car, wondering if she should follow him into the cabin with her own weapon. There was no sound from the woods; even the birds seemed to have gone to bed.
He came out of the cabin, pistol in hand, and nodded in her direction. “All clear,” he said, grabbing the cooler out of the truck. She nodded at him but continued to listen to the forest. Back at her farm Bertha and the chickens had always made noise, hiding the silence that reminded her of the desolation of her situation, but now all she heard was Jasper. It felt too quiet.
“Don’t worry about it,” Jasper said as if he had read her thoughts. “The birds have gotten smarter since the end. They don’t make too much noise in the evenings.” Lena turned to follow him into the cabin. “And the others tend to stick to cities as far as I’ve seen. I’ll go out after you get settled in and take a look around.” She knew the others he spoke of weren’t other birds but people like those who had tried to kill her back home.
Although Lena felt somewhat reassured, she was still skeptical. How was it he knew so much about the others ?
Taking a look inside the cabin, she was again reminded of how good she’d had it back at the farm. There was a small single bed against one wall and a small kitchen. With no working plumbing and no electricity, the bed seemed to be the only thing useful in the room.
“It’s got a fireplace.” Jasper nodded to the corner. “It’ll keep us warm tonight.” The cooler was next to the fireplace, and he had already grabbed the few blankets that were in the cottage and tossed them onto the bed. “Well,” he said, as she stood in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do next. “I’m going to take a look around.” He took the pistol from her hand and checked the chamber before handing it back. “Stay inside and stay low for a bit. I’m going to move the truck and I should be back before dark.”
He left before she could say anything. His departure left her feeling cold and lonely, a surprising feeling in light of how little time they’d spent together. She turned to consider the cabin again, but there wasn’t much else to explore. She opted to dig out one of the books she had tossed in her bag before she left her home. Lying on the bed, she read until her eyes couldn’t stay open any longer.
* * * * *
It was dark when Lena finally woke up. Sitting up quickly, she fought panic as she remembered where she was. A quilt had been placed on her. It was heavy and beautifully stitched. Someone had put a lot of love into this blanket. The temperature had dropped significantly and even with the small fire that Jasper had made the room was still cold.
A small pot was set to the side of the fire and Lena’s curiosity got the better of her as she grabbed the potholder to lift the lid and see what was inside.
“It’s water for coffee.” Jasper’s voice startled her, making her jump.
“Jeez, you scared me,” she admitted and laughed, trying to push aside her fear.
He casually walked into the room and placed a bird over the fire. She wasn’t sure what kind of bird it had been but it had been cleaned and readied to be roasted. Impressive, Lena thought. It had taken her a long time to learn how to pluck a chicken and get over her squeamishness at doing so. Even then, her chickens had never been as clean as this bird. Jasper was an expert.
Come to think of it, Lena hadn’t seen anything that Jasper wasn’t good at. His shots were precise, his sense of direction was perfect, and he was quieter than anyone she had ever met. Although it frightened her to think that this man was fully capable of killing her before she even knew he was present, she felt safe.
Jasper knew what she was thinking and he hated it. It had been a long time since he had had someone trust him completely. In these hard times, it was difficult to not cling together, but he was sure what he knew about the end of days could turn her against him.
He came out of the cabin, pistol in hand, and nodded in her direction. “All clear,” he said, grabbing the cooler out of the truck. She nodded at him but continued to listen to the forest. Back at her farm Bertha and the chickens had always made noise, hiding the silence that reminded her of the desolation of her situation, but now all she heard was Jasper. It felt too quiet.
“Don’t worry about it,” Jasper said as if he had read her thoughts. “The birds have gotten smarter since the end. They don’t make too much noise in the evenings.” Lena turned to follow him into the cabin. “And the others tend to stick to cities as far as I’ve seen. I’ll go out after you get settled in and take a look around.” She knew the others he spoke of weren’t other birds but people like those who had tried to kill her back home.
Although Lena felt somewhat reassured, she was still skeptical. How was it he knew so much about the others ?
Taking a look inside the cabin, she was again reminded of how good she’d had it back at the farm. There was a small single bed against one wall and a small kitchen. With no working plumbing and no electricity, the bed seemed to be the only thing useful in the room.
“It’s got a fireplace.” Jasper nodded to the corner. “It’ll keep us warm tonight.” The cooler was next to the fireplace, and he had already grabbed the few blankets that were in the cottage and tossed them onto the bed. “Well,” he said, as she stood in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do next. “I’m going to take a look around.” He took the pistol from her hand and checked the chamber before handing it back. “Stay inside and stay low for a bit. I’m going to move the truck and I should be back before dark.”
He left before she could say anything. His departure left her feeling cold and lonely, a surprising feeling in light of how little time they’d spent together. She turned to consider the cabin again, but there wasn’t much else to explore. She opted to dig out one of the books she had tossed in her bag before she left her home. Lying on the bed, she read until her eyes couldn’t stay open any longer.
* * * * *
It was dark when Lena finally woke up. Sitting up quickly, she fought panic as she remembered where she was. A quilt had been placed on her. It was heavy and beautifully stitched. Someone had put a lot of love into this blanket. The temperature had dropped significantly and even with the small fire that Jasper had made the room was still cold.
A small pot was set to the side of the fire and Lena’s curiosity got the better of her as she grabbed the potholder to lift the lid and see what was inside.
“It’s water for coffee.” Jasper’s voice startled her, making her jump.
“Jeez, you scared me,” she admitted and laughed, trying to push aside her fear.
He casually walked into the room and placed a bird over the fire. She wasn’t sure what kind of bird it had been but it had been cleaned and readied to be roasted. Impressive, Lena thought. It had taken her a long time to learn how to pluck a chicken and get over her squeamishness at doing so. Even then, her chickens had never been as clean as this bird. Jasper was an expert.
Come to think of it, Lena hadn’t seen anything that Jasper wasn’t good at. His shots were precise, his sense of direction was perfect, and he was quieter than anyone she had ever met. Although it frightened her to think that this man was fully capable of killing her before she even knew he was present, she felt safe.
Jasper knew what she was thinking and he hated it. It had been a long time since he had had someone trust him completely. In these hard times, it was difficult to not cling together, but he was sure what he knew about the end of days could turn her against him.
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