But it was also likely that they wouldn’t find another chance at shelter like this before Adalynn had to stop.
Adalynn stepped up to the gate, took hold of the bars, and leaned forward to peer through. The road continued beyond the wall, curving first to the left and then back to the right. Whatever lay beyond that second bend was blocked from view by a thick, dark copse of pine trees.
She sighed and nibbled absently on her lower lip for a moment. “We can check it out, but you need to stay close, okay?”
“Got it.”
They slipped off their bugout bags, and Danny held the gate open while she squeezed through beneath the chain. The metal groaned and creaked, the chain rattled, and flecks of rust brushed off onto her clothing, but there was just enough of a gap for her to fit.
One of the few benefits of having too little food, I guess.
After he passed her the bags, she held the gate open for him.
Once Danny was through, Adalynn eased the gate closed again. Her muscles ached; even that bit of exertion was almost too much for her right now.
They continued along the dirt road, Adalynn scanning their surroundings ceaselessly despite the intensifying pounding in her skull. They’d had it relatively easy today, but they couldn’t afford any mistakes, couldn’t afford to be complacent.
As they rounded the curve and walked past the pine trees, Adalynn stopped in the middle of the road. Danny continued a few more steps before he, too, halted.
The area before them was wide open for at least sixty or seventy yards but for a few tall oaks and maples, bordered by thick forest along its edges. Scrubby, unkept grass, blanketed in places by fallen leaves, covered the ground. But Adalynn paid little mind to those details—it was the nearby building that demanded her attention.
It was a sprawling, ancient-looking mansion with wraparound porches ringing both the top and bottom floors. Dozens of columns supported the roof and second-story porch, and a set of wide steps led up to the front door. The place had so many windows that Adalynn would’ve had trouble counting them even if she weren’t suffering from a massive headache.
She couldn’t guess when it had been built—it certainly appeared to be well over a hundred years old, but it could’ve been older for all she knew. The paint was faded and flaking, the exposed wood was weathered and worn, leaves and branches littered the porch, and all the windows were dark and clouded but unbroken. If anyone had lived here within the last decade, they certainly hadn’t taken care of it.
And yet despite all that, it looked surprisingly sturdy. She would’ve expected to see a caved in roof, broken windows, or a sagging balcony, but everything stood tall and proud in defiance of the cosmetic wear it had suffered.
“Wow,” Danny said.
“I…didn’t expect this,” she said.
“Let’s check it out!”
“Danny!” Adalynn reached out and grabbed the back of her brother’s pack. His forward momentum pulled her along behind him for several steps before he stopped and glanced over his shoulder.
“We can’t just charge in there,” she said. “We need to make sure there’s no one here. It might look abandoned, but you never know. Caution, remember?”
“Come on, Addy, look at this place. Nobody’s been here in forever.”
“We don’t know that. Please, Danny, just stay close, okay? Even if nobody’s in there, it might be dangerous. The last thing we need is for a floor or ceiling to collapse on us.”
Danny nodded—albeit with a frown—and fell into step beside her as they walked toward the manor. Her gaze rose to study the place as they neared. That it was standing at all was a testament to the craftsmanship and care that had gone into its construction; it must’ve looked beautiful when it was new. It seemed silly to feel bad about this house going uncared for after all the destruction, disaster, and death of the last half year, but she couldn’t shake that sadness.
The front door was closed, and the narrow windows flanking it were dark. She leaned forward to peer through one; the room beyond was dimly lit, a mess of grays and blacks that offered little detail but suggested years of dust and neglect. She didn’t allow herself any hesitation—she reached for the latch.
It was locked.
As quietly and carefully as possible, she and Danny walked around the porch to check the other doors—of which there were several—and the larger windows. Everything was locked, and the few windows they could see through offered glimpses of dusty, rundown rooms that seemed as dilapidated as the exterior. Adalynn couldn’t help noticing, however, that the porch was incredibly solid despite its apparent age and wear.
“So…do I get to break a window?” Danny whispered when they arrived back at the front door.
“What?” Addy asked, brow furrowed. “No. It’s locked up, so someone might be inside.”
“Maybe they locked up when they left.”
“Or maybe they didn’t leave.”
Danny gestured to the sky; the clouds were darkening as the evening deepened. “It’s going to be dark soon, Addy, and we’re both tired. Everything’s falling apart, there are no cars, and the road is full of weeds. There’s no one here. This is our best bet for tonight.”
Adalynn frowned. Danny was right—this really was their best bet, especially because the structure seemed so solid despite its appearance. It’d be a perfect place for them tonight.
“Let’s hope it’s empty.” With no revenants inside. She walked down the steps to the driveway and bent down to pick up a large rock nestled in the weeds.
Pain stabbed through her skull. Hissing through her teeth, she clutched her head in both hands.
“Addy?” Danny’s voice was full of concern. The porch creaked as he stepped toward her.
She took in a few deep breaths, willing the pain away. “I’m okay.”
Once the worst of the pain eased, she grabbed the rock, straightened, and returned to the front door. She could feel Danny’s eyes on her throughout, but she refused to engage with his concern right now. They needed to get inside—because at this rate, she’d be out of commission within the hour.
She shouldered off her pack, swinging it around to her front, and settled it on the porch, placing the rock down beside it. She unzipped the bag and rummaged through its contents until she found one of her spare shirts, made of a thicker material—she’d been saving it for the colder days that would be coming over the next month or two. After wrapping her hand and arm in the fabric, she picked up the rock again.
Angling the rock so the pointiest tip was facing outward, she jabbed it into the narrow window beside the door. The glass shattered. She used the rock to break away the lingering glass shards around the window frame before setting it on the porch in front of her. For several seconds, Adalynn stood still, listening; no sounds emerged from within the building.
She carefully pulled her hand free of the shirt’s protection and reached through the broken window, bending her arm to the side and feeling for the lock.
The deadbolt’s thumb-latch required enough force to make her fingers ache, but it clicked open. Danny and Adalynn met each other’s gazes for a moment.
Stepping back, Adalynn removed the shirt from her arm, shook out a few of the tiny bits of glass clinging to it, and wadded the garment up to shove it back into her pack. She zipped the bag closed, swung it back onto her shoulders, and reached into her pocket to draw her pocketknife. She pulled up its main blade.