Wildfire

Chapter Fourteen

Other than the prospect of running continuously for any longer, it was a perfect plan. So, after resting for a few minutes, we got up and started running south, in the direction of the Gulf. We passed across the interstate again, and a couple of less populated roads, then ran through nothing but trees the rest of the way.

We had to stop occasionally, rest our burning, tired legs and we had to find water once or twice, but continued on, both of us determined to get there.

When the sky was lightening up, dawn approaching, we made it to a small beach town in South Texas. It took us a little longer than we'd expected--two and a half hours--but the sight of the beach house was one for sore eyes--and legs, as it was.

We carefully maneuvered around the town, making sure no one spotted us(didn't want some story about two huge wolves prowling around town showing up the news later), and finally made it to the backside of the pale blue house.

"I'll go get the key and go inside, I'll call to you once I'm in," Aaron said, and walked around to the front of the house. I waited patiently, watching for anyone who might find it strange for a naked teenage boy to be sneaking into a house, while Aaron looked for the spare key and unlocked the door.

"Okay, it's unlocked!" He called. I crept around the side of the house, then asked my wolf to let me back to my human form. I rushed up the wooden steps and through the open doorway, slamming it closed behind me.

"Where are you?" I called to Aaron, not wanting to walk further into the house and catch my brother naked.

"In my room!" He called, his voice muffled, which I assumed meant his door was closed.

I peeled away from the door and quickly made my way down short hallway that led to the three bedrooms, turned left at the end, and entered my room. Just like the one at home, the walls were light blue, but the floor was hardwood, and worn. My bed sat against the outward-facing wall, painted white with a rainbow-stripped comforter laid over it. Thankfully, the white curtains were drawn over the window, so it was sage for me to walk over the closet where my clothes were. Last summer, Aaron and I had complained that it was annoying to try and fit luggage into my grandmother's small car every time we came down here, so the two of us decided to buy clothes from a nearby Walmart and just leave them down here. I pulled back the folding doors and opened the small chest-of-drawers that stood against the wall and found underwear and a bra and pulled those on, followed by a pair of cotton shorts and a sky-blue tank. I was a little surprised that they still fit, since it'd been a year since I last wore them, but I figured it was a kind of blessing.

Fulled by hunger, I left my room and headed towards the small kitchen that opened up into the living room. Aaron was already there, wearing an old pair of jean shorts and a baggy tank top, searching through the freezer, so I walked over to the pantry.

Inside, were cans of Ravioli, green beans, a partial bag of bread that I'd forgotten to throw away before we left that was now fuzzy and green, a still-sealed thing of cookies, and two boxes of cereal.

"What'd you find in there, anything?" I asked, turning around to look at Aaron.

He pulled out two bags and indicated the freezer. "I found chicken fingers, a bag of corn, a bunch of other vegetables, some waffles, Popsicles, and three boxes of Hot Pockets!" He had a grin on his face, one that usually came with the prospect of lots of food.

"Sweet!" I took the chicken fingers from his hand and set them on top of the stove, reading through the directions. "Get out the corn and another bag of vegetables," I instructed, then went about finding a cookie tray for the chicken.

Aaron set the vegetables on the counter and found bowls to put them in, while I pre-heated the oven and poured out the chicken fingers. While we waited for the oven, I opened the fridge, curious to see if there was anything good in there. I found an open box of baking soda, and half a box of Pepsi's.