Uprising, page 4
part #2 of Falling Darkness Series
“Really? Because you looked scared to death, and I’m pretty sure it’s because of what’s outside that door.” Ethan jerked his thumb. “When we leave, this is going to be our life. Going house to house, searching for supplies. Those things will always be around.”
“Maybe. I mean for a while, but we don’t know what else is out there,” Kate said crossing her arms loosely.
“This might be all that’s out here.”
Kate turned to him. “When did you get so negative?”
“I don’t know. I’m not negative, I’m realistic. It’s just that it’s not so bad inside the fence.” Ethan grinned. “At least it hasn’t been since you’ve been in charge.”
He hesitated briefly.
“But, don’t get me wrong,” Ethan said looking into Kate’s eyes with complete sincerity. “When you want to go, I’m with you one hundred percent.”
“I know,” Kate said with a smile. “Everyone thinks I have all this shit figured out, but I don’t know a damn thing. Running just seems far easier.”
“Does it though? I mean look at our situation now. Is this easy?”
Kate shrugged. “It might be if we were prepared. Settled. Ready to protect ourselves with something better than shovels. Not to mention the thirty plus miles we still need to travel.”
“We may have to walk more than thirty miles we when head out.”
Kate raised an eyebrow. “Not if we take a truck.”
Ethan chuckled and looked down at his hands. Something outside the window creaked, and he covered Kate’s mouth with his palm as he placed his index finger over his lips.
Kate grabbed his hand and eased it away from her face, but she didn’t let go of his hand. There was another creak… followed by another. She could imagine The Unholy making its way around the porch.
With how slowly it was moving, and the fact that it kept moving, Kate was sure, that it had no idea anyone was inside of the house.
Ethan leaned back, pulling Kate with him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her as they sat in silence waiting for the night to pass by.
Kate wondered if maybe Ethan was right. Staying inside the fence might be their best option. It was just too bad she couldn’t stop thinking about what might be out there.
6
Kate had fallen asleep. When she woke, she blinked several times allowing the room to come into focus. Ethan smiled at her as she peeled herself away from his chest.
“Sorry,” she said, her cheek hot from being in the same position.
“It’s fine.”
“Did you stay awake all night?”
Ethan bobbed his head. “For the most part.”
He stretched his arms toward the ceiling before making his way over to the window. Kate watched as Ethan’s eyes scanned the yard. He dropped the curtain and jerked his head toward the hall.
“Should we check the kitchen before we head out?” he asked.
“Sure, but there isn’t going to be anything in there,” Kate said crossing her arms.
She followed Ethan down the hall and into the small kitchen. Kate couldn’t even imagine how Percy’s wife had managed to make meals for a family of five in something so cozy.
Dusty pots and pans hung on the wall next to coffee mugs and pictures of roosters and cows. There were dirty dishes with mold growing on them sitting in the sink.
“Looks like they didn’t have time to clean up,” Ethan said opening one of the cabinets. He held up a jar of peanut butter and unscrewed the cap. The seal was still securely in place. “Think this is still good?”
Kate nodded as she opened the closest drawer looking for a spoon. “We should have looked last night.”
“Thought it was too dark,” Ethan said opening the drawer next to him and pulling out two spoons. He held one of them out toward Kate.
He tore off the seal and scooped out a massive spoonful. Ethan closed his eyes as he put the whole thing in his mouth.
“You’re going to choke,” Kate said digging out her own scoop.
Ethan tried to respond, but all that came out were sticky mumbles. Kate laughed and licked the peanut butter off the back of her spoon before going in for more.
When she looked up, she saw Ethan staring at her. Kate wiped her chin assuming she had peanut butter smudged all over her face.
“What?” she asked.
Ethan abruptly looked away. “Oh, nothing. Here,” he said shoving the jar into Kate’s hand. “I’ll look for more.”
Kate and Ethan snacked on anything and everything they could find that was still edible. After they finished, they headed back into the living room and peered out of the windows. Kate’s stomach twisted into a tight knot, and she suddenly worried that she’d eaten too much.
For as far as they could see, there wasn’t an Unholy in sight, but they were out there somewhere. Ethan flipped something in his hand and held it out toward Kate.
“This one is for you,” he said as Kate wrapped her fingers around the wooden handled steak knife. Ethan had his own, but he still grabbed the shovel away from the wall. He sucked in a loud breath. “Ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Kate said glancing at her shovel. She would have taken it except she didn’t want to carry the extra weight. They were in for a long hike, and she needed the energy.
Ethan stepped out of the house slowly looking around the corners. The ground was soaked, and there were puddles of water scattered all over the yard and driveway. The sun was pushing through the clouds, and there were several large, black crows digging their beaks into the muddy ground looking for their breakfast.
Ethan set a rather quick pace, but Kate didn’t have any trouble keeping up. Even though there weren’t any Unholy in sight, both Kate and Ethan kept quiet. The only sounds they made were the crunches from their shoes scratching against the gravel road.
The sun traveled across the sky as Ethan and Kate put in what seemed like endless miles. They weren’t going to make it back before night. Kate didn’t think they’d walked more than ten miles, but she hoped that she was wrong.
“We should stop for the night,” Ethan said gesturing toward a small brick home at the end of a long driveway. It was surrounded by trees and overgrown plants that looked as though they were trying to devour the home.
“You sure about that one?” Kate asked, nervous that swarms of Unholy might be lurking in the shadows. “Maybe we could find something else.”
“It’ll be fine,” Ethan said lightly bumping into Kate. “I’ll take care of you.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “Don’t you mean I’ll take care of you?”
Ethan chuckled.
They kept silent as they walked up to the house. There were soft scuffles, creaks, and cracks that came from the nearby trees, but not an Unholy in sight. Of course, that didn’t mean they weren’t out there.
Ethan closed the door and locked it behind them. He tapped his finger to his lips as he looked around the house.
They cautiously worked their way around the home, stepping into each room to make sure there weren’t any Unholy waiting to jump out at them. When they got back to the living room, Ethan flopped down on the sofa and leaned his head back.
Kate sat down on the recliner and pulled off her shoes. She rubbed her feet through her socks ignoring the blister that had formed on the side of her heel.
The night set in faster with all the trees that surrounded the house. If there had been any moonlight, it didn’t reach the windows.
Ethan popped up off the sofa and started looking around.
“What are you doing?” Kate asked.
“Looking for a candle.”
Kate shook her head. “Won’t the light draw their attention?”
“Not if we keep the curtains closed,” Ethan said. “At least I hope.”
Kate pressed her lips together forming a straight line. Ethan was probably right but being inside the unfamiliar territory made her nervous even if he wasn’t.
“It isn’t going to matter though, since I can’t find one,” Ethan said lowering himself back down to the sofa.
Kate pulled her legs up on to the chair and peeked out between the curtains of the window to her right. She shivered as she watched the shadows from the trees and plants sway.
It wasn’t just fear of what was lurking out there that made her shiver, the temperature had dropped rapidly with the disappearing sunlight.
“Here,” Ethan said holding up an afghan.
“No, thanks,” Kate said even though she regretted the words the moment they’d left her lips. Using things that had belonged to other people wasn’t something that was easy for Kate.
Inside the hotel was different. The beds, the blankets, everything inside hadn’t belonged to anyone in particular. None of it had memories attached to it like the afghan Ethan was draping around his shoulders.
“Don’t freeze to death because you’re being stubborn,” Ethan said with a deep sniff. “When you’re ready, you can come on over here, and we’ll share. Or if you prefer I can go find you a different one.”
“It’s fine.” Kate curled up in the chair leaning her head against the back. “I’m fine.”
Ethan clicked his tongue, and she could imagine his eyes rolling behind her back. Even she knew she was being stubborn, but it wasn’t like she could help it. That was someone else’s blanket.
If she was really going to leave the town, she was going to have to deal with using what had been left behind. After the disease spread, she’d been lucky to lock herself inside her own home. She got to use her own things, and what she did have to take was food and water. Supplies didn’t have a story. Personal items, like blankets inside homes, those things had stories.
Kate closed her eyes. Maybe she was just tired. Over-thinking everything. When she left… when they left, it would be different.
“God dammit,” she whispered into the silence.
“Everything okay over there?” Ethan asked.
Kate pressed her palm to her forehead. “Was just thinking about leaving the town.”
“And we will, but there isn’t any rush,” Ethan said.
“I know, that’s what I was thinking about,” Kate said with a sigh. “Maybe you’re right. There isn’t anything out here anyway.”
The sadness that overwhelmed Kate surprised her. Her shoulders sagged down, and she turned back toward the shadows outside.
Kate jumped when something touched her shoulder. She jerked to reach over to the table beside her to grab the knife but in a blink, noticed it was only Ethan.
“Sorry,” he said pulling his hand back. He crouched down next to her. “I don’t know what is or isn’t out there. Hell, I don’t even know if we should stay in the town. I’m just picking what seems easiest. Safest. But smartest? I don’t have the slightest idea what that is.”
Ethan took Kate’s hand into his. He looked down at her dirty fingers, but the darkness masked just how badly they needed to be washed.
“All I know is that I’ll go where you want to go. When you want to go.” Ethan swallowed before looking up into her eyes. “Whatever you choose, I just want to be there with you.”
Kate opened her mouth, but she didn’t know what to say. Heat rolled out of his hand and into hers causing her body to tingle.
Ethan leaned closer, slowly moving toward her. Her muscles tensed as he brought his face inches from hers.
“Kate, I just, uh—”
Distant shouting interrupted his train of thought. Relief at ending the conversation didn’t wash over Kate as she pushed past him and grabbed her knife.
“What was that?” she said, her voice sharp.
“No idea,” Ethan said backing away. When she turned toward him again, he was holding his knife. “The wind?”
Kate shook her head. “Then why are you holding your knife?”
Before he could answer, whoever was out there, shouted again. Terror infused the sounds. Whoever was out there couldn’t be far.
7
Ethan stood at the front window barely blinking as he stared out into the darkness. Kate held her knife so tightly her fingers felt numb and her hand shook.
It was so quiet Kate could hear the crickets and the leaves rustling outside in the light breeze. The living room was so dark she could barely make out the shapes in the room. She couldn’t shake the feeling of something creeping up behind her even though she knew nothing was there.
An icy chill moved up her spine when the sounds of the crickets stopped. She looked over her shoulder before she started inching closer to Ethan.
He turned back to look in her direction when the floor creaked. The front door rattled hard when something big slammed into it.
Ethan pushed Kate behind him, keeping a hand on her as he held his knife in the other, ready to attack anything that managed to break through the door.
The doorknob jiggled vigorously. They both jumped when what sounded like a fist was thrown against the door.
Silence filled the room once again, but the crickets did not pick up where they’d left off in their symphony. It was less than a minute later when there was a pounding at the door at the back of the house.
Ethan grabbed Kate, pulling her to the back of the house. They stood around the corner, Ethan positioned himself in front of Kate protectively.
The doorknob rattled, and the door shook. Then, there was a knock.
“I don’t know who’s in there but let me in!” a man’s voice said. “They’re coming! Please don’t let me die out here.”
Ethan looked at Kate.
She wondered how the man would know that someone was inside. Why wouldn’t he just assume it was a home and the doors were locked? Unless, of course, he was familiar with the home.
“Please! Let me in,” he said knocking more urgently. “I see them now. Oh, shit!”
Kate could hear his heavy, panicked breathing through the door.
“If you don’t let me in, we’re all screwed,” the man said.
Ethan shook his head. The man outside was definitely screwed, but they’d be fine unless of course, The Unholy discovered they were inside. A small group they’d take out, but a large mob, that could be a different story.
“Fuck,” Ethan said running his hand through his hair.
He held up his blade as he walked over to the door. His fingers twitched as he reached for the deadbolt. Kate swallowed as he pulled open the door, and grabbed the man outside, jerking him into the kitchen.
Ethan wrapped his arm around the man’s neck, and Kate lurched forward to the lock the door. She peeked out of the window and moved back out of sight when she saw the approaching Unholy.
“Who are you?” Ethan hissed.
Kate couldn’t be sure how many of those things were out there. There were so many shadows, but only one that she was absolutely certain was an Unholy.
“I’m the owner of this home, who the hell are you?” the man said trying to look over his shoulder at Ethan.
Ethan didn’t relax his grip. Kate’s eyes were wide as she stared at the man. It was dark in the room, but not so much so that she could mistake what the black stains on his tan jacket were from. He’d been fighting The Unholy, and the acrid smell of them that emanated from him was simply another clue. The man’s black as night hair was a wavy mess on the top of his head, and his blue eyes were like glowing orbs of light piercing through the darkness.
His eyes locked onto Kate. “This is my house, and I’d appreciate it if you loosened your grip so I could catch my breath.”
“Why should I?” Ethan growled.
“I don’t know? Maybe you shouldn’t but shit… I’m not very good at this. Can’t say I’ve run into this type of thing before and I’m not really sure how to convince you. I’m not off to a good start though, am I?”
The man chuckled before he slowly raised his empty hands.
“Let me start over. I’m Will Swanson. There is a hunting knife at my hip, but other than that I am not armed. This has been my home for about two years now, and I just want to hide from those things,” he said, his eyes jerking toward the door when something scratched at the window. He lowered his voice. “Shit.”
Kate adjusted her grip as she stared at the door. She glanced at Will, he wasn’t even trying to hide the panic from his eyes.
“How many?” Ethan asked in a voice quieter than a whisper.
The rate of the scratching increased. Kate stepped closer to Ethan and Will when something tapped on the outside wall near where she’d been standing.
“Fifty?” Will said mostly mouthing the word. He swallowed hard. “More?”
Kate shifted her eyes toward Ethan. They’d never face a group that large on their own and Kate knew no matter how good they were, that was a battle they couldn’t win.
Ethan let go of Will. They eyed each other for a moment before Ethan pointed toward the front door.
The three of them stepped into the living room, looking from window to window even though the curtains were closed.
“We could run,” Ethan whispered.
But before either Kate or Will could respond, the tapping and scratching moved around the sides of the house, until they were at the front door. They were surrounded.
“They’ll forget about us,” Will mumbled. “It happens every time.”
“Why do you keep leading them here?” Ethan asked narrowing his eyes.
“It’s not on purpose.” Will shook his head. “Anyway, the quieter we are, the sooner they’ll leave. They are very forgetful creatures.”
Kate and Ethan exchanged a glance.
“You already knew that. Right,” Will said sitting down on the recliner. When it squeaked, the scratches outside the door increased. Kate’s shoulders rose with a deep inhale. Will looked at her and scrunched up his face. “Sorry about this.”
Kate and Ethan sat down on the squishy sofa next to each other trying to ignore that tapping noises on the wall behind them. The groans and moans from The Unholy seeped in through the cracks, chilling Kate’s already aching bones.
