Oasis in Ohio

Chapter Ten

Looking at the map I tried to figure out where we were. A digital map would be so much easier but I never got a watch that had one. Actually, I never even got a watch that could do anything.

This is so annoying. How did anyone ever use these?! I silently complained.

Switching from looking between the map and floating street signs around us I finally found a match. 5th Avenue. Reading the map again I saw we had to follow 5th Ave, then take a right onto West 40th St.

As we walked I listened to Bella tell me about what her toys did.

"While the mommy and the daddy were making popcorn for the movie the dog had started eating the snacks! When their little girl found the dog she joined him in eating the food on the table. They were in trouble when the mommy and daddy found out, hehe!" She told me with vivid hand moments.

Walking down 5th Ave I was fascinated by the wall of bushes on the other side of the street. They were a least 10 feet tall, around two times my height. Behind them I saw huge trees that had vines growing on them. Through the bushes I could see a building that was still slightly intact and at least two stories tall.

Bella noticing what I was looking at asked, "Ooh, what is that building?"

"I don't know. I've never really been here before." I admitted.

"Let's check it out then!" And with that Bella ran across the street.

Reluctantly I followed her. Whipping my head up and down the street, checking for gangs. We made it to the wall of bushes with no issues. Doing a final check of the area, I turned towards Bella. She was staring up at the giant bushes.

"I wonder what's back there." She thought aloud.

Then she started running her hands along the leaves and branches. At different points she would pull the branches apart, searching for something.

"Are you looking for a way in?"

"Yep." She responded, popping the 'p' and letting branches swing back into place.

She continued like this for a few more minutes before she finally found an opening we could walk through. And before I could protest she was on the other side of the bushes. I quickly found the spot, pushed the branches aside, and ran to her side.

She was still, staring up at the building with her jaw to the floor. Looking up I followed her gaze. Once I saw what shocked her my jaw was also on the floor.

The building in front of us looked like this apocalypse never happened. From the outside I still couldn't tell what this building was for. Looking around I saw the building took up most of the space in this park like area. I turned my attention back to the building, taking in it's slightly dirty monochrome walls, the crazy amount of windows across it's three stories, and the rock path leading up to it.

Bella closed her mouth and started walking towards it, shifting her backpack. Of course I followed close behind her. As we neared the door I looked to one of the large windows on either side of the large double doors and saw movement.

I pulled Bella to my side as I flattened against the wall.

"Wh-" Bella started but I silenced her with a finger pressed against my lips.

Her eyes filled with fear as she realized what that could mean. Where I had flattened us against the wall I was just barely able to put my ear over the door, my hand cupped around it.

Straining to listen I heard soft footsteps and shuffling. Then I heard another set of footsteps and light whispering, then shushing.

"Merow."

My eyes widened in shock at the sound of a cat.

"Honey, be quiet!" A warm female voice whisper yelled.

Feeling tugging at my shirt hem I looked down to see Bella bouncing on the balls of her feet. Her eyes were full of love and awe.

"I wanna see the kitty!" She whispered.

I looked back at the door, thinking about what to do. Finally I decided that we could go inside, or at least try to. Whoever was inside had a cat and most likely wasn't hostile. A cat is also better than if they had a dog that could possibly attack us.

Stepping back off the wall I gave a soft knock, followed by a hello.

"Oh my God, it's a kid!" I heard the same female voice as before say, followed by footsteps up to the door.

Tap tap tap. Ding ding. I listened to the familiar sound of passcode locks being opened. The double doors in front of us opened to reveal a women, looking to be in her 30s to 40s, with a knee high black skirt, a tucked in Harry Potter shirt, a black sweater, aubrun hair pulled up in a messy bun, olive colored skin with freckles, and purple glasses outlining bright blue eyes.

Just then I heard the merow we heard before but this time at our feet. I looked down to find an orange tabby cat rubbing against the women's leg, pushing her white ankle socks into her black, rose gold accented, Nike's.

In a wink Bella was crouched down with the cat, softly petting it.

"Look at you two! Come in come in! You too Honey." The women said in her warm voice. Her voice reminded me of our mother's, giving me a sense of home.

Bella and I followed her into the space, Honey at our heels. Once inside she shut the doors behind us, them locking on their own, and towards a space under the stairs in a classic Harry Potter style.

Ironic. I thought.

As we walked over I look around at the space. We were in a library, a large one. The bookselves still had all the downloading chips and descriptions as if it was still operational. I looked around at the floating blue names and descriptions, recognizing a few.

Turning back to the women I noticed a watch on her wrist. It had a larger screen than normal watches. Her screensaver was of her and a man, their arms around each other and happy smiles on their faces. Bringing my eyes down to her hand I say two rings on her ring finger.

"Welcome to our makeshift home in our favorite place!" She opened her arms, pointing towards the area in front of us.

There was a red blanket on the wooden floor, two fluffy white pillows on it towards the base of the stairs. There was a silver suitcase at the other end of the blanket with empty containers of what I guessed, used to hold food. Sitting on top of the suitcase was a blue plaid blanket folded up.

"Make yourselves comfortable. I need to talk to my husband." She said, turning around to talk to her husband who had been standing next to the doors with a bat in case we brought trouble.

Together Bella and I sat down on the red blanket, glad to finally rest our legs properly.