2.
Warm, bloody water trailed from Ana's tanned legs down the drain in the center of the shower. She turned around and allowed clear water to trickle onto her face. Her hands ran through her hair, unknotting strands as they went. Ana had been in the shower for well over an hour as the shower offered considerable warmth, but also because her body was completed covered in muck. The air around her and even the shower door was painted with condensation. Ana realized that more steam meant a warmer environment to step out into until she found clean clothes.
Her new house consisted of four bedrooms and three baths. The three bedrooms on the second floor had closets filled with various clothes in different sizes. Ana's best bet was finding something to wear amongst those closets. The kitchen on the first floor was already filled with pastas and cans of vegetables. She hadn't scoured the entire kitchen and assumed more snacks awaited behind closed cabinets.
So, after Ana's shower, she scavenged the closets and came across a pair of black jeans and a long black v-neck. The jeans were one size too big, however, after tucking the shirt into her waistband, Ana found that it fit perfectly. She wouldn't have a bra until she washed her own, but decided it wouldn't be a big deal. Ana headed downstairs where she was met with a pile of dirty clothes and her trusty knife. She slid the knife into her waistband, ignoring the holster. Then, she took her pile of clothes and placed it by the front door as a reminder to ask Deanna how to do laundry; she wasn't sure if the washer machines were functional, or if they preferred using a more natural source of water.
Ana was about to grab something to eat when she reminded herself of the small get-together later on. Casting a look outside, she saw that the light was diminishing. If she ate now, eating at the party would make her sick. If she refused food, she might be seen as rude. Instead, Ana walked to a white sofa that resided in the middle of the living room. She sat down, resting her head against the headrest and observing the room. Small paintings were hung around a large flat screen TV. There was no remote in sight, so Ana figured that cable had gone to shit along with everything else. There was a small collection of books underneath the glass coffee table in front of the sofa. Most of them seemed to be classics such as 1984 and Of Mice and Men. After scanning through the titles, Ana reached under the table and picked out The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. She quickly read the back summary, then opened to the front page and began to read.
It didn't seem like long before a knock on the front door of the house brought the book down from Ana's eyes. She hadn't noticed how dim the room was. There was just enough light to make out the words on the page. The knock came again, bidding Ana to raise from the sofa and make her way towards the door. She opened it and squinted at Spencer's familiar face.
"Hello," Spencer said, giving her the once-over. She did the same, noticing he changed into a nice dark blue shirt with a pair of jeans. "Deanna wanted me to see how you were settling."
Ana nodded, moving out of the doorway so he could enter. He glanced down at the pile of clothes next to the door.
"I didn't know where you did wash," she explained quickly. Spencer chuckled lightly.
"I'll take care of it." He leaned down, about to pick them up when Ana placed her hand on his arm.
"I don't want to get that shirt dirty," she admitted. "My clothes are soaked with mud."
Spencer stood up as Ana lowered her arm. "I'll come get them after the party then." He widened his eyes as if he realized something he had forgotten. "That's right! The party. My mom wanted me to come get you for that as well."
After a look of uneasiness crossed Ana's face, Spencer continued speaking. "Don't worry, it won't last too long. There's another meeting tonight that'll probably cut the party's time in half."
Ana forced a small smile. "I'm ready whenever," she said. Despite her words, Ana despised get-togethers and preferred to stay indoors. She wasn't about to be rude to her new saviors, and decided to get over herself in a quick moment.
"Alright," Spencer beamed, gesturing for Ana to exit the house. As she did, Spencer closed the door behind her and began leading her back to Deanna's house.
Despite the setting sun, it was still humid outside. The heat killed Ana's energy and hurt her head. Luckily Deanna's house was a short distance away, and the fans inside instantly cooled her body to a comfortable temperature.
The house wasn't as crowded as Ana assumed it would be. Whereas she imagined a large crowd of fifty people, there were only about twenty. Of them she recognized Deanna, Aaron, and Rick. Deanna stood near Rick, who was conversing with a young blonde woman and chuckling at almost everything she said. His face was covered in a series of white bandages that stood out like a sore thumb. Aaron stood near another male, who was chatting with him and offering him a glass of wine. Most of the new faces turned their heads as soon as Ana came through the front door with Spencer. Deanna noticed her entrance as well and was instantly at her side, introducing her to the crowd.
"This is our new community member, Ana Sanchez." Deanna then went about introducing to Ana to the various faces, including her husband, Reg and Aaron's boyfriend, Eric. Ana was also introduced to the gray haired woman in Rick's house, Carol. She was taught that the girl Rick was talking to was named Jesse, and she had two sons.
After all the introductions were said and done, Ana retreated to the corner of a room with a glass of wine. She leaned against a wall and observed the crowd as they chatted amongst themselves. A lot of them seemed joyous and happy. The whole situation felt weird, since they were in the middle of an apocalypse. The world went to shit and people were still able to smile and raise a few.
The sun set soon after, and Ana decided it was an appropriate time to leave. She had observed a few other people return home, and figured that her leaving wouldn't be a strain. Spencer was in the middle of a deep conversation with his parents and a few other neighbors; Ana figured he could come get the laundry tomorrow. On her way out, she placed her wine glass on a counter next to the sink in the kitchen.
Luckily the humidity levels lowered in the few hours Ana was in the house. While it was still hot out, it was more bearable. A small breeze blew through Ana's hair as she glanced around the neighborhood. Shadows fell across the roads, taking the shapes of objects that did not resemble the trees casting them. She heard a few footsteps around the corner of a house, and in response removed the knife from her waistband. She remembered Deanna's warning about previous walker incidents. Ana slowed her breath, taking a few quiet footsteps as she rounded the corner of the house.
She was surprised when she came face to face with the same terrifying blue eyes from earlier that day. Rick held a knife up to her face as he pinned her against the wall of the house. In a quick moment, he realized it was Ana and let her go, lowering the knife. In the few seconds it took for his actions to unfold, Ana hadn't so much as breathed. When she realized what happened, she slid her knife into its holding place and pursed her lips.
"I'm sorry," Rick whispered in a low voice. "Things have been happening lately, we're all a little on edge."
"So everyone who comes from Deanna's house, you assume they're one of those things?" Ana questioned, her voice equally as quiet. She brought her hand to the back of her head, scratching it lightly.
"Most people make more sound than you do. They don't travel alone at night."
Ana wasn't sure how to reply, and remained silent. She was curious about the bandages, but figured now was not a good time to ask what happened. Rick sighed and placed his hands on his hips. Eventually, he opened his mouth again.
"You should get home. It's late." His voice was louder this time.
Ana nodded in agreement. "I should," she said. Without another word, she walked past Rick with a quickened pace.
Rick looked over his shoulder at the new girl after a few moments, making sure she was walking in the correct direction.
Ana's house was dark, although she had no problem with it. Her eyes were tired and her body exhausted from keeping a façade at the get-together. She trudged through the house, using only the moonlight to guide her. She slipped once on the stairs, managing to bang her knee without doing too much harm. Ana gasped in pain but picked herself up and continued up the stairs. Once she made it to the top, she remembered that there was a bedroom downstairs. She mentally scolded herself and entered the first bedroom she could find.
The bed was large, at least a king, with a white duvet cover and an assortment of small colorful pillows. There was another small array of books on an end table next to the bed. Ana paid them no mind, telling herself she would read in the morning. She climbed onto the soft bed and quickly crawled under the covers. It wasn't long before she met her long lost love; sleep.
A couple of hours passed. Ana woke in the middle of the night, unsure why but she remained cautious. She wasn't one to wake easily. Minutes passed and Ana listened to the rhythm of her breathing before an unearthly sound floated throughout the community. Someone was screaming, letting loose a series of gut-wrenching cries. Following the cries, Ana heard shouting, a gunshot, and then silence.
i hope this chapter was enjoyable. reviews and critiques are always welcomed!