Ghosts of War | CoD - MW

Chapter 43.

Wednesday, 28th of December, 2021.

Kimberly stared out of the window, enjoying the quiet morning. Everyone had awoken and eaten breakfast together. They then split up to do whatever they wanted, and most had left the property. Everyone had gotten slightly bored of sitting ducks in John's house by now. Their fingers were itching for some work to do.

Kimberly had headed up to the third floor and settled down in the couch by the window. She had turned on the tv to play some music in the background, just enjoying the morning. She had heard someone making their way upstairs, but she didn't really care about who it was.

-"You've been quiet the last few days."
Kimberly stared at Simon's reflection in the window. He seemed uncomfortable, standing in the middle of the room.
-"So have you," Kimberly said, still staring out of the window. She could hear Simon sigh before he walked towards her, setting down beside her.

-"I can't explain it to you. I'm scared to get too attached to you. I need you to be patient with me," Simon said, staring at Kimberly. He knew that she had been doing good these last few days, so he didn't want to ruin her good mood. Kimberly turned around and looked at Simon, giving him a smile.

-"I have all the time in the world, Simon. I'll give you all the patience you need from me. How has Christmas been?" Kimberly asked, looking at his face. She still couldn't get used to seeing him without his mask on, so she felt surprised every time she saw him without it. She somehow fell deeper in love with him for every time she saw his face. There was just something about it that made her drawn to him.

-"It's been okay. Not exactly my setting, but it seems like you are enjoying it," Simon said, staring out of the window as well. He could see the small stream of water from where they were sitting. Now it was frozen over, barely noticeable.

-"I honestly can't stand Christmas, or any other holiday for that matter. Bruce and Phillip made sure I wouldn't enjoy holidays. I would have preferred to be working. Doing something. Anything," Kimberly said, looking down at the rugged carpet on the floor.

Whenever she thought about Christmas, all she could think about were those freezing long nights outside on the porch, and all the times she was beaten into submission by Phillip. She didn't have one good thought about Christmas. It had been ruined year after year. John had tried to turn it into something positive, but Phillip had managed to ruin some of it once again.

-"Why don't the two of us do something? Go on a drive, go for a walk. Anything?" Simon suggested, aware that Kimberly wouldn't suggest something they could do. He had felt that she had slipped further and further away while giving him space and time, and he was worried that she would eventually forget that she was waiting for him.

-"Sure. We can drive back to Douglas, follow the 94 up to the Elk Mountain. Visit Esterbrook or something. They have a really beautiful place up there in the mountains," Kimberly said. She hadn't been up there for years, but Orin wasn't far from that town. She had refused to live in a city, so she had bought herself a house in a quiet town up the mountain. 

-"What's there to see in such a small town?" Simon asked, furrowing his brows. Sometimes he got too curious about her. She had the weirdest ideas and fascinations he had seen.
-"They've got ghost towns, a museum, a trail and some rivers. We can do something else if you want, but I recommend you experience the scenery at least once. It's beautiful," Kimberly said. She missed the area. It had always been so peaceful.

-"As long as I get to spend some time with you while we still have time, then I don't care what we do. If you want to go to Elk Mountain, let's do that," Simon said. He got up from the couch, looking down on Kimberly.