The Risks

May: Chapter 10

"What do we have in there?" Parker asked Oakley.

From just outside the kitchen, I could hear the creak of a cupboard on its hinges and the sound of clinking tin. 

"Carrots. Corn. Umm. Tuna!" Oakley responded. "Can you make me a tuna samwich?"

"Maybe for lunch," Parker replied.

As I walked into the kitchen, Parker looked over to me. I failed to acknowledge him and instead looked to Oakley who was kneeling on the countertop, placing the cans of food beside her.

"Look, Claire!" she cried excitedly, holding out the can of tuna. I wrinkled my nose. "Parker's going to make me a tuna samwich!"

"That's fine. Just keep it away from me," I teased with a disgusted face.

"I'm going to make one for you," she told me with a giggle, "but I'm going to make it with cat food and make you eat it!"

I ruffled her hair. "Probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference."

She laughed happily. "Yes you would. Tuna's yummier than cat food."

"Says you. I want the cat food sandwich, please."

"Ewww." She stuck her tongue out.

I sent a fleeting glance to Parker. "I'm going to check the house out some more. Might go outside for a bit to look around." Oakley stood on the counter and reached for the top shelf of the cupboard. I patted the countertop. "Sit please. I'll be back in a bit."

The living area we slept in was in the back of the house with a window facing the back yard. There were three very large rooms upstairs and then one smaller one. I pulled open the drawers in each room. I found some clothes that would fit me decently and some for Parker also, but there wasn't anything here that was Oakley's size. She still had a few changes of clothes, though, so I figured she would be alright for a while longer.

I walked down the hallway upstairs and into the bathroom. I almost turned the handle on the sink, but remembered nothing would come out.

Wait a second. This was a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. It probably ran on well water, right? I twisted the handle and water came pouring out.

Oh my god.

I cupped my hands together and splashed cold water onto my face. I rubbed it in, being gentle around the sore spots, then dried it with a hand towel. I also took the opportunity to use the toilet -which I now considered a luxury- before heading outside.

There was a big pond out past the barn. The water wasn't clean, but it didn't look too mucky. There were a couple apple trees by the barn that we could harvest in a few months. This place looked like a good place to stay. It was out in the middle of nowhere, there was plenty of room to grow some food. We could collect rain water. We could survive here if the safe zone didn't work out. No, I didn't like that. We could live here.

For the first time in a long time I began to feel hopeful.

Next I went into the barn. It was big and old with red paint peeling from the wood, but it looked sturdy. There were several full gas cans and a generator in the back. If we got that hooked up we could actually have a hot shower. This place was getting better and better.

"This was a good place to stop."

I gasped in surprise and turned around to see Parker standing in the doorway. "Jesus. You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Where's Oakley?"

"Preoccupied. We found some old kid's toys in a closet."