Polaris Skies

Chapter 26

NSFW: Erotica

Inside the double-wide, the group found sparse living quarters. Basic couch, table, chairs, cabinets hanging off their frames. The flooring had rotten through in a few spots in the hallways. The walls were free of black mould, though, and the group was thankful for that. Dust settled thickly on all the surfaces, casting a fine white sheen against the walls.

"I think we'll be safe in here for a little while, guys," Deck said as he checked all the rooms on either side of the main living area. He returned to the group, rubbing his hands along his arms to warm up.

"Probably for the best." Sun Hee puffed, wiping sweat accumulating under her beanie. Her cheeks splotched in rosy hues. Glassy, her eyes flitted from the room to roam over Deck's form in frenzied inconsistency. Zola leaned her head on Sun Hee's shoulder.

Nat watched them, unease slipping down his spine. Deck, Benj, Yeller were all cold by the way they were huddling and shivering. The women and him, though, were warm and panting. The space felt like the central heating was on full blast. Maybe they had caught a cold of some kind, come down with a sickness. It hadn't been that far of a walk they covered that day, ten - fifteen miles at most.

The wind set to howling as they settled in for the afternoon. They wiped away as much dust from the main room as they could bear while the metal roof shook under the onslaught. Windows rattled in their sashes as a wave of sleet bore down on the side of the building. The group cowered nervously, suddenly not entirely sure if the mobile home would stand up against the storm.

Nat crouched into himself with the next nerve-shattering blast of wind. He had been fighting a headache since the beginning of their morning walk. It was leaving him light-headed. He stumbled, trying to reach the couch. A weird buzz in the back of his brain, and the fire in his stomach told him he was probably going to puke. Yeller and Hana reached to steady him. She flinched away, leaving Yeller to support Nat.

Deck sighed. "Hana, Yeller, you guys take Nat and get him comfortable. The rest of us'll see 'bout getting this place warm and maybe some food." He held up the bags of cans they had pilfered out of the old gas station, "We'll let you know when we've got something put together, 'k?" He waved the three towards a pair of doors at one end of the mobile home. The doors turned out to lead to a small bedroom and a questionable bathroom.

Yeller and Hana eased Nat down onto the mattress in the little bedroom they were assigned to. The trailer house seams were curling from the walls. A halo of tobacco tar ran along the ceiling edge. The queen mattress and frame sat beneath the window, looking out at the old gas station. The blinds had collapsed into a disintegrated pile of dust and metal years ago.

Nat stared vacantly at the floor, trying to calm his stomach. He was burning up. The wolves were restless under his skin. He reached for them to find out what their deal was. They neglected a response, only growing more agitated at his interference.

"Here, come on, Hana." Yeller motioned the woman over. "Help me get these bandages off." They slipped Nat's pea coat off, his shoulders stiff to the movement.

Deck and Benj, during their stay in the cave, had snuck back into town and rummaged warm clothes for everyone. Where they found the winter gear was anyone's guess.

Following the coat, with work, Yeller and Hana stripped off Nat's waffle weave long sleeves. It had been the warmer option versus a button-up. It wasn't hurting him as much to raise his hands above his head recently. Lastly, a compression tank top was used to help hold all of his bindings in place. This one took more effort to get on and off, but it had been well worth the extra time Deck and Benj had spent searching for it.

Freed of his overclothes, Nat looked like a wrapped mummy.

"Conas atá tú?" Yeller inquired.