Chapter Two
An hour into the walk Penny starts complaining about her legs hurting so we take a short break. Where I give Jackson one of the bookbags, the diaper bag and the mosses basket; leaving me with one bookbag and just enough room to carry Penny on my back. We power through the rest of the walk and in just over 3 hours we make it to camp ground. There aren't too many biters around which concerns me but I lead Jackson over next to the steps in front of the porch anyway.
"Stay here I'm going to clear this cabin. Then I'll come out to get you. If you see a biter sit as still and as quietly as you can. Same thing for a human, if either get too close to you yell, shoot if they try to touch you"
"Ok Gen" he says taking Penny's hand and making her sit down before taking Anneliese into his arms and the gun with his right hand.
"I'll be back, don't come in until I come out" with his nod I un-holster my knife and go up the porch stairs. Pushing open the door, the main room seems empty and appears to consist of a small living room, dining area and kitchen. There are 3 doors around the area and I head for the first one. I'm assuming it's the master by its size, I check everywhere even the closet and there's nothing there. I check the second door next and it's an empty bathroom. Pushing my luck I decide to test the tap and to my surprise there's running water.
Withholding my squeal of joy, I move onto the 3rd room. Immediately upon pushing open the door I gag at the smell. Spotting the culprit standing at the window I quickly approach and before it can turn around my knife is through the biter's skull. Deciding to just close the door and mark this as off limits I consider the basket at the end of the bed and grab the extra blankets and pillow. I also go through the closet and dresser finding quite a few sets of clothes that look like they'll fit me, I grab the most practical items. I dump everything on the couch before going to get the kids.
"The last room is off limits don't open the door at all" Jackson and Penny both nod.
"Jack go have a look through the first room see if you can find any clothes in there." He does as I say placing the bookbags down in front of one of the couches.
"Hey Penn, can you hand me that bookbag" I ask pointing to the one in the mosses basket, she does so quickly
"Ok close your eyes I have a surprise" I say, and she giggles covering her eyes with her hands. I take out the coloring book and crayons and place them on the coffee table
"Ok open" she squeals a little when she sees them
"Thank you Gen" "Your very welcome princess"
"I found some clothes that should fit me" Jackson says coming out of the bedroom
"Cool, you can take a shower. There's running water, but I don't know if it's hot... if it is hot save some for us ok?" I request he nods and hurries into the bathroom.
"Jack is silly" I say to Penny tickling her side.
"Hello darling" I coo to Anneliese when I pick her up, she looks at me blankly for a few seconds before whining. Knowing that she's not hungry I slip her binkie into her mouth.
"Hey Penn, what do you say after Jack is finished we get a shower to get clean?"
"With soap" she asks, "Yes ma'm" "Sure Gen" she says before beginning to color.
It's at least 20 minutes before Jackson emerges from bathroom.
"Is there hot water?" I ask
"Yea" "Did ya leave us some" "Yes I did Genevieve"
"Don't take that tone with me, watch Anneliese so Penn and I can get a shower" I snap back placing Anne in her mosses basket and digging Penny's change of clothes out of the back pack. "Come on Penn" Penny follow me into the bathroom. We shower together me washing her first and then letting her splash in the water while I get clean. Once we're done showering we get out and I dress get us both dressed.
When we rejoin Jackson, I give him instructions "Ok I want you two to go into that room over there and go to sleep, as soon as I clean Anneliese up and feed her we'll be in to join you so leave me some room on the bed"
"Ok Gen" "I love you guys. Goodnight" I kiss both of their heads and shoo them off to the bedroom.
Turning I pick up Anneliese who is wide awake "Hi baby. You wanna get your first bath? Huh? I think you do" I coo as I enter the bathroom. I run some lukewarm water into the sink and stopper it. I take off my shirt, so I don't get soaked then barely place Anne in the water. Using a wash rag I give her, her first bath being mindful of her belly button although the umbilical stump fell off yesterday. I run the wet rag through her thick, dark brown hair and she coos up at me.
"You like that? Does it feel good?" she's not in the water too long but when she's done I take her out, towel dry her and put a diaper on her before massaging some baby lotion into her skin. I dress her in a onesie and swaddle her with a pink blanket. I feed her until she falls asleep and then I place her in the mosses basket. Looking around the room I spot the pile of our dirty laundry, so I grab it run some water in the tub and add soap before putting our clothes in, hopefully this will work, and our clothes will get somewhat clean.
Grabbing the mosses basket, I join Penny and Jackson in the bedroom. I put the mosses basket on the dresser and climb into the empty side of the bed and I'm asleep before my head hits the pillow. Of course, I only get a grand total of 4 hours of sleep that night. 3 before Anneliese woke me up and one after, before she woke me up again. And then the next 5 hours before sunrise are spent with me being paranoid. I just had a general feeling of unease as I sat in the bedroom.
But now that the sun is rising, and Jackson and Penny are stirring I get out some food to eat for breakfast. I have half a granola bar while the kids split a can of peaches and the other half of my granola bar. I feed Anneliese and change her before settling her into the mosses basket.
"Alright guys I'm going to go search through a few of the other cabins. I want you to stay in the bedroom with the chair up against the door, don't come out for anything. I shouldn't be too long, and you should be able to see me approaching from the bedroom window. If anyone else comes into the cabin, Jack, I want you to take Penny and Anne and hide in the closet. Ok?"
"Yea"
"If a biter comes up to the cabin, keep as quiet as possible and don't worry about killing it. Don't open the bedroom door until I'm in the house and you're 100% sure that its me."
"I get it Gen"
"Ok, ok here's the gun. Don't shoot unless someone manages to get through the bedroom door and finds you in the closet. Ok?"
"Yes Gen" Jackson sighs
"Ok into the bedroom you go" I say shooing them into the bedroom. I wait for him to put the chair under the door knob and test the door before I call out "I love you guys, be back soon" I make my way outside and immediately take note of how while its hot inside, outside is a muggy, humid heat.
Unsheathing my knife, I enter the first cabin. It looks completely empty. There's a bookbag on the couch and nothing useful is inside. Both bedrooms and bathroom are empty too. So, I move onto the next cabin. I go through 3 cabins before I find something of use. Some clothes that'll fit penny and with them the little girl who would've worn them, the only thing is that she's a biter. I quickly stab her in the forehead before doing the same with the man who was slowly moving towards me arms outstretched to grab me and bring me towards his mouth. After he hits the floor I turn around and throw up, everything I'd eaten. Little kids and babies should not be subjected to being turned, hell no one should.
After calming down I just decide to head back to our cabin. It's a quick walk and before I know it, I'm standing in front of the bedroom door while Jackson opens it.
"Everything good?" I ask
"Yea I only had to change Anne once" "Ok good"
"Did you find anything Gen?" Penny asks, "Yea Penny I did, I found some clothes that should fit you" "Really?" "Yep" I reply laughing as I pull them out and show them to her. "Gen look it, its pink!" she squeals holding up a pink and white striped Belle shirt. "Yes, it is Princess" I say back laughing at her enthusiasm. I guess Anneliese gets startled because she starts whining and Jackson quickly hands her to me "Hi baby girl" I coo rocking her in my arms trying to soothe her, "It's not quite time for you to eat yet" I tell her checking my watch. My words mean nothing to her as her whines escalate into cries.
Thinking quickly, I begin to hum the first song that comes to mind and when that doesn't seem to calm her much I begin to sing a few words too.
"I remember tears streaming down your face" I murmur not really singing it. "When all those shadows almost killed your light, I remember you said don't leave me here alone but all that's dead and gone and passed tonight" Anneliese's cries start to slow as I begin to sing more than humming.
"Just close your eyes, the sun is going down you'll be alright, no one can hurt you now come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound" Anneliese has calmed down and it is blinking up at me with wide blue eyes.
"I remember that song" Jackson speaks up causing me to turn and look at him. "You do?" I ask surprised "Yea I think, I remember you singing it to Penny"
"I did, it's the only thing that could get Penny to calm down when she was crying" I explain "I like it" Penny chimes in.
"I'm glad Penny, now how about we eat some lunch then color some pictures in that coloring book" I offer
"Ok!" Penny practically cheers before heading to our food bag causing me to smile and laugh at her eagerness.