The Fugitive

[Quilboarian]

As you check around, you notice that there is a small, barren fireplace over in the living room. No firewood appears to be around, so pieces of wooden scrap and bits of trash may have to do for now.

 

[Z0rr0w]

"Found a fireplace," I say to Emily as I kneel down next to it, "could you go empty out the previous owner's dustbins for burning material?"


"I could help you if you think you'll be lonely doing it," I add with a teasing smile.

 

[Quilboarian]

Emily giggles, giving a dismissive wave. "Oh, I'm sure I'll be fine," she tells you. "I mean, unless you've got nothing else to do!" She goes to wander off and gather up some things to burn in the fire.

 

[Z0rr0w]

As she goes off to gather burnable objects, I hold my gun at the ready and head upstairs to look around for anything of use to me.

 

[Quilboarian]

You walk up the steps, going to the second floor of the dwelling. Looking around, you see some doors leading into to a few bedrooms, where you should be able to find pillows, blankets and clothing. There seems to be an upstairs bathroom present as well.

 

[Z0rr0w]

I first decide to head into the bathroom, looking around for any sort of medical supplies that might be in here.

 

[Quilboarian]

You walk inside of the bathroom and notice that there is a medicine cabinet above the sink. You go ahead and open it up, peering inside and looking around. In it, you find some antidiarrheals, a pack of aspirin tablets, some toenail clippers, some gauze pads and some antibacterial ointment.

 

[Z0rr0w]

I'm sure I'd end up eating something that doesn't agree with my stomach. I open my bag and empty out the medicine cabinet into the bag, shortly before zipping it back up. Afterwards, I head back downstairs to see if Emily's managed to find some rubbish to burn.

 

[Quilboarian]

You exit the bathroom and walk back down the steps. It seems that Emily has just finished grabbing some scrap wood and loose articles of paper from the floor, and has dumped them in the fireplace. It seems like there is enough to cook the can of pasta.

 

[Z0rr0w]

"I found some medical items," I say, "nail clippers too if you feel like prettying yourself up a bit."


I sit down beside the fireplace and look over at Emily, "is it safe to light?"

 

[Quilboarian]

Emily looks over at you as you sit down as she chuckles and gives off a shrug. "I think it's okay to light," she says. She turns her head back to the fireplace and waits for it to be lit.

 

[Z0rr0w]

Hoping to not burn the entire house down, I flick on Emily's lighter and push the flame against several different areas of the heap of things-to-burn, shortly before moving my hand away from the fireplace, flicking the lighter off, and handing it over to Emily.


"You'll be doing the cooking, right?" I ask her with a smile.

 

[Quilboarian]

You manage to flick a flame into existence and hold it up to the fireplace, and see that the materials begin to burn without much of a problem.. You hand the lighter back to Emily, who pockets it. She then holds up and looks at the can of pasta, rubbing her chin. "Ehm, yeah," she says. "But...Don't we need water or something?"

 

[Z0rr0w]

"We could take turns spitting in it," I joke, "I'll try to see if there's any bottled water around here."


I got up and headed into the kitchen, checking the fridge for any water.

 

[Quilboarian]

You open up the refrigerator and find that it's been gone through by somebody already. The only food that wasn't looted from the fridge is rotted, which is probably why it wasn't taken. The refrigerator seems to be devoid of liquids as well, aside from a jug of skimmed milk that expired six years ago.

 

[Z0rr0w]

"No water in the fridge!" I call out to Emily as I close the fridge and decide to check the sink, hoping that the plumbing still works.

 

[Quilboarian]

You try flipping on the tap, but not a drop of water comes out. This place hasn't had running water for years. Emily calls back, saying "Well, let's just cook it. There's sauce in the can, I think."

 

[Z0rr0w]

I sigh and walk back over to Emily, sitting down beside her.


"You do know how to cook, right?" I ask.

 

[Quilboarian]

Emily furrows her brow slightly, seeming annoyed at what she feels is your doubt. "Well, all I gotta do is heat up this can; anybody can do that. Just go find some bowls and stuff, and I'll do this. It'll be fine," she says, though smiling now. She looks down at the can, narrowing her eyes checking both ends of it. "And a can opener," she adds with a sigh.

 

[Z0rr0w]

"I'll get to work on that then," I say, getting up and heading back into the kitchen once more, checking out all the cabinets and drawers for bowls and eating utensils, as well as a can opener.

 

[Quilboarian]

Looking around in the drawers, it doesn't take long before you come up with a can opener and some spoons. You reach up and open some of the upper cabinets and take out a few bowls. It seems that they're all a tad dusty, but they should work nonetheless.

 

[Z0rr0w]

I clean off the spoons and bowls with my shirt and head back to Emily, setting the items and myself down next to her.


"They're all cleaned enough," I say, "at least, I hope they are. Do you want any help cooking?"

 

[Quilboarian]

Emily gives a nod. "Sure thing," she says.


~~


Some minutes pass, and you and Emily both cook the can of pasta over the fireplace flame. As soon as you are both done, equal portions are poured into in both bowls, and the spoons are used to chow down. The can of pasta isn't enough to fully satisfy the hunger you both feel, so you and Emily eat the sardines as well. Or at least Emily does, if you weren't going to.


Emily wipes her mouth with her sleeve, setting the empty bowl with the spoon in it off to the side. "That was good. Do you think we should keep moving?" she asks you.

 

[Z0rr0w]

I eat the sardines along with her.


"There was a really nice bed upstairs though," I say, "we could just rest up here for the day, keep moving tomorrow. We'd need to barricade the windows though."

 

[Quilboarian]

Emily responds to your suggestion with a nod of agreement. The woman seems weary and exhausted from all the running and hiding from the authorities she has done today. Though, if you both went and rested now, you'd probably wake up during the night. It's only just noon, most likely.