No Rest for the Seekers(Chapter Two)

  Serena woke up realizing she'd slept peacefully for a change. She didn't have that dream last night. Maybe because she'd seen the shadow creature himself yesterday. Then she realized something else, the bare, dirty feet standing in front of her. She jolted up and saw a young man, probably about nineteen or twenty looking down at her numbly. His eyes were blank, his hair was long and brown, he was waring a green wife-beater and brown cargo shorts and he looked like he was the walking dead. Serena just kept staring back at him. "Ethan!" came a voice from the darkness behind them. An old man came up from it and grabbed "Ethan" by the arm. "Didn't I tell you not to pester our guest Ethan?" asked the old man, but Ethan just kept watching Serena with that half-dead stare. Serena didn't even bother to notice him anymore, she was glaring at the old man remembering bad experiences from yesterday. "Go on now," said the old man. "Leave us be, I need to get the girl acquainted with her new surroundings." Ethan was being pushed out but still watching Serena over his shoulder. Serena forced a friendly nod at him and he seemed to wake up and realize he needed to leave and walked out.

  Serena was left alone with the old man. He had a beard too, most of the men she had seen since the shadow creature showed did. His was short though, and not as ugly as the old mans from yesterday who was either dead now or in the stomach of a fourteen year old, bleach-blond boy. "Good morning to you ma'am." he said to Serena. "Name's Jacob. Might I ask what yours is?"

  "Serena." she said flatly.

  "Serena, well it's good to meet you Serena. We saw you come in last night. Thought we'd make you a little more comfortable." Serena looked around and realized she wasn't in the same spot she was last night when she fell asleep. She was in what looked like a room in some old abandoned building. "Never know when that shadow creature will come around, so we like to stay hidden. There's more of us than just me and Ethan of course, and we've all been waiting to meet you." Serena was confused. Jacob seemed friendly enough. Maybe a little eccentric from the sound and look of him but friendly. She just nodded.

  "I think I'd like to meet these people too." she said.

  "Well then, get dressed. That duffel bag you brought with you is over in the corner. Remember this room, it's yours, we all have our own rooms here, but there aren't many of us so we always have rooms to spare when a stranger comes through town." said Jacob. "I'll wait outside the door for you miss, just come on out when you're done doin' whatever it is you need to do to get ready for the day."

  Serena looked at him blankly but nodded. Jacob left out the door and Serena went to her green duffel bag, She opened it up and saw that all of her things were still in it. These people seemed trustworthy enough if they didn't steal anything of hers,unless they were just trying to build trust for some sort of surprise attack type thing. Serena decided she'd just have to find out later. She looked around and saw there was a bathroom in this room and went to do her business. She saw a shower and turned it on and was pleased to feel water on her dirt caked skin. She decided to wait to take a shower, that Ethan guy was kind of dirty, there were probably rules about showers here, then she went back outside the bathroom and picked out a new tank top, a dark green one, and took out another pair of jeans. It was still hot so she reached in the side pocket where she kept her goggles and pulled out a pair of scissors and began to cut off the legs of her jeans. Once she had them the way she liked she put them on and took her scarf off her neck. She didn't think she'd need to hide her face around here. Then she went out the door and sure enough, like he said, there was Jacob sitting off to the side.

  Jacob looked her up and down. "Not much variety in that old bag of yours, is there?" he said. Serena glared at him. "Only teasing you girly, only teasing." He got up, dusted himself off and said "Follow me."

  They walked through the old building. It was real dark and quiet to having people in it. "We don't have lights. We'd need to work out a solar energy source. Your eyes will get used to it after a while if you decide to stay." Jacob walked her on through the building. It looked like an old hotel sort of. They walked down stairs and came to another hallway and walked down it until they came to an open space. It was brighter in that space because of light shining through some windows. The first thing Serena noticed though was the laughing and smiling people. They looked like one big happy family.

  One girl with long black hair and steely blue eyes that looked to be about Serena's age saw them. "Jacob!" she said, "I can see our new friend is alive and well." She nodded at Serena. Serena looked behind her and saw Ethan sitting alone, still looking half-dead. It made Serena frown a little. Why was everyone else around here so happy looking except for Ethan? "My name is Ashley." said the dark haired girl. "What's yours?"

  "Her name is Serena." said Jacob. "Ain't much of a talker."

  Serena looked at Ethan. Ashley followed her gaze and her face fell into a sad expression. "That's Ethan. He's gone through some hard times lately. His little brother is out getting us supplies right now, you'll meet him later. Their parents died here, Ethan's and Chase's. Chase is Ethan's brother. Ethan had a girlfriend here too, but that shadow creature got here a while back. He's been this way ever since."

  "We go out to get supplies in pairs. You never travel alone. So there's someone else out too. They should be home soon." said Jacob. The word 'home' made Serena jump a little. "Anyway, stick with Ashley here. She'll show you the ropes of the place and introduce you to everyone else." Ashley smiled and Jacob walked off.

  Ashley took Serena by the hand as soon as Jacob was gone. "Come on. I'll show you around. Everyone's been waiting to meet you ever since Abby and Thomas brought you in last night."

  "Who are Abby and Thomas?" asked Serena.

  "They'll be the first I introduce you too!" Ashley led Serena over to an old beat up couch with two people sitting on it. One was a man probably in his late twenties with dark brown hair and bright green eyes, the other one was a Barbie-like blond with wavy hair and blue eyes. "Serena, this is Abby and Thomas. This is Serena guys, the one you brought in last night."

  "Hi!" said Abby smiling cheerfully.

  "What's up." said Thomas, sounding bored.

  "You're the one's that kidnapped me last night?" asked Serena.

  "That would be us." said Thomas. "You were just laying there all vulnerable and we saved you, you can thank us later."

  "So the shadow creature is here too?" asked Serena.

  "The shadow creature is everywhere sweetheart." said Abby.

  "Don't call me sweetheart." Serena mumbled sourly. "Who else is there to meet here?" she asked Ashley.

  "Well there's only twelve of us, and you make thirteen. You met Jacob, me, Abby, Thomas, Ethan, and Chase and that other boy aren't here right now, that leaves five more. You should meet our cook, his name is Bryce. I'll take you to the kitchen." Ashley grabbed Serena's hand and pulled her through the hallways again and into another room that was full of tables and chairs. "The dining area." said Ashley. She continued to pull Serena into the next room, a dark room full of pots and pans, with a stove and a fridge and all other kitchen accessories.

  "Why is it so dark in here?" asked Serena.

  "I don't really know. Usually he has a candle or an old fashion lamp or something. Bryce? Bryce are you here?" called Ashley. They turned a corner and there was a human silhouette couched with his hands over his head and the sound of sobbing. Ashley flicked the light on and there was a man with short, messy, black hair sobbing with his eyes wide and horrified. His wrists were bleeding out in front of him and there was a bloody butchers knife at his feet. Ashley sighed. "Well, now's as good a time as any to introduce you to the doc."



  Dr. Slanders was a kindly looking man, but Serena was beginning to wonder what was with all the blonds. He had blond hair and brown eyes and a gentle smile. He treated Bryce with care and once Bryce had calmed down Ashley introduced him to Serena. "Sorry about that display." he said to her.

  "Don't worry about it. Times like these must be stressful, and you're trying to feed everyone down here. I couldn't imagine having to feed eleven mouths and then your own to boot."

  "Twelve including you, now. I don't mind it so much though. It's nice to meet you Serena."

  "You too Bryce." Serena thought it better not to ask what had thrown him into a fit like that. His wrists were taken care of now, and Dr. Slanders did great work. "You do a pretty good job Doc." commented Serena.

  "You can just call me Ed." said Dr. Slanders.

  "Ed then. You do a pretty good job, Ed."

  "Well girls, I need to fix things up and have a little talk with Bryce here. So you best be leaving."

  The girls left without argument. "Ed also kind of doubles as a therapist around here. He's not licensed for that, but he's so nice, and he listens, so everyone just comes to him for stuff, you know?" said Ashley. "Well, that's Jacob, Abby, Thomas, Bryce, Ed, me, Ethan, we're still waiting for Chase and the other kid-"

  "Do you not know his name or something?" asked Serena.

  "Huh?"

  "Well everyone keeps calling him 'that other kid', do you not know his name?"

  "He never told us his name. He hasn't been here that long and isn't that talkative. Everyone keeps saying he's just gonna up and leave one day and we'll never see him again. I know Chase pretty well though. He's always been good to me, and he's real patient with Ethan, even though Ethan can sometimes be a little temperamental. He's a great hunter, that's why we always sent him out to gather things for us, he usually comes back with fresh meat." she had a dreamy look in her eye talking about Chase and Serena had a sneaking suspicion about her feelings for him. "Three more people to go." said Ashley abruptly. "William's next."

  William's room was another one of those dark, dreary ones. With no lighting and all that seemed to be the norm. William had short red hair that he obviously cut himself. It stood up in little, slightly curled tuffs around his head. He was laying against a wall staring into the distance when they approached. He never looked at them but said "Hey Ashley. I take it this is that new girl?" Ashley nodded. "Interesting." He looked like he was in deep thought about something very sad. Serena wondered what was wrong with all these people. Sure, it seemed like the end of the world as they knew it, but that didn't mean sulking and crying about it was gonna make the situation better. Serena couldn't get a good look at his eyes but she thought they looked green. William didn't seem interested in really meeting her so she turned on her heals to walk out the door and said "Next." to Ashley.

  Ashley followed Serena out the door. "Sorry about William, he just.."

  "You don't have to explain anything to me. Some of these people just have issues, like Ethan and William and Bryce. The females here appear to be stronger than the males."

  "Well, you haven't met Chase yet." was Ashley's reply.

  Serena wasn't watching where she was going and ran into someone. "I'm sorry." she said. She looked up and saw a woman probably in her fifties.

  "It's alright dear." said the lady. She had graying black hair and was very pretty. "You must be the new recruit. I'm Gerda, Jacob's wife. You are?"

  "Serena ma'am." replied Serena politely.

  "Well, pleasure to meet you Serena." and she continued walking.

  "Well, that was easy!" said Ashley. "One more!" she stood there for a moment and tried to remember who she left out then snapped her fingers. "Got it! Brooke!" and Serena was being dragged again.

  Ashley took Serena back to the front room with the windows an beat up couch. Abby, Thomas and Ethan were gone now but there was a girl, a very very little girl, sitting in the middle of the floor who seemed to be mumbling to herself. "Brooke." said Ashley, and the girl turned her head. Serena tried to keep from rolling her eyes at another blond. Brooke was a pretty little girl. She looked very similar to someone.

  "Abby's little sister?" guessed Serena. Brooke nodded.

  "You're Serena right?" asked Brooke shyly. "Abby was talking about you. She said you were rude and a flirt. That you only liked guys and hated girls." Serena got an annoyed look on her face. Abby must have been one of those cliquey kind of girls.

  "I just don't like to be called 'sweetheart' so I told her not to call me that. She must have taken it the wrong way."

  "You could have asked instead of told." said Brooke.

  Serena felt heat filling up her head and got a little more angry, but this girl couldn't have been older than five so Serena made herself calm down. "You're probably right. Next time I see Abby, I'll apologize." Brooke smiled and went back to whatever it was she was doing that was making her talk to herself.

  Ashley and Serena left. "That's everyone until Chase and the other one come around." said Ashley. Serena realized that the windows in the front room were dark.

  "I think it's time for sleep." she said.

  "Okay, and about the showers in your room, I wouldn't use it. We haven't completely purified the water system yet, so that water is pretty nasty." Ashley warned. Serena looked at her hand where she tested the water earlier and it was red with a rash.

  "Thanks." she said to Ashley.



  Serena laid in her bed and thought about how her day was. Most of the guys seemed to have issues. Abby was vicious, but Brooke seemed sweet enough. Ashley was a little active and hyper but she seemed to really like Serena and she really tried to help her. She didn't talk to Gerda that much but she got a good feeling from her and Serena's mom had always told her to trust her intuition. Jacob she still didn't know what to think of, but she thought she'd stay a while. Besides, she was really curious about 'that other guy' she'd heard so much about.