Tricia smiled. “Well, winter will come soon. You’ll wish you had one of those scarves, that is unless you stay. Plenty of nice warm scarves here.”
“I think we’ll need to move on in the morning,” Kate said.
Tricia set her project down in her lap. “Aww, really? Are you sure you couldn’t stay just a bit longer? We love having the company.” She inched forward in her chair slightly. “You know, there is a river not far from here. Clean water. You all could freshen up and wash your clothes with some detergent before heading back out.”
“We’ll think about it,” Ethan said answering quickly.
It looked like Tricia was about to say something to Ethan when she snapped her mouth shut. The whole house felt as though it was shaking and concern filled her eyes.
Kate could hear that the wind had picked up again. The howling leaked in through the cracks, and the door at the top of the stairs rattled.
It felt like the house was rocking. Kate held onto Ethan’s arm and closed her eyes as her heart pounded inside her chest.
Nikki whimpered as she pressed her face to Jasper’s chest. Even Mr. Earle couldn’t hide his concern.
David turned toward his dad. “Guess you really did jinx us.”
“Shut up,” Mr. Earle said through clenched teeth as he glared at his son. “Protect your mother.”
A window upstairs shattered and everyone dropped down to the ground, covering their heads. Kate almost found it amusing that the weather was what was going to take her out of the world.
Chapter 26
For several minutes the storm raged on, quaking the earth aggressively. Kate couldn’t stop imagining the house flying through the funnel like she’d seen in one of her all-time favorite movies.
It was like someone had turned off a switch when the door stopped rattling, and the wind stopped howling. Kate looked up at nearly the same time as the others, all of them wearing the same expression she was.
“Is it over?” Nikki asked.
Tricia’s eyes were wide. She blinked several times before they returned to normal. Her mouth opened but not a single word came out.
“I… I think so,” David stammered. He turned to Scott. “Go up and check.”
“You go up and check,” Scott countered.
“Both of you go up and check,” Mr. Earle said with a scowl.
Kate watched the brothers as they slowly crept up the stairs. They moved as if they were afraid something was going to pop out of the door and knock them back down the stairs.
As she waited for their report, Kate looked around the room. It was a normal basement although cleaner than most. There were labeled boxes packed with what appeared to be supplies for the bed and breakfast that Tricia had hoped to open one day.
On the shelving unit just behind Kate were all sorts of gardening supplies, rope, duct tape and even a garden hose. There were several packets of seeds organized neatly in a wooden box.
Tricia noticed Kate looking. “Not sure when I’ll get around to planting those.”
Kate pressed her lips together into a thin smile. She was having trouble even pretending to care about Tricia’s bed and breakfast or her plants. After all, this woman was still here with her family, supplies, and maybe still her home. Kate didn’t think the woman realized just how lucky she was.
“Oh, thank God,” Scott said from the top of the stairs.
“We lost a window, dad,” David called out. “But the house is still here.”
Tricia looked at Mr. Earle and offered him a sweet smile that was oozing relief. Mr. Earle slapped his knee and grinned at them.
“Go on up,” Mr. Earle urged. “Go on.”
Nikki looked back and forth between Kate and Ethan. She didn’t move her feet until Ethan gave her a nod.
Garrett was closer to the stairs and stepped in front of her. He glanced at Nikki over his shoulder. “Let me lead the way.”
“You got it,” Nikki said holding up her palms.
When they stepped into the kitchen, Kate saw the shards of glass scattered across the floor. David came around the corner and leaned in the doorway.
“Everything looks good on the first floor,” David said turning as his mom came up the stairs. “I haven’t checked the second floor yet.”
“Do it later, dad wants you boys downstairs,” Tricia said as she took the broom that was leaning against the wall into her hands. “This one wasn’t boarded up like the others because I liked looking out the window when I cleaned dishes. Guess I’m out of luck now. They’ll have to board this one up too.”
Tricia pointed at a dustpan just behind Jasper, and when he realized she wanted it, he grabbed it and handed it to her.
“Maybe you boys could help my sons fix up the window, and the girls could help me get tea sorted.” Tricia stood and placed her hands on her hips. “Although, I’m not sure Mr. Earle is going to be up for tea after all that.”
“Umm,” Ethan said looking at Kate as he tried to come up with an excuse.
“It won’t take long,” Tricia said as the men's footsteps drummed against the stairs. “Here they come. Boys?”
David stepped out from the basement first. “Yeah, ma?”
“Take Ethan, Jasper, and Garrett with you to the shed. They’re going to help you board up my window,” David glanced at Kate for a moment as he walked by over to his mom.
David leaned in close to her. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Tricia said straightening her spine. “Or I wouldn’t have said it. The girls will help me with tea.”
“Dad wants us to help him first,” Scott said.
“You’ll do the window first, I’ll let him know,” Tricia said turning to go down the stairs. “Take them. Wait here girls, I’ll be right back.”
Kate and Nikki exchanged a glance. They both looked like they wanted to run out the back door and keep going.
“Okay,” Nikki said even though it was obviously the exact opposite of what she wanted to say.
Ethan took Kate’s hand and pulled her close. He looked into her eyes and let out a heavy breath. “If you need me—”
“I’ll scream,” Kate said raising her brow slightly.
Ethan nodded and kissed her cheek before following David and Scott out the back door. Kate couldn’t help but feel as though they were trying to separate them, but even if they were, Kate wasn’t afraid of Tricia. She was however afraid of the big shotgun that Mr. Earle seemed to carry everywhere like it was his security blanket.
The stairs creaked slowly as Tricia helped Mr. Earle back to the first floor. Kate could hear their whispers, but she couldn’t hear what they were saying.
When they got to the top of the stairs, Tricia let Mr. Earle get his bearings before she let go.
“Ready, girls?” she said and clapped her hands.
“Sure,” Nikki said.
Kate couldn’t stop herself from looking out of the broken window as the boys walked toward the house carrying wooden boards and a tool chest. She could tell that Ethan was carefully watching their surroundings even though Scott and David weren’t. They trusted their security system which utilized The Unholy.
“Take this,” Tricia said handing Kate a kettle. She turned to Nikki and handed her a variety box of assorted teas. “We need to boil the water.”
“Okay,” Kate said, but it sounded like a question.
“We use the fireplace,” Tricia explained.
Kate pressed her lips together and followed her to the living room. The fire was already going, and maybe it had been going since lunch, but Kate didn’t ask.
Tricia went on and on about the house and their life as Nikki and Kate stood there watching her boil the water. Kate looked at the pictures on the wall as Tricia told her stories. Her thoughts kept drifting to the men working in the kitchen. Kate could hear them pounding the boards into place
“I had such big plans for this place, and for my boys,” Tricia said shaking her head. “I’m sure you girls had different ideas for you
r lives too.”
Nikki nodded, and Kate shrugged.
“I bet you both thought about the men you’d marry and the big weddings you’d plan.” Tricia smiled with a distant look in her eyes. “All the kids you’d have.”
“I guess,” Nikki said.
Kate flashed the woman a simple smile. She was totally uncomfortable talking with Tricia about anything about her life before the disease. Kate had been uncomfortable telling anyone anything personal for that matter. Except for Ethan, but even that had taken a long time.
“I always dreamed about the day there would be little kids running around this house again,” Tricia said. “My sons, pfft, if only they would have had their ducks in a row.”
Tricia took the kettle of water out of the fire and set it down on a tray. She shook her finger as a little spark shot out of the fireplace.
“Well, maybe one day,” Tricia said, and Kate’s eyes narrowed.
“One day?” Kate asked.
“Sure! There is still time,” Tricia said. “Maybe it’ll be harder, but it’s not impossible.”
Kate didn’t feel like she should pop the poor woman’s bubble. She’d lost her dreams of running her bed and breakfast, there was no reason for Kate to take away her hopes of having grandkids.
“Let’s go have some tea,” Tricia said jerking her head toward the coffee table. When she looked at Kate, she clicked her tongue. “Don’t worry so much. They’ll join us the minute they're done.”
“I know,” Kate said, but her nerves wouldn’t settle. And she didn’t think the tea would help.
“You must have seen some terrible things out there,” Tricia said sitting down on the edge of the sofa. She leaned forward offering Kate and Nikki the opened box of tea. “Go on, pick one.”
Nikki chewed her lip for a moment. “Thanks, but I don’t care for tea.”
“What?” Tricia said leaning back as she placed her hand on her chest. “Everyone likes tea, you just haven’t found the right one for you. I’ll choose… how does orange spice sound?”
Nikki shrugged. “I’ll try it.”
Kate picked something at random and handed it to Tricia. She hadn’t even bothered to read the package.
“You were saying?” Tricia said.
“About what?” Kate cocked her head to the side slightly.
“About your adventures out there,” Tricia said.
Kate swallowed and rubbed her palms up and down her thighs. “Oh, I don’t think we should talk about all that.”
“Ah, I understand my dear,” Tricia said lightly placing her hand on Kate’s arm. “So very sorry for all the terrible things you must have seen out there. That man you’re with, is he your husband?”
“No,” Kate said shaking her head.
“And you?” Tricia asked leaning forward to look at Nikki who was shaking her head. The pounding stopped, and Tricia glanced toward the kitchen. “They’ll be joining us soon. My sons can entertain us with some wonderful stories about the farmhouse. You girls will love it.”
Kate flashed her a quick smile. She would have almost preferred to gulp down the boiling liquid than to sit around listing to David and Scott talk about the house. But of course, she couldn’t tell Tricia that.
Before she knew it, Kate would be lying in the bed upstairs with the door locked. She’d be in Ethan’s arms trying to rest while waiting to leave behind Tricia’s awkward bed and breakfast.
Chapter 27
After dinner the group excused themselves. Before they had disappeared into their rooms, they’d talked about their plans for leaving first thing in the morning.
It was going to be difficult to get their backpacks and their weapons back, but they hoped it would go smoothly. The family had been nothing but kind and helpful to them, but it did worry all of them that it didn’t seem as though they wanted them to leave.
They’d fed them a large dinner with so many wonderful ingredients it was hard to believe they’d be willing to share. Others out there would have killed for fresh chicken and mashed potatoes made from potatoes fresh from the garden.
It was the first time that Kate had actually felt full after the disease had spread. There had been plenty of food with Simon, but it hadn’t ever been very good. Kate had eaten what she needed to survive, but Tricia’s meal had been tasty. Decadent.
After Ethan locked the door, he flopped down on the bed and pressed his palm to his stomach. He closed his eyes and patted his other hand on the empty space on the mattress next to him.
“Rest with me,” Ethan said. “The door is locked.”
“They probably have keys,” Kate said stopping to look out the window.
There was a full moon hanging low in the sky. It lit up the yard in a haunting, pale blue hue. She thought she saw something moving in the distance, but she couldn’t be sure.
Kate dropped the curtain and sat down on the bed. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep.”
“You’ll surprise yourself.”
“I can’t stop thinking about him.”
Ethan’s eyes popped open. There was a flicker of jealousy that washed over his face, but it was quickly replaced with sorrow.
“I’m sorry,” Ethan said leaning to the side to rub Kate’s back. She knew he wanted to say something that could ease her pain, but she also knew there wasn’t anything he could say.
It was weird traveling around without Will. And it was even weirder that he wasn’t far away. His body was laying somewhere beyond the line of The Unholy’s bodies out by the barn. He was out there but was gone.
Kate lowered her head and chewed her fingernail. She bit low on her nail so that the physical pain would take over and push her emotional pain into the background.
Ethan lightly grabbed Kate’s shoulders and pulled her back onto the bed. She didn’t resist. Kate curled up in Ethan’s arm and squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe if she fell asleep, her thoughts would stop drifting to Will.
Ethan was fast asleep when Kate woke. She turned to the window hoping it was morning, but she knew it wasn’t based on how tired she still felt. Quite possibly more tired than when she’d first fallen asleep.
Kate swung her legs to the side and sat up. She ran her hands over her hair feeling the twists and knots against her skin.
A large yawn forced her mouth open, and she stretched her arms over her head. The creaking noise outside the bedroom door made her head jerk to the side.
Something bumped against the wall outside their room, and Kate jumped. She could hear whoever was out there moving down the stairs, and she could tell that whoever it was, wasn’t alone.
Kate got up and placed her hand on the door. She waited… listened.
Her hand wrapped around the doorknob and she slowly turned it open. The throbbing in her chest was so loud she was afraid whoever was out there would hear it.
Kate tried to stay calm. Perhaps Jasper was taking Nikki to the outhouse, and maybe they were having trouble seeing in the dark. The house wasn’t familiar, and they had probably just stumbled.
She pulled open the door as quietly as she could and looked over her shoulder to make sure Ethan was still asleep. He hadn’t moved, and his breathing was still slow.
Kate stepped out into the hallway cautiously. She placed her hand on the door frame and looked to her left. The hallway was empty, but to her right, she spotted someone moving at the bottom of the stairs.
Kate opened her mouth to whisper to Nikki, but something stopped her.
Nikki was there, but she wasn’t with Jasper. She was being led down the stairs, and into the living room by both David and Scott. It looked as though she was going with them willingly.
Kate quickly inched forward trying to keep her eye on Nikki, but they were moving too quickly. They moved through the living room, and before she knew it, they disappeared into the kitchen. It wasn’t long before Kate heard the tapping of their feet on the basement staircase.
She looked back at Ethan before she closed the door and went aft
er Nikki. Once she knew what was going on, she’d come back for him. But the one thing she couldn’t figure out was why Nikki would leave her room to go with Scott and David. And why would Jasper allow it in the middle of the night?
Kate moved down the stairs barely making a sound as she crept through the living room and into the kitchen. She placed her hand on the wall and looked down the stairs into the glowing basement.
There were muffled voices, none of which were Nikki’s.
“What are you doing up, my dear?” Tricia asked softly.
Kate spun around practically gasping for air. The woman’s face was covered in shadows making her look unfriendly in the darkness.
“You startled me,” Kate said.
“I could say the same,” Tricia said.
“I’m sorry, I thought I saw my friend….” Kate was suddenly at a loss for words.
Tricia clicked her tongue. “My dear, you must be dreaming. Are you a sleepwalker? We wouldn’t want to worry about you wandering off in your sleep. That would be dangerous.”
“I’m not a sleepwalker,” Kate said scrunching up her nose.
The voices in the basement ceased to exist. For a second, Kate looked around worried that maybe she had been dreaming.
“Did I wake you?” Kate asked.
“No, I’m a light sleeper.” Tricia unfolded her hands and let them fall to her sides. “Is there anything I can get you?”
Kate looked around the kitchen. Everything Tricia had used to prepare dinner had already been cleaned and put away. The moonlight shone in between the cracks of the boarded-up windows making a stripe across Tricia’s face just below her eyes.
“No, I’m fine,” Kate said looking back down the stairs. The light seemed to have dimmed.
“All right, then goodnight,” Tricia said relaxing her hands.
“Good night,” Kate said trying to form a smile with her uncooperating lips.
As she was about to take a step away, there was a loud noise in the basement followed by a higher pitched noise that sounded like a scream that had been instantly muffled.
Falling Darkness Series - A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller - Books 1-3 Page 48
