I went.
I went to lunch.
It was....
interesting.
I took note of my appearance. My hair had grown out and was ratty. My clothes hadn't been washed in weeks. My shoes ragged. I looked homeless. My face was smeared with dirt. Lets not even talk about my nether regions...
I'm glad I didn't step closer when I met them earlier. They probably smelled me anyway. Whew.
By some miracle the water pump still worked here but was frigid cold. The cold would have almost bothered me if it wasn't sweltering hot outside. I took my cold shower and walked around the apartment naked. The place was pretty nice. Large leather couch to go with a large flat screen tv. What a brilliantly expensive paperweight. I chuckled to myself as I went into the master bedroom. Male and female clothes were strewn around. Whoever lived here either packed light or had way too much to begin with. The place was spotless, if they died it wasn't within these walls. I put on some leggings and a simple shirt. The clothes didn't fit me perfectly, but at least I wasn't a shambly corpse anymore.
I looked turned around to see the perfectly made bed. I ran my fingers along the edge of the mattress and imagined the couple intertwined, rolling around together. There were a small army of ties in the closet and a few abandoned suits. A straight laced type. Most of the walls were bare. This was either a temporary home or they had just moved in. There is unpacked boxes neatly places around edges of rooms. There wasn't any power on but the apartment was surprisingly tolerable with windows open. I had been sleeping on the floor in the living room and hadn't been in the rest of the place other than to secure it.
On the way over to the Benny people I walked through the courtyard and noticed they had used the drained pool as a burn pit. Clever.
"Welcome!" Benny greeted me at the door. Ten people were scattered around the living room and kitchen. The kids were playing cards in between scoops of something in a bowl. I gave a weak wave. "This is... uhhh, I'm sorry, I don't think we got your name."
I contemplated using my real name or just initial or -- "Beth. My name is Beth." I gave a long exhale, I hadn't realized I had been holding it for so long. So very long.
The entire room did various "Hi Beth"s and I some didn't even look up at me. In addition to the Benny family there were two teenagers and two adults. Three women and a male. They each had handguns strapped to their thighs and hunting knives to their calves. It was very tomb raider. Khaki shorts and all. I couldn't help but notice random skulls artfully placed around like trophies.
"I hope you like beans and pasta." Isabelle said, approaching me with a bowl and spoon. I took the bowl and utensil and took a seat on the floor. I looked down into the bowl: Spinach, maybe Navy beans and elbow noodles. I think there were chunks of tomatoes floating in the bean juice. It looked like a thanksgiving meal. I could smell the goals cooling off on the balcony. They also had all of their windows and doors open. "I made enough for seconds, everybody."
I hesitated before digging in. Everyone else was eating theirs and quietly talking amongst themselves. The air was thick with negativity and anxiety. I could choke on it. "Look-- maybe I should go." I put my spoon back into the bowl and stood up.
"No, no, no. Now calm down. It's okay. Everybody relax." Benny moderated.
"Why should we relax, Ben? Tell me, how is this procedure, Ben?" The other man asked rather sternly.
"Dad, stop." One of the teenage girls chided.
"Listen. I'm sorry I'm invading whatever you guys have going here. I can leave within the hour." I felt the room relax instantly. "And you can keep your stash. I've done okay so far, I can do it again. I'm not anchored here. You guys are. I've traveled more than a thousand miles on my own, whats a few more?" As I turn towards the door I smell the stench. "Their coming." I say just above a whisper.
"What?" Randi asks, getting to her feet.
"I can smell them. It's got to be a herd." I say, taking it upon myself to close their windows and doors. "Do you guys have an escape route? Panic plan? Anything?"
"The attic. We should go to the attic." Benny said, gathering the children, even the tomb raider family followed their lead. There was a poorly ripped up hole in the ceiling that they put a ladder up to. We all crawled up single file until we were on the second level. The second level just had beds and bedding strewn around with piles of books. Obviously down stairs was the living area while up here was where all the slumber happened. It looked like the sister wives and children all slept with Benny in the living room area turned into a large bedroom. In the master bedroom we single file crawled up a folding ladder that was already pulled down in the empty closet. Randi and Isabelle closed the doors and windows as we all filed up into the attic. The smallest child was whimpering. The attic was big enough for maybe twenty people comfortably but wasn't tall enough for anyone but the children to stand completely upright. I notice an easy months worth of canned goods and yoga mats and pillows for sleeping for a dozen people.
Benny walked bent over to the window facing the road and moved peered out towards the main road. "Which way do you think they're coming from, Beth?"
"From behind us, it felt like." I felt silly saying my words out loud. I sound so much more sure of myself in my head.
"Behind us? Please." The tomb raider dad scoffed. "There is nothing behind us but houses that we've cleared ages ago."
"Haven't you guys ever seen a herd before?" I asked, astonished. In two years there is no way that they have escaped this phenomenon.
"Well, duh, lady." The Dad said, rolling his eyes. Well, it was dark, I assume he rolled his eyes.
We waited in complete silence for twenty minutes before the moans started. It was like an ambulance siren. You hear it before you see it. As the moans got exceptionally louder Benny peered out of the window again, but this time only his eyes peered over. By the look on his face there must have been a rather good sized herd. I rubbed the hilt of my knife nervously. Randi and Isabelle had rocked the kids and themselves to sleep and were quietly snoring in a clump.
I went to lunch.
It was....
interesting.
I took note of my appearance. My hair had grown out and was ratty. My clothes hadn't been washed in weeks. My shoes ragged. I looked homeless. My face was smeared with dirt. Lets not even talk about my nether regions...
I'm glad I didn't step closer when I met them earlier. They probably smelled me anyway. Whew.
By some miracle the water pump still worked here but was frigid cold. The cold would have almost bothered me if it wasn't sweltering hot outside. I took my cold shower and walked around the apartment naked. The place was pretty nice. Large leather couch to go with a large flat screen tv. What a brilliantly expensive paperweight. I chuckled to myself as I went into the master bedroom. Male and female clothes were strewn around. Whoever lived here either packed light or had way too much to begin with. The place was spotless, if they died it wasn't within these walls. I put on some leggings and a simple shirt. The clothes didn't fit me perfectly, but at least I wasn't a shambly corpse anymore.
I looked turned around to see the perfectly made bed. I ran my fingers along the edge of the mattress and imagined the couple intertwined, rolling around together. There were a small army of ties in the closet and a few abandoned suits. A straight laced type. Most of the walls were bare. This was either a temporary home or they had just moved in. There is unpacked boxes neatly places around edges of rooms. There wasn't any power on but the apartment was surprisingly tolerable with windows open. I had been sleeping on the floor in the living room and hadn't been in the rest of the place other than to secure it.
On the way over to the Benny people I walked through the courtyard and noticed they had used the drained pool as a burn pit. Clever.
"Welcome!" Benny greeted me at the door. Ten people were scattered around the living room and kitchen. The kids were playing cards in between scoops of something in a bowl. I gave a weak wave. "This is... uhhh, I'm sorry, I don't think we got your name."
I contemplated using my real name or just initial or -- "Beth. My name is Beth." I gave a long exhale, I hadn't realized I had been holding it for so long. So very long.
The entire room did various "Hi Beth"s and I some didn't even look up at me. In addition to the Benny family there were two teenagers and two adults. Three women and a male. They each had handguns strapped to their thighs and hunting knives to their calves. It was very tomb raider. Khaki shorts and all. I couldn't help but notice random skulls artfully placed around like trophies.
"I hope you like beans and pasta." Isabelle said, approaching me with a bowl and spoon. I took the bowl and utensil and took a seat on the floor. I looked down into the bowl: Spinach, maybe Navy beans and elbow noodles. I think there were chunks of tomatoes floating in the bean juice. It looked like a thanksgiving meal. I could smell the goals cooling off on the balcony. They also had all of their windows and doors open. "I made enough for seconds, everybody."
I hesitated before digging in. Everyone else was eating theirs and quietly talking amongst themselves. The air was thick with negativity and anxiety. I could choke on it. "Look-- maybe I should go." I put my spoon back into the bowl and stood up.
"No, no, no. Now calm down. It's okay. Everybody relax." Benny moderated.
"Why should we relax, Ben? Tell me, how is this procedure, Ben?" The other man asked rather sternly.
"Dad, stop." One of the teenage girls chided.
"Listen. I'm sorry I'm invading whatever you guys have going here. I can leave within the hour." I felt the room relax instantly. "And you can keep your stash. I've done okay so far, I can do it again. I'm not anchored here. You guys are. I've traveled more than a thousand miles on my own, whats a few more?" As I turn towards the door I smell the stench. "Their coming." I say just above a whisper.
"What?" Randi asks, getting to her feet.
"I can smell them. It's got to be a herd." I say, taking it upon myself to close their windows and doors. "Do you guys have an escape route? Panic plan? Anything?"
"The attic. We should go to the attic." Benny said, gathering the children, even the tomb raider family followed their lead. There was a poorly ripped up hole in the ceiling that they put a ladder up to. We all crawled up single file until we were on the second level. The second level just had beds and bedding strewn around with piles of books. Obviously down stairs was the living area while up here was where all the slumber happened. It looked like the sister wives and children all slept with Benny in the living room area turned into a large bedroom. In the master bedroom we single file crawled up a folding ladder that was already pulled down in the empty closet. Randi and Isabelle closed the doors and windows as we all filed up into the attic. The smallest child was whimpering. The attic was big enough for maybe twenty people comfortably but wasn't tall enough for anyone but the children to stand completely upright. I notice an easy months worth of canned goods and yoga mats and pillows for sleeping for a dozen people.
Benny walked bent over to the window facing the road and moved peered out towards the main road. "Which way do you think they're coming from, Beth?"
"From behind us, it felt like." I felt silly saying my words out loud. I sound so much more sure of myself in my head.
"Behind us? Please." The tomb raider dad scoffed. "There is nothing behind us but houses that we've cleared ages ago."
"Haven't you guys ever seen a herd before?" I asked, astonished. In two years there is no way that they have escaped this phenomenon.
"Well, duh, lady." The Dad said, rolling his eyes. Well, it was dark, I assume he rolled his eyes.
We waited in complete silence for twenty minutes before the moans started. It was like an ambulance siren. You hear it before you see it. As the moans got exceptionally louder Benny peered out of the window again, but this time only his eyes peered over. By the look on his face there must have been a rather good sized herd. I rubbed the hilt of my knife nervously. Randi and Isabelle had rocked the kids and themselves to sleep and were quietly snoring in a clump.
No comments:
Post a Comment