outside window to the south and a deadbolt that locked from the inside. From the doorway he could see a cot with a blanket. A sealed package of jerky and a can of almonds joined a shrink-wrapped case of bottled water on the counter top in the small adjoining bathroom. It would serve. He turned to thank his benefactor, but there was no one there.
Hal went to his own room. The old man being gone from the lobby bothered him, but not a great deal. His room was a fortress within a fortress and cocooned him in security.
He thought about turning on the monitor in the occupied guest room, but decided to focus on his fantasies with the girl, Lecti. He hoped she hadn’t gone far. If all these other people would just leave, he could go hunting.
Sleep had little interest for Hey You. She enjoyed dissecting her experiences. In all of her alone time, she often mulled over the possibilities and nuances. Tonight she had a full plate. No, it was more like a Thanksgiving table sagging under its load. Hours later she finally closed her eyes. Her last thoughts were with the young man, Deo, and his sister, Lecti. They would return. Hey You knew it. Deo wasn’t going to abandon Toshi, and Hey You admired him for that.
Chapter 7
L ecti woke with a start. She had slept well and felt rested in her body and in her mind. Her soul however was in turmoil.
Deo still slept beside her in the gathering morning light. A blessing. After last evening’s adrenalin load and the emotional burden, he was exhausted. Generally a heavy sleeper prone to late awakening, Deo would likely cruise right through the morning in slumber. Lecti would take the time to think, and while doing so, to search the house for breakfast.
Kitchens were always the most logical place to explore. The priority was always food. Dried foods were the best bet. Refrigerators, even when working, rarely held anything of use and this house was no exception. The cupboards held nothing of value, either. They had already been ransacked, and nothing remained, not even a bloated can. After foodstuffs commonly became irradiated, before the plagues, they lasted much longer. But twenty years eventually even spoiled the canned goods.
Hesitating before a closed door, Lecti braced herself. She didn’t enjoy finding remains of former occupants. They often told stories, always depressing. Hunger pangs won out, and she pushed the door open.
Skeletal remains sat in a chair, an adult male from the clothing. A large bed held the remains of a child cocooned by another adult. A small animal carcass, perhaps a dog, lay by the door. She had pushed the bones out of the way as she opened it.
She closed the door without entering. Hopefully the other rooms would hold something useful.
The next door was a bathroom. Not expecting to find much, Lecti wasn’t disappointed. She moved on.
An office and craft space occupied the next bedroom. A small bowl held the remains of peanut shells, also scattered on the desktop by a rodent. A snack food bag on the floor had been chewed open and lay empty.
The last door in the hallway opened on a child’s room. Frilly pink drapes filtered the morning light softly on a pink bedspread. A mound of stuffed animals lay at the head of the bed, covering a pink pillowcase. A shelf held a score or more of animal statuettes, mostly horses. Beside the bed, in a drawer holding a pink diary and a stack of children’s drawings and notes from friends, was an unopened bag of red licorice.
Lecti enjoyed red licorice. She sometimes found it as she scavenged. She didn’t realize that it should have been flexible, never having found a bag that wasn’t stale. She broke off a bite size piece and popped it into her mouth, sucking on it as she slipped the bag into her shorts pocket.
Steps descending into
Hal went to his own room. The old man being gone from the lobby bothered him, but not a great deal. His room was a fortress within a fortress and cocooned him in security.
He thought about turning on the monitor in the occupied guest room, but decided to focus on his fantasies with the girl, Lecti. He hoped she hadn’t gone far. If all these other people would just leave, he could go hunting.
Sleep had little interest for Hey You. She enjoyed dissecting her experiences. In all of her alone time, she often mulled over the possibilities and nuances. Tonight she had a full plate. No, it was more like a Thanksgiving table sagging under its load. Hours later she finally closed her eyes. Her last thoughts were with the young man, Deo, and his sister, Lecti. They would return. Hey You knew it. Deo wasn’t going to abandon Toshi, and Hey You admired him for that.
Chapter 7
L ecti woke with a start. She had slept well and felt rested in her body and in her mind. Her soul however was in turmoil.
Deo still slept beside her in the gathering morning light. A blessing. After last evening’s adrenalin load and the emotional burden, he was exhausted. Generally a heavy sleeper prone to late awakening, Deo would likely cruise right through the morning in slumber. Lecti would take the time to think, and while doing so, to search the house for breakfast.
Kitchens were always the most logical place to explore. The priority was always food. Dried foods were the best bet. Refrigerators, even when working, rarely held anything of use and this house was no exception. The cupboards held nothing of value, either. They had already been ransacked, and nothing remained, not even a bloated can. After foodstuffs commonly became irradiated, before the plagues, they lasted much longer. But twenty years eventually even spoiled the canned goods.
Hesitating before a closed door, Lecti braced herself. She didn’t enjoy finding remains of former occupants. They often told stories, always depressing. Hunger pangs won out, and she pushed the door open.
Skeletal remains sat in a chair, an adult male from the clothing. A large bed held the remains of a child cocooned by another adult. A small animal carcass, perhaps a dog, lay by the door. She had pushed the bones out of the way as she opened it.
She closed the door without entering. Hopefully the other rooms would hold something useful.
The next door was a bathroom. Not expecting to find much, Lecti wasn’t disappointed. She moved on.
An office and craft space occupied the next bedroom. A small bowl held the remains of peanut shells, also scattered on the desktop by a rodent. A snack food bag on the floor had been chewed open and lay empty.
The last door in the hallway opened on a child’s room. Frilly pink drapes filtered the morning light softly on a pink bedspread. A mound of stuffed animals lay at the head of the bed, covering a pink pillowcase. A shelf held a score or more of animal statuettes, mostly horses. Beside the bed, in a drawer holding a pink diary and a stack of children’s drawings and notes from friends, was an unopened bag of red licorice.
Lecti enjoyed red licorice. She sometimes found it as she scavenged. She didn’t realize that it should have been flexible, never having found a bag that wasn’t stale. She broke off a bite size piece and popped it into her mouth, sucking on it as she slipped the bag into her shorts pocket.
Steps descending into
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