The Refugees

Chapter 17: Ash

Edited

As I continue to walk with Savannah on my back, who is surprisingly light, she slowly falls asleep which doesn't really bother me. What does is the fact that she's definitely not a morning person, so waking her up will be hell all over again. I start to feel hungry and I can tell she is too because of the frequent noises her stomach makes. Then a very big one sounds and she starts to move.

That says a lot about Savannah.

I chuckle to myself.

So the beast wakes up from hibernation to eat?

I can't help but laugh at the thought.

"What's so funny?" She grunts. "You're making annoying vibrations."

"Are you hungry?"

"How did you know?"

"Your stomach told me."

"Hey!" She exclaims in embarrassment. "I'm hungry what can I tell you?"

I put her down onto the ground and I open the bag taking out the water and four gels. I hand two to her and her water bottle. I take the two gels, quickly swallowing them before taking a sip of water. I feel rather okay because I'm used to the lack of nutrition for long periods of days although I'm not sure it's very good for my health.

Savannah does the same before attempting to get up herself.

"I think I'm good now." She tells me.

"Okay. If it hurts, tell me and you can climb back on."

"Thanks." She replies with a kind smile.

That's the first time she's smiled at me today.

💫💫💫

In less than an hour the woods start to clear and we arrive at the end of a cliff looking down on the village or rather, town, underneath. I see Savannah's face light up like a Christmas tree as she sees the view we have of the town from the tall mountain edge we're on. We go round the cliff until we find a road leading down to the town.

I put Savannah down as I search in my pocket for the address Robert gave me. I knew this might happen sooner or later but I had no idea it would happen the day after I arrived. I was almost positive they would arrive today. Thank goodness Robert told me to make the bag because without it I'm not sure where Savannah would be.

We get into the town that is just starting to buzz. We have to go through the market which is hard on the both of us since the smells of all sorts of foods are very tempting. I look behind me to see her eyes slowly growing heavy again. Must be the lack of nutrition. I grab Savannah's hand before she can get lost. It's the second time I hold her hand but this time it feels a little different. I don't feel detached by it at all, I focus on the fact that her small hand is in mine. Her grip gets tighter as we pass by vegan wraps and I understand her. The growing hunger in the pit of my stomach keeps getting bigger by each passing second.

I look at the address again then ask for directions, too bothered to find the street myself. This is where Robert promised to meet me and Savannah. He's probably going to arrive after us anyways because he said he'll need to get some things and pass information around before finding us.

We find ourselves in front of the big front door of a very large and majestic house and I realize I'm still holding her hand. As I take a quick glance at Savannah, she seems out of it, like all her energy is drained. Her hand grows limber and limber in my hand and her eyes seem to be almost completely closed.

"You alright there?"

She nods slowly but I see her face is red. I put my hand out to check her temperature but she slaps my hand away before I can get to her forehead.

"I'm fine." She says weakly.

Who does she take me for? I'm not blind and I'm sure as hell not stupid. I try again and this time she doesn't do it again, too tired to try to resist. Her forehead is beaming with heat. She needs food, water and lots of rest. Good thing we have a couple more days until Robert arrives because once he does, we're quickly going to leave again. Her legs suddenly give in and I catch her, holding her waist tightly with an arm before swinging her arm over my shoulder to pull her up. She just looks ahead, as if lost in her thoughts.

I ring on the doorbell and a couple minutes later a woman opens the door. A maid.

"Yes sir and miss?"

"Is this the Nightingale household?"

"Yes sir."

"May I speak to the mistress of the house."

"Right away sir."

She runs off and half a minute later, the mistress arrives.

"Yes?"

"I'm Ash, Paul's son. Robert told me I could try coming to you because the Shelter we were in was bombed."

Then she gasps as she turns to look at Savannah.

"Could that be Sav?" She asks suddenly smiling.

"Yes, Robert's daughter."

"Come in! Come in! She's grown so much!"

Straightaway she infects the air around us with her heavy floral perfume. Then smothers us with kisses on the cheeks as a greeting. My father told me she had European origins which explains her tall height and European ways.

"I've heard so much about you!" She gushes, truly happy to see us.

I nod in response, not quite sure what she wants me to say, if anything at all.

"I don't mean to be rude but, we haven't eaten all day, could we..." I start in a monotonous voice.

"Well of course! How silly of me! I should've thought that you two were out there all along without adequate food and water!"

She tells us to sit at the table near the TV and we do before two maids bring us more food than all three daily meals combined.

"Come on, we have food now. You need to regain your strength." I whisper to Savannah, who's still draped over my shoulder, in order to wake her up a bit.

She sits on a chair and takes her fork. She starts eating but she's eating very slowly. Much slower than at dinner the first night I spent at her place. She seems barely awake so I ask if she could get a room to sleep in and three maids came in to help her to bed.

After finishing my own meal, feeling a comfortable fullness in my stomach, I am guided to another room. Now in my own bed, I look out the window, my tiredness getting to the best of me. I finally give in and fall asleep in one of the softest beds I've ever felt. How many rooms does this house have?

~~~

Hey guys!

What do you think so far?

There's more action later on, I swear, but I guess this is the rising action in all this.