3. Hades
Hades
I pull the truck up to the shitty cabin in the woods.
Wilder leans forward, staring through the windshield. “You said move-in ready.”
“It has walls.”
“One of them is leaning.”
“It’s still standing.”
“For now.”
I shut off the engine and climb out, not bothering to respond to him.
Cold air hits me as soon as my boots touch the ground. The scent of damp earth and decaying leaves hangs heavy in the woods, mixed with pine and something smoky in the distance.
I look up at the cabin.
Maybe move-in ready was generous.
The pictures made it look better. A lot better.
The porch sags slightly on one end, the dark wooden siding has seen better decades, and one of the shutters hangs crooked beside a window.
But the roof looks good.
The property is secluded.
And it was cheap.
Those were my only requirements.
Wilder slams his door. “I think I saw this place in a horror movie.”
“Then you should feel right at home.”
He grins. “I knew there was a reason I came with you.”
“You came with me because I’m your ride.”
“Yeah. And I set our house on fire.”
“That too.”
I pop the tailgate.
Everything we own is in the back. Two suitcases. Three duffel bags. A couple of boxes.
Not much to show for our lives.
Then again, most of what we owned burned several states away.
Wilder reaches for one of the duffels.
“Not that one.”
His hand stops.
He slowly turns his head to me. “The only good thing he gave us, huh?”
“More like the only thing we stole from him.” I reach for it. “Rightly so.”
He holds up his hands. “Relax, Hades. I’m not going to leave it sitting on the porch with a sign that says Please steal me.”
I pull the bag off the tailgate. The weight pulls against my shoulder.
Wilder watches me. “You planning to sleep with that thing?”
“If I have to.”
“You need therapy.”
“So do you.”
“Probably.”
He grabs the suitcases and heads toward the cabin.
I follow, carrying the duffel.
The porch groans beneath our weight.
Wilder stops and slowly looks down. “If I fall through this fucking thing—”
“I’ll pull you out.”
“That’s comforting.”
I unlock the door and push it open.
The smell hits first.
Dust.
Old wood.
Something stale from the place being closed up too long.
Wilder reaches inside and flips the switch.
Nothing happens.
He flips it again.
Still nothing.
“You've got to be fucking kidding me.”
“The electric is on.”
“Clearly.”
I step around him and try another switch.
A yellow light flickers to life over what passes for a kitchen.
Wilder looks at me. “Luxury.”
“Stop bitching.”
“I haven't even started.”
I carry the duffel toward the hallway and check the first bedroom. Small. One window. Closet. Bed frame without a mattress.
Good enough.
I set the duffel inside the closet.
Wilder appears behind me. “You're taking that room?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Because I picked it.”
“Ah. Mature.”
I close the closet door.
He looks around the room before glancing back toward the hallway. “That one mine?”
“Yup.”
“Bigger?”
“No.”
“Better view?”
“Of trees.”
“Hot neighbors?”
“We don't have neighbors.”
His eyebrows lift. “None?”
“Nearest house wasn't visible from the road.”
“That's not the same thing.”
“Close enough.”
Wilder disappears down the hallway.
A second later, his voice carries through the cabin. “My room has a dead bug the size of my fucking hand!”
“Make friends with it.”
“I'm setting it on fire.”
“No.”
Silence.
“Wilder.”
“Fine.”
I shake my head and walk back outside for the rest of our shit.
The sun is already sinking behind the mountains, shadows stretching between the trees. Leaves cover the ground in shades of red, orange, and gold, disturbed only by the narrow tire tracks leading to the cabin.
It’s quiet.
That's what I want.
No questions.
No curious neighbors.
No one who knows our names.
No one who knows where we came from.
A place where Wilder and I can disappear for a while and start over.
I grab another duffel and one of the boxes. Wilder comes up beside me and grabs the rest of our luggage.
By the time we're finished, Wilder has found the thermostat, confirmed we have hot water, and discovered three more dead bugs.
He also discovered a huge bug he named Frank.
I drop onto the battered couch. A cloud of dust rises around me.
“Jesus.”
Wilder laughs from the kitchen. “Move-in ready, huh?”
“Fuck off.”
“I'm putting that on your tombstone.”
I lean my head back and stare at the ceiling. There's a water stain in one corner. Nothing a little work can't fix.
We don't need much. Four walls, a roof, and privacy.
Wilder opens a cabinet. “Nothing.”
“What did you expect?”
“I don't know. Maybe the previous owner left me some chips.”
“There's a store in town.”
“Does it have actual food or just chips and stuff?”
“Weren’t you paying attention?”
“I was napping, asshole.”
I roll my eyes. “There’s a convenience and grocery store.”
“Good. I’m hungry.” He closes the cabinet and grabs his jacket. “You coming?”
“No.”
“Keys?”
I pull them from my pocket and toss them to him.
“I might go look around.”
He stares at me. “At what?”
“The property.”
“It’s trees, Hades.”
“I noticed.”
He shrugs. “Well, try not to get murdered.”
I look at him.
He grins. “Right. Forgot who I was talking to.”
The door closes behind him, and silence settles over the cabin.
I should unpack.
Instead, I head outside.
The cold has sharpened as daylight fades. I shove my hands into my pockets and walk around the side of the cabin.
The property stretches farther than I expected. It’s mostly woods, but we do have a small, overgrown backyard.
I follow what looks like an old trail between the trees, my boots crunching over fallen leaves. I don't know where it leads. I don't particularly care.
I’m just content that for the first time in years, nobody knows where we are.
No one is waiting for us.
Or watching our every move.
A faint sound carries through the woods.
I stop and listen.
There it is again. A small, sharp bark. Then another.
I look around the forest. I can’t see anything through the thick trees.
The barking stops.
I should turn around and go back to the cabin. Unpack my meager belongings. Figure out what the hell we're going to do with our lives now that the bastard who controlled them is dead.
Instead, I take another step down the trail.