Glory (Book 4) Read Online Free Page A
off of Julie's lap and took her over to the mattress to settle her onto it. "We'll be back soon, okay?"
"Where are you going?" Emily asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"We're going to go upstairs. We need to get a few things."
"But thos e thing s are up there."
"Not anymore."
Emily took some time to think about that. "What happens if they come back?"
"Then we'll run downstairs." Scooter leaned over and ruffled the hair on top of the young girl's head. "You don't have to worry about us."
Emily smiled, then laid down on the mattress.
Scooter, John and Julie walked over to the staircase.
"Ready?" Scooter asked.
"No," Julie replied. "But I don't think I'll ever be."
John reached out and grabbed her hand. He didn't even know if he was ready himself, but there was no point worrying about it. "Come on," he said. "We'll be fine." He led them up the stairs.
Once he got to the top, he turned around an pressed his finger to his mouth to tell them to be quiet. He wanted to hear if anything of thos e thing s were still out there.
He placed his ear to the door and tried to listen. He couldn't make out much of anything. Though that could have meant that they were no longer there or simply that his hearing wasn't all that it used to be.
"I think it's clear," he said, hoping he was right. He fumbled with the lock and pushed the bar aside, unlatching it. Then he grabbed hold of the door knob and took a deep breath.
One…two…three…
He turned the knob and swung the door open. He waited a moment.
Nothing happened.
"I think it's clear," he said again.
He stepped up the final step and walked into the hallway.
I t wa s clear.
Scooter followed John into the hallway. He held his axe out in front of him. Julie stood at the door.
"You wait here," he said to her. "If there's a problem, tell us."
"And what if you don't hear me? What if you can't get back in time?"
"Then close the door."
Julie's mouth dropped open at that. She couldn't imagine leaving Scooter and John out to deal with the creatures.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," John said soothingly.
They left Julie at the basement door and walked into the kitchen.
John pointed out where most of the food was. "Pretty much everything in the fridge has gone bad, but there are a few things left in those cupboards. You might find some stuff in those cabinets too."
Scooter made his way around the kitchen and searched for things to take. He found a few cans of soup and another box of crackers. There was a bag of pasta, though he wasn't sure if they were going to be able to eat it without boiling water. He supposed that if it came to it, he was willing to try. He came upon a few more items that he thought would be good and cradled them all in his arms. He used to shaft of his axe to help hold it in place.
As for John, he grabbed some plates, bowls, cups and cutlery. It seemed a bit strange for him to worry about these things under the circumstances, but he didn't want the newcomers to have to eat everything out of the packages. He didn't want them to always have to use their hands, either. They were his guests. Maybe not in the old sense of the word . They were fellow survivor s . But they were staying at his house and he wanted to treat them with a little bit of normalcy.
He stacked them on the table, then turned to the young man. "There's another bed upstairs," he said. "Two of them actually. In the spare rooms. We should bring them down so you have something to sleep on."
Scooter liked the sound of that. It had been a while since he had slept on a bed. "But let's do that later," he said. "We'll bring these down first." He motioned to the food in his hands.
"Of course," John said. "We can come back and get the rest of the food too."
"Sounds good."
John picked up his things and followed the young man back to the basement door.
Chapter 8
As soon as Julie saw Scooter and John, she broke into a smile. "I'm glad you're back," she said. She no longer seemed as
"Where are you going?" Emily asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"We're going to go upstairs. We need to get a few things."
"But thos e thing s are up there."
"Not anymore."
Emily took some time to think about that. "What happens if they come back?"
"Then we'll run downstairs." Scooter leaned over and ruffled the hair on top of the young girl's head. "You don't have to worry about us."
Emily smiled, then laid down on the mattress.
Scooter, John and Julie walked over to the staircase.
"Ready?" Scooter asked.
"No," Julie replied. "But I don't think I'll ever be."
John reached out and grabbed her hand. He didn't even know if he was ready himself, but there was no point worrying about it. "Come on," he said. "We'll be fine." He led them up the stairs.
Once he got to the top, he turned around an pressed his finger to his mouth to tell them to be quiet. He wanted to hear if anything of thos e thing s were still out there.
He placed his ear to the door and tried to listen. He couldn't make out much of anything. Though that could have meant that they were no longer there or simply that his hearing wasn't all that it used to be.
"I think it's clear," he said, hoping he was right. He fumbled with the lock and pushed the bar aside, unlatching it. Then he grabbed hold of the door knob and took a deep breath.
One…two…three…
He turned the knob and swung the door open. He waited a moment.
Nothing happened.
"I think it's clear," he said again.
He stepped up the final step and walked into the hallway.
I t wa s clear.
Scooter followed John into the hallway. He held his axe out in front of him. Julie stood at the door.
"You wait here," he said to her. "If there's a problem, tell us."
"And what if you don't hear me? What if you can't get back in time?"
"Then close the door."
Julie's mouth dropped open at that. She couldn't imagine leaving Scooter and John out to deal with the creatures.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," John said soothingly.
They left Julie at the basement door and walked into the kitchen.
John pointed out where most of the food was. "Pretty much everything in the fridge has gone bad, but there are a few things left in those cupboards. You might find some stuff in those cabinets too."
Scooter made his way around the kitchen and searched for things to take. He found a few cans of soup and another box of crackers. There was a bag of pasta, though he wasn't sure if they were going to be able to eat it without boiling water. He supposed that if it came to it, he was willing to try. He came upon a few more items that he thought would be good and cradled them all in his arms. He used to shaft of his axe to help hold it in place.
As for John, he grabbed some plates, bowls, cups and cutlery. It seemed a bit strange for him to worry about these things under the circumstances, but he didn't want the newcomers to have to eat everything out of the packages. He didn't want them to always have to use their hands, either. They were his guests. Maybe not in the old sense of the word . They were fellow survivor s . But they were staying at his house and he wanted to treat them with a little bit of normalcy.
He stacked them on the table, then turned to the young man. "There's another bed upstairs," he said. "Two of them actually. In the spare rooms. We should bring them down so you have something to sleep on."
Scooter liked the sound of that. It had been a while since he had slept on a bed. "But let's do that later," he said. "We'll bring these down first." He motioned to the food in his hands.
"Of course," John said. "We can come back and get the rest of the food too."
"Sounds good."
John picked up his things and followed the young man back to the basement door.
Chapter 8
As soon as Julie saw Scooter and John, she broke into a smile. "I'm glad you're back," she said. She no longer seemed as
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