Through The Ashes

18

Jorn peered at the entrance of Windridge houses. A gated community for the rich, now standing with its luxury reduced to dirty walls and shattered windows. What once had been a symbol of wealth and security was now just another graveyard of the old world.

"How do you wanna do this?" Yosef asked as he surveyed the sprawling neighborhood. "There's quite a few houses."

Jorn looked over the area, her eyes narrowing. Overgrown lawns and broken gates stretched before them. Mara stood close occasionally checking in with Eli.

"We go house by house," Jorn replied, her voice firm, masking the exhaustion that vibrated in her bones. "Check for supplies, but we don't linger."

"Eventually we'll have to pick a house to stay in for the night," Becca said.

Jorn clenched her jaw. She hated the idea of staying in a huge house with many entry points, but Becca was right. The shadows were already starting to stretch longer across the cracked pavement. They would need shelter soon, whether they liked it or not.

"Let's see what we can find first," Jorn said. "We'll deal with the rest later."

Mara shifted beside her, the tension in her posture matching Jorn's own. Jorn glanced at her briefly, noting the way Mara's eyes kept jumping from house to house, as if assessing each one, judging whether they were truly as empty as they seemed.

"Anything feel off to you?" Mara asked quietly, though her fingers were white-knuckled around her gun.

"Everything feels off," Jorn admitted, keeping her tone even, though she felt a sharp tension in her chest. "It's too clean for how long it's been abandoned."

Mara nodded, her jaw tight. "Let's just hope it's as empty as it looks."

Jorn gave a grim nod, beginning to lead the group through a large broken gate. The houses loomed over them, empty shells of opulence no longer feeling as degrading as they once did.

As they moved deeper into the gated community, Mara stayed close. Jorn could feel her eyes scanning the area just as meticulously as hers.

"Let's start with this one," Jorn said, pointing toward a large house on the right, its windows shattered and ivy crawling up its façade. The driveway was empty.

The front door was closed and Jorn motioned for them to stop. She quietly pulled it open, her eyes narrowing as she inspected the entryway. She moved carefully, testing the ground before stepping inside. The interior wasn't the worst mess she'd seen, but it was enough for her to believe it was potentially empty.

"I'll check the kitchen," Becca whispered, already moving toward the back of the house. "See if there's any food left. Eli, let's go."

"I got the left side of the house then," Yosef said.

Jorn nodded and motioned for Mara to follow her upstairs. As they ascended, the old staircase creaked under their weight, every sound echoing too loudly in the eerie silence. Jorn's grip tightened on her rifle, the tension in her body mounting as they reached the second floor.

"Stay close," Jorn muttered to Mara, her voice barely above a whisper.

Mara flashed her a quick look, her expression serious but with a hint of ease. Mara's hand briefly brushed against Jorn's as they moved toward the hallway. That simple touch sent a wave of heat through her, a reminder of the intimacy they'd shared not long ago.

Jorn forced her attention back to the task at hand. They began checking rooms one by one, each filled with signs of a life long forgotten: faded photographs on the walls, dust-covered bookshelves, and broken trinkets scattered across the floor. But no signs of recent activity.