support.
"Look," Scooter continued before anyone could give it to her, "the four of us with a dog in one room would be too much. We wouldn't get a good rest. We'd have to share a bed. Or one of us would have to sleep on the floor. It doesn't make any sense when we have these empty rooms."
"But…"
"It'll be okay. I really don't mind staying on my own."
"Are you sure?" John asked.
"Yeah." The truth was that Scoote r wante d to stay on his own. He had had a lot of different thoughts floating through his head over the past little while and he needed to try to make sense of it all. He couldn't do that with everyone around. "I'll be fine. Besides, the rooms are all close together. If there's any trouble, we'll have no trouble getting to each other."
"Do you think there'll be trouble?" Alice asked. She had gotten to her feet and was standing beside them.
"No," Scooter said. "We haven't seen any of those creatures around. We're pretty sure that it's going to be safe."
Marianne nodded in agreement. Even Julie had to admit that no matter how worried she was they hadn't seen any of thos e thing s .
"The thing is that we don't think we should stay here longer than one night," Scooter added.
John looked puzzled again. "A night? Why? I thought that you said it was safe."
"It is. But there's a lot of damage in there. A lot of death." He stopped short of giving a description. They would see it soon enough.
"Should we keep moving on?"
"No, it'll be good for us to get some rest. I know tha tI 'm tired." Everyone knew that Scooter was trying to make it easier for John. Though the old man had been doing a good job of keeping up, things were beginning to wear on him. "I think w e al l are."
John decided not to argue. H e wa s tried. He couldn't pretend otherwise. "If you think it's a good idea."
"We all do." Scooter turned to Marianne and Julie. They agreed with him once more.
"Then let's go in."
Scooter picked up Emily and walked her to the front of the building. But before he entered, he told her to close her eyes. He didn't want her seeing more than she had to.
"Is it that bad in there?" John asked.
"It's bad enough."
They went in through the shattered window.
Chapter 4
At one of the rooms, Scooter handed John a key card.
"This works?" John asked.
"I think the locks are battery powered," Scooter offered in way of an explanation.
The old man put the key into the slot and heard a beep followed by a click. He pushed the door open. "At least it doesn't smell as much in here," he said, walking into the room.
Everyone followed him into it.
The room was clean. The sheets fresh. Two towels were neatly folded at the bottom of the bed. There were a couple of chocolates on the pillows.
John sat on the bed. It felt nice to be able to take a break like this . Saf e . "The doors look strong too," he added . Maybe not as strong as his door at home, but good enough.
"Yeah," Scooter agreed. "Nothing's getting through them."
"What about through here?" Alice asked. She was standing in front of a window.
"It's pretty strong too. Just make sure to keep it closed."
"It'd be nice to air out the room for a bit," John argued.
"You want me to open it?" Alice turned to her husband.
"Just for a bit," he said.
"For a bit," Alice reiterated. A slight breeze pushed the curtain as she opened it. Then she sat on the bed as well. "Now what?"
"We look for food," Scooter replied.
Julie turned to him, worry across her face once more. "We will? Why don't we just stay here? We can find food tomorrow. When we leave."
Scooter shook his head. "No, we've gotta get something now."
John moved to get up, but Scooter motioned for him not to bother. "I should help," the old man said.
"You can help by staying here and taking care of Alice, Emily and Buster."
"An d m e ," Julie added. "I don't think that I can see any more of these bodies."
"That's fine. All of you can rest here. I'll go look on my own."
"No," Marianne said. "I'll go with
"Look," Scooter continued before anyone could give it to her, "the four of us with a dog in one room would be too much. We wouldn't get a good rest. We'd have to share a bed. Or one of us would have to sleep on the floor. It doesn't make any sense when we have these empty rooms."
"But…"
"It'll be okay. I really don't mind staying on my own."
"Are you sure?" John asked.
"Yeah." The truth was that Scoote r wante d to stay on his own. He had had a lot of different thoughts floating through his head over the past little while and he needed to try to make sense of it all. He couldn't do that with everyone around. "I'll be fine. Besides, the rooms are all close together. If there's any trouble, we'll have no trouble getting to each other."
"Do you think there'll be trouble?" Alice asked. She had gotten to her feet and was standing beside them.
"No," Scooter said. "We haven't seen any of those creatures around. We're pretty sure that it's going to be safe."
Marianne nodded in agreement. Even Julie had to admit that no matter how worried she was they hadn't seen any of thos e thing s .
"The thing is that we don't think we should stay here longer than one night," Scooter added.
John looked puzzled again. "A night? Why? I thought that you said it was safe."
"It is. But there's a lot of damage in there. A lot of death." He stopped short of giving a description. They would see it soon enough.
"Should we keep moving on?"
"No, it'll be good for us to get some rest. I know tha tI 'm tired." Everyone knew that Scooter was trying to make it easier for John. Though the old man had been doing a good job of keeping up, things were beginning to wear on him. "I think w e al l are."
John decided not to argue. H e wa s tried. He couldn't pretend otherwise. "If you think it's a good idea."
"We all do." Scooter turned to Marianne and Julie. They agreed with him once more.
"Then let's go in."
Scooter picked up Emily and walked her to the front of the building. But before he entered, he told her to close her eyes. He didn't want her seeing more than she had to.
"Is it that bad in there?" John asked.
"It's bad enough."
They went in through the shattered window.
Chapter 4
At one of the rooms, Scooter handed John a key card.
"This works?" John asked.
"I think the locks are battery powered," Scooter offered in way of an explanation.
The old man put the key into the slot and heard a beep followed by a click. He pushed the door open. "At least it doesn't smell as much in here," he said, walking into the room.
Everyone followed him into it.
The room was clean. The sheets fresh. Two towels were neatly folded at the bottom of the bed. There were a couple of chocolates on the pillows.
John sat on the bed. It felt nice to be able to take a break like this . Saf e . "The doors look strong too," he added . Maybe not as strong as his door at home, but good enough.
"Yeah," Scooter agreed. "Nothing's getting through them."
"What about through here?" Alice asked. She was standing in front of a window.
"It's pretty strong too. Just make sure to keep it closed."
"It'd be nice to air out the room for a bit," John argued.
"You want me to open it?" Alice turned to her husband.
"Just for a bit," he said.
"For a bit," Alice reiterated. A slight breeze pushed the curtain as she opened it. Then she sat on the bed as well. "Now what?"
"We look for food," Scooter replied.
Julie turned to him, worry across her face once more. "We will? Why don't we just stay here? We can find food tomorrow. When we leave."
Scooter shook his head. "No, we've gotta get something now."
John moved to get up, but Scooter motioned for him not to bother. "I should help," the old man said.
"You can help by staying here and taking care of Alice, Emily and Buster."
"An d m e ," Julie added. "I don't think that I can see any more of these bodies."
"That's fine. All of you can rest here. I'll go look on my own."
"No," Marianne said. "I'll go with
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