Packers & Movers

Episode 2

Nick would have strange dreams every now and then. Some were scary, some were just random. But the night they had moved into their new house, he dreamt of something vivid. He wasn't sure what it was, but all he remembered was seeing a dark shadow standing right in front of him. The shadow was short, skinny, and it took frail steps towards Nick.

By the time the shadow got closer to Nick though, he had woken up. His shirt was covered in sweat and he was glad that Jennie wasn't next to him to question him endlessly. He quickly got out of bed and freshened up.

He came out and was surprised to see that most of the boxes were unpacked, the rooms were clean, and Jennie had already made coffee and breakfast for the both of them.

"Jennie?" Nick walked towards her. She turned around after flipping the eggs and smiled, "Hey hon. Morning."

Nick kissed her cheek and looked around the house.

"What happened? why did you start without me?"

"I couldn't sleep properly, so I woke up early and decided to just get these things done. Honestly, it was fun."

Nick sighed and shook his head, "I didn't like it though. You should have woken me up."

Jennie pursed her lips as se handed over the plate and coffee mug to Nick, "I didn't want to ruin your sleep, and trust me, I didn't strain myself. I made sure to work slowly and carefully."

Nick was annoyed because while Jennie may look strong, her body was as fragile as an eggshell. He sat at the dining table and only started eating when Jennie came with her breakfast. 

"Hope you had a good sleep though," Jennie asked.

Nick nodded as he bit into his toast.

"You should get some rest now, I'll finish the rest."

"Nick, come on, I'm okay--"

"Jen, please?" Nick interrupted with pleading eyes. Jennie inhaled deeply and nodded.

"Alright, but first, let's go and get some groceries. I'll make dinner tonight."

"Sounds good."

"Oh, and um, our neighbor next door knocked this morning and welcomed us."

"Really?"

Jennie nodded, "They seem to be nice people."

"Yeah, well, it's better that we just be by ourselves, you never know how these neighbors are."

"Nick, come on, we've come to a new society, we should give them a chance--"

Nick looked at Jennie with a slight glare. Jennie paused as she clutched her coffee mug tightly. 

"What I meant was..." She cleared her throat, "Not all neighborhoods are the same. Some are different...some neighborhoods are safe."

Jennie placed her hand on Nicks' to assure him. She could see the hurt in his eyes...the pain that would appear whenever some stranger would try to get close to them. 

When Nick was ten years old, something had happened. He wouldn't tell Jennie what, but Jennie assumed by the look on his face, and by his sudden change of behavior that it must have been something sinister...

She never asked him why and she never will.

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Nick and Jennie came out of their house to go grocery shopping as Nick had promised. They were just about to get inside their car when suddenly, Jennie noticed an old woman wearing a light pink skirt with a light pink cardigan walking towards them. She had a warm and gentle smile, and she held a medium-sized casserole.