Something I hadn't considered was how difficult it would be just to get downstairs. As soon as I get to my feet, my legs start shaking and the room goes sideways. I reach out to grab the wall for support, but Fletcher is suddenly there. "I'll help you. You lost a lot of blood." He swallows hard after saying the last word, his eyes flickering to my throat for only a second.
I looked over my shoulder at Michelle who was watching him with untrusting eyes. She uses the wall as support with her good arm and follows us out. Zeno tries to help her, but he's shot down with an angry glare.
Fletcher mostly carries me down the stairs, promising food will make me feel better. I have my right arm up and around his sturdy shoulders with his left arm wrapped around my waist. I had full confidence that if I were to fall he would be able to catch me with ease. I did not, however, have the full confidence he could keep his fangs out of my veins. His eyes catching the sight of my throat multiple times. But, despite how fixated he seemed on my neck, he keeps to himself.
I hear a gasp from behind me and my head whips around. Michelle's foot misses a stair and begins to fall when Zeno quickly and expertly grabs her around her waist and helps her find her footing, all the while being extra careful of her hurt arm. Then retreats just as quickly before she could snap at him. She shoots him a glance before continuing to climb her way downstairs.
Once seated, Noah and Zeno bring out piles of food. Bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns, pancakes, fruit & more.
I pile on a bunch of Sausage and bacon with a huge scoop of crispy hash browns and don't hesitate a second before digging in. Michelle grabs a single pancake and some bacon but mostly just pokes at it, her eyes watching everyone distrustfully. Beth grabs some eggs and sausage. Zeno grabs like half a dozen pancakes and drenches them in maple syrup before piling on bacon and sausage right on top and Cecil and Noah grab a little bit of everything, clearly not picky.
The table everyone sat at was a simple crafting table with metal legs and a hard plastic top. I couldn't help but think they avoided a wooden table on purpose. Seated on one side was me, Michelle and Noah with me in the middle. On the other side was Beth, Zeno and Cecil with Zeno in the middle, directly across from me. And at the very end of the table, were the two vampires on the ends. There was a respectable distance between Fletcher and Michelle, on my left but Noah didn't seem very bothered to be too close to Ivy on my right. Fletcher and Ivy had grabbed no food, only sipping from coffee cups. I was never in a million years going to ask what was in the cup. I knew. Everyone knew and if not for the endless pit of hunger in my stomach, I probably wouldn't have been able to eat.
But the worst part about the whole experience was that no one dared speak a single word. Everyone kept exchanging glances and glimpses while the two vampires silently sipped at their drinks, not looking up. I try to desperately think of something to say, anything at all. But every time I open my mouth, the words dry and they're never spoken.
If I wasn't so damn hungry, I probably wouldn't have even had the stomach to eat at all. But, the smell of the food enticed me and It all looked so good. The bacon and sausage were both fatty and the hashbrowns were seasoned to perfection. I quickly finish my first plate and quickly grab some more, this time opting for some pancakes with a huge helping of fresh fruit only Zeno and Noah seemed to be picking at.
Beth finished first, then Cecil. Which somehow made it even more awkward as they kept glancing at each other, hesitating. Neither one is sure if they should get up or just sit there quietly. I catch Cecil's eyes and even he looks away, scared of breaking the awkward, tense silence that had fallen over the group. Only the occasional sound of cutlery scraping off a plate breaks the silence.
Then, we all nearly jumped out of our seats as we heard a knock at the door. Beth yelps and looks at Zeno who shrugs, clearly unphased by the sudden noise. Fletcher gets to his feet, placing his mug on the table before going to the door and cracking it open, careful to make sure the morning rays of light don't touch him.
To my surprise, it's Philip. He stands a little ways away from the door, looking terrified. "I-I didn't know where else to go." He nearly sobs. His wife I had seen yesterday- no, a couple days ago- hanging off one arm and holding the baby with the other. The toddler holding onto the wife's pants, staring at us all with big brown, innocent eyes.
"What happened to the safe house?" Fletcher asks, sounding genuinely concerned.
"DMHS came and took over the shelters." He explains, "They kicked out anyone not of use or people like me, who betrayed them."
His wife's eyes looked puffy, as if she was recently crying.
"And they call us monsters." Cecil grumbles, getting to his feet angrily. "Fletcher, get the fuck away from the sunlight." He goes to the door, stepping around Fletcher and whipping the door all the way open, and making Fletcher leap back with a yelp. "Wow, you have some balls on you. You switch sides so fast. Aren't you scared we're gonna eat your kids? Maybe your wife?" The woman gasps, taking a step back.
"Knock it off, Cecil." Fletcher warns from the shadows nearby.
"Seriously? Again with this?" Cecil snaps. "I'm worried about you. The more of them we have laying around, the more of a chance you're gonna get staked. I'm one thing, I'm practically indestructible, but one well placed chunk of wood and you're ash. You can't trust them, Fletcher."
"It's not about trust." Zeno says, "He got kicked out of the safe house because he made the choice to help Fletcher. As far as I'm concerned, we can't leave him to die, Cecil. Even if I were to judge him for the sins he committed against our kind, can you say the same for his kids?"
Cecil glares at them, then huffs, "Whatever." Before throwing his hands in the air and walking away, "Do what you want. Just don't come crying to me when they stick a stake in your heart."
Zeno watches him with sad eyes, then sighs. He goes to the door and opens it for them, "Still got some breakfast left, if you're hungry."
After quickly sending glances to each other, they come to a silent agreement.
While they eat, Fletcher pulls me, Michelle and Zeno to the side to make a plan. "They can't stay here." Fletcher says.
"I agree." Zeno agrees, nodding. "I'm worried about the others, too."
"Others?" Michelle asks.
Zeno nods again, "Others. Our friend Phil says they're kicking out everyone who 'Isn't of use.' That means most regular folks are being kicked out of the safe houses."
"I don't think that makes them a safe house." I say.
"What do you mean?" Fletcher asks.
"I mean, they're probably making something closer to a war camp. Depending on what 'useful' means to them."
"Actually, I was thinking of something similar." Zeno says with a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "They're probably only keeping those they can use as soldiers."
I groan, "So that would mean they would kick out all the people that wouldn't know how to defend themselves."
Understanding flashes over Fletcher's face as his lips part in surprise and shock, "Shit… We've been doing what we can on patrol, but it's only been two days. People are going to need more help the longer this goes on. Food, water, shelter, protection from these things that have found themselves here."
"Maybe we could open our own safe house?" Zeno suggests, "I don't know where or how. But it would be a lot easier to protect people if they were in one spot, rather than all over and spread throughout an entire neighborhood."
"This place has four bedrooms, Zeno. I know me and Ivy don't really need to sleep, but where could we possibly put that many people?'
"What about the DMHS hospital?" I offer, "They don't normally take in randoms off the street, but they are equipped with hundreds of rooms and bathrooms"
"Wouldn't that place be swarming with hunters?" Zeno asks.
"No, there's a procedure to evacuate the hospital during any kind of attack. There's two ways in and out and even a series of secret tunnels under in case of an emergency escape." I take a deep breath, feeling like this could actually work. "The vampires can hide down there during the day and then we just need to close up one entrance and guard the other. Nothing could get in or out without us noticing."
I remember the bird man from the attack. He could, theoretically, find his way in through the roof, where the helicopter pad was. Not to mention anything ELSE that might be flying… I once again think about bringing up the strange encounter with the bird man, but hesitate. It didn't feel like he was our enemy but I still wasn't entirely sure what I even saw. But, I was curious. I open my mouth to ask again, but Zeno says, "That could work. It's already set up to handle the injured. And it's built to survive an attack from something at least as strong as me."