by Maya Riley
The inside wasn’t at all what I expected. The living room was in good condition. The furniture had plastic on it, and the floor was clean and free of debris. The mantel above the fireplace held a vase with fake chrysanthemums.
Pictures hung on the wall, filled with smiling faces that were captured before the world took their happiness away.
“I don’t like the feel of this,” Mateo grumbled from the kitchen. “It’s too clean. No place should be this clean. Something’s off.”
“Maybe someone stopped here to use it as a shelter and made it more comfortable?” I suggested, trying to form some sort of excuse for this space that seemed untouched by the virus. Although, I was mostly trying to convince myself rather than them. Something did feel off. It held a strange mixture of someone living here and desertion. It didn’t have the scaver feeling though.
A wet nose pressed into the palm of my hand as Puppy did one of those, ‘I’m unsubtly telling you to pet me’ things. If she wasn’t growling or barking, then the space may be alright after all.
“If so, then would those people still be around and welcoming to strangers staying the night?” Adam inquired. “I don’t want to be asleep when they come back and find us. Especially if they’re scavers.”
“I doubt scavers would go through so much trouble to make this place look like this,” Lincoln countered as he set the radio and some bags on the floor near the door.
“It’s pretty.”
We all turned to look at Maura.
“What? I wanted to say something too. So I did.”
A clap sounded out from where Jonah was standing by the door behind us. The sun is setting. If we’re not going to stay here, then we need to find somewhere else. And fast.
Maura nudged back one of the curtains and peered out the window. “He’s right, the sun is going down, and fast.”
“Let’s check the rooms really quick, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot. Make sure the place is secure,” I instructed, turning around and looking at the other areas. There was the entrance to a kitchen where Mateo still was, and then a tiny hall space with a few doors. “At the very least, we could move back into the car for the night. Our choices are limited, especially when most of the choices include being outside.” I proceeded to walk to the nearest closed door. Inside was the master bedroom. This room was just as clean as the rest of the space, and the bed covered in plastic.
“Hey, I found the toilet. Trouble, didn’t you say something about a bathroom break?”
Shit. Suddenly I could feel the growing pressure in my bladder, and headed back to the front of the house. “Be right back,” I called over my shoulder, as I exited the house with Puppy on my heels.
I rounded the house and proceeded to take care of my business by the tree in the yard of a neighboring house, hopefully far enough away from the nosy eyes I left behind. The ground darkened as some clouds rolled in, and I could feel moisture in the air. Rain wouldn’t be far behind.
Afterward, I pulled my pants up and nosily peeked into the window. It was just like the house we went into. While the outside looked unwelcoming, the inside had a feeling of being untouched by the outside world. From the little bit I could see, there was some plastic on the couch there as well. Strange, maybe that was just a thing they once did in this neighborhood.
I ran back to the first house and made it inside right as the sun was dipping below the horizon. Jonah and Maura were lighting some candles, and the eerily kempt space was cast in a warm glow, emitting a false sense of security.
“So, weirdest thing,” I began. “I looked in the window of the house next door. It’s the same as this one. The outside looks like it’s lacking any civilization, but the inside is clean, and the furniture is covered in plastic. I don’t know what’s going on, and it could very well be nothing, but this neighborhood creeps me out.”
“What do you suggest we do?” Adam entered the living room from the kitchen. “It seems like it’s either stay here, or get back in the car. And if we get back in the car, I don’t think anyone would be comfortable staying parked outside here, we’d be more vulnerable, so we’d have to drive somewhere. But we’re also down to just under a quarter tank of gas, so we’d only be able to drive so far and hope we find another abandoned car with gas during that time frame.”
Light rain began to pelt the roof, the sound as ominous as Mateo’s resting scowl face, which was slightly less scowly when he began to speak. “Best bet would be to stay here. I don’t like it, but if it comes down to it, our group has some damn good fighters and literal fire power. We can take whatever comes at us.”
“Aw, Teo, I think we just had a group moment,” I teased with a smile. “That’s probably the sweetest thing you’ve ever said.”
“Shut up.” He turned around and went over to one of the couches. The plastic crinkled as he sat down and tried to figure out how to relax on plastic-covered furniture. He looked so uncomfortable, and I didn’t care if it was bad that I found humor in his discomfort.
I walked over and sat down next to him, and indeed, the plastic was itchy and very uncomfortable.
“Can we take the plastic off?” Maura asked, from where she was standing next to the arm of the couch.
“It’s best to leave as little evidence behind as possible of our presence here.” I leaned my head back against the cushion.
“But leaving butt prints in the plastic is okay?”
I froze. She had a good point. “It’s too late for that now, but yeah, as little evidence as possible. Aside from the plastic butt prints.” A fleeting thought of Mateo’s bubble butt being imprinted on the couch now entered my mind and I mentally swatted at it. Now was not the time.
Adam emerged from the bedroom, carrying a brush. “Didn’t you say something about your hair being a mess?”
I nodded, surprised that someone would remember and acknowledge my messy hair, whether or not I’d said it in the form of an unhumorous joke.
Adam sat down on my other side, angled enough so that he could face me. “This will work. I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer you didn’t shave your head.”
I snickered and then felt the bristles of the brush fight with the knots in my hair. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the bristles came loose and lodged themselves up against my skull, forever immortalized in the thick knots that was my hair.
He began at the bottom, freeing the strands one knot at a time, and worked his way up. Slight relief slowly washed over me with each strand of hair that was freed. I hadn’t realized how amazing unknotted hair could feel. I could now feel traces of the wind whisper through my locks.
Once he eventually finished with that side of my hair, I turned, facing Mateo, so that Adam could brush the back.
Mateo got up and positioned himself on the floor against one wall, facing the front door.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I’m going to keep an eye on the front door. You lot can frolic there on the couch, I’ll keep a lookout. At least for the first shift. Once you get done there, get some sleep. Especially you, Adam. You’ve been driving the last few hours.”
“Aye aye, captain.”
Mateo’s head snapped toward Adam. “Was that a one-eyed joke?” His voice was low, as though he was trying to contain his slowly rising anger.
“No, not at all, man. I promise.” Adam held up his hands in a placating gesture.
“My sense of humor must be rubbing off on you guys.” I wasn’t a fan of conflict between any of them, and wanted to keep the peace as much as possible. “I’ve said that, and obviously it’s infected the minds of those surrounding me with a similar sense of humor. Shrug it off, Mr. Grumpy Pants. Tomorrow, we’ll continue our journey to this paradise land or whatever.”
“Hey, speaking of which, did anyone bring the radio in?” Maura inquired from her spot on the floor, her head practically vanishing into the pack she was digging through. Jonah was sitting down nearby, doing the same.
“Yeah, I
got it right here.” Lincoln disappeared into the kitchen and reemerged with the radio. He sat down in the middle of the floor, only several feet from me, and proceeded to mess with the dials. Adam was halfway done with my hair now, and it was beginning to feel so much better. Running around for days with a beaver dam on top of your head was very annoying. I’d definitely make sure to take the brush with me when we left. Why I didn’t think to look for one when we were back at the store going through the merchandise was beyond me, and I was kicking myself about it now.
Static came over the radio and we all listened intently, waiting to see if there was another message like the one before. After a while, my attention shifted. Straining to listen for words in static was exhausting.
By the time my hair was all brushed and free of knots, I was more than ready to lie down. My body ached from being stuck in the same position for the entire day, and I wanted to stretch out. The muscles in my legs were tight from inactivity.
Soft snores emanated from the corner where Maura and Puppy were cuddled up, the sounds mingling with the static from the radio.
I yawned and threw my arms out over my head in a big stretch, my hands grabbing each opposite elbow in the process. Still standing, I arched my back into an even bigger stretch. Adam grabbed my shoulders and pulled me down to the couch. He stood up during the movement, and my head hit the warmed plastic he was sitting on a moment ago. “Here, lie down and rest.” He knelt on the floor next to Lincoln and said softly, “You too, man. I’ll take over for a while, go lie down.”
“I don’t want to lay on the couch. It would be more uncomfortable for me than the floor.”
“Then go lay on the bed instead,” Adam countered, as he turned his focus to the radio, and proceeded to mess around with the dials some more.
Lincoln stood up, looked toward the bedroom, then to me. I could only keep my eyes halfway open by now.
He walked over, scooped me up into his arms, and carried me away. I was too tired to lift my arms around his neck, so he cradled me in a way where my arms wouldn’t get jammed between our bodies.
I could feel some plastic rub against my cheek as I was laid down on the bed, which sunk down a fraction more as he climbed on and then positioned himself behind me. An arm wrapped around me and I was suddenly enveloped in his familiar campfire scent. He pulled me tightly against him, then kissed my shoulder before burying his head into the back of my neck. Moments later, I was drifting off, safe in the warmth of his arms.
Blyss
“What the actual fuck?”
I jolted awake, bolted straight up in bed, and looked around to find the commotion that awoke me. It must have been sometime in the middle of the night, since it was still pitch-black outside the window. Rain no longer pelted the glass, so it had stopped raining at some point in the night.
Only a bit of the glow from the candles could be seen illuminating a sliver of where we lay in bed.
Lincoln was sitting up too, the contrast of the faint light in the dark magnifying his disheveled, confused, and ready to fight look. “What’s going on?” He immediately began feeling around until he found his leg and quickly fumbled with the latches to get it secured and ready to walk on.
The voice sounded far away, almost as though it were coming from underneath the house. We jumped to the floor and ran out, trying to search out the threat.
What we found, though, was everyone else startling awake, but one was missing.
“Where’s Adam?” I demanded, panic threading through my veins.
Muffled noises came from the kitchen area so I ran toward it, and to the strange, opened door that I didn’t see there the day before. It looked like one of those secret hidden doors disguised as a cabinet. I ran through the door, down the creaky wooden stairs, and into the pitch-black.
“Adam?” I whispered, convinced he had something to do with why I was running around frantic in the dead of the early morning.
“Skittle. Get back upstairs, now.”
“What’s happened?”
“I’ll explain. Just go.”
Hands tugged on my shoulders, and I was spun around and shoved back toward the stairs. A hissing sounded out behind us, one that sent chills down my spine despite the warm air. Together, we rushed up the stairs, not even being slowed down by the occasional loose floorboard. Once we were through the door, Adam slammed it shut.
“What’s going on?” Mateo appeared next to me, and his eye roved over me, searching for any injury. He reached out his hands to touch me, but I swatted them away.
“I’m fine.” I turned to face Adam. “What’s going on down there? Why’d you yell earlier, and then rush me upstairs? What was that hissing noise?” I had a sickening feeling I knew what it was, but I needed to be sure.
Before he could open his mouth to answer, a light scratching sounded from the other side of the door. We all froze and stared, half expecting it to show itself.
“There’s a rotter down there,” Adam began to explain. “I heard some strange noises and went to investigate. I saw a rotter, it startled me, and I dropped the candle. That’s when Skittle showed up, and we hurried upstairs.”
“How many rotters are we talking about? That doesn’t sound like one of those speedy, psycho rotters that are popping up now.” Lincoln nodded his head toward the door.
“One.”
“Just one?”
Adam nodded. “Just one. But it wasn’t like… a normal one. There was something different about it.”
“No crazy speed though?” Mateo queried.
“No crazy speed.”
“Then what’s so different about it?” Lincoln pressed. “You could’ve taken it in one fell swoop.”
We need to know, Jonah signed.
“It… It’s not decaying like normal. I mean, it is, but its clothes were clean and seemingly fresh. It looked like someone did a good job making sure that rotter had proper…uh…hygiene.” His hand rubbed the back of his neck.
I scrunched up my face. “A rotter with proper hygiene?”
“Is something like that even possible?” Maura asked, standing in the kitchen opening, since she’d apparently been blocked out from whatever threat the guys thought we were under.
“Apparently. And before I dropped the candle, I saw a bed that was covered in plastic.”
Everyone took a moment to process that, thinking back to all the furniture in this house that was covered in plastic.
“Is this a house for rotters?” Maura mused.
“A neighborhood for rotters?” Lincoln added.
“A rotter neighborhood,” I surmised.
“This is getting way too creepy, even beyond my tolerance level. I say we take care of that rotter, then pack up and be ready to head out before first light. It shouldn’t be too much longer before sunrise, and I’d like to leave as soon as the road is visible.” Mateo left no time for an argument. He brandished a blade in one hand so fast I never saw where it came from, then reached out and opened the door.
A rotter girl toppled to the floor, leaving behind a few of her nails embedded into the wood of the door she’d been scratching at.
Before she could even lift her head, it was falling to the floor with a thunk, fully separated from the body. Another low moan echoed from the darkness below, sending a chill down my spine. Mateo remained in place, staring down at the dark.
“Mateo, don’t go down there. There’s no light, and it’s not worth your safety.” I reached out and placed a palm against his back.
He shuddered before using his foot to scoot the head and body down the stairs, then closed the door right as another hiss rang out. He walked out of the kitchen, collected all our belongings, and set them by the door. “This shit is way too freaky, even for me.”
He muttered to himself the whole time, and cursed about maniacal people. Although, after Dr. Crazy, I was a bit hesitant with the strange and unknown as well. And nothing about this sat right with me.
A few minutes later, another lo
w scratching could be heard from the other side of the cabinet door. We could leave the door open and see how many came out, then take them down one at a time, but we had no idea how many we’d be up against. For all I knew, the basement could be an endless underground system. After all, who the fuck would keep rotters in the basement, let alone dress them up in clean clothes? Those weren’t people I’d be too keen to meet any time soon, if ever.
The gentle scratching against the back of the door turned more insistent as the time passed. We threw our stuff together in record time—not that we’d really unpacked at all. We searched through the closets and drawers, looking for anything that may be of use to us. We decided to take some of the food from the kitchen cabinets, figuring by the time the owners of the house discovered it, we’d already be long gone. It was the least we could get out of this.
Jonah pulled a curtain to the side to check outside. Soft light began to creep across the land, and the rising sun wouldn’t be far behind.
“Well, may as well pack up the car and start siphoning gas from another. Park the car closer to one of the other ones. Let’s try for one on the next street over, I kind of want to be away from here.” I grabbed the tubes we found under the sink and ran outside, relieved to leave the continuous scratching sounds behind. Either it was my imagination, or the sound had multiplied in the time we’d been packing up.
We jumped into the SUV and drove it over to the next street where there were a few cars, then parked next to one. Hopefully, this one would provide us with enough fuel to get far away.
The gas cap on the first car I tried removed with ease, and I threaded the plastic tubes into the gas tank. Once Adam turned off the SUV and undid the gas cap, so I inserted the other end of the longer hose into the SUV gas tank, placed my mouth on the end of the shorter tube, and blew some bubbles in. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the gas flowing from the first car and into our vehicle. I kept doing that until the car was drained dry.