Slowly We Rot Read Online Free Page B

nor was anyone
visible in the vicinity of the well or the log pile.  He supposed it was
possible a lurker might be crouching behind the pile, but he opted not to
investigate further.  The survey of his surroundings had turned up no signs of
impending threat.  That was good enough for now.
              He returned to the
chair in front of the fireplace and sat down again.
              After a while, his
eyelids began to droop.  He fought a losing battle against fatigue a bit
longer, but he eventually surrendered and stretched out on the floor, sleeping
with one hand gripped loosely around the stock of the rifle.
              When Noah opened his
eyes again, he was surprised to find he’d slept through the night.  The oil
lamp had gone out, but faint morning light filtered in through the window blinds,
pushing back the fading semi-darkness in the cabin’s outer room.  Having slept
on his side, Noah stared blearily at the front door a few moments, his head
fuzzy and focused on nothing other than how dry his mouth felt.  Upon realizing
how many hours he must have been unconscious, he sat bolt upright and grabbed
the rifle.  He got to his feet and did a quick sweep of the cabin, heaving a
sigh of immense relief when he determined that no one had gotten in during the
night.
              His heart still racing,
he sat down long enough to pull on his boots.
              Then he went outside.
              The laughing girl was
waiting for him out on the porch.
     
     
     
     
     
     

6.
     
    Noah was all the way through the
door by the time he noticed the girl in the rocking chair.  He immediately cursed
himself for his stupidity and shortsightedness.  He’d failed to do a
preliminary check of the area around the cabin before stepping outside.  It was
the kind of dumb mistake that could have meant the end of his life.
              However, unless she had
something concealed, the girl didn’t appear to be in possession of a weapon. 
Also, her slight build and stature strongly suggested she was no immediate
physical threat.  And a quick glance around the clearing appeared to confirm
she was alone.  These things didn’t excuse letting his guard down, but the
shock of suddenly finding himself in the presence of another living person
after so long allowed him to shrug off the oversight.
              The girl had moved the
chair to the edge of the porch and was rocking back and forth very slowly in
it.  Though he couldn’t see her face, he had a strong sense that she wasn’t
very old.  Her hair was long and black without a single thread of gray in it. 
It was perfectly straight and fell well past her slender shoulders.  She
continued to rock in the chair as the moments stretched out, giving no
indication of being aware of his presence, though she had to have heard the
creak of the door opening behind her as well as the heavy tread of his boots.
              The shock of seeing her
there failed to ebb even after several minutes of silent observation.  He was
having a hard time convincing himself she was real and kept expecting her to
disappear, to maybe turn translucent and fade away like a ghost in some old
movie.  But that didn’t happen and his brow furrowed as something he couldn’t
quite pinpoint initially began to trouble him.
              Then his eyes widened.
              That hair…there was
something familiar about it.
              He shook his head.
              No.  It can’t be.
              He swallowed hard and
struggled for a moment to find his voice, finally managing to utter a single,
almost inaudible word:  “Aubrey?”
              A small laugh was the
girl’s only response to this query.  It was identical to the one he’d heard
last night.
              Gathering his courage,
Noah stepped away from the door and joined her at the front of the porch.  He
stood a few feet to