Status: Updates are sporadic and may occur at whim, but I do try to add chapters regularly.
Silent Nights
In the Dark
Once we’re all inside I realize what a stupid plan this is. We’re trapped in here, or at least we will be within minutes. The girl is stiff in my arms and she’s breathing like she’s having a panic attack. Matt and Anna just stare at me, waiting for the next move. I shift the girl in my arms, trying to get a better grip, before moving through the kitchen. There’s an opening to a hallway, but it’s so dark in here it’s hard to see much further.
Glancing back into the kitchen, I see that all the windows are covered except for a few inches at the top. I take a few steps into the hallway once my eyes adjust to the darkness. There’s a staircase to the right. The girl tries to get me to put her down, but I don’t want to chance it. I saw the blood after the gun went off, so I’m pretty sure she at least got hit by the glass. I tighten my hold on her and walk up the stairs, being careful to walk on the sides where they’re less likely to creak.
The girl’s breathing slows a bit by the time we’re all upstairs, but she still has one hand firmly against my shoulder, ready to push away. She points to the first door when I hesitate at the top of the stairs. I nearly trip over a pair of boots by the door. I kick them out of the way and head straight for the desk by the window. Anna moves a pile of stuff over and sits on the coffee table. She’s already pulling out antiseptic and gauze when I sit the girl down on top of the desk.
Matt’s at the window trying to survey the street, but it’s the wrong side of the house to see much. I open my mouth to tell him this when the screaming starts. I can already guess what’s going on. I didn’t have time to do anything else, though. As big as he was, we wouldn’t have been able to move him in time. One look at the girl, though, and I almost wish I’d just shot him. I have no idea who he was to her, but her whole body tenses at the muffled screams. Her hands clutch the edge of the desk so hard she’s shaking.
The screams abruptly cut off, and in the relative quiet that follows I can hear that the girl’s breathing has quickened again. Her eyes are clenched shut and I worry she’s going to start crying. I don’t know what to do, what to say. Before I can come up with something, Anna dumps an armload of stuff on the desk behind the girl. She taps the girl lightly- which elicits a flinch- and asks if there’s still running water here.
The girl just stares at Anna, and for a moment I don’t think she’s going to answer. She points to a half-full case of water bottles behind the door. The girl watches as Anna takes three water bottles and sets them with the rest of the stuff on the desk.
“What about clean towels?” Anna asks quietly. The girl shifts her weight forward, but I step closer to stop her from getting up. She jerks back and knocks one of the bottles off the desk. It hits the floor and we all stand silent for a minute, listening to the sounds outside.
“Just tell me where and I’ll go,” Anna says eventually, keeping her voice as quiet as possible. The girl hesitates before answering.
“Across the hall,” she finally whispers. Even in a whisper, her voice sounds rough, like she hasn’t used it much. Anna nods and starts toward the door. Matt turns away from the window and follows her out. I pull the shotgun strap over my head and lean it against the wall to hold back the curtain. I glance at the girl’s gun, still secured in its holster. I don’t like being around an armed stranger, especially one who seems so jumpy, but she’s made no move for it. I remember she didn’t use it outside and wonder if she even knows how.
Glancing back into the kitchen, I see that all the windows are covered except for a few inches at the top. I take a few steps into the hallway once my eyes adjust to the darkness. There’s a staircase to the right. The girl tries to get me to put her down, but I don’t want to chance it. I saw the blood after the gun went off, so I’m pretty sure she at least got hit by the glass. I tighten my hold on her and walk up the stairs, being careful to walk on the sides where they’re less likely to creak.
The girl’s breathing slows a bit by the time we’re all upstairs, but she still has one hand firmly against my shoulder, ready to push away. She points to the first door when I hesitate at the top of the stairs. I nearly trip over a pair of boots by the door. I kick them out of the way and head straight for the desk by the window. Anna moves a pile of stuff over and sits on the coffee table. She’s already pulling out antiseptic and gauze when I sit the girl down on top of the desk.
Matt’s at the window trying to survey the street, but it’s the wrong side of the house to see much. I open my mouth to tell him this when the screaming starts. I can already guess what’s going on. I didn’t have time to do anything else, though. As big as he was, we wouldn’t have been able to move him in time. One look at the girl, though, and I almost wish I’d just shot him. I have no idea who he was to her, but her whole body tenses at the muffled screams. Her hands clutch the edge of the desk so hard she’s shaking.
The screams abruptly cut off, and in the relative quiet that follows I can hear that the girl’s breathing has quickened again. Her eyes are clenched shut and I worry she’s going to start crying. I don’t know what to do, what to say. Before I can come up with something, Anna dumps an armload of stuff on the desk behind the girl. She taps the girl lightly- which elicits a flinch- and asks if there’s still running water here.
The girl just stares at Anna, and for a moment I don’t think she’s going to answer. She points to a half-full case of water bottles behind the door. The girl watches as Anna takes three water bottles and sets them with the rest of the stuff on the desk.
“What about clean towels?” Anna asks quietly. The girl shifts her weight forward, but I step closer to stop her from getting up. She jerks back and knocks one of the bottles off the desk. It hits the floor and we all stand silent for a minute, listening to the sounds outside.
“Just tell me where and I’ll go,” Anna says eventually, keeping her voice as quiet as possible. The girl hesitates before answering.
“Across the hall,” she finally whispers. Even in a whisper, her voice sounds rough, like she hasn’t used it much. Anna nods and starts toward the door. Matt turns away from the window and follows her out. I pull the shotgun strap over my head and lean it against the wall to hold back the curtain. I glance at the girl’s gun, still secured in its holster. I don’t like being around an armed stranger, especially one who seems so jumpy, but she’s made no move for it. I remember she didn’t use it outside and wonder if she even knows how.