The Ascent

Chapter 31

What felt like days later Jasmine woke up in the dusty old house they had immediately entered and slept in.

The room Asher called the kitchen was the only livable room as far as they could tell from the quick glance at the other two rooms, and that was why they all ended up sleeping in that one small room.

Only now that she had properly rested did Jasmine start to notice how dusty the room was, how it smelled of mold and disuse. It was clear that once rested, they would need to clean the room thoroughly before they could do anything else.

Since the others were still asleep, Jasmine scanned the room, paying attention to what she saw for the first time since their arrival.

The thing she was lying on turned out to be a set of old seats from a van or something like that, while the table in front of her was so crudely made that it was clear from one glance that it was a DIY project that went moderately well. The old wood stove was right next to the door and seemed to be in a working condition, although Jasmine wasn't sure if they could use it as she worried smoke might give away their position.

On her right, opposite the door, was a relatively large bed on which Asher and the three children were sleeping restlessly, and above the bed was an old dirty window that begged to be cleaned, overlooking a cherry tree that must have looked amazing during its heyday.

At the far corner of the room was a strange-looking cupboard that seemed to be a combination of regular shelves and a cabinet that housed many different things, many of which Jasmine couldn't recognize as they were quite old. Next to it was a small bench under which were three large old-fashioned water bottles and that was it.

Simple but practical.

"Jasmine," Asher whispered, having woken up while Jasmine was too immersed in the examination to notice anything. "Shall we go and check out the other two rooms?"

"Sure, but what about them?" Jasmine asked, nodding towards the children.

"We'll leave the door open," Asher said practically. "It's only three steps away anyway, and we'll surely hear if they wake up."

The strange thing about the cabin was that they had to exit the room on a small wooden balcony made of planks and then enter the second room, which was apparently a bedroom that led into what could only be described as a storage room. Both rooms looked unstable like the roof could collapse at any moment, but still safe enough to leave some supplies there.

"I think I need to check out that military base I was telling you about," Asher started hesitantly. "It's just that...The children are so traumatized, especially my little girl. I don't think she will let me leave her sight for now."

"I'll go," Jasmine said before she had the chance to chicken out. "All you need to do is explain where it is, and I'll go and check out the situation."

The last thing she wanted to do was get separated from Asher. After all, in every book and movie she had ever seen, that was the moment things inevitably went wrong. However, they couldn't bury their heads in the sand and hope for the best. They needed to do something proactive instead of just running away and hiding.

"No!" He exclaimed louder than he was supposed to, especially since the sleeping children were in the other room. "It's too dangerous for you out there. You can't just go without anyone to watch your back."

Before Jasmine could argue that it would have been just as dangerous for him and that at least he had something, someone, to live for, a small but determined voice intruded on their conversation.

"I can watch her back," Isaac said with admirable resolve for someone that young. "She can do whatever she needs to, and I can hide somewhere and warn her if the danger approaches."

Asher and Jasmine looked at the little boy with both astonishment and disapproval. It was in both of their natures to want to protect children unconditionally, and putting them in any danger was unimaginable.

"Absolutely not," Asher said in a tone that demanded absolute obedience. "It's not fair to put a child in such a situation knowing how dangerous it can be."

"It's also not fair to have children driven away from their homes, hiding in the forest from the monsters they thought didn't exist, but here we are," Isaac said stubbornly. "The world is changing, and if anyone wants to survive, including children and adults, we need to learn to work together, to rely on each other's strengths."

Asher was still shaking his head in denial. But to Jasmine, Isaac's words made sense. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, she couldn't.

"What do you mean?" Jasmine asked.

"As a child, I am very good at hide-and-seek. Besides, I am small enough that even the simplest thing can be a great hiding spot for me," Isaac said confidently. "Also, I can make perfect animal sounds, so I can warn you about the coming danger without ever coming out of my hiding place."

Asher's expression never wavered. However, Jasmine started considering things from a rational perspective. No matter how much she wanted to protect Isaac, she realized they didn't have a choice if they wanted to get any means of defending themselves. Even if it was a long shot, they needed to try something, or they would all end up perishing together, and that was not an option.

"Asher," Jasmine said gently, placing a hand on his hands that were crossed at his chest. "I think Isaac has a point. He is very good at hiding. I saw that already. Besides, he can run fast, and we work well together."

"Are you saying I'm supposed to send a woman and a child in a potentially dangerous situation while I sit at home doing nothing?" Asher asked through gritted teeth, anger radiating from his whole body, raising the temperature in the room. "How am I supposed to do that? I should be protecting you, not sending you out there when anything could happen to you."

The mixture of pain and anger in his eyes was difficult to watch but didn't deter Jasmine from her plan to do what had to be done. She did feel extremely guilty for putting Isaac in danger. Still, she forcefully pushed that feeling to the bottom of her heart and turned her attention to a more practical side.

"I am saying that you are supposed to trust your fellow survivors because both Isaac and I have been through a lot, and we're still here, aren't we? You need to trust us as much as we trust you," Jasmine said. "Also, you will be doing something. You will be taking care of your children, doing the most important mission of your life. Maybe you can also clean this place up, make it more livable and think of a good defense plan. That is something I never could have done."

Asher's mouth was just a thin line by that point as his anger morphed and his doubt colored his every movement. He was clearly torn about what the best course of action was. After all, he was the guy who was forced to sacrifice his mother for the sake of his children, and it was clear he didn't have it in him to do the same to more people.

"Listen, we'll be extra careful and return as soon as possible, alright?" Jasmine said, trying to sound confident. "Just draw us a map, and we'll check out the place in a jiffy."

Who talked like that was beyond Jasmine, but she did her best to sound upbeat, confident, when she was anything but. However, it needed to be done, and being sentimental about it wouldn't solve anything.

"I know where it is," Isaac said confidently. "We passed by the road that leads to the base. I remember how to get there."

"Still, take this map," Asher said, his face turning into a hard mask of practicality. "This is us, and here I've marked the road to get there. This will take you to the farthest side of the compound. You can check out the situation from there. Just don't get too close."

"Don't worry, I have that covered," Jasmine said, pulling binoculars from her backpack and putting them around her neck. "I thought this might be useful, and I was right."

"Why do you even have that?" Asher asked, surprised by the random items Jasmine possessed. "Never mind that just please be careful."

"We will," Jasmine said, putting on her trusted backpack and readjusting her knife belt. "You take good care of the house and the children and tell them we'll be right back."

With a quick hug, she ran down the steps, closely followed by Isaac, while Asher stood frozen, surprised by the sudden embrace.

And on they went to face a new adventure.

Or danger.