A Small Town

Chapter Nineteen\ Silence is Golden

After the dream ended Bax and Lisa had clung to each other in silence. The vision of the baby covered in blood and screaming in the snow stuck in Bax's mind and would not be banished.

Lisa cried softly into his chest and he pulled the covers up pressing his body against hers protectively.

Eventually, they rose and began going through the motions of their morning routine in a daze. The snow had finally stopped and down on the street, the town was slowly coming to life.

There were more people out on the sidewalk than Bax had ever seen before and even a few cars made their way carefully down the snow-covered main road as he watched from the bedroom window. He supposed the residents of Primacy had hunkered down during the blizzard as they had and now folks needed supplies.

Undoubtedly, Lisa also needed to restock her cupboards with canned food from the General Store, but that would have to wait.

He turned as she came out of the bathroom, marvelling for the hundredth time at how beautiful she looked, even now with her hair tied in a loose knot and her face freshly scrubbed and pink. Part of him wanted nothing more than to pull her back onto the bed and forget the town and the dream and everything that had happened.

Bax took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice even as he spoke. "I think we need to go out there."

Lisa's smile disappeared and a look of horror crossed her face. "What...? No!"

"We have to Lisa... if for no other reason than to find out if the dreams are true."

"We both know they're real. I don't want to go out there, Bax." Lisa's voice broke and she looked away from him.

Bax crossed the room and gently took her in his arms. She seemed to melt into him as if all of her strength was gone. "I don't either, Lis', but I don't know what else to do. The dreams are showing us something, and I think going there might be the only way to figure this thing out." He stopped and pulled back looking her in the eyes. "Do you know where that forest is?"

Reluctantly she nodded and when she spoke it was no more than a whisper. "I know... but it's far, Bax, too far to walk, especially with all the snow."

"Maybe we can get a ride from Teddy, do you know where he lives?" Bax's own voice had dropped to a whisper now as well.

This time Lisa shook her head, no. She bit her lip, and once again he was struck by her unintentional sexuality. She was completely beautiful, and he lapsed into silence staring at her.

Lisa looked up at him nervously wondering if he was angry with her. "I don't really know him, Bax. Maybe Heather knows where he lives..."

Bax's eyes seemed to refocus as he came back to himself. "Okay, that's as good a place to start as any, and we can get some more canned food while we're there just in case the storm starts up again."

Lisa looked unconvinced, but finally, she agreed to talk to Heather after breakfast.

~o0O0o~

They ate in silence, feeling the looming weight of what Bax wanted to do hanging over them. Lisa made pancakes with real maple syrup and they drank steaming cups of black coffee. Once the dishes were done they bundled up, Bax in his new/used coat which proved to be very warm and his new/used boots. He had to stuff a sock into the end of each one to make them fit but they were serviceable.

They left Paige Turner's and walked up the street to the General Store. Heather Munday was doing a brisk business (mostly canned food and kerosene) with the locals so they browsed the aisles picking up chicken noodle soup, spam and crackers from what was left on the shelves. Finally, they were the only customers left and Bax began putting their items on the counter