October 14th

They thought I couldn't hear them arguing this morning, but I could. Couples always assume they're being discreet by arguing in low voices with the door closed. Not true, though. When people share a home together, everyone can sense when there are problems. I'm glad they weren't arguing about...stuff that they'd fought about back in The Basement. They were arguing about a subject with equitable merit, though.

"—Gotta go. Just have to." Michael's muffled voice came from the study.

I was outside, puttering with the pool net in the semi-clear surface of the water. Cleaning out bugs and leaves had seemed like a good idea once I'd heard the click

(dead bold sliding home. Never getting out.

No, we're safe now)

of the study door, followed by a heated back and forth between my two roommates. I tip-toed from the living room to the backyard.

Even in the backyard, I caught most of their words. "No...don't have to....wait...animals might....back."

Michael's harsh laugh. "...Kidding, right?...Never hear birds even....are our best chance."

Wait, what was our best chance? Should've put my ear to the door.

"...Dangerous! You'll never come back!"

"...with Peter before....be okay."

I stepped into the kitchen to hear better.

Michael's voice was clearer. "Besides, the food in that pantry won't last forever. Winter's coming. We're lucky that we don't have to worry about snow in this state, but it's still going to get cold. We should have a good stock-pile of food going by then. Sustainable food, starting with a garden of vegetables and a meat source we can depend on. Honey, you know I'm right about this."

"I never said you weren't right. I said it's dangerous. And what makes you think those things will make good food? We don't even know what they are, where they come from!"

"No, we don't. But we were eating them just fine while we were in the basement. My hunting trips weren't only about front-yard trophies for that whacko. They were also about feeding hungry people. We're not hungry now anymore, but we will be soon if we don't start preparing.

A long silence. My foot fell asleep and I stalked quietly around the kitchen to relieve it.

Then Louise said, "Okay. But you're not taking him with you."

'Him' meaning me.

"I wasn't going to. In a few years, he'll need to learn."

"If we live that long."

"I'll see to it that we do." Michael promised.

I hope he does as he says.

~*~

October 15th

The demons.

Where did they come from?

Maybe with all of the bad going on in the world, we, as a destructive species, invited them.

From where though? Another planet, or our own imaginations? I've even thought that maybe they could be us, the worst of us, mutated.

~*~