D.C. FALL 2 (In The October Fall World) by K.K. Johns & Boyd Craven Jr. & LA Bayles

Author:K.K. Johns & Boyd Craven Jr. & LA Bayles [Johns, K.K. & Craven, Boyd Jr. & Bayles, LA]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Raventhorne Books
Published: 2024-05-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Julian

Day 11

Julian sat up groggily on the hard military cot in the dining room, his bare feet landing on the chilly throw rug next to his makeshift bed. The cold air nipped at his exposed skin, and he shivered and reached for the pile of clothes he had laid out the night before.

Fumbling in the darkness, his hand finally found the matchbox resting on the small coffee table in front of him. With a sense of familiarity, he struck a match against the rough striking surface. A flickering flame burst forth, illuminating the room in a soft glow. He picked up the ornate silver candelabra on the sideboard behind his cot and lit one taper, giving him light enough for him to dress by.

Letting out a sharp breath, he threw back the sleeping bag and stood, ready to start his day. The crisp bite of the frigid air hit him, a stark contrast to the warmth and coziness of his goose down sleeping bag. He shivered and braced for the chill that would seep into his bones if he didn’t dress quickly.

In the next month, he’d be tending to the fireplace in the dining room, one of three that would be constantly ablaze in its efforts to keep the large house warm. Just thinking about it made him ache with exhaustion. But there was still work to be done to ensure everyone was living and sleeping in one downstairs wing of the large house. This afternoon, he would move all the dining room furniture upstairs and transform the room into a makeshift bedroom for Tessa and Terrell to use while the two were here. He’d move his cot to the senator’s study, where he could keep the fire going for the older man.

With a quick and practiced hand, he dressed himself in layers of thermal long underwear, insulated pants, and multiple wool shirts. Each garment added another barrier between him and the frigid air outside his sleeping bag. He slipped his feet into cozy slippers, their soft soles muffling his footsteps as he made his way across the room to the window. Pulling back the heavy drapes, he strained to make out any shapes or shadows in the thick darkness of early morning. But all that greeted him was an impenetrable expanse of velvety blackness, shrouding the world outside in quiet.

Julian gripped the heavy candelabra and crept up the winding staircase to the second floor, cautious to avoid the squeaky floorboards. He reached the guest bedroom at the end of the dimly lit hallway, where Terrell slept, and gently tapped on the door. His heart raced as he tried to be quiet, not wanting to awaken the other inhabitants in the silent house.

A shuffling noise came from behind the door, and it slowly creaked open, revealing Terrell. He stood hunched over and shivering from the cold, half-dressed, with bleary eyes barely visible in his groggy face.

“I’m checking to make sure you’re awake,” Julian whispered.

“Just gotta put my pants on,” Terrell mumbled, barely intelligible.

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