The Wilds: Stage 3

3- A day of Discoveries

Leah

Sleeping in the bunker had always been hard for me. The entire time I was being questioned by Dean and Faber before my plan went into action was the worst sleep of my life. It was obvious I was being watched 24/7, even while in bed; which meant I had to keep the whole crazy act up, from the moment I woke up until the moment I went to sleep every night.

Now, even with all of the cameras and agents gone, I still feel like I'm being watched. It's a very uncomfortable feeling and one I can't seem to shake. I concede to my fearful thoughts, knowing sleep likely isn't in the cards for me tonight until I hear a knock on my door.

I was surprised someone was there and moved quickly to get up and open the door revealing a very tired looking Martha.

"Hey Fatin. None of the girls are sleeping well alone so we decided to do things the old way. We're all in the empty computer monitor room with the couches. Everyone moved their mattresses to the floor in there and we wanted to see if you'd like to join."

I smiled to myself and gave Martha a grateful nod.

"Yeah; sure, Martha. That actually sounds nice; thank you.

Martha nodded and smiled, then moved to help me lift my mattress. The two of us carried it down the bunker's dark halls until we arrived in the abandoned monitoring room. There I saw the floor covered in mattresses and everyone laying on them, most people already asleep. I set my mattress down in an empty spot on the floor next to Fatin's and thanked Martha, wishing her a goodnight's sleep.

I lied down on my bed, pulling the blanket I had brought over me and getting settled to try and sleep again until I watched Fatin who's back was turned to me and appeared to be sleeping turn around. She was awake.

"Sorry Fatin, I hope I didn't wake you." I whispered, actually feeling pretty bad. Out of everyone, she probably had the most trouble today and she could have used some good sleep.

"I wasn't asleep Leah." she whispered back, looking me directly in the eyes in a way that made me a little bit nervous.

"Oh." I responded, not really knowing what else to say.

Fatin continued to stare into my eyes for another 30 seconds or so before she started to move again. I was surprised to see her reach over and grab my hand, pulling me closer to her.

"Goodnight, Leah." Fatin whispered, still holding my hand tightly but now closing her eyes.

"Goodnight, Fatin." I whispered back, giving her hand a quick squeeze and then shutting my own eyes, knowing now I actually might be able to sleep now that I have a friend nearby.

---

"Leah! You have to come check this out!" Dot yelled from the doorway of the party room (now turned supply room).

"Dot I'm kind of busy; remember? I promised Kirin I'd go with him and Henry to go look for some running water."

"Yeah I know Leah, but you really have to see what Josh found in the supply room this morning."

I felt a lit bad keeping Kirin and Henry waiting but I couldn't help myself, and ran down the hallway back to the door Dot was standing in.

"This way."

I followed dot to a table in the corner of the storage room where I saw something extremely surprising. Sitting on top of the table was a massive chicken. Not the raw dead kind and not the cooked fried kind...but an actual alive chicken.

"What the absolute fuck?" I spoke, not really able to think of any other reasonable reaction.

The chicken made a chicken sound almost as if in response to my vulgar language and I turned to look at Dot who just shrugged her shoulders aimlessly.