Chapter 4

"She's coming. Turn on the camera."

Nathon jumped at the unexpected command and hit his head on the shower head he had just turned off. He turned around to find the woman the voice belonged to standing in the doorway of the small bathroom.

With one hand still clutching the spot on the top of his head that luckily was not bleeding, he reached over and switched on the camera sitting on the cabinet. No sooner had he done this and picked it up then Elliot walked past the room and stopped. Now, her hair was up in a messy bun and she wore some grey knee-length shorts and a blue t-shirt.

Careful to keep both women in the shot, Nathon aligned himself in a way to film.

"Nice work. Looks like the first floor is secure." Glancing down at the digital watch on her left wrist, she continued, "It's about eight o' clock, so if you are hungry I'll show you the kitchen and where you can sleep." She then turned around and started down the short hallway they were in toward the stair case. Nathon made a move to follow her and walked out of the door, past his companion who stared at him menacingly before following.

Filming the entire way, they were led up the stairs and down a small hallway, and met Elliot in a large kitchen. After showing them where all the food, mostly energy bars, sandwich and salad ingredients, and enough water to keep a small African family alive for weeks, she told them to eat only three small meals a day, so their supply would last longer. Then she led them back out of the kitchen and into a different hallway.

She opened the first two doors nearest to the stairs, and told them that they could each sleep in one. the woman immediately moved to the room on the left, and so Nathon peered into the one on the right, to find that it contained a small simply furnished bedroom containing only a twin bed made with blue sheets and a light comforter, a nightstand with an alarm clock and lamp, and a set of drawers.

He only had a few moments to look inside before Elliot told them she had some work to do in the garage, and that they should eat something, then continue filling up the bathtubs. "By then, I'll be done. I'll come find you." Elliot then walked quickly away and down the stairs. By the time she was out of sight and earshot, and Nathon turned back to the other woman for further instructions, she too had disappeared.

Not sure whether to be glad she was gone, or scared that she might not be for long, he found his way back to the kitchen and hurriedly ate a small sandwich. he could tell it would be a long day.

...

Elliot was thinking the exact same thing as she opened the door to the garage below. Flipping the switch by the door, the garage was lit up dramatically and Elliot couldn't help but smile. The far wall gleamed in the harsh light, and every single one of the score of guns mounted there seemed to sing in her eyes. But they weren't why she came down here. Neither was the small hybrid or the road bike. she was looking for the one thing that was the key to her survival.

Turning right and stepping up to the imposing set of shelves there, she crouched own and dug through the bottom shelf before finding it. Standing up again, with the worn leather bound journal in her hands, she left the garage and walked back to the atrium, where she found a seat and began to read.

...

The day passed slowly, and was spent in three ways. For Nathon, it was fearing the return of his comrade and doing everything Elliot told him to, without any help. For Elliot, it was handing out jobs and chores, and taking care of the more important ones herself, which included moving all the food from the first floor up to the stock room by the kitchen. And for the other woman, it was spent gathering information, and plotting in secret.

By the time it was dark, Elliot was satisfied with the day's work and told her guests to get some sleep, as they were definitely going to need it. she herself went back upstairs, looking forward to some contemplation time.

Nathon, who had been taking stock of the food in the stock room waited for her to leave before sighing and grabbing his camera from a nearby shelf and heading toward the room she had shown him before. He turned the corner to his room to find her standing there menacingly.

With a gasp he flinched and she rolled her eyes. She held out a hand and motioned for him to give her the camera. He gave it to her and she turned and went into her room. Only then did he notice she was wearing silk pajamas. Where did she get those? Stressed and confused, he shuffled into his own room to find another surprise. Two, actually. Sitting at the foot of his bed were the dogs. About to yell and run away, Nathon turned toward the door, but then realized the dogs weren't growling. Or snarling. Slowly he turned around and found the dogs both simply looking at him, with a sense of... curiosity.

Nathon calmed down enough to realize they probably wouldn't eat him in his sleep. So he took of his jacket and shoes and laid down on the bed. Soon after he got comfortable, both dogs simultaneously jumped up on the bed and Nathon yelped. But the dogs simply laid down at his feet and started to snore. Well, now he was pinned, but at least not dead.

Nathon eventually closed his eyes, fearing the dreams of sirens, monsters, and grey jumpsuits he was bound to have.