Jennifer collapsed onto a chair, putting her head in her arms as she rested them against the table. "When we get this sorted out," She mumbled into the thick fabric of her jacket. "I am going to take the bus."
"I second that," Sammy called from across the room where they sat on the kitchen island. "I can't believe this barn has a kitchen."
Emily raised her hair from her spot on the floor, spread out like a starfish on the cold tile. "You'd be surprised. Our barn, our family's anyway, was huge and we had lots of animals. There was also a kitchen and living room and several bathrooms with maybe six bedrooms." She stopped, blushing. "I'm over sharing. What were your houses like?"
Jennifer stood and stretched. "Lived at Camp Half-Blood. My house was two stories, kinda small, and wooden. Four bedrooms."
She pointed to Lee. "Go get food. Yes," She interrupted before he could argue. "I realize we discussed the jobs and that food would be Emily's. But right now you two," She indicated Sammy. "Are going to get food and wood. We'll stay here for a couple of days. Camp's too far away, and they're on our tail."
"Fine," Lee grumbled. "Come on, Sammy. I saw a supermarket or something up ahead."
"Do you get nightmares?" Jennifer asked as, you know, one does. Her feet were propped up on a box as she went through racks of clothes.
Emily tilted her head from where she sat on a bed, the plain light blue sheets covering it tightly. "Randomly," She replied, biting her nails as she eyed a black pair of tennis shoes Jennifer had tossed her way.
"Really? What are they about?"
She snorted, grabbing a pair of socks and the shoes. She started to tie the laces together when she spoke. "What aren't they about? I see death, chaos, destruction... just about everything but memories. I can hardly remember anything before the sky went red."
Jennifer nodded understandingly. "I see it all. Memories, mostly. But they're corrupted. Like, it will start with a memory that I wasn't there for but am a part of in some small way. Then... well, usually they crumble. They turn to dust and just... get whisked away by the wind. Then He's there.
"I hate when they act as if its nothing. I had nightmares before, in the cage, in the dungeon, in my house. And-"
"Wait, you spent five years in a cage?" Emily's voice was surprised.
"You weren't?"
"I mean, not really. They kept me in a small cave with ten guards every hour. Like a shift change. When the shift comes there's twice as many." She finished tying her shoes, now opting to comb through her matted hair.
"My family... And Lee's... He won't remember it but for a small amount of time we were held together. Same cage, you know. My brother, Jamie..." Tears dripped down her face and Jennifer quickly whipped them away.
"He was dead by then. So I was, by their standards, the oldest. So we were housed together. Our parents had escaped him, once. So he was... He was torturing them. Because they lived and escaped from him. I don't know the full stunt of it, because we counted only about a week in real time. Then we got transferred to where I stayed for the final... year? weeks? I don't know."
Emily nodded, zipping up a thick blue sweater. Her hair sat in shaggy waves down her back. "Well, at least we're safe now."
Jennifer looked up at her in shock. "Safe?" She asked lowly. "Safe? You want to call it safe that we have to constantly be on the run, just to stay alive? Constantly have to not be children, be adults, at war? You want to call that safe?"
Slowly her voice had risen, making her nearly screeching at the end. Emily raised her hands. "Chill out. Wrong wording. I meant that at least we escaped."
She nodded slowly. "Okay... Now come on, we have more to do."
But she couldn't seem to shake the feel that Emily truly did feel safe.
A lot of this was just dialogue, but I hope you like it. Also, because I'm bored and curious, what's your favorite colors? Mines purple and red. Please stay safe and have a good day/night!