16 Chapter 16

Nightmares of being cornered by infected startled me awake. My cheeks were wet and my body was bathed in a cold sweat as my heart pounded against my chest.

It was still dark outside but the lamp in the corner illuminated the room. It was blue with beautiful murals on the wall, hand painted by someone who knew what they were doing.

There was an armchair in the corner of the room with a small table in front of it. A bookshelf was close to the nightstand by the bed and a vanity was on the other side of the room. Someone had opened the windows while I was asleep, probably to air out the room.

There was a lump under the sheets and I pulled it back to reveal Alison. She was curled into a ball and snoring lightly. I got to my feet and tucked her in before I left the room.

The hallway was wide, really wide. Upon the walls were oil paintings of different things. I run my finger along the gold framing and it comes away dirty. I rub the dirt away before heading down the stairs. There was also a chandelier in the living room and a rug spread out next to a big fireplace. The house was the epitome of fancy.

I stopped short when I saw Roshni's purple backpack with our other backpacks by the door and my heart sank. My eyes began to water and I blinked it away, wiping away the lone tear that escaped. I still didn't know what had happened to her. Voices coming from the kitchen drew my attention and I headed towards it.

Ezra and Hae In were arranging the canned foods we brought into a cupboard and Clareta was sitting at the island. It was a grand space, to say the least.

"How are you, Enny?" Hae In asked and I muttered a 'fine' as I grabbed the bottled water Ezra was holding out to me.

The kitchen walls were covered with a shimmering gold paper and the tiles were a warm semi-translucent gold, each shaped as a hexagon. I find myself tracing the pattern with my eyes as the water runs down my throat. I wouldn't lie, it felt good to not have to watch your surroundings all the time. Hae In and Ezra were talking about a tour and someone called Caldwell.

I screwed the cap back on the bottle after I drank half of it and placed it on the kitchen island. There were a couple of maps on the table that had 'Goldcrest Estate' written at the top right corner.

"I could get used to this," I muttered as I scanned the map.

"I'm already used to it," Clareta said, placing her head on the island. "I'm serious. I can't go back to my old life now."

"Are you hungry?" Ezra asks, looking at me.

"Yes!" Clareta's head shot up from the table.

He gave her a blank look and she blew out her cheeks and placed her head back on the island.

I shook my head sideways at him. "Where's everyone?"

"Daniel, Cassandra, Jack and Zeke are outside. Faye and Alison are upstairs." Hae In said as she shoved the backpacks that used to contain our food into a duffle bag.

I stood in the kitchen for a few more minutes listening to their conversation before I went outside. The pale crescent moon shone like a silvery claw in the night sky as I looked up at the blanket of stars that stretched to infinity.

I realized Jack wasn't the only dog in the estate as the occasional barking of faraway dogs broke the silence of the night. A couple of boys that looked my age were standing under the smudgy illumination of a lamp post. Daniel, Cassandra and Zeke were not outside and the gate had been slid close. I turned around to go back inside.

"Hi!" came a voice from the other house and I almost jumped.

I looked over to the fence to see a woman with blonde hair in the compound of the other house, sitting on a chair with a book in her hand.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," she said, giving me a flashy smile.

"Uh... it's okay... Miss? "

"I'm Eloise, you must be Enny."

How does she know my name?

She must have known that was what I was thinking about because she said, "I met Ezekiel and Cassandra earlier. It's been quite a while since anyone new has come here."

I didn't know how to respond to that.

She went on, "I just wanted to tell you that if you need anything, feel free to ask. Welcome to Goldcrest."

"Thank you," I said and gave her a smile.

"You're welcome, honey."

A 'whoop' filled the air just as Daniel came speeding down the road on what I guessed was a skateboard, with Zeke, Jack and two boys following closely behind him. I was quite surprised that they had already made friends.

Ezra was going through the back packs when I entered the house.

"Your cleaver is somewhere in Belmont," he stated without looking up as I sat on the floor next to him.

"I see you have privileges with the infected," I said and he snorted.

"That sounds stupid. And before you ask, no, I don't know how or why. They've been avoiding me since everything started."

"Really?" I asked, furrowing my brows in confusion and he shrugged in response.

"Thank you... For coming back for me."

The corner of his mouth quirked up and he handed me my back pack. "Go to bed."

"Yes sir," I muttered as I dragged myself up and to the room I had left Alison in with my back pack.

I entered the room and gently shut the door behind me as she was still asleep. The sheets were twisted around her limbs and her face was buried in a pillow.

I placed my back pack on the armchair in the corner before I climbed into the bed. As soon as I closed my eyes, sleep took me.