Chapter 16
Chapter sixteen
Isla
The brisk winter air has come in strong this season. The chill has me wrapped in layers of knitwear and my air fanning in front of my face as I walk through the threshold of the abandoned building.
Fauna and I had decided to split up for this area, not noticing anyone around and the sudden weather change spurring us on.
We need supplies for winter.
Old, dust-covered furniture litters the hallway, most of this stuff being completely useless now.
What is the point in a desk when you don’t have anything to do at it? Apart from rolling out a map on top of course. That’s practically the only use I’ve had for one in over six years.
I wander through the corridor, climbing the rickety staircase through the levels and finding nothing. Nothing until I hear it — the distinct sound of someone whistling.
Not in a creepy way, but more so in a light-hearted chirp.
Who in the hell could be whistling such a light-hearted melody in the apocalypse of all places?
Not thinking any better of myself, curiosity well and truly overtaking any rational thought my brain could have tried to conjure up. I sneak through the entrance to the fourth floor, following the mysterious melody.
I swear if this is some haunted paranormal activity shit, I'm going to wave the white flag. I can’t be dealing with ghosts as well as a damn apocalypse.
The sound of heavy boots accompanies the song. I can only hear one set so far and they are getting further away. As if they are leaving the room I’m about to enter.
Anticipation taking over, I hurry after the sound coming into full view with the owner of the light-hearted whistle.
Broad shoulders — so wide I question how he’s managed to be built in such a way — flex as the man in front of me works whatever is in his hands.
He wears a black top, one slightly thicker than your average t-shirt but way too thin for the frosted weather creeping in outside.
It hugs his muscles tight only loosening as it falls down around his waist, ending where blue jeans begin.
Jeans that show a firm ass that lead to thick thighs.
He is a walking contradiction.
My body betraying me — the traitorous bitch she is — releases an almost pained moan at the sight, and the hulking wall of muscle in front of me stops at the noise.
Aw fuck. I’ve only gone and done it now, haven’t I?
The man slowly turns, his whole body moving as if he is a slab of walled muscle and instead of seeing his face I find a mask covering his features.
One with a white skull across it and a rather obnoxious-looking crown secured on top.
His brown eyes slowly peruse my body, drinking in my appearance until they meet my gaze.
A creek of a door grips my attention and the soft glow of a foreign light, one that doesn’t fit with where the masked man and I are, pulls me away from my memory. Sadness stuffs my chest as the warmth of his gaze dims and the chill of the nighttime air seeps back into my bones.
I blink my eyes open, finding the yellow flame of Fauna’s lantern floating across our room, heading for the door. It opens, revealing a slightly lighter hallway on the other side, the flames illuminating her brown hair. Then they all disappear as she lets the door softly close again.
Loneliness creeps in and for the first time in years, I feel fully alone.
I don’t think Elizabeth has come back yet, off out wherever it is she keeps disappearing off to.
I know she doesn’t mean to leave me feeling this way; they would both be mortified if I ever told them, especially Fauna, which is why I never will.
Fauna has done more than I could ever imagine for me in the years we have been surviving together, which is why I am over the moon that she has found someone who I know will do the same and more for her.
Not able to get comfortable, and as I can’t risk going back to sleep and dreaming of Liam again I reach over to turn on the burner of my lamp.
A yellow glow illuminates the room, giving my surroundings a cosy feel to it.
With the oranges and yellows, it should feel warm, but I can’t seem to shake off the chill that I fear has spread deeper than just the surface.
My new slippers are fluffy and strong as I slide my toes inside. I give them a wiggle, basking in the unfamiliar softness of them.
In the past day I feel like I have been reborn again.
First, a bedroom, one all for me. I know Fauna and Liz technically share with me, but it’s the first night, and neither has managed to stay (not that I blame them), so sooner or later, I know it’ll just be mine.
Then the glorious shower, which was practically orgasmic in itself.
My skin feels as fresh as a baby, and I no longer feel like I have a layer of dirt covering me that I want to peel off at every given minute.
Fauna platted my damp hair from my face and Pam gave me a fresh set of clothes and some more roasties alongside my soup.
The woman is an angel, and I don’t say that lightly. It’s like she knew the right amount of fussing to give me and once she could see my discomfort, she just simply patted me on the arm, gave me a knowing look and said ‘In time, honey. In time.’
I’d wanted to cry the second she said it so I buried my face in my bowl, not looking up until it was all gone.
Ru has laid off in his overbearing mother henery, but I know we’ll need to talk at some point. But I'm avoiding it. How do I tell him I’ve spent the past seven years festering hatred towards him for no reason other than to blame him for my loneliness and anger at the world?
My scars itch at the thought, my mood sour. I need to get out of this room. If I’m left with my own thoughts for any longer, I’ll go crazy.
Slowly, I creep out of the room, light on my feet and pull the door handle. I slip out of the crack in the door, squeezing myself and wee bump into the corridor.
I have no clue where I intend to go but I’m too restless to stay there.
With my chance to nosey around the stadium at night, I wander down the plush carpeted halls, oil-burning lantern in hand. Surprisingly, the place is in good nick, clean and tidy like a proper home.
Although there are stark differences that separate it from a home I used to know before the apocalypse, one being that the damn thing is a maze.
Despite being shown several times since I got here I can’t find the bloody exit.
You’d think it would be signposted to the end of the earth with it being used as a football stadium in the past but things are all jumbled now and I can’t find anything but closed doors with different decorations on the outsides.
And judging by the sparkly colourful nature of the decorations, I have a suspicion a small iron-willed child named Elsa had some involvement in creating them.
Although still pissy, my mood had settled around the subject of the boisterous small child now that I know she’s not Liam's.
Fauna would have to pry the admission out of me but when Ru explained how Elsa and Pam came to be in the stadium a heaviness lifted from my shoulders.
Amused by how personal each decoration is I take the time to learn each of the names, stopping short when I spot Liam’s name in bright glittering pink. Surrounding his name, birds of varying colours fly around — not just any birds, pigeons. Pigeons of varying colours.
For fuck sake. Why does he have to be obsessed with those things. I can’t get my head around it. Seriously, how can a man that looks like that have a soft spot for a bunch of birds?
What if he’s inside? Is he lying behind this door thinking of me?
He’s probably sleeping, and here I am being a creeper hanging around outside his bedroom door at night like something out of a horror movie. How can I be arsey about him refusing to leave me alone when I'm out here doing the same as him, or at least looking like it.
A door creaks somewhere in the corridor and I jump into action. Under no circumstances will I be caught in my PJs standing outside my baby daddy’s room like a psycho.
Not taking much notice of where I’m going, I shuffle myself down the remainder of the corridor and out into a stairway. Descending one flight of stairs, I run through into a social-looking place, one that looks a lot like a play area for the little ones, minus the old bar on the right-hand side.
Could this be where my wee boy will grow up? Will he play with the others, learn from them and help build a new and better society?
I can only dream right?
‘Hey, are you alright?’
I jump, screaming as the unexpected voice startles me.
Stood in the entryway at the other end of the large room is a woman, a little older than me but I imagine not by much. Her soft blonde hair glows in the warm light of her lantern framing her kind features. A look of silent alarm crosses her features as she realises her error.
‘I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you.’
Hand over my still racing heart, I pant out ‘It’s okay. Just got a fright that’s all.’
‘You’re part of the new group?’ she questions and I nod still a little out of breath with shock.
‘I’m Lily,’ she smiles, moving towards me with her hand held out.
I look at it. What am I supposed to do with that?
Lily clears her throat, her cheeks tinging as the seconds stretch on with her hand still outstretched.
‘You’re supposed to shake it, darling.’ Vishrut’s amused voice announces from behind me.
It has been so long since I met anyone new that I didn’t instantly suspect was a threat to me I’d completely forgotten about the old greetings we all used to use. Shaking someone's hand as a greeting, being one of them.
God, I look like a bitch.
Rather pathetically, I attempt to shake Lily’s hand, not quite getting it right as I manoeuvre my left hand in a twist to grab what happens to unfortunately be her left hand as well.
Luckily she giggles light heartedly, not seeming to care that I have the social skills of a feral squirrel.