If Tomorrow Never Comes

Chapter 11

    "We're going to have to leave those behind," I said referring to the various things Baylor had in her arms. The car had run out of gas shortly after the gas light went on a good couple miles from where this cabin supposedly is. "I risked my life for these I ain't leaving anything," she said stubbornly as I hurriedly changed Asher's diaper so he wouldn't scream and cry all the way up to the cabin. I grabbed a tote bag I had in the back of the car that had a pair of extra clothes and some other things that I kept just Incase and shoved it full of as many diapers and wipes as possible. Flinging the bag over my shoulder I picked up Asher and placed him on my hip. "We're in a race against time we need to move fast," I said as the sunlight began to disappear rapidly.

    "Where exactly did you say this place was?" I asked as I tried to catch my breath. "I think we're close." She said as she kept walking forward. "You're forgetting that we will be walking in pitch black soon," I said annoyed as I trekked through the tall grass. "I recognize this path Exora come on let's keep going." We kept walking until finally I saw a large wooden structure in sight. "Is this it?" I asked looking up at it. "No we must've taken a wrong turn," she said as she turned to walk the other way. "I think I'll take my chances with this place," I said as I walked towards it. "I don't think that's such a good idea," Baylor said from behind me.
"Why?" I asked turning to face her. "The place just looks creepy to me," she said as she looked up at the old cabin. "You know what else is creepy? Sticking around out here at day break. We're in plain sight vulnerable out here, we need to take shelter. Spooky ghosts are the least of our worries."

I walked up to the wooden structure and sat Asher down on the porch. "Stay there," I said to him as he looked up at me with amusement dancing in his eyes. "How do I know if he understands?" I asked rhetorically as I rolled my shoulders around feeling the soreness ache. "You sure he won't run off?" Baylor asked as she reached for the doorknob. "No, but he's safer out here just incase we run into something unpleasant in there. I'm no use with a toddler in my arms." I told her as I looked back down at the small boy who began playing with a stick he picked up. "I'm serious kid," I said to him knowing he probably didn't understand me. "Alright lets make this quick," I said as Baylor handed me a flashlight she nabbed from the convenient store earlier. We had armed ourselves with small branches we found in the woods. It's not much, but it's better than nothing since we had no weapons.

With one last look towards Asher I took a hesitant step inside the cabin after Baylor. "How do we know it's empty?" She asked. "We don't," I said before walking infront of her shining my flashlight around the dusty place. "Looks like no one's been here for years," the teenage girl said as she ran her black painted finger tips over the dusty mantle. "I'm not liking the vibe in here," she continued as I moved to open the first door we ran across. "Me neither," I said before slowly opening the door and shinning my light inside.

I gasped and jumped back at the sight infront of me. "What?! What's in there?" Baylor asked in a scared tone. "Nothing it was just a doll," I grumbled as the body I saw illuminated by the light turned out to just be an old mannequin clad in age old clothing. "Whoever lived here was a freak," she said as she picked up an old playboy magazine from the cobweb infested dressing table. "You're telling me," I said as I continued to the next door. I began to hear a strange sound coming from the open door to the outside. "You check it out I'm going to go check on Ash," I said before running out to the front porch. Seeing that Asher was still in the same place as I left him smiling in glee as he waved his stick in the air, I looked around with furrowed brows. "Thought I heard something," I muttered to myself before taking the boy into my arms. "All clear," I heard Baylor announce from inside. Taking one last look at the darkening, still forest I walked back into the house and closed the door.

"The place was abandoned but I found these," Baylor said waking over with two rusty kitchen knives, a dirty bar of soap, and ancient bag of skittles. "Nice," I lied while looking at her finds with amusement. "Say what you want but I'll have the last laugh when I'm clean, fed, and protected," She said as she twirled one of the knives between her long fingers. "Whatever, listen I'm running on fumes at this point I'm gonna hit the hay," I said before walking towards one of the rooms with Asher in my arms. Im starving but my exhaustion beats that by a lot.

   "Uh hey do you think we should sleep in shifts? Ya know like take turns keeping watch? You can have the first shift since you look like death boiled over of course," Baylor called from behind me. "Uh yeah just wake me up when it's my turn," I said tiredly as I stomped on a old pile of blankets making sure there were no spiders or rats hiding in them. "Will do," she said before setting up a chair facing the door. Plopping myself and Asher down on the blankets I cuddled him in my arms to try and get him to settle down. As soon as I was settled I was out like a light.

Slowly my eyelids peeled open to watch as the sunlight seeping in through the window glistened in the old dusty room. My head aches and I feel exhausted. The crud that built up on me turned my clothes stiff and emitted an awful stench. With a yawn I sat up slowly feeling my body scream in pain as I moved. Everything aches and I can barely keep my eyes open. That's weird, Baylor was supposed to wake me up to take her turn to sleep. My tired eyes are still shut as I reached my hands out to search for the little boy I fell asleep cuddling. My eyes snapped open when I didn't find him and Began to dart around the room manically. Not spotting him in the room I immediately saw that the door I had closed shut was partially open.

I jumped up ignoring the pain in my body as I looked for the toddler. "Asher?" I called out hopping he was with Baylor. Where is she? Walking around the corner I spotted a motionless teenage girl passed out on the floor. "Baylor? Baylor?! You feel asleep! Wake up, wake up! Asher's missing!" I exclaimed as I shook her awake. "What? What's wrong?" She said sleepily. "You were supposed to wake me up so we could take turns being the look out! I can't find Asher anywhere," I said as I got up and continued to look around the cabin. "Dammit I fell asleep!" She said as she got up. "No shit Sherlock," I said irritated as I frantically searched for the little boy.

"Did you look in the closet?" Baylor asked as she joined in the search. "No! He's a little boy he can't even open doors he- he." He opened the door to the room. "Son of bitch Baylor the back door is wide open!" I yelled as I spotted the door ajar. This kid can definitely open doors. I ran out the door with tears in my eyes. "Exora wait!" Baylor called out from behind me as I ran through the woods.

"Asher!!"