05. The house
1197 Words
While they were sent to apartments in mid of city, Fran realized that her house is not even far from the main gate.
Five streets up the main street and then right.
She almost cursed as she glanced at the house that didn't look anything like the one on pictures. Well, almost.
The house was made from real stone and that is one of reasons she took this one. She entered front yard that had waist high grass and tried her best to open the old door.
Luckily it opened up and the screech of the door almost scared her out of her shoes.
It smelled stale. She glanced at the furniture that were filled with dust and grime and she knew there is long way to handle this place.
First she tried turning ancient knobs and realized they had no electricity.
Oh great!
But when she opened water in nearby half bath, first dark substance started splashing out and then after while clear water came out.
With a sigh she turned it off and started looking at her new home.
Yes, home.
She knew there was no way she could go back. So all she could do is to work hard and make this place her new home.
The furniture was old, but even tho air smelled stale, nothing was wet or moist.
"There is need of real cleaning." She murmured to herself.
She slowly entered kitchen area she realized that she had quite a lot of rubbing. The goey stuff that was everywhere, was probably food long time ago.
They had natural gas in some places and she tried ovens that looked similar to those in their kitchens.
To her surprise she had fire and quickly turned it off as she realized that the fire came from one big gas can.
"This is dangerous." She closed the pipe that connected gas can and oven and checked kitchen shelves and opened various doors yo see what is there.
Then she remembered something they told her. Food was usually numbered by the timeline if how long it could be usable.
She took one if the paper packages from one of the shelves and found a date. 2045.
Wait. This is same year she came from.
So it's not time slip. Their realities flowed in same line. She glanced at the package and saw it was still closed.
With a move she ope ed it and looked at the vacuum bag filled with multicolored rings.
"What is this?" She blinked in wonder.
Out of curiosity she glanced at ingredients of the thing and was stunned by so many chemicals that were contained in it. "But it said it's for the children..."
She slowly opened and strange sweet scent hit her nose. "So... sugary."
In her realm they stopped eating these things centuries ago as they found better ways to preserve food. But people lived long time even then if they ate these things.
So it can't be that bad?
Right?
She took one of the rings and stulped it into her mouth. The sweetness made her first squirm as she was not used to, but the one gave huge amounts of energy.
"How interesting. Such small thing and could give do much energy! Let me eat couple more to regain lost one and rest I'll put in my space. This thing is perfect for the time I go out tasking." She needs to do tasks to pay her bills
The stones she had she wanted to exchange only if there is no other way. And she needed more stones. Even if this house looked fine, she still needs to check the roof and needs tools.
She snacked on few more of these rolls and stuffed them in the space. On curiosity she glanced at other things.
There are other things that got open and became moldy so she threw them into big plastic bag. She knew that her world had such things as well before.
But thinking that they still found many of those even after three hundred years she found even her own people quite stupid.
She still there away all open packages and there was left quite amount of closed bags with various foods.
She just pushed it into her space as there they can last for centuries without getting bad.
Fran started searching house.
In upper level there were three large rooms with beds. The dust settles on the beddings that she found quite strange and she just let them there.
In the rooms were many cabinets with clothes and she was curious why no one took these things away. Including the food and clothes.
Well, good for her.
Even she had thermal set, but she wanted to use it only outside. Or whenever she left home.
These clothes she plans using here around house. With smile she took off the clothes she had and went to bathroom to take shower.
Cold water hit her body, but she didn't mind.
Long time ago she once washed herself with others in water that was about to be used for trees. She had honor to take shower at least once in her life.
They usually got special cloth that was used to wish the body once in a while. It's sole purpose was to rub off the dirt of the body and it did good job.
She didn't care about use of chemistry. They used it often in her world. After all, there was no other way.
She almost happily jumped, but got frightened as she almost slipped and fell. Water is comfortable and dangerous at the same time.
The cold water made her tiredness go away.
She took one of the special sponges she had from before, that she used to gather few dew drops she found outside, to gather the rest of the moisture on her body.
These things can dry many things in seconds so she was dry quickly, including her hair. With a smile she took the clothes that were not dusty as they were in cabinets and put them on.
Luckily she was not too tall so she could wear anything.
"This is not bad." She glanced at the sport suit that was quite warm. The multiple colors made it hard to watch, but she didn't care and fo"Let's start." She took bucket and a thick gray thing it was in bathroom and started wishing house.
The dirty covers were washed in bathtub until water was clear and put outside to dry.
With a sigh she plopped in ground and smiled.
"Done."
But suddenly she felt tiered. It seems she just used the energy that she got from those sweet things.
She ate one but as it seems her body was in need of other things. "It seems I need real food. Should I go to canteen?"
She put large hat onto her head and walked straight towards the place the old man pointed.
But even from far she could see large group gathering and arguing. She stopped in her move.
She was uncertain should she go or should she continue her way, but familiar voice greeted her from behind.
"Hey, Fran."
- Writer
