21 Days

XI: Doing Chores

                Out of the people inside the manor, Sky and Aiki was the least Jake associated with. He thought that it was strange that these two were always together but didn’t think about it that much as Ava and the others seem to trust them. The first time he saw them was when they first arrive at the manor and the last time he associated with them was when they cleaned up the corpses in the study but aside from that, he never personally talked with them.

                Maybe he was scared. They look like people that were from some kind of dark organization and seeing the face Sky often wears intimidates him.

                But then, they caught the two red handedly.

                “You…” Ava pointed out. She was surprised as well but this surprise turned into that of confusion. “I thought Aiki like girls?”

                “What do you mean?” Aiki asked pulling away from Sky’s grip. She wiped her mouth and stood before them, hands on her waist. She was frustrated that their happy time was just interrupted. What more, the faces that was obvious in the dim wore the faces of embarrassment.

                “Why do you have to do that? I just saw something horrendous.” Seven said bluntly while Sky chuckled in the dark. He appeared next to Aiki and put a hand on her shoulder to which Aiki quickly shoved.

                “What do you need here anyways?” he asked, scratching his head. He was shy but was trying to hide it.

                “The power’s out.” Ava sneered. “But of course you didn’t notice that’s why you’re mooching off each other’s faces.”

                “Hey.” Aiki turned red, her arms falling beside her.

                “Then, I’ll go and check it.” Sky said lazily and he headed to the basement where the generator was. Seven and the guys followed him leaving Aiki and Ava to their confrontation.

                “I thought you don’t like her?” Seven asked curiously.

                “I said that?” Sky snorted and completely ignored Seven’s assumptions.

                Behind him were the two curious onlookers that don’t understand the situation. But what matters most to them was the fact that they’ve discovered that relationships like that could exist even in the time or crisis. Maybe that’s the reason why human species still exists and that concept is already too deep to discuss.

                “There’s Ava.” Seven hummed. “I think she looks more feminine than Aiki is.”

                “Your taste is different from mine. Plus you’re too young for Ava.” Sky said grinning.

                “Who says I like Ava?” Seven argued.  

                “Yeah yeah whatever….Give me some light here.” Sky said and Jake flashed his phone on the part Sky was referring. He also handed a flashlight towards Seven who helped with the light source.              

                “How about you? What do you think of Ava? Hmm should I ask who’s more fitting to your taste? Ava or Aiki?” Seven threw the question towards Jake and Jay who looked at him as if he grew a second head.

                “None.” Jay scratched his head. “Is it even convenient to like someone in this situation?”

                “Interesting.” Sky nodded. “He’s right. Liking someone in this crucial time is hard since you’re not sure until when it’s all daisies and lemons or whatever.”

                Sky stood up and wiped his hands with the rag that’s hanged nearby. He stood before the three youthful boys and smiled at them.

                “Bad batteries.” He said as he started walking towards the direction where the parts for the spare batteries were located. It was still somewhere inside the basement.

                Jake was on his tail with the flashlight on, leaving Jay and Seven by themselves. Jay just then realized that he wasn’t doing anything and just tagged along for unknown reasons. He glanced at Seven’s face whose expression suddenly turned blank as he stared to where the generator was. It seems like physically he was there yet his mind suddenly drifted too deep in his thoughts. Jay noticed it and touched Seven on the shoulder.

                “You okay?” Jay asked but Seven didn’t budged.

                “Sure.” He responded though and it startled Jay as Seven remained as still.

                “You’re scaring me.” Jay said towards Seven and his strange behavior.

                Jake returned later helping Sky with some stuffs he ask Jake to carry and Jay was quick on his feet to take some of those things as it looked heavy. Seven was still standing in the same position but this time, he was just watching the two carry the heavy stuffs. When they put it down and waited for Sky to fix it, Seven was still standing there, quietly.

                It was a relieve that Sky managed to fix the generator before the evening gets too deep and he finished it quickly with Jay’s assistance who has the knowledge about how mechanical stuffs work. Once done, they heard Ava shrieking from above and her heels hitting on the marble floor, continuously making stiletto noises as she returns to her room.

                That concluded the fix and they decided to return back to their rooms.

                The rain has finally subsided and what remains was the soft and relaxing pitter pattering of rain.

                Jay was smudged with grease and the white shirt he had managed to snatch from the big closet was now stained. He was looking frustrated than ever as they head back to where the rooms where. Even before they could open the door from where they previously left, it opened revealing Ethan.

                “Oh. You guys are back.” He said while smiling.

                “Where are you headed to?” Jake asked Ethan seeing that he was about to go somewhere in the living room.

                “Read some of these?” he said flashing a book he found inside the room. He stopped midway when he was walking and informed them that Nicky and Sunny were already sounding asleep. “And Jean is over thinking.”

                “What does he mean by that?” Seven asked.

                “Just the usual, like what we experience here. It’s just Jean seems to be overly attached with his family that’s why we often see him looking outside deep in thought.” Jake answered.

---

                Morning came and they were woken up by the sound of Ava hitting the metal pot right on their faces. She did this in both rooms the boys were sharing. Since the bed was occupied by Nicky, Jean and Sunny on the other room, Seven invited the others to room with him for the night and they all just agreed all the while after sneaking some cans of beers and drinking illegally.

                “Wakey wakey boyssss.” Ava’s high pitched voice could be heard in the morning and everyone’s first reaction was to groan, stretch and cover their ears.

                Jean looked at the clock and it says 7 o’clock. He sighed in defeat.

                Once all up and gathered in the living room after breakfast. Ava informed them that today they will be doing house chores. One team would be with Aiki, organizing the food storage while the others would be cleaning the rooms. It was still a bit rainy that morning that’s why outside work was an exemption. Ava took this as an opportunity to give more chores for the sake of making the whole house clean and habitable.

                “Nicky, Jay and Jean will be with Aiki. Now go.” Ava said and Nicky groaned lazily as the three of them headed to where the storage room is. Aiki was already in there with this huge black bin. She was tossing the fresh food that have rotten.

                “Oh? You’ll be with me? Cool.” She said then her eyes found Jay. “Damn it’s you.”

                She said while sniggering.

                Ava tasked Sunny to help her with fixing the kitchen cabinets where they would be transferring the food that is still edible and could be stocked for a long time. This includes varieties of recipes they have collected from the outside. On the other hand, Seven together with Jake and Ethan were tasked to do the cleaning for that morning. Sky was busy trying to communicate with people that could possible help them out of the situation as well as hoping that there were other survivors within the area they can contact with.

                In the storage room, Aiki was awkwardly silent. She was still embarrassed about the fact that one of the people he wanted to avoid was there. What more, he was not familiar with him and she wasn’t able to threaten him.

                “Are you and that guy in a relationship?” Jay asked. This made Nicky and Jean look at them as they just heard what Jay was asking Aiki.

                “Why do you care?” she answered flatly. “My business is none of yours.”

                “Oh? I’ve heard that statement as well.” Nicky giggled. “I’ve been eager to ask this question to you for a long time but is it true that you’re a hired killer and your last mission was Sky?”

                Nicky asked her wondering if what he has heard was actually the truth. As Aiki heard this, her face turned bright red.

                “Ava, that girl.” She said under her breath. She then sneered at Nicky with sharp eyes. “Don’t believe those s**t Ava made up. She’s using me and Sky in her fictional story that’s why. I’m just a preschool teacher and Sky happens to be my ex-boyfriend.”

                “Doesn’t look like an ex-boyfriend to me.” Jay scoffed.

                “AH. Just shut it! Mind your own business you brats. If you want then go kissing each other so you’ll shut up.” Aiki said

                Nicky and Jean exchanged looks and scrunched up their noses upon the idea of them kissing with each other. Worse was Jay and they shrugged off the whole weird idea while proceeding with their work.

--

                After finishing work earlier than expected, Seven sat bored in the living room. He was already done reading the 5th book he found from the bookshelves and was dying to do something thrilling. Ethan was seen helping in the kitchen while Jake was on the dining table, watching Ava and the others do her unique recipe that she said would really taste good.

                Just then, Sky appeared later looking all prepared wearing his combat uniform. As Seven saw this, his eyes brightened. He knows exactly where Sky was going and he won’t waste the opportunity to come with him.

                “Should I come with you?” Seven asked from the living room and Sky heard him.

                “Sure. Prepare yourself then.” Sky said. “I’ll wait for you on the truck.”

                Sky was going back to the city. First is to survey how the situations have evolved and what are the possible routes they could take to get to where military base was located. It was at the farthest North opposite to where they’re at which was the South.

                It would take long hours of drive and travel even before they could get there plus they can’t just drive through the city as these things were triggeredthe most with sounds and they would just end up getting devoured while on the ride. Sky was a tactician and he was the best when it comes to thinking about the alternatives.

                Seven excitedly stood up from where he was seated. Just then, he has a bright idea. That is to bring Jake with him.

                “You come with me.” Seven said as he dragged Jake from the kitchen without saying anything.

                He brought him to where the equipment was and he started tossing things on Jake’s direction. Gun holsters, silencers, and whatever protective gear so they could be protected once they were outside. Things could unfold unexpectedly and the best they could do is be prepared.  

                “Wear that and that and that…” Seven said without explaining and Jake just complied.

                “What for?” Jake asked yet he continued wearing things Seven gave him. After he was done with all the necessary preparation needed, he started dragging Jake once again outside the house and to the military vehicle where Sky was waiting. Before they managed to go out, they met Jay on the way whose eyes just followed where they were going.  He watched the two of them as they disappeared on the front door.  That time, he was carrying a box with potatoes in it. They were still fresh but they were stuck in the storage room just after being harvested.

                “Where’ll they go?” he asked Nicky who passed by him and put the box he was carrying aside.

                “The city.” He answered.

--

                Jake was taken aback that he was now riding in the utility vehicle together with Seven and Sky. He was at the back seat with the guns and ammos they’ve brought just in case while Sky was the one driving and Seven was on the passenger’s seat.

                “Oh? Why didn’t you say he’s coming?” Sky asked referring to Jake being with them.

                “He’s coming.” Seven said just then and Sky cackled, ruffling Seven’s hair and proceeded with driving.

                Seven tossed a gas mask at Jake and he managed to catch it properly.

                “The stench is a killer. Even I can’t handle it.” Sky said seeing how Seven spared a gas mask for Jake to use.

                The drive from their location towards the heart of the city took a good two hours. They parked on the bridge, halfway from the city and have to take the remaining route by foot. It consumed a good 30 minutes for them to walk all while carrying bullet belts by their bodies and heavy automated guns.

                Jake wore the gas mask when he saw Sky and Seven do the same. Sure enough, things were similar, if not, worse as they stepped in the Fifth Avenue.  Broken glass shards were everywhere, abandoned cars that have hit the post remains and the number of the undead swarming in the area seems endless. It was infested.  

                --