Today is laundry day and I told everyone last night to gather everything that needs to be washed and pile it outside their doors. I wouldn't feel right going into their bedrooms, sort of like no one is allowed in Cason and I's. I woke up early, took the sheets off the bed, picked the clothes up off the floor, and threw them down the stairs along with everyone else's piles.
When all of the clothes were put in the basement, I sorted them out again into piles by sheets, whites, undergarments, and colors. Everyone's initials were on the tags of the clothes; we won't mess them up and switch out clothes.
I have never done laundry in my life before. I had a maid who did my laundry back home. I know some basics like how much detergent should be used per load and one sheet of the dryer sheets should be used. Let's just hope I don't break the machines or it would be hand washing the clothes and I can't handle that much work, my hands will be ruined and my nails will be brittle like paper.
I had a load of whites in first and while waiting for them to finish and be put into the dryer; I slowly examined the basement, and to see if there is anything else hidden in here. I looked at the food closely, noticing jars of honey, peanut butter, some soup mixes and cans, many boxes of granola bars and cereal, and then on the end of the shelf, I notice three giant boxes that read 'Ready to Eat Meals'. I went over and opened a box to find packets of meals, that are freeze-dried, and can be eaten. What is Cason and Trace doing then? We have full meals right here that can be eaten. Did Anya notice these while taking inventory? I moved the boxes to the bottom of the stairs and continued to look around the basement which was cold and smelly.
There was a cabinet behind the stairs and looking at it, it was blending into the color of the walls. I went over and yanked on the knob to open the cabinet. When I opened the cabinet, I found a medical supplies kit, diapers and clothes for babies, fire blankets, fleece blankets, sweatshirts, and a giant book of medical procedures and what to do in an emergency in case someone is hurt, sick, or if a natural disaster happened. This is what Anya should be taking inventory on. She was an EMT before Armin died and knows what to do in an emergency.
When Anya told us she was becoming an EMT because her mother said it would look good on resumes and for college, she was so excited. For her entire life she has always wanted to be a physician's assistant and to work with children. It has always been her dream, up until Armin died and she stopped caring about school, stopped her job as an EMT, and overall, shredded the idea of becoming a physician's assistant. I worry about Anya and it scares me sometimes when she won't talk or will cry for no reason.
What is she going to do after we get out of this cabin? What am I going to do? What are we all going to do? Are we still going to be friends? Yes, of course we will be because we have this bond that no one else understands.
I heard Cason in the small room he made on the other side of the basement, then I heard someone walking down the stairs and see me at the cabinet.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Anya asked.
"Looking around while waiting for the laundry to wash. Did you see this cabinet with all of the medical supplies?"
"Yeah, I did and took an inventory on it and sorted everything by injury. They put everything in this cabin because I was looking in the living room and there are books and games and even movies under the giant buffet thing in the corner. There are medical books, chapter books, picture books, any kind of book you want to read and then the games are mostly board games and some puzzles, we should play one tonight. Unless you and Cason have stuff to do."
"No, we don't." I walked past her and to the washer and dryer. I put the whites into the dryer and put the undergarments into the washer.
"Everything alright between you two?" she asked sitting on the bottom step on the stairs. "You were fine a couple nights ago when you two locked the door and started to be too quiet until we all heard you scream."
"You did?" she nodded. I sighed and shook my head. "You really heard us the other night?"
"Yes, why would I lie to you. You two were very loud and we had to turn up the radio just to zone you guys out. You never even came down for dinner."
"Look, Anya, I'm sorry about the other night. We won't be doing it every night and we haven't done anything since our anniversary. I was pushing him too far and realized how uncomfortable it is for everyone else in the cabin. He asked why all I wanted to do was make out and stuff, and I said that back home we weren't confined, we would do things outside of the house and because we are stuck here, the only thing I could think of is sex."
"Just be careful."
"Anya, we are being careful, I promise you that. And whatever happens, happens. Got it?" she nodded. "Hey, did you see those freeze-dried meals over there?" she shook her head and went to the giant boxes. "I found them just now while looking through everything. If one night we don't want to cook, we can each have one of those."
"Awesome. For lunch we are having leftovers from last night and for dinner I was thinking of making soup because it looks like a storm is coming outside."
"Like snow or rain?"
"Like a thunderstorm, it got cold all of a sudden. I asked Trace if he can get some wood for a fire tonight."
"Good, and we can watch a movie together also." Anya nodded and leaned back on the stairs. "What are you thinking?" she shook her head and watched me. "Anya, you are too quiet, come on, what's going on?"
"Nothing. I'm thinking about how long we have been here and how long we will be here. I'm keeping a log of dates, just so we don't loose track of time." I nodded and crossed my arms. "You have clothes on today." She laughed and joked with me.
"Of course I do. I always have clothes on."
"No you don't. You usually walk around with your bra and underwear on only."
"Well, I saw that it wasn't right of me to do, especially since we are all living in the same place. And I was drunk for days and you know how I get when I'm drunk." She nodded. "Let me finish the laundry and then I'll be up to help clean."
"Hadley is having a panic attack right now again; cleaning might not happen today. She freaked when I asked if she could put the dishes away. She has been crying since."
"Is anyone with her during the panic attack?"
"Trace." I didn't do anything. I was folding the clothes and sorting them. "She has been having close to three a day now. Something is triggering them and we need to figure out what it is. Having so many panic attacks at once stresses the body and makes you sick. She is having three a day, if she has four or five a day, her body will start to fail and she won't want to eat or drink or get out of bed and we need her."
"It is probably the quietness. You have to remember she lived closer to the city than the rest of us. Noise is what she grew up around and having to live in a place where silence is the only thing around us, its scary and nerve-racking. I had a small panic attack the other day with Cason and I walked into our room to him crying. This is a very stressful thing happening to us. Hadley is going to be fine and you need to trust me on this." She nodded and ran upstairs.
After I was finished with the laundry sorted, folded, and gave to the correct owners, I was able to sit down and relax. Cason brought me some food while I sat on the couch and was dozing to sleep. He sat next to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "You did a good job today, baby." He kissed me on the lips. "And I heard you and Anya talking."
"Did you know they heard us the other night on our anniversary." He shrugged and turned the television on. "Cason, this is serious. They heard us having sex, don't you get how embarrassing that is for me. We were loud and ruined their night. I feel so bad."
"Don't feel bad. We are a couple and they should respect that. How about they stay out of our business and let us be a couple. I am sick and tired of the three of them on our case, breathing down our neck, and basically standing outside of our door listening to us and mentioning something about what we did in the privacy of our own room. I'm done with them, done!" he yelled, stood up, and went out to the back deck. I heard him yelling to Trace about what I said and to stay out of our business.
After Cason was done telling everyone off and letting us have some privacy, we all got together in the living room and turned on a movie. We all fell asleep in the living room; Cason and I on one couch, Hadley and Anya on the other couch, and Trace in the recliner.