After 30 Days

Three- Day 34 *

It was too hot. Slowly prying my eyes open revealed a hint of the dawn creeping in through the ruffled curtains on the window. The arms that were wrapped around me too tightly were the only thing keeping me from tumbling out of the bed that wasn't really big enough for two. A smile made an appearance on my face. I was rapidly getting used to waking up in similar situations each morning.

Ever since the night that he had first made room for me in bed next to him, and made me feel safe, we'd been sharing whatever space Shawn ended up sleeping in. It was nice, not waking up alone. I didn't even mind that he alway crowded me.

Shawn was really clingy in his sleep, always making some sort of contact, and following me unconsciously if I moved away even a few inches. I was starting to get used to waking up overheated and half way smothered. It was too hot most of the time to stay that close, but that didn't seem to bother him at all. If I was honest with myself, I was more than ok with the affection, even if he wasn't awake when he was giving it.

A low thump came from somewhere else in the house, and Rex jumped up from where he had been laying on the purple carpet. Ears that were too big for his head perked up and he glanced my way before trotting to the closed door.

"Alright. I'm coming," I whispered. Prying myself free from Shawn's death grip was always a feat. He usually woke up first, but on the rare occasion I was up before him, I took great pains to try not to wake him up. We were all pretty tired, he needed any extra rest he could get. I finally managed to slip from the bed and stretched the shoulder that was cramped from laying in such an awkward position for too long.

If the dog wanted out, then that must have meant that Luna was awake. Rex would want to go to her. He adored the little girl and kept an eye on her as well as any watch dog that I'd ever seen. Stifling a yawn, I opened the door for the dog to slip out. Instantly, he dashed out and was through the door across the hall. Charlie was going to regret not closing that door tight in about a half of a second. The thought made me smile again.

Luna had climbed under the blue covers of a top bunk over there shortly after we cleared the house. Completely exhausted, we had trouble convincing her to even eat something before she went to sleep. I had glanced in on her a few times during my turn on watch. The kid had barely moved all night.

She was awake now. And giggling. I looked in to the room to find Rex dancing around the girl in circles, tail wagging madly, one of her sneakers dangling from his jaws.

The hint of a smile on my face threatened to grow when Charlie grumbled from the bottom bunk, "You two pests go do that somewhere else." She yanked a blanket with dinosaurs on it over her head.

Still giggling and looking unapologetic, Luna wrangled her shoe from the dog before the pair slipped past me and ran down the hall. I followed them at a more reasonable pace, and by the time I made it to the kitchen, Luna was already seated at the bar with an open box of cereal in front of her.

This house had turned out to be one of the few we'd seen that appeared completely untouched. It had the typical disarray that you expected of a house with multiple kids, but nothing inside or out gave any indication that the world had ended. The family must not have been home when it happened. I hoped that meant that they were all together somewhere, maybe staying safe on some tropical island that had escaped the zombies.

Probably not, but a girl could dream.

Rex was waiting by the kitchen door. After a quick check outside, I opened it for him to go out. The town appeared completely deserted and zombie free, but a chill worked it's way down my spine anyway as I lingered by the door waiting for the dog. There was something almost unnatural about the place, with it's dead silence and foul smell. We wouldn't be staying long and for that I was grateful.