As I drove down the baron main road we watched the buildings roll by, somewhere completely boarded up, others were looted, and others had graffiti and markings all over them. 'The Rapture' 'He Hath Come' 'Judgment day is upon us' 'The end is Nigh' 'Repent your sins' were amongst some of the graffiti plastering the building walls. There was cars crashed, turned over, dead people littered the streets. Some moving… some not…
"Who would have thought this would really happen…" Emily sighed from the back.
"Thought movies were all just made up mumbo jumbo…" I added.
"Guess there is always some truth behind the fiction." Emmett mentioned. Emily and I both nodded in agreement, I looked through the rear view mirror at her, and she stared somberly out of the window.
"It's all so fucked up." Emmett said. We sat in silence after that as I drove I turned down a familiar road, drove past familiar houses until I stopped at a familiar home.
"Where are we?" Emily asked.
"This is my mom's house…" my small car sat at the side of the driveway, to not block my mom's car. But it wasn't there. "I just need to grab some stuff."
"We will come with." Emmett said quickly.
"No it's fine, I can go myself…" I said defensively.
"No." He ordered quickly, "No one goes alone." I looked to him and sighed, but his stern eyes were unyielding, after a second I nodded. I took the key from the ignition, as we left I locked the doors.
We all readied our guns as we walked the few feet to the front door. As I reached for the door I paused. I took a deep breath and steeled myself for what may be behind that door. But when I opened it, the house was quiet, clean, in perfect condition…
"I wonder if my mom even got home after dropping me off…" I said with a sigh. I felt a warm hand on my shoulder.
"I'm Sorry Teen…" Emmett said. I nodded.
"It's fine…" I paused as I processed. "Teen?"
"Easier to say than Satine." He smiled. I nodded with a nervous smile.
"Grab anything that may be useful." I told them, "But leave some stuff… ya know… just in case she…" I swallowed hard as I thought about it, "Just in case she does come home." The twins nodded and wandered off in separate directions as I went upstairs to my room. Inside I found my room as I left it. Clean and kept. I grabbed my book bag and emptied it out on my bed, my 20th birthday was only a few days before the outbreak started, I never got to unpack from my final moments of school.
I changed into clean clothes and then I packed in a few pairs of jeans, shirts and pajamas, a few personal items and a picture frame of my mom and I. Then changed my slip on shoes out with my combat boots and then dumped basically my entire panty drawer into whatever rest of the space I had. I looked back into my room as I turned, I couldn't really take anything else. As I left the room I walked to my moms, the door was wide open as usual, undisturbed as usual. As I walked to her dresser, I saw a rose gold cross and chain sitting on it, I picked it up and studied it.
'I love you mom. From Satine.' Was engraved in tiny letters on the back. I unclasped the chain and put the cross around my neck. I studied myself in the mirror and sighed. Tucking the cross into my shirt I turned back to go downstairs. The twins had a few plastic bags.
"Got a few batteries and one of the flashlights and a few of the candles. And a few cans of soup and veggies and fruits that were in the cupboard… We left like half of whatever was there." Emily said, "We can leave more though if you need…"
I shook my head, "No that's fine…" I looked around, my house was never prepared for apocalyptic situations.
"Ready?" Emmett asked. I nodded then paused.
"Wait…" I walked into the kitchen and pulled open a bottom cupboard. Inside were two very large bottles of Rum that my mom always had in case we has barbeques. Emmett and Emily walked up behind me.
"oooooh!" Emmett said, you could almost hear him drooling. "My fave."
"I figure with all that soda… why not?" we all laughed together.
"There is a full propane container in the back yard though. And gas cans in the garage… could those be of any use?"
"Yeah we can always use that sort of stuff." Emily said.
"I'll go grab the propane tank." Emmett said, "Can you guys get the gas cans?" we both nodded and split.
Emily and I took the bags of supplies out to the car, then went to the garage grabbing the gas cans. By the time we got back to the truck Emmett was hauling out the propane tank. Once we settled our new loot I closed the garage and door. Kissing the memory of my childhood home goodbye before turning around and heading back to the car.
"There's… There's one more place I need to stop…" I said softly, it's just down the road. It will be quick." The twins nodded together as I drove. When we reached the house I paused.
"Aright, let's do what we need to-"
"No…" I started shaking my head, "This one I need to do alone…" Emmett stared into my eyes, I tried my hardest to seem serious and harden my eyes as much as I could. He slowly shifted back into his seat nodding.
"Okay Satine…" he said letting my name roll off his tongue in a suspicious way, "But we are right down here. Just yell if you need us…" I looked back to Emily.
"We've got your back." She said.
I nodded.
"I will be right back." I said as I unbuckled myself, "Just keep the car safe and running." They nodded together
I left the car and walked slowly up to the looming house. I paused at the front steps and stared at the door. Taking a deep breath.
When I rejoined the twins in the car I didn't wait to start driving to Lincoln Drive.
"Are you okay Satine?" Emily asked, placing a hand on my shoulder from the back seat. I sniffled and nodded.
"Just… Just some personal stuff…" I said softly.
"Hey…" Emmett started, "We are friends now… If you need to say something, we are here to help you." Emmett looked back to Emily, "I know we started off on the wrong foot, what with busting down your door and all, but we promise to make it better. We are really sorry."
"It's okay guys, without you I'd still be stuck in there with me, myself and I." I took one hand and worried at the cross around my neck. "I'm okay." I assured looking back to Emmett he set his hand on my thigh, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Where are we going?" I asked.
"Oh, take the next left and go almost all the way to the end. It's the white one story on the right side." Emmett said.
As we neared the house I could make out a beautiful modern home with a white picket fence.
"Open the Garage Em." Emmett said to Emily, she dug through her bag and pulled out a garage opener to the closet of the two double stall garages attached to the house. "Park in there. That way we can unpack everything safely." I nodded and pulled the vehicle into the garage, the door began to close behind us and a light flickered on in response
The twins got out of the vehicle and began unpacking. As I got out of the car I marveled at the 2 other vehicles parked in the further stall, a Ferrari and a Lamborghini both with dust caked on as if they had been sitting for quite a while. Emmett paused next to me leaning over my shoulder.
"Dad was rich." He said, air blowing onto my ear, "More money than he knew what to do with."
"He was also paranoid." Emily said as she typed a code into a pad next to a door. I heard a ruckus from outside, "He had this place basically apocalypse proof." I listened to the whirring of engines, "Every wall is made with a foot of indestructible metal, every window is not only bullet proof but has moving metal plates that secure on the inside and out."
"Plus a secured bunker below the house, entrance that can be blocked with more of those movable metal plates."
"Holy shit…"
"Yeah… We always thought we were the unluckiest kids ever… grew up with the most paranoid guy in town." Emily laughed.
"Just to end up being the luckiest and safest kids in the whole place." Emmett added
"I mean, it's pretty cool and lucky though…" I said as we unpacked items. Emmett unpacked their bikes and put them in the empty space where it seemed a car had once sat.
"Yeah, I guess we are lucky…" Emily chuckled, "as lucky as we could be I suppose."
"c'mon, I need a nap." Emmett said as he went to another keypad. There was two doors on the right side of the wall, as he typed into the keypad one door popped open, revealing a second door similar to a hatch below it, which had another key pad."
"Whatever happens if you run out of power?" I asked
"Oh, we won't…" Emily shrugged.
"Hopefully!" Emmett added, "All of the essential functions are powered by solar power. Our water is drawn from a tank that dad had set up under ground then it's recycled, purified and reused. As long as everything remains operational we should be good for a while."
"I'm impressed."
"The benefits of having a lunatic as a dad." Emily said.
As Emmett opened the door we began hauling the stuff down stairs, leaving the propane tank and gas canisters in the garage. As we stepped down the 25 stairs I was greeted by a clean modern room, which looked like any regular living room with an open concept kitchen with a large pantry door in the corner, it had sleek black modern appliances and a granite countertop island in the middle of the dark tiled floor. The living room had white walls with modern wall décor. There was a large TV attached to the wall that was attached to the stair well along with a large black sectional sofa and modern coffee table with one smaller sitting chair closer to the wall and another large armed sitting chair facing away from the kitchen. In the opposite corner of the kitchen was a large dining table covered with electronics, radios, batteries and wires, it appeared to have been made into a tinker station for electronics.
"Holy cow… Your dad didn't sacrifice any expense did he?" I asked
"Nope, 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a work out room with its own half bath with toilet and shower stall, fully functional kitchen, living room, everything." Emmett said.
"Damn…" I looked around the room, the left side of the kitchen and living room area was a door, to the right was a hallway with 3 doors on the left side, one door on the right, and then a door at the very end. We continued to bring down our bags followed lastly by the suitcases Emmett and I had grabbed from the terminal and packed with food.
"Dad even had a plentiful supply of medical tools, medicines, antibiotics, painkillers, lady products…" Emily Shrugged, "This place is packed to the brim with everything a family of people would need to survive for years… Dad was a rich nutjob."
"But we are pretty lucky for it."
Once everything from the car was downstairs Emmett went to the wall beside the stairs and began typing in codes to close the doors. A small beep echoed through the house, and the locks clicked shut. Followed by silence.
"C'mon I'll take you to the 2 spare rooms." Emily said I followed her graciously with my bag. She opened up a door on the left. "This is the bigger of the two but you can pick either one if you like one more. My boyfriend and I stay in that one across the hall and Emmett takes the master. The workout space is in the far door and your bathroom connects in the middle of these two."
"Thank you."
"No prob. Clean up, I'm going to make some food and Emmett will probably find a movie for us to watch."
I nodded and went into the room. It was decorated in warm colors with fake flowers, a cherry book case opposite the wall with a dark maroon bed spread on a queen sized bed that sat in the middle of the room, there was a small seating area in the back, left corner next to the book case, it was lit in warm lighting and smelled like cinnamon, on the right side of the room was a door. I set my bag down and fell into the bed with a sigh. I had been sleeping on a floor with a sleeping bag in a security room with zombies wondering outside a 2 inch thick door for 10 weeks now. The memory foam bed felt like heaven. And for once in the 10 weeks since the outbreak started I felt relaxed and safe. I dozed off for around thirty minutes when I opened my eyes I felt drool on the side of my face. I wiped it off and could smell something amazing coming from the kitchen. I walked out and down the hall. When I entered the living area the smell got stronger. I laid my eyes on Emmett, who had gotten all of the snacks and sodas unpacked and was carrying them in handfuls to the pantry door. He wore tight sweatpants that showed off far more of his features than I was expecting, and a thin tank top that let his muscled arms and chiseled chest.
"Oh, Satine." Emmett said, "This is Emily's boyfriend, Russell." Pointing behind me to the couch, when I turned a man was sitting on the couch, his leg in a full cast, he had his right leg propped up on the coffee table. He smiled at me warmly, his dark eyes shimmering behind thin glasses.
"Hey Tiny." He said.
"Hey Russ…" I responded waving.
"Y'all know each other?" Emmett asked. We both nodded.
"He's my Ex's best friend…" I said softly, Russell's eyes became sorrowful.
"I'm really sorry Tiny…" he said, "Reese…"
I shook my head, cutting him off. "No… it's fine…I don't want to know…" he nodded.
"Sorry Tiny…"
"You dated Reese?" Emily asked as she stirred a pot on the stove. I nodded.
"It was a while back."
"I'm sorry Satine…" Emily said.
I shrugged, "It was a while ago." I cast a look at Russel, hoping he would not bring up any of the details of our sour relationship. He nodded.
"Well hey…" Emmett said coming to me, he set his hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently. "We are going to put on a movie and eat if you'd like to join us."
I smiled and nodded, "I haven't had a home cooked meal in 10 weeks." I laughed.
"Well you're in luck." Russell broke in, "Emily is the best apocalyptic cook this side of the Rockies." He blew a kiss at her and she blushed.
"Maybe not that. But I'm sure better than what you've been eating in the airport." She responded, I nodded laughing.
"Most definitely."
"Go sit down." Emmett said motioning to the large chair. I nodded falling into the plush chair, it was an oversized recliner a bit smaller than a love seat but could definitely fit two people comfortably. A moment later Emmett and Emily came to us with plates filled with food. "I now present, the wonderful chef Emily's wonderful bad day comfy food." He motioned to Emily who giggled helplessly.
"Spaghetti and cauliflower Meatballs." She said. Emmett handed me a plate smiling then handed the other to Russell. Emily followed with large glasses of juice.
"Cauliflower?" I asked
"I hope you aren't allergic…" She said sadly. I shook my head.
"I've just never heard of cauliflower meatballs." I said laughing.
"Well, it's a meat sauce too, but basically I soak the cauliflower in some red sauce and then bake it for a few minutes until they are kind of firm and then I let it simmer in the sauce and put it over the pasta."
"Trust me, I thought it was disgusting when I first heard of it." Russell admitted, "But it is freaking amazing!"
Emmett went to the TV and slid a movie into the side, hit a few buttons on the remote while Emily fetched their plates and glasses. They then sat down on the sectional with Russel.
"Dig in." Emily said to everyone. We all began eating. As I took my first bite I was amazed by taste. The cauliflower piece really did taste like a meatball.
"Holy Cow Emily." I said, "This is fantastic!"
"Thank you!" She responded with a bright and relieved smile. "Our mom cooked a lot in her spare time, she was vegetarian so she taught me hundreds of ways to use veggies."
I watched Emmett and Russell Scarf down food happily. I hadn't eaten a real meal in 10 weeks, so I savored the taste while the movie played Emmett, Emily and Russell laughed and joked with each other as they ate. When I finished my plate I felt myself crashing, the day had been emotionally and physically strenuous and my adrenalin had begun to plummet.
"You look tired." Emily said softly, "Think you should go get some rest."
I nodded, "Yeah, I agree." I said as I sipped down the last of the cranberry juice in my cup.
"Leave your dishes, we will grab them. Go rest." Emmett urged, "We are usually up pretty late, so if you can't sleep come back out and join us." He smiled his bright smile.
"Thanks." I said with a thankful smile, I turned and headed back to the room I had picked, locking the door behind me.
I immediately fell into the bed, falling into a deep sleep. When I awoke and looked at the clock it was only an hour and a half later but I felt as though I had slept a full 8 hours.
I stood and stretched and then I walked to the bathroom door which was on the right side of the room. As I opened the door I as greeted by a bright bathroom with a double vanity on the left side, a tall cabinet stood in the middle of the sinks. The bathtub sat on the right side closest to my room and then a toilet closest to the other with a door beside it and one in-between the bath and toilet which I assumed was the door to the hallway.
When I looked into the mirror I was greeted by a grotesque site. My hair was disgustingly greasy and my face was covered in grime. The skin on my neck looked grey with dirt. I stripped my clothes off and went to the bathtub, turning the shower on, I pulled the cream colored shower curtain closed and turned to the cabinet. When I opened it I was pleased to find a multitude of showering supplies, soaps, shampoos, razors and shaving creams, single pack toothbrushes and toothpaste bottles as well as single packed shower loofahs and washcloths. There was also hair products and styling tools, feminine wipes, pads and tampons, and even a row of condom boxes.
"Classy." I laughed to myself.
I picked out a bottle of sensitive skin soap and set it on the ledge of the shower, then picked out a pack of shampoo and conditioner, both labeled as "Peace rose and Honey" I then grabbed out a razor and bottle of shave cream and set them in the shower then a toothbrush and toothpaste bottle. Lastly I grabbed a pink loofah and unwrapped it, it was soft and I rolled it in my hands for a moment as I looked through the cabinet. I grabbed a large bottle of lotion, setting it on the counter. I then grabbed a small white towel from the very bottom shelf and set it on the floor next to the bathtub.
I pulled my long, dark auburn hair from the tight bun I had on my head. And let if fall down my back. I could feel the greasy strands stick to me. As I got into the shower, the hot water stung my skin, turning it slightly red. I sighed heavily, I had been surviving on baby and makeup wipes I found in the airport.
I let the water soak my hair, as it rained on my head. I soaped my hair with the shampoo. The rose smell filled the steamy air. After I washed it out I shampooed my hair again. Then I saturated it in a glob of conditioner and rolled it into a loose bun on the top of my head. I then shaved every bit of myself that I could. 10 weeks without shaving really irritates your sense of cleanliness after having shaved for years of your life, I then scrubbed my face and body with soap. My skin tingled as the soap ran off me in the water. I adjusted the shower head and sat on the side of the tub, letting the water rain on me for another few minutes before pulling my hair from the bun and rinsing the conditioner from it. Once I was thoroughly rinse off I turned the shower off, wringing my hair over the drain and brushing it though with my fingers.
I took the towel and dried myself with it then used it to wrap my hair in a tight towel turban above my head. As I stepped out the cool air hit my body, sending a shiver through me. I stepped up to the sink and unwrapped the toothbrush. I must admit, I missed the minty freshness of toothpaste as my tiny travel bottle had ran out within a few days of the outbreak. I rinsed the tooth paste away and then took after the lotion bottle, saturating my skin in big globs of it, after thoroughly rubbing it in I allowed it to soak into my skin for a few minutes, exploring the room as I air dried.
I picked through books on the bookshelf, many old books, new books, from well known and unknown authors, there was fancy bookends and a fake succulent potted plant as well as a few other decorations. I paged through a book quickly then set it back in its place. Going to my bag I pulled out a large grey t-shirt that fell well past my waist. I then took out a black pair of lace cheeky panties. I released my hair from the towel turban and brushed through it with my comb, pulling 10 week old knots out.
I decided to go and thank Emmett and Emily before bed and made my way from the room and down the hall.
When I reached the living room I found Emily and Russell snuggled up on the couch to a new movie, but no Emmett.
"Hey girl." Emily said looking up to me.
"Did Emmett turn in for the night?" I asked. She shook her head.
"That boy never sleeps." She said, she motioned back through the hallway, "He went back to the work out room."
I nodded, "I just wanted to thank you guys for allowing me to come with you… You could have just left me there after you came into the airport, but I am really glad that you offered me a place to stay."
"It's no problem, it's the least we can do after shooting down your door and intruding on your safe space." She said, "We are still really sorry for that."
I shook my head, "No, I am really glad you guys did it." I laughed, "I'd have just rotted away with chips and soda in that room had you not come along.
Russell and Emily laughed with me.
"Emmett just went back to the workout room a bit ago, so I'm sure he isn't too far into his workout." Russell said.
"Thanks. Goodnight guys."
They both responded in unison, "Goodnight.".
I turned on my heels and tiptoed through the hall to the door at the very end.