Fourteen

I tried to wrap my head around the concept of instant learning while the two of them continued their conversation. It made sense why Drav spoke such limited and broken English since I was the only one talking to him. Fear of being discovered by something that seemed to want to kill all humans had kept me from saying a lot.

Quietly, I considered the implications of their ability.  That Drav could understand when I explained something could work in my favor.

Since their conversation contained only a few words of English, I lost interest in it and decided to go search for food.  They stopped talking as soon as I walked into the hallway. Knowing Drav’s concern, I peeked my head back into the room.

“Just going to the kitchen to find food.”

Ghua’s yellow eyes watched me intently, making my skin crawl. Drav grunted, pulling my attention to him.  He stood and came toward me, which didn’t bother me until Ghua stood as well.

“You can stay in there and talk.”

“No, go to kitchen with Mya,” Drav said, slipping past me to head down the hallway. I followed, not wanting to be left alone with Ghua.

The kitchen looked as if the world hadn’t been upturned. Cozy and clean, it seemed like a place where someone’s grandma had baked countless cookies.

Drav opened a cupboard door, and Ghua watched him while I continued to look around.  My eyes caught on a dirty plate beside the sink.  I stepped closer and saw one side of the double sink half filled with water.  Clean dishes occupied the drying rack on the other side of the sink.  A towel draped over one plate like it had just been set down.  I couldn’t look away from it.

“Were there people here?” I asked without looking at Ghua.

He spoke in his language, and Drav answered.

“There were infected outside.”

I sighed and rubbed my face.  It didn’t mean anything that the people here hadn’t escaped infection.  They were close to the city.  In the more rural locations, like our cabin,  there would be less risk.  My family would be fine.

Determined not to worry about what I couldn’t control, I went to the pantry door as Drav searched in the cupboards. The closet was much bigger than I expected, and I tugged the string for the light in order to see.

There were cans of fruits on one shelf, boxed food on another, jugs of water and vinegar and jars of homemade jelly and pickles on another.  The selection made my mouth water.  Since Drav enjoyed the peaches and pineapples we had before, I grabbed those then stared longingly at a box of mac and cheese.  It hadn’t been that long ago since I had a hot meal, but it felt like years. If we were staying the night, I didn’t see why I couldn’t eat more than canned fruit. I snagged the box and came out.

Ghua stood with his back against the fridge, arms crossed. He and Drav were speaking again but more quietly this time.

“Do you guys want to try some mac and cheese?”

They stopped their talking and glanced at me.

“Never mind.” I’d make it and if they wanted some, I’d share.

Setting the fruit and the box on the table, I turned toward the fridge.

“Excuse me.  I need to get in there,” I said, pointing at it.

Ghua moved to the side, and I stepped forward and pulled the door open. The homeowners might have had a stocked pantry, but the items in the fridge were on the light side.  The half-gallon container of milk and the half sticks of butter made me think again of someone’s grandma alone during that first night the hellhounds had appeared.  Anger welled up inside of me.  Why had this happened?  I glanced at Drav, wanting to ask questions.  Could I trust him to be honest?  I just didn’t know.  Yes, he’d kept me safe.  But, he admitted he’d only spared me because of my gender.  What if my questions made him mad?  Would his consideration for my gender go out the window?

“Mya?” Drav asked.

I realized I was just standing in front of an open fridge, staring at nothing, so I grabbed the milk and butter then turned around.

“You guys might as well sit,” I said with a gesture at the table.  “This will take a while.”

While I searched for a pot, the guys took seats around the table.  They continued to speak softly and I tried to listen to see if I could learn anything more about why they were here. However, I really couldn’t understand much of what they said.

Filling the pot with water distracted me with a more pressing need. I had to pee. Ignoring it, I brought the pot to the stove and switched on the burner.  However, the urge didn’t go away.  But, I didn’t want the two of them hovering outside the bathroom door.

In an attempt to sneak out of the kitchen, I roamed the room until I reached the opening to the hallway.

“Mya, no.”

Of course Drav had noticed.

“Just going to the bathroom.  Can you keep an eye on the stove?”

Drav didn’t say anything else so I swiftly retreated.

I found a half-bath tucked under the stairs leading to the second floor and quickly stepped in and shut the door.  Unbuttoning my pants, I sat on the toilet placed under the sloped part of the ceiling.

I was finishing up when the doorknob twisted.

“Drav, I’m still in here.”

It didn’t stop him. The door swung open before I had my pants all the way up. Instead of Drav, Ghua stood in the doorway, watching with rapt interest as I finished yanking up my jeans. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment and anger.

Where the hell was Drav?

“Ghua.” Drav’s voice came from the hall as if my thoughts had brought him.

Ghua flinched as Drav’s lighter gray hand landed heavily on his shoulder with a loud clap.  Ghua was pulled backward out of the doorway and replaced by Drav. His gaze swept over me from my head to my toes, and I hurriedly buttoned my jeans, grateful that my underwear had at least been up before Ghua had barged in.

Drav reached out and touched my cheek where I could feel the heated stain of embarrassment the strongest.  His gaze held mine as his fingers smoothed over the spot.  Abruptly, he turned and left me staring at an empty doorway.

Shakily exhaling, I went to wash my hands, but a thump of flesh meeting flesh in the hall interrupted me.  Wiping my clean hands on my jeans, I cautiously peeked out the door.

Drav and Ghua stood near the base of the stairs.  Ghua reached up and touched the blood dripping from his nose.  He looked at his wet fingers then at Drav, who threw another punch. Ghua grinned, his smile bloody and his eyes sparkling with delight.

Drav drew back for another punch that Ghua didn’t even try to block.  Ghua’s head snapped back, but he still didn’t retaliate.  He just stood there happily letting blood drip onto the floor while Drav beat him.

What was wrong with these two?

Drav took a step back just then.

“Friend,” Ghua said.

Drav nodded and stuck his arm out.  Ghua clasped Drav’s forearm tightly, pulled him in for a quick hug, and released him with a shove.

Seriously?  We had to stop walking for this?

Ignoring the pair, I stalked back to the kitchen and poured the noodles into the now boiling water.  I felt a stab of betrayal that Drav had already forgiven Ghua for coming into the bathroom to sneak a peek. How ridiculous.  Drav had done the same thing to me when we’d met.  In fact, he had been much more forward than Ghua.  I shook my head and stirred the noodles.

A chair scraped against the floor behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder to see the two of them in the kitchen. Ghua sat at the table, and Drav moved near me.

Ghua’s eyes met mine, and his lips peeled back into a sharp toothed grin.  I wished he would just go away.  Glancing at the clock, I noted the time and turned back to the pot.  I watched the pasta boil and let my mind wander as the two conversed in their language.

For the next eight minutes, I considered what was happening to the world outside this old house.  What had caused the hellhounds and shadow men to appear?  The obvious answer was the earthquakes.  But why and how had the earthquakes brought them?  The mysteries of our world were still being solved every day.  But usually only small discoveries.  How had we missed an entire species of intelligent beings?  I glanced at Drav and considered the possibility that he was an alien.

The water started to boil over, distracting me from my thoughts.  I turned down the heat and spooned a noodle out to test it, carefully blowing on the steamy shell before lifting it to my lips.  It was still a little too firm when I bit down.

Ghua’s chair clattered to the tiled floor as he stood with a growl. I jumped, startled, and turned to stare at him with wide eyes.  He spoke sharply to Drav, gesturing at me, then left the room.  I glanced at Drav.  He stared at the empty hallway.  While I didn’t mind Ghua leaving, how he left made me nervous.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

Drav studied me for a moment.

“No.  You stay.”

He left the kitchen, presumably to talk to Ghua, and I dug out a strainer for the noodles.  By the time I finished up the mac and cheese, both men had returned to the kitchen. I set out three plates and spooned equal portions to each plate.

After opening a can of mandarin oranges, I drained the juice and found a bowl to put them in. Both men watched me set the bowl in the middle of the table, but neither reached for the food even after I sat.

I glanced at Ghua, who looked annoyed.  Did they think I’d poisoned it or something?  Picking up my spoon, I scooped up some noodles. Drav watched with interest but made no move to eat. Ghua watched Drav, his eyes narrowing a fraction. I shoved the hot noodles in my mouth and wanted to sigh happily. It was, by far, not the most elegant meal, but it reminded me of home.  Of happier times, eating and sharing with Ryan. Or rather, fighting with Ryan to get the last bit.

“Eat,” I said, feeling uncomfortable with their hesitation.

Drav gripped the spoon, scooped some up, and carefully lifted the bite to his lips.  I watched as he chewed slowly then with more enthusiasm. After he swallowed, he went for another bite. I followed suit.

Ghua ignored the spoon and scooped his cheesy noodles up with his fingers. He didn’t look bothered by the heat and ate with gusto. Whatever had upset Ghua seemed to no longer be a problem.  Eventually, Drav gave up on the spoon, too, eating faster without it.

When they cleared their plates, both looked at me expectantly.

“It’s all gone.  Sorry, guys.  Try the oranges.”

We finished our meal, and they started talking, mostly in their language. I set the plates on top of the other dirty plate beside the sink and considered washing them.  The world was going to shit, and the owner would never return.  Who cared about clean dishes?  Yet, as I looked at the neatly folded towel, I couldn’t walk away.  I emptied the sink of the cold water and quickly cleaned up the mess we’d made.  When everything was back to the way we’d found it, I left the kitchen for the living room.

The couch called to me, and I cuddled up.  The murmur of their voices lulled me, and full from the warm meal, it didn’t take long for me to sleep.

A jostle to my arm woke me.  I groaned and opened my eyes to find Drav bent over me like he was getting ready to pick me up.

“I can walk,” I said.

He didn’t move away.

“Back off, I can’t get up.”

He grunted and took a step back. Once I stood, he led me through the house to one of the bedrooms with a neatly made queen-sized bed.  It looked very inviting.  Tired and ready to go right back to sleep, I headed for the bed, but Drav stopped me with a tug at my shirt.

It took a moment to understand why.  When I did, I pulled my shirt out of his hand.

“Nope.  It’s staying on.  It’s not dirty.”

Drav huffed but let me climb into bed with my shirt on. He took his off, however, and snatched me around the waist when he joined me.

I fell back to sleep within seconds.