The Disbanders

Chapter 17: Vanished

December 2018

That first hunt made by Evie led to a regain of sustainability out here over the past several weeks. Almost everyone has taken a turn now hunting for our food, which has brought more signs of normalcy. We've found that the less we talk about it, the better. We know that there's nothing we can do, although there are still some changes in people's routines and mannerisms.

Will wakes up even earlier at times, which I wouldn't have assumed to even be possible. I think he only gets a few short hours of sleep each night, which is worrying, but I know there's not much that can be done. He goes out for runs whenever he can't sleep, leaving me to often wake up alone. I've heard Alexa sleepwalking about once or twice since then, which she does mostly when she's not sleeping well. I think everyone remains unsettled deep down. Chuck's mentioned the things the man said about him a couple of times, although I still believe that they didn't mean anything.

Tonight has been our coldest night that I can ever recall out here. I can imagine that it will start to snow soon, bringing us into the beginning of what I imagine will be a long and frigid winter.

I'm using the fireplace to boil rocks for everyone's beds. We'll definitely need them tonight. Alexa comes out from her room and walks towards the windows.

"We need to make sure these aren't open, not even by a crack," she says, pressing against the glass. "Otherwise we'll all freeze to death."

"Yeah, good idea," I reply.

"Are those almost done?", she asks, referencing the rocks in the pot.

"Probably, yeah."

"Good," she shivers. "I'm so ready for bed. I haven't been sleeping well lately."

"None of us have, I get it," I respond sympathetically.

A minute later, I empty the hot water into a bucket and we each place our bedrocks. Alexa hands me two rocks, before shutting my bedroom door.

"Goodnight," she says.

"Goodnight Alexa," says Will.

"Goodnight," I reply. "See you tomorrow." I turn around and put the rocks in my bed.

"These are going to feel so good," I say, sliding under the covers. The rocks' heat begins to radiate, making it nice and warm. I feel as though I'm sleeping on a warm cloud, relishing in its comfort. Will blows out the lantern he lit for our room, as he climbs into bed with me. I hear him stop moving, prompting me to open my eyes.

"What is it?", I ask.

"Look!", he says quietly, although there's an excitement in his voice. I've missed that.

"What?" I repeat, before noticing where he's pointing. He looks at me for a moment, with his emerald eyes lit up, leading me to smile. He then turns to the window, to which I do the same.

I was right about one thing––the snow was bound to come soon. We're watching the very first snowfall of the year. While we both know this means that survival will be harder, it is still a beautiful sight. It's one we can enjoy from the warmth and comfort of our bed. The moonlight shining through the window puts a spotlight on the fluffy white snowflakes, hitting the window and the ground softly. The sight of the snow makes me revel in my comfort lying down right now.

"I guess we'll have to see what this looks like in the morning," smiles Will.

"I guess we will, then," I reply. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he says. We both lie down and close our eyes.

    About half an hour later, I hear Will move. I think he's turned to face me. I don't move and keep my eyes shut.