. ‘I didn’t know who you were, or what your intentions might be.’
Keeley knew the wasteland would inevitably be rife with the parasites of mankind, but she had allowed herself to hope their adopted hometown would be more or less immune.
This was another element they now needed to contend with.
Believing he had earned the painkillers with the narrative, Jacob swallowed the pills with a swig of water. The thin plastic crackled in his hands as he lowered it from his lips.
Daniel nodded his accord slowly, now fully appreciating their earlier standoff.
He extended a hand to the stranger.
‘I’m Daniel.’
‘Jacob,’ Jacob shook his hand and scanned the assembly as they became acquainted.
Remembering the low growl of Keeley’s stomach, Jacob reached for his pack and produced several assorted tins and a couple bottles of water from its depths. He motioned to the coffee tab
le and Sully pushed it over with his boot.
Jacob pulled the coverings from off the tins and placed them individually on the table. The faint beam of flashlight danced excitedly over the spoils – it had been weeks since any of the compound survivors had seen a spread like this.
Jacob bid them welcome.
All congregated about the meager feast; Isaac was the last to join.
He afforded them several moments’ unbroken peace, savoured their expressions as they laughed and ate. Their gaunt faces, severe with hunger, seemed to brighten at the mere sight of food.
It reminded him of better times.
When the meal was near completion, Jacob renewed their conversation.
‘So… what about you lot? What’s your story?’
The group exchanged glances, visibly unsure how to properly respond.
Anders slowly chewed his last mouthful but made no eye contact with the rest.
Jacob could feel the change in the density of the air; an uncomfortable energy swirled thick about them.
‘Ours is a long story,’ Daniel broke the silence as he replaced a tin of flaked ham on the coffee table, ‘and perhaps for another time.’
Jacob firmly believed his offerings had bought him the right to their story in turn, and cared little for the bitter taste of secrecy. In any event, he would allow it to pass – for the time being.
They sat together, each searching for their own personal reprieve in the restless peace. Keeley curled into Isaac’s arms; Sully dozed away in his armchair. Anders and Daniel each sat and silently tried to come to terms with the events of their recent past.
Jacob also allowed himself time to rest and recharge, lowering his guard and sinking slightly into the cushions of the stained couch.
As the night waned, daylight began to creep in through the windows and the rain seemed to relent, yielding to the faint promise of a new dawn.
Isaac continued to eye Jacob with suspicion.
‘You seem pretty comfortable,’ Isaac leveled at last.
Sully lazily opened an eye and fixed it on Jacob.
‘Wounded and resting in a room of strangers,’ Isaac continued.
Jacob paused for a moment before his lips curled into a knowing grin. He reached down and produced his hatchet from beneath the couch, laid it across his lap in as nonthreatening a manner as possible.
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