Three hours later and Destiny was exhausted. The few cars she found had been locked and, having no idea how to hot wire a car, she continued on. About halfway through her trek she considered stopping and searching some houses to find better shoes since the only ones she could find were some men’s slippers that were several sizes too large, but the fear that she hadn’t put enough distance between her and Tom had pushed her to move on.
But now she knew she had to stop before she fell over. The shaking in her muscles had become almost constant and she had stumbled several times in the last block. It was time to rest. Destiny scanned the silent houses and unkempt yards and decided the one she was standing in front of would do for now. It was still light out and she hadn’t seen anyone, or anything, for the entire trek so maybe it was safe.
Walking towards the front she decided to take the closest gate into the rear yard rather than enter the house. The thought of being inside without a weapon brought to mind all the horror movies she’d seen and books she’d read. Plus she didn’t know the layout of the house, so would have to check all the rooms to figure out escape routes and make sure it was clear… all without a weapon. No thanks, at least outside she could easily tell if the place was clear and where to go if shit went south.
The rear yard was as bad as the front, and the grass was up to mid-thigh. In the back-right corner Destiny could see a shed, and the raised rear deck of the house had several chairs, a table with umbrella, and some loungers. Luckily the entire lawn was the same height, so it was a safe bet that there wasn’t a body, or worse, hidden in the yard.
Destiny stumbled towards the deck but paused halfway there and stared at the shed. She was tired – so very tired – but no matter how much rest she got, she’d definitely be dead if she didn’t have something to protect herself with. Rest would have to wait. With a long suffering sigh, Destiny went to the shed instead.
Luckily the shed was unlocked, but the options inside were limited. Most of the items wouldn’t be helpful – a lawn mower, leaf blower, and a ton of potting soil and planters were just some of the items. The closest thing to a weapon she could find was a wooden handled rake, but the rake was plastic and looked like it would barely damage the dirt let alone an attacker. It would have to do for now, so Destiny snatched it up – on the plus side, it made a great walking stick, so she made better time heading back to the deck and up the stairs.
After a few moments of debating on seating, Destiny finally chose a chair over a lounger. Her body would have preferred the lounger, but with the way she was feeling she wasn’t certain she’d be able to get out of the lounger quickly, if at all. So chair it was – at least they’re padded, Destiny thought as she slowly sat down in one. Oh, and fairly comfy too.
Sleep tugged at her senses, but Destiny struggled against it. She just needed to rest her muscles, she could sleep later. But try as she might, the exhaustion eventually overwhelmed her – and from one blink to the next, she was out.
~*~
Alice I. Lunsford 