The Titans

Chapter 8

"Let's stop here. we need to rest." I'm sure if they weren't so tired, they would have cheered with happiness, but it came across as groans. We trudged through the gates, up the small steps, and into the farmhouse. Nightingale was placed on the floor, and she was able to walk a few steps now, without being high. I looked around the room and it was a beautiful and quaint little place. 

There was a fireplace that had burnt logs on it and two armchairs that now had sleeping people on them. A flowery blue rug ran across the floor leading through an archway into a different room. Running up the side of the wall were the staircases with pictures hung up against the wall. To the other side was the desk where an old-style till sat. on the desk was a bell. I tapped it and waited for someone to approach.

A short lady trudged from the other room and round the desk to serve me.

"Hi there, sweetie. How can I help?" Her voice was laced with a deep southern American accent.

"I would like two rooms, please. One with a double and another with twin beds. Just for one night." Again, a groan was heard but I ignored it.

She peered around me and looked at the three of them. Ruby and Kira were slouched over the chairs whilst Matt was asleep on the floor next to Nightingale. Our clothes were covered in mud and twigs stuck in our hair. Her eyes were full of sympathy, and she nodded before handing me the room keys.

"Up the stairs and to the left. Rooms are next to each other. Come down for 6. Dinner is on the house."

I thanked her and the four of us trudged up the stairs, leaving Nightingale asleep on the rug. I handed Ruby the other key.

Matt and Ruby disappeared through one door as Kira, and I went into our room. It had the same farmhouse aesthetic with the colourful flower patterns covering the duvets. Kira pulled herself to the bed and immediately began snoring face-first on the pillows. I laughed and stretched taking off my bag and sitting on the edge of my bed. The sun warmed my face as it shone through the window. I grabbed the book from my bag and sat on the large windowsill with a hand-sewn cushion on it. Pulling the curtain around me to let Kira sleep, I opened the book.

It read: "You're safe, for now. Don't get comfortable."

I sighed and pulled my knees to my chest leaving the book to flutter close. It dawned on me that in just a few days my life had been completely turned upside down and I was listening to a book. I was pretty sure the only major influential book was the bible and that wasn't even real. But here I was, listening and preaching every word as if God, or I guess the moon Goddess was writing me herself. It was just insane.

I sighed and slipped out from the window, placing it back into my bag. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was fast asleep.

I began to stir and turned over to stretch my body. There was a small clock placed inside a carved cuckoo: a cuckoo clock if you will. The time read 16:05. I sat up and decided I would leave Kira, who hadn't moved and was still snoring, to carry on sleeping. There was a small bathroom where I shower and changed into the spare clothes I had brought. It was a long flowery skirt with a white crop top. I slipped on my shoes and as I went into the room Kira was awake.

"How are you feeling?"

She wiped the dribble from her face, "Better. Hungry." I smiled and told her to shower and then we could have dinner. She stood up stretching and yawning before showering. I left the room and headed back downstairs into the main area. Above a doorway, I didn't notice labelled it 'library'. I walked inside and books littered it, floor to ceiling. There was a small leather sofa in the middle where Matt was currently sitting reading a book to Nightingale. It made me smile as he showed her the pictures once he finished reading the pages.

"Having fun?" I asked and he almost jumped from his seat. His face burned red, and I laughed.

"I just thought she would want to see the pictures... that's all."

"It's very sweet." He patted the seat next to him and I sat listening to him read and looking at the pictures. Each time would make me laugh.

Once he had finished, I asked if Ruby was awake. He told me she was showering for dinner and as we spoke of her, she appeared in the doorway with Kira at her side.

Matt went over and embraced her, telling her how beautiful she looked in the dress I bought her. I was glad they all brought spare clothes with them.

Pondering, I walked into the other room to find it was a small dining area with a few wooden tables and a kitchen perched at the back. the small lady was in there cooking.

"Excuse me." I spoke. She turned around and her stern expression softened. Wiping her hands on her apron, she approached me.

"Is there anywhere we could wash our clothes? We don't have many and still have quite far to travel." She smiled and showed me the way whilst talking me through the history of the B&B. I learned her name was Ember and she was a widow from the Vietnam war. She moved here afterward to start a new life.

I thanked her as she left me in the washroom and went back to attend to her cooking. I followed the route out and gathered everyone's clothes before taking them back and washing them.

As I pushed them into the washing machine, Kira appeared in the entranceway.

She sat on top of a shelf as I put in conditioner and soaps.

"Do you know where we're going?" She was sitting eating a peach.

"We are eating in like 5 minutes." I laughed. "But no, I have no idea. I do know we are heading in the right direction though. I'm not sure how much further or when we will be able to rest again. I can't ask you to come with me."

Her face turned stern. "Autumn, we promised your mother we would protect you. I'm pretty sure I need to be by your side to do that. Besides, what else would I be doing?" I smiled at her as she left.

I turned on the washing machine and entered the dining hall. Other guests began to sit down, and we sat around as well. Ember served us delicious meals with all sorts of drinks.

We laughed and chatted around, talking to strangers like we had known them for years. It was nice to pretend we weren't being hunted down by a pack of rabid wolves intent on killing me.

After dinner, we played board games including monopoly, twister, andcharades. It was funny to see who was competitive and who did bad clues onpurpose. By the end of the night, my stomach hurt from laughing.

AN: vote and comment.

What's next for Autumn?