Just The Two Of Us

Posted on Thu Nov 9th, 2023 @ 12:58am by René Rouen & Vienna Quinn

1,845 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Bangor or Bust
Location: Quinn Home in Bangor, Maine
Timeline: TBD

René stood next to Vienna on the sidewalk. He looked upon at the house that had all the shutters and drapes closed up. There was no sign of movement at all throughout the neighborhood and the Quinn home looked no different. He took Vienna's hand and glanced sidelong at her. "Perhaps they are at one of the refugee centers that Lieutenant Madison mentioned."

“Maybe...” Vienna gave René’s hand a firmer squeeze as the possibilities ran through her mind. She could only hope now. “Let’s go inside. We can get in through the back.”

Together they walked hand-in-hand to the tall wooden gate along side the house. René grasped the latch and pulled on the gate. He was half expecting it to be locked. Perhaps it was a good sign that it wasn't. He let go of Vienna's hand and unsheathed his machete. "Let me go first. Make sure it is safe."

As much as Vienna wanted to say no, it was better to be safe, she reluctantly nodded her head and let René take point. “It’s too quiet René, I don’t like it.”

René wanted to reassure Vienna that everything was going to be alright, but the lack of noise was ominous. He knew of at least three houses on the block with dogs that should have been barking up a storm as they had walked down the sidewalk. "I agree mon amour. We have to check. Maybe your parents left a message." He wanted to believe what he was telling her, but he was afraid he couldn't protect her from what might be inside.

Following René inside Vienna glances around, it was obvious from the unusual mess the house was in that either her family had packed quickly to leave, or that something had gone badly wrong. “It’s not normally like this, my mum is a clean freak everything is usually tidy and clean.”

René looked around too. Vienna was right. He had only been living with the family for two weeks prior to the field trip, but it had been explained to him from the beginning that one was always supposed to pick up after themselves. He glanced down the hallway leading from the kitchen to the foyer at the front of the house. "We should check the rest of the house. Perhaps start upstairs and then work our way down to the basement."

Vienna nodded. “Agreed, it’ll give me chance to grab some fresh clothes from my room as well.” Starting up the stairs she walked slowly as she reached the top and approached her parents room uncertain what she’d walk in on. As she pushed the door open she was faced with sheer devastation, it was obvious someone had been rifling through the room. “Looters! It has to be!” She rushed to her own room finding a similar sight. She paused flopping down on the end of the bed. “I was...looking forward to coming home...”

René wasn't entirely convinced. He went and checked his room. He had stored a package that had arrived under his bed. Thankfully it was still there. He returned to Vienna. "Nothing in my room was disturbed." He looked around and stepped over to the vanity. Her make up and small jewelry box was still there. The only thing missing that caught his eye was a photograph of Vienna, her older brother and parents was no where to be found. "And why would looters only take your family photo?"

Vienna shook her head. “So it was my parents, they must have had to pack really fast!” She looked around, the feeling in the pit of her stomach wasn’t good. “We need to check the basement, my dad built an extension from the basement to a bunker in the garden. He called it his man cave!” She grinned but only for a moment. “We should check it.”

"René looked down the hallway towards his bedroom. If the package now laying on the bed was what he thought it was would prove useful in the coming days. "Give me a few minutes. I won't be to long."

Vienna nodded. “Okay, I’ll grab a couple of things and meet you.” Turning to look around she decided it would better to change into fresh clothing, pulling out some warmer trousers, a top and a jumper to go with it.

René walked down to the bedroom and opened the package. He was relieved to find his rapier and practice foil. His parents had also packed his Renaissance Faire garb, a heavy leather jacket and matching leather pants. He shut the door quietly and stripped down. He pulled on fresh underwear and donned the leather pants. He was just grabbing a t-shirt when the door reopened.

Vienna paused in the doorway seeing René without his shirt on made her blush. “Sorry...I’ll err...wait outside the door.”

René pulled on the t-shirt. "It's okay." He pulled on a long sleeve sweat shirt and the heavy leather jacket. He sat down on the bed. "I just need another minute to get some socks and boots on."

Vienna nodded as she stood in the doorway. “Take whatever time you need.”

He put on the weapons belt once he was fully dressed. He felt better about having a proper sword to use versus the machete he had been carrying the last two days. He looked down at the machete and then to Vienna. "You want it? Has a little more reach than that hunting knife of yours. Not a good stabbing weapon, but pretty decent with slashing attacks."

Vienna gave the machete a look, “It’s not what I’m used to, my bow and quiver of arrows might be in the bunker if my dad brought it back from our hunting lodge.” She sighed. “I’m worried what we might find in the bunker René, what if something bad has happened!?”

René attached the machete to his belt and crossed to the door. He took Vienna by the hand and gave a gentle squeeze. "We'll face it together." He glanced down the hallway to the stairs. "Shall we?"

Vienna nodded. Making their way to the bunker she paused at the doorway as they found the door wide open, tidy shelves of food were strewn on the floor, the whole bunker was a mess and amongst it all a trail of blood lead deeper into the bunker...

René drew his rapier at the sight of the blood trail. He stepped forward slightly and peered into the dimly lit portion of the bunker. "Remember, go for the head if it is one of the Soulless."

Vienna nodded as she followed cautiously behind her blade in her hand. As they entered further inside it was painfully obviously that the amount of blood was more than could have come from just one person. “No....” Vienna stopped in her tracks. “No...it can’t...it can’t be true!!”

The sight before them was gruesome, to say the least. René took Vienna in his arms and led her back a few steps and out of view of their discovery.

Vienna stood wide eyed and hyperventilating at the sight that had greeted them, the amount of blood could only mean one thing, and it definitely wasn’t good. She sank to her knees feeling faint, could her family truly be gone?

René knelt down beside Vienna and placed an arm around her waist. "Take a minute and catch your breath." He looked deeper into the man cave and rose to his feet. He started moving forward again and went to the last door. He paused to listen before taking the knob and twisting. He saw Mr. Quinn sitting in a chair, dead from what appeared to be bullet to the side of his head, a pistol clutched in his hand and an envelope in the other. He saw no sign of Mrs. Quinn.

“D...Dad!!” Vienna had unwittingly followed René, the horror before her eyes too much to take as she suddenly passed out.

Rene dropped his sword and quickly caught Vienna as she started to fall. He carried her back to the big room and placed her on the couch. He checked her forehead and cheeks. He spotted the mini fridge in the corner and returned to her side with a bottle of water. It was several minutes before she woke up to a scared and worried looking René.

Vienna looked up at René as she opened her eyes, tears starting to run down her cheeks. “They’re...gone...aren’t they?”

René sighed. His biggest fear the last several days was coming to pass. "Your father is dead, I don't know about your mum. Maybe she is somewhere else. She's a nurse. She could be at a relief center."

Vienna shook her head. “No, my father wouldn’t do that to himself unless mum was...” she didn’t say it. “All that blood, it wasn’t just his either!” She looked around. “There’s nothing for me here now, let’s get away from here!”

Rene handed her the bottle of water. "We will leave soon. It is best we collect some supplies first. Things we will need. Water, food. Perhaps some spare clothes."

Vienna nodded. She was trying to get the image of her father out of her head, at least concentrating on supplies would help with that. “There’s a... larder at the rear of the bunker, there’s food, bottled water, there should be weapons in there too the group could use.”

"Please, stay here and rest for a bit.. I will look for the supplies." René rose from where Vienna lay on the couch and moved back to the door. He retrieved his rapier and put it back in the scabbard. He approached Mr. Quinn's body and took the pistol. He inspected the weapon and found the safety which he engaged. He tucked the pistol in his belt and started searching. He found a case that contained Meals, Ready to Eat (known as MREs by the US Armed Forces). He took the case back into the room where Vienna was resting.

René checked and found Vienna curled on the couch asleep. She left her to rest. He spent 20 minutes searching and packing two backpacks he found with food, clothes, toiletries and medical supplies. He set both packs by the door to the basement and went to wake Vienna.

Vienna was already awake staring at the ceiling when René entered the room, she moved to sit up wiping away the tears from her face as she did so. “Can we go now?” Her puffy eyes looked upon René.

René simply nodded. He helped Vienna rise from the couch before grabbing the larger of the two backpacks and slipped his arms through the straps. He hoisted the other and carried the second backpack under his arm and took Vienna's hand to lead her back. He figured, with luck, they would return to Courtney's house by sunset.

 

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