Everyday - Bon Jovi

  

I’m still not sure what I think about the color change. Don’t get me wrong, I love the purple, but it’s been blue for so long that I’m still getting used to it.

Well, it has been a good Spring Break. I spent half of it on a mission trip to Charleston, MO.

Monday: Spent the day door knocking and asking people if we could have Bible studies with them.

Tuesday: Cleaned out basements, houses, and windows or the elderly.

Wednesday: More door knocking and service projects.

We also went to Lamberts and Boomland. Both are awesome and I would recommend going. My favorite part was fellowshipping with other Christians. Also, stepping outside my comfort zone and trying to get Bible studies with complete strangers was pretty cool. I was terrified at first, but I was starting to get the hang of it at the end. I had never really done any door knocking before, so it was good experience.

In other news, I like making video game-themed jewelry and some of it found its way online. (Shameless Advertising) https://www.etsy.com/shop/SavvyGems

Also, I’m not exactly one part ahead. I’m mostly done with the next part and I’m still working on it, but I wanted to get this posted.

Hey, this semester is passed the halfway point. It’s all downhill from here, right? …. Right? …maybe?

Here’s another part of the story.

~*~*~*~*~

The Promised Land: (Part 7) Toy Soldiers

Eden sat on the ground with her legs crossed. “He took all our gear.”

“Including my best artillery,” Caden lamented.

Shiloh held up his hands with his index and middle fingers touching and waved them apart. After a moment of silence, Caden turned to his brother. “You could have saved the bacon, you know.”

“We have bacon?” Eden asked.

“Not anymore. Now that that’s over with…” Caden stood beside Eden and extended an open hand. “Can I have the package back?”

Eden reached into her pocket and pulled out the odd parcel. She stared at it for a few moments, turning it over in her hands. It wasn’t all that big, maybe six inches in length. It felt like a sturdy box beneath the brown paper wrapping, tied with hemp twine. Eden’s curiosity grew as she wondered why Caden tried to hide it from the soldiers. She looked up at Caden for an answer, but found him glaring at her through crimson eyes.

“Can I have it back… please?”

Eden held the package close and leaned away from Caden. “Why is it so important?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Eden pointed in the direction of the vehicles, steadily becoming upset. “You knew those soldiers would kill you if they found out we had it. If I’m traveling with you, it IS my business! I deserve to know!”

Caden remained stoic, his voice void of any emotion. “You don’t deserve anything. Now give it back.”

She stood up and backed away with a brazen glare. “What if I don’t want to?”

In a split second, Caden drew his handgun and leveled it with Eden’s face.

“WHOA! Hey now!” Eden jumped back and raised both hands. “Put that thing away!”

Caden made no move to lower the gun. In fact, he hardly moved at all as he spoke in a firm, calm voice. “Not until you give it back.”

His apathetic command scared Eden more than his irritated smart talk normally would.

“Fine, keep the dumb box! Take it!” Eden’s hand shook as she held out the package.

As promised, Caden didn’t put the weapon away until he had the parcel back in his possession. His eyes didn’t turn back to black until after he had the package either. As soon as he had it, he loosened up and spoke with his usual sarcastic flavor. “I knew you could be reasoned with.”

He handed the brown object to Shiloh, who had come closer to the pair after watching the events unfold from a safe distance. Shiloh tucked the parcel into his case and slung it over his shoulder. He then pulled out a small, electronic device from one of his pockets. Shiloh tapped it a few times and showed it to his brother. Caden nodded and looked at Eden. “Shall we keep moving?”

“Are you kidding? I’m not going anywhere with you!” Eden said with her hands balled into fists at her side.

Caden shrugged and began walking away. “Your funeral.”

Shiloh lingered behind his brother and motioned for Eden to follow.

“Thanks, Shiloh, but there’s no way I’m hanging around a PSYCHOPATH WITH A GUN!!” Eden shouted the last part to make sure Caden heard her.

He kept walking, but still replied. “I’d hate to be in your shoes when you come across wild animals. Or bandits. Or more soldiers, for that matter.”

“At least they’d treat me better than you do!” Eden folded her arms and turned her back to them.

“Wanna bet?” Caden muttered.

Eden gazed at the wilderness around her. Rolling hills of brown grass and black splotches of dirt spread out before her. The trees that weren’t broken were bare, black branches reaching to an overcast sky. The clouds were not as green as they were back at Freedom. Here, they were more of a steel grey color. Except for the wind and crunch of Caden’s boots on the ground, silence enveloped the scene. No people. No birds. Come to think of it, Eden hadn’t seen any animals at all. Her imagination kicked in as she wondered if they were all killed off or if they mutated along with the humans. Speaking of humans, she wasn’t thrilled about the idea of running into more soldiers. Her last two encounters did not leave a good impression. She was thinking about why people in the future seemed so fond of pointing dangerous weapons at her when she realized Caden stopped walking. 

He looked over his shoulder and said, “If you’re not coming, I want my coat back.”

Pursing her lips and deciding once again to stay with the crazy drifters, Eden shoved her hands into her pockets and marched toward Caden and Shiloh.

“Thought not,” Caden muttered as he and Shiloh resumed walking.

They went along for ten minutes or so before Eden cautiously spoke up. “So… that box… If it’s so important to you, why didn’t you just shoot the soldiers? Or keep driving? I mean, when armed soldiers drive up, you chicken out. But when it comes down to a helpless girl, you pull out a gun. I don’t get it.”

“It ‘s mandatory to give any vehicle bearing the national flag the right of way. I was trying to keep us under the radar. I was hoping they wouldn’t stop.”

“But they did and the first thing you do is hide the box.”

“You do realize it was nine against three, right?”

“So?” Eden rolled her eyes. “That’s only a three to one ration.”

“It wasn’t worth it,” Caden said as he kicked a rock in his path. “Blood upon blood doesn’t help anyone.”

“Didn’t stop you from aiming a gun at me,” Eden said with a sidelong glare.

“For the record, I wasn’t actually going to shoot you.”

“Pfft, like I’m going to believe that.” Eden struggled to keep anything excessively rude from escaping her mouth.

Caden shrugged as he walked along. “I don’t expect you to believe me. I just thought it was worth mentioning.”

“What about that guy back there? He pulled a gun on you and you didn’t even blink.”

“He wasn’t going to kill me.”

“How do you know?”

Caden hesitated for a moment before answering, “He was a different shade of blue.”

Eden recalled that the commander’s uniform was navy blue. “What does that mean? You kill them based on fashion choice?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” he said with a sigh.

“I could if you explained it.”

“You still wouldn’t get it.” Caden increased his pace so he was ahead of the two. He didn’t say anything more, just kept walking.

Eden exchanged glances with Shiloh, who had been walking beside Caden up to this point. Shiloh shrugged and some of his silver hair fell into his eyes. Eden thought back on the discussion between Caden and the weirdo.

“It’s because I’m a Pure, isn’t it?” she asked finally.

Fireside Dance - Oz soundtrack

Midterms already?! No wonder I already feel like being whisked away.
I'm not even halfway through the story yet! Close, but not quite. Actually... scratch that, not even close.

I'm still staying a part ahead, but just barely. These last few weeks have been fairly busy.

Oh look, a new character.

The Promised Land: (Part 6) The Final Solution

Caden’s eyes narrowed to dark slits when he heard the question. “What are you?” she asked, as if he and Shiloh were objects of contempt or creatures to be feared. The same response any Pure would have. Caden didn’t realize he expected her to have a different reaction until he found himself disappointed and slightly irritated. “Just like everyone else,” he thought.

“Untouchable,” he said aloud, absently staring out at the dry fields.

“Excuse me?” Eden asked in a timid voice.

Caden sighed and turned to her again. “We’re different. Shiloh and I are Infected, but we’re more than that. Some of those who survive the disease live with certain…”

“Consequences?” Eden finished for him.

“Side effects.”

“So… being diseased gives you super powers?” Eden mulled over the thought. That had to be the gift Shiloh told her about.

“That’s one way of looking at it,” Caden said in a somber tone as he turned back to watch the scenery. “As I said before, Jericho is still a good distance away. Please don’t feel obligated to talk the entire time.”

“But what if I-”

“Don’t. Please.”

Eden pouted as she huddled inside Caden’s large coat. She considered digging through the backpack next to her, just to see what was in it, but decided against the notion. Being shot by an angry fifteen year old wasn’t exactly something she wanted to check off her bucket list. Being bossed around by the kid was bad enough. “Still,” she thought, “I need to try NOT irritating the guy with the gun.”

An hour passed without a word on either side. Eden was just about to fall asleep again when she heard Caden whisper, “Trouble.”

Eden bolted upright and looked around. In the distance, Eden could see several dark vehicles approaching. Caden exhaled and ran a hand through his dark hair. “Pull over.”

“What’s going on?” Eden’s wide blue eyes darted back and forth between the vehicles and Caden. Shiloh turned the jeep off the road and parked. Meanwhile, Caden turned around in his seat and rummaged through the backpack in the backseat. He pulled out a pair of headphones and tossed them into Eden’s lap.

“What’s this for?”

“Just put them around your neck for now. Listen, I need you to do something for me.” He pulled a flat, square parcel out of his pocket and placed it into her hands. “I need you to keep this safe for me. Put it in your pocket.”

“What is it?”

“That doesn’t matter. If something happens to us, I need you take it to Jericho and find Ezra. She’ll know what to do.”

“If something happens? Who is she? What is this?” Eden couldn’t help but sound panicked. “What’s going on? I don’t understand!”

Caden took out various ammunition rounds from the bag next to Eden and stuffed them into his smaller bag. He checked the ammunition in several handguns and shoved them into his sack as well. Caden took his windbreaker off, slung the bag over his shoulder, and replaced his jacket. He glanced at the oncoming vehicles and turned his attention back to Eden. “Please listen to me. This is very important. Whatever happens, don’t say anything. Just do as I say and it will all be ok.”

Eden’s stomach flipped with anxiety as she looked back at the dark vehicles. “Promise?”

For the first time, Eden witnessed Caden smile. In the same manner Shiloh had done, Caden held up his right index finger to his lips then covered his left fist with his right palm. Before Eden could say a word, Caden’s smile disappeared as he nodded to his brother. Shiloh pulled his grey hood over his silver hair. Eden stuffed the paper-wrapped package into her jean pocket. It bulged a bit, but was easily concealed by Caden’s large coat.  

The vehicles turned out to be four black humvees with black and white flags on the front. Much to the trio’s dismay, the vehicles stopped on the road alongside the jeep and two soldiers from each vehicle got out.

For a few tense seconds, the three waited. The eight camo-clad figures aimed assault rifles at the jeep as a man wearing a dark blue military uniform and glasses stepped out of the first humvee.

 He walked to the jeep and inspected the passengers. He took off his hat, ran a hat through his dirty blonde hair, and put the hat back on.

“Well, well, well,” he said as he stepped up to Shiloh’s side of the jeep. “A bunch of delinquents taking a joy ride. You know, it’s illegal for children to drive a stolen vehicle.”

“It’s not stolen,” Caden piped up.

“Is that so? I have trouble believing that.” The man turned directly to Shiloh, but the boy kept his head down. “What business do you have in Jericho?”

Caden replied, “Just visiting.”

“I didn’t ask you,” the man shot back at Caden, but continued to question Shiloh. “Well? It’s rude to ignore people. Answer me!”

“He doesn’t talk,” Caden interjected.

“A mute?” The man tilted his head for a moment. “Must be a deaf mute. Look at me when I’m talking to you.” The man yanked the grey hood back and stood in stunned silence when he saw Shiloh’s silvery hair. “Oh.” He backed away and rubbed his gloved hand against his uniform. “Well that explains it. He’s a Diseased, ” he said with ease. “Out of the jeep.”

“But we were only-”

“OUT! NOW!” the man commanded.

The three scrambled out of the vehicle and lined up between the man and the jeep. In the clouded daylight, Eden noted that he only looked to be older than her by a few years. There was a silver star embedded in his hat and star shaped buttons on his uniform. As the commander walked down the line, Caden’s irises turned deep red.

“You’re a Diseased as well,” he said as he kept walking. He stopped in front of Eden and leaned in quizzically. Eden didn’t realize he was wearing glasses until his hazel eyes were staring at her through half rimmed spectacles. “And what about you?”

“Would you risk it?” Caden interrupted.

“Perhaps not.” The man stood back and looked over the motley crew. “Well, that’s a shame. We ran into your kind back in Jericho. It’s truly remarkable how much pain your people can stand. I couldn’t find it within my heart to leave them in such pitiful condition.”

He pulled out a pistol and stared at it as he continued. “It was in their best interest to relieve their misery. Perhaps I should do the same for you.” The man pointed the gun at Caden’s head.

Caden stood his ground, unflinching. For far too many agonizingly long moments, Eden feared they would all be shot and left for dead on the side of the road.

What felt like an eternity later, the man lowered the gun and chuckled. “Such nerve. You still have time before the sickness takes control. Enjoy that time while you have it. Meanwhile, I’ll be taking that vehicle of yours.”

He put the gun away and motioned to his subordinates. Shiloh dove into the jeep and retreated with his black case just as two soldiers pushed their way through to commandeer the vehicle. The man and the rest of the soldiers returned to their humvees and drove off with the jeep right behind them.

The trio watched the dark shapes grow smaller in the distance.

Eden, thankful the episode was over, shivered. “That creep just stole our jeep.”

Caden nodded. “Joke’s on him. It’s running on empty.”

~*~*~*~

By the way, happy Pi day. 

Imaginary - Vitamin String Quartet cover

Hello ho ho! 

Apologies, apologies. School. Work. Homework. Life. The usual.
I'm trying and set it so you can see some of my complete works without having to go look them up.

Hey, I'm still staying ahead by 1 part. That's exciting. ^_^

Here ye go. 

The Promised Land: (Part 5) Imaginary

Eden’s dreams were filled with dark visions. In her nightmare, soldiers with red eyes and white hair surrounded her and tried to take something from her. Eden wasn’t sure what she was holding on to, but the soldiers had taken hold of it and wouldn’t let go. The more they pulled it away, the harder she clutched to the item for dear life. Eden woke up and realized Caden was trying to yank his coat from her iron grip.

Frightened, the girl let go and looked around. She was still in the room she fell asleep in, still in the same world. “I… I don’t understand,” she said quietly.

“You stole my coat in your sleep, simple as that. I’ll make sure to lock the door next time.” Caden’s face was wrinkled into a frown as he briskly put the coat on and zipped it up to his chin. “Get up. An Atari scout found us, but I took care of him. We need to go.”

Eden remained curled up on the poor excuse for a bed, staring off into the distance. “I fell asleep… but I didn’t wake up in my world. I thought… I thought I could… go back,” she said aloud to herself.

A shadow of pity reduced Caden’s irritation. 

He grabbed her arm and pulled Eden up. “We need to go. NOW,” he stated firmly. Still holding on to Eden’s arm, he pulled her out of the room, down the hall, and into the living room. Shiloh was guarding the door with an assault rifle.

“Take her,” Caden muttered as he let go of Eden’s arm and grabbed the backpacks instead. He went outside, presumably to make sure there were no more soldiers lurking about. Shiloh smiled at Eden and, with his left hand, touched his mouth with his index finger and covered his right fist with his palm. Eden blinked in confusion. She jumped when someone knocked on the door two times. Shiloh took Eden’s hand and pulled her outside. Eden was hit with a wave of chills as soon as she stepped outside. The wind was howling. The grey/green sky and broken buildings gave her an eerie feeling.

Eden couldn’t stop her teeth from chattering. “So c-c-cold. What t-time is it?”

“Almost four,” Caden said as he took the lead. The small group wandered behind and between several houses until they came to a rusted military jeep. In the dim light, Eden could tell the brown seats were torn and tattered. What little paint could be seen suggested that the jeep had been a dark green color at one point. Eden wondered if the rust bucket would run at all. Caden threw the large bag into the backseat and started sifting through the bag’s contents. Shiloh hopped into driver’s seat and started the jeep.

“Why does he get to drive?”

“Because he knows where to go.”

Eden was about to climb into the front passenger seat when Caden spoke again.

“Can you use a gun?” he asked as he unzipped his heavy green coat and pulled on a black windbreaker.

Eden shook her head.

“Don’t call shotgun if you can’t shoot.” 

Caden handed her the big green coat and climbed into the seat next to his brother. As soon as Eden got in beside the backpack, the jeep took off. Where they were going, Eden didn’t know. Nor did she care. She wanted to be as far away from the demolished center as possible. Many of the roads had large potholes and looked as though something had plowed through them. Eden assumed it was for this reason that Shiloh stayed off the roads. Caden kept his rifle, the same one Shiloh had earlier, ready to fire at any moment. He was tense for a full hour into the drive. Once he thought they were a good distance from the wreckage of Freedom, he relaxed enough to turn around and talk to Eden.

“Jericho is about two hours away. We’ll-”

“Jericho?” a fully awake Eden interrupted. “That already doesn’t sound good.”

“As I was saying,” Caden continued, “You won’t survive out here on your own, but you should be able to figure something out in Jericho. It’s not a star city, so it will be easier for you to blend in.”

“What’s a star city?”

“A city approved by Z as pure.” Caden put air quotes around the last word.

“Z? Pure? From what?”

“This is going to be a long drive,” Caden sighed. Eden’s ignorance annoyed him, but if there was any truth to her story, she needed to know how to stay alive this new world. “Z is the dictator. After the war, he took control of what was left of America. Now he has his own army that he uses to enforce his laws.”

“The Atari?”

“Right. You’re not such a blockhead after all.” Caden smirked.

Eden stuck out her tongue, but he continued speaking. “The dictator divided people into two groups: the Pure and the Diseased. The war was mostly chemical. It left a lot of… sickness. The Pure are the ones who weren’t infected by the chemicals, like you. Those who were infected reacted differently. Most died immediately. The rest of the Infected were either stuck with a disease that would eventually kill them or… mutated.” 

Caden’s dark eyes drifted until he was staring behind Eden as his voice grew quiet. “I suppose now there are really three groups: the living… the dying… and us.”

In his own mind, Caden was reflecting on the different responses he and his brother got when people found out they were “Diseased.” 

In the blink of an eye, Caden was no longer in the present, but picturing a scene from his last visit to a star city.   

~*~

The black and white flag in the center of the city glided gently in the wind. It looked far more peaceful at the top of the flagpole than it did at the bottom. Far below, the ashen faces of the citizens blocked out whatever cheerful color could be found in the city. “Any color would do,” Caden thought to himself behind his dark sunglasses. “Even a blue would be welcome at this point.” He had never seen so many grays in one location. Sometimes he saw a green or two, no orange, no red. This wasn’t a colorful town. Except for the two people walking ahead of him. Shiloh, with his hood drawn over a dark ball cap, was always some mix of the two colors. Jade, however, reflected yellow almost consistently. The trio moved into the segregated part of town, the “Infected Zone.” 

Caden saw more color here. Green, to be exact. No matter where he went, the infected could always be discerned from the pure. Not just by the symbol they bore on their clothes and above their houses, but by their fear. Caden wondered if a cure for the diseased could ever be strong enough to heal a people broken by fear and prejudice. It wasn’t just from the pure citizens that Caden and Shiloh hid their identity. Most of the infected were just as on edge as the pure when they found out the truth. There were a few who accepted them with open arms and they weren’t to be found in star cities. Caden didn’t like being labeled and treated differently, sometimes even treated like dirt. He had to continually remind himself how lucky he and Shiloh really were. They were diseased, yes, but not in agony and waiting for life to expire. Caden wasn’t sick, like so many of his friends…

Caden’s trip down memory lane was interrupted when Eden spoke up.

“What are you?”

Tiptoe - Imagine Dragons

School's been great. It's going to be a struggle not to get swamped with a bunch of things, as usual. I'm going to be crazy busy in a couple weeks so I wanted to get some writing done before then. So far, I've been ahead by 1 part the last few times I posted. 

Hopefully, I can keep that up. 

Enjoy.

~ Always Hope! ~ 

The Promised Land: (Part 4) Tiptoe

Caden, Shiloh, and Eden walked into a small, grey house. It looked as though the previous owners left right before a tornado hit. Most of the walls and rooms were intact, which is more than could be said for many other buildings in the area. Caden went ahead and checked all the rooms to make sure they were empty.

“It’s all clear,” he said as he ushered the others in. “We can sleep here tonight.”

Caden took the backpack from Eden and detached a roll, which turned out to be two sleeping bags tucked together. “Two of the rooms have beds. You can see which one you’re least disgusted with.”

“What about you two?”

“Shiloh and I are going to stay in here. There’s a couch one of us can sleep on while the other one takes watch.” Caden looked at his brother. “Flip you for it.”

Shiloh dug into his pocket and pulled out a flattened bottle cap.

Eden sat on a ragged patch of carpet with her legs crossed. “Don’t they have coins in the future?”

“Of course we do,” Caden answered as he watched Shiloh toss the metal cap. “We just… don’t have any. We don’t exactly run on money, you know. Not out here anyway.” The cap landed with the printed side up. “… I win.”

Caden pulled a handgun from his own backpack and handed it to Shiloh. After unrolling the sleeping bags and throwing one over the couch, Caden dropped his bag next to his feet and stretched. He took off his coat and dropped it next to his sack. Shiloh sat facing the door with his back against the couch. He laid the gun aside and started to unzip his black case.

“I’m not sure now’s a good time for that,” Caden said as he settled into the couch and pulled the other sleeping bag over. “We don’t know how close those goons are. Or how many are still out there.”

After a moment of thought, Shiloh nodded and zipped the case up. Eden’s stomach growled, but only she took notice of it. Seeing Caden pull the sleeping bag up to his chin, she asked, “What about dinner?”

“We already had dinner,” he muttered with his eyes closed.

“…I didn’t.”

The dejected tone in Eden’s voice was hard to ignore. Shiloh was about to get up and get something for her to eat, but his brother moved first. Caden threw off the sleeping bag, crawled off the couch, and over to their stash. He pulled out a chunk of bread and handed it to Eden with a sour look on his face. Without waiting for a response, he crawled back onto the couch and threw the sleeping bag over his head.

“Thank you,” a pleased Eden said before biting into her meal. Caden grumbled in response.

Eden decided it would be best not to bother him again. She wondered if his agitation was something sleep could fix or if he was just always that disagreeable. Eden finished her sparse meal not long after she received it. Although she was thirsty, she wasn’t going to risk waking up Caden. Eden stretched out her legs so they wouldn’t fall asleep and shoved her hands into her jean pockets. Feeling solid plastic, she pulled out her forgotten phone. The screen lit up as it searched fruitlessly for a signal. 

Eden was about to put it away when she had a sudden thought. Sliding the keyboard out, she glanced at Shiloh before typing a message. She gently tapped Shiloh and handed him the phone. She figured she already knew what the answer would be, but she wanted to be sure. Shiloh handed the phone back just a few seconds later. Eden found that typing messages and passing the phone back and forth proved to be an adequate way to communicate in silence. Had she known sign language, she probably would have used that instead. Eden read through the messages so far.

“Can you talk?”

“Yes”

“Then why don’t you?”

“I don’t like hurting people.”

“You can’t think of anything nice to say?”

“I can think of lots of nice things to say, but to say them out loud would do more harm than good.”

Not sure exactly how to take that, Eden decided not to press the question. “Why do Caden’s eyes turn red?”

“That’s his gift. He can change the way he sees the world. He can see things others can’t.”

“Do your eyes get all creepy too?”

“No. It’s just him.”

“He said those soldiers were after you. Why?”

Shiloh paused on this question and stared straight ahead. Eden couldn’t tell if he heard something or if he was trying to avoid the question. Eden strained to hear anything unusual. “It would be ironic if the soldiers happened to find us just as we were talking about them,” she thought.

Shiloh handed the phone back. “It’s a long story. You should get some rest. We’ll make sure you get to the next town safely.”

Eden frowned. “He’s just trying to get rid of me,” she thought. “They’re probably going to get up in the middle of the night and leave me here for soldier bait.”

She typed out another message with a determined expression. She held up the phone so he could read it. Eden wanted to watch his expressions for any hint of deceit. “Promise?”

Shiloh read the message, looked Eden in the eye, and gave a solemn nod. Eden put the phone away and stood up. “Seemed serious enough,” she thought. Shiloh grinned and waved at Eden as she left the room. “Nope, he’s trying to get rid of me.”

Eden checked both bedrooms. Both beds looked pretty bad. The frames were broken. The mattresses were torn and burned. Not to mention the significant lack of bed sheets and pillows. Eden wondered if her thin jacket would be enough to keep her warm. She crept back into the living room. Shiloh was still at his post and Caden was fast asleep. When Shiloh saw her, Eden rubbed her arms and whispered, “Cold.”

Shiloh reached around, grabbed Caden’s green coat, and tossed it to Eden with a smile. Eden glanced at the sleeping lump on the couch and mouthed a “thank you” to Shiloh before heading back to the bedrooms. 

“Not sure how happy Cay’s going to be when he finds out I have his coat,” she muttered to herself. She snickered when she imagined a look of fiery indignation on his face. Eden inspected both beds again and chose, in her mind at least, the lesser of two evils. Caden’s coat was surprisingly large and quite warm. 

Snuggling into a ball on the rotting bed, Eden wondered if she would wake up in her own world. She wouldn’t say that she enjoyed her time in this new world, but she did find the twins rather amusing. She hoped she would see them again in another dream, a less malevolent dream. Eden closed her eyes and fell asleep.