The Sound of Silence: Fire in the Dark, Fanfiction Book #2

Chapter Five

It got dark pretty quickly, just as Sasha predicted. But for some unknown reason, it didn't appear as dark as Leon thought it'd be. From the thick veil of clouds, hiding the moon, for a normal pair of eyes, yes, yes it was dark. Nigh near pitch black on a gravel road used frequently enough. 

For Leon, he could see as though there was a full moon, unveiled and bright as though it were the sun itself.

Perhaps, he was beginning to suspect, the Plagas was mutating his genes. It was the first time he ever really took notice of this odd change. Having been at home for nearly nine years with the kids, he had paid little attention to small changes like this.

But now...now he could really see at night.

Sasha pulled up to a house alongside a lake, barren and devoid of any residents. He told Leon, "We should consider stopping. There's no telling what can happen for the rest of the night."

Leon didn't object. He asked Sasha, "You have camping gear?"

"No," Sasha admitted. "It is difficult for me to be mobile when I sleep on the ground." He then turned to Leon and cautiously asked, "...why?"

"Because I would hate to occupy a cabin that belongs to someone else," Leon admitted. He continued, "I just don't think it's a good idea to go in there."

Sasha frowned. He then shuffled his way to the backseat of his SUV, then popped open the seat where Leon had been. He pulled out a rifle, then clicked a magazine in and handed it over to Leon. He told him, "I remembered the rifle model you had when you were over in the Republic. I managed to save up enough to get one myself."

Leon smiled. He grasped the rifle, checked it over, and slung it over his shoulders. Sasha handed him another magazine, which he pocketed, and he carefully made his way to the cabin.

"Is he going to be okay?" Zemira asked Sasha. The man regarded her for a moment, then back at Leon. He told her, "I think he will be. He's just playing it safe."

Leon paid them some mind, but he carefully approached the cabin. He stepped carefully on the wood porch, feeling it creak under his weight. He frowned, but continued on, minding his foot placement and how to roll the balls of his feet. He stopped at the front door, then knocked. No answer at first, so he carefully knocked again.

Still no answer...

He frowned and carefully entered the cabin. His flashlight lit most of the room inside, but he could see it had been clearly deserted for some time. Perhaps at least a couple of months...

He heard noise and turned sharply, seeing a pair of glowing eyes at him. He held his gun, but as it crawled out, he lowered his weapon; for fuck's sake, it was just some stray cat!

"Hey!" He hissed at it, making it scram as he raised his gun back up. He inspected the rest of the cabin, finding only two bedrooms and maybe two working bathrooms...well, maybe not, as he turned the faucets in the tubs and found no water in the pipes. He grimaced, but a bit of tidying up and making the cabin comfortable was more important than just taste.

He did have to admit, the clutter did get to him. It was like someone had intended to turn the cabin into like a secondary house, but didn't grasp the concept that houses did not mean storage units...

When Leon stepped out of the house, he found Zemira petting the cat that fled from him. Not surprising, but at the same token, there was no telling where the closest pet store was. He declared, "No, Zemi, we are not keeping the cat!"

Sasha snickered and told Leon, "Too late. That's her cat now, comrade."

"Yeah, well, so is this cabin," Leon remarked. "Whoever lived in here before must have at least abandoned it. It's been cluttered for more than a few weeks at least."