Hollow Men Read Free

Where do we sleep?”
    I chewed my lip. “Downstairs. Follow me.” I made sure not to look at him as I led the way. If I looked at him, I might just lose my mind. Or my panties. It had been a long, long time, as I said.
    Now is not the time, Eleanor…
    But my body wasn’t so in tune with my brain tonight.
    “So, Eleanor Salt, is this where you bunk down?” He was using his best drill instructor voice. The voice we used with each other to back in the day to imitate my dad. We never made fun, though. My dad was hard not to love.
    “Sir, yes, Sir!” I snapped. It felt weird to be having fun. To be joking around. “Right back here. You remember this,” I said, softly. My voice changing a bit. I flipped the main room lights on, not worried about the strangers outside seeing them. The windows were blacked out from the inside, fitted with wrought iron coverings, and a few weeks back I’d shuttered them as a final touch.
    I pushed the hidden button for my father’s recessed room and stepped back. Evan had moved up close behind me, and we watched the door slide open on its well-oiled runner. “Ah, I can’t get over how much of a genius your dad was. Papa Prepper.”
    I laughed at that. I’d forgotten the nickname we’d used for him. But my eyes stung, too, and I quickly wiped at them.
    “Sorry, El. Sorry.” His arms came around my waist, and he held me close. Evan nestled his chin on my shoulder and kissed the side of my face.
    “I bet you miss them both something awful.”
    “I do.” My voice was choked.
    He squeezed me tight, and I sort of just…melted into it. I knew I shouldn’t, I should get myself together, but it was so hard to resist. He felt it, too.
    “How long you been alone here, Salt?”
    “About six months, Blackwood,” I said, joking. “I mean, I’ve been out but…I’ve been here mostly for that long. Since the outbreak.”
    “Too long.”
    I hit the light for the main room and together we walked into the space I slept in when the neighborhood was active. It had two sealing interior doors and some low-tech alarm systems built in. It made me feel secure enough to sleep, being in there. Which was a blessing.
    I turned on the security monitor my dad had installed a few years back. It was a simple closed circuit TV feed, and I monitored the porch and the street for a minute. “They’re still not interested in us,” I said.
    “Good.” He turned in a circle. “I’m guessing that’s your cot since Mr. Boo Boo is on it.”
    “Careful, I might shoot you,” I said. Mr. Boo Boo was my first stuffed animal, and he was still important enough for me to keep in one piece. My dad bought him in the hospital gift shop two minutes after I was born because he wanted to be the person to give me my first stuffed animal. No matter how hideous or sad looking it might be. The dominant votes were hippo or mutant octopus.
    “I’ll take this one,” he said.
    I heard the bed groan as he sat. He really was a big guy.
    “Sorry, for the uninvited drop in.”
    “It’s fine,” I said quickly. I almost added I’m glad you came but couldn’t quite bring my mouth to say it. I hadn’t realized how lonely I’d been until he’d shown up to make me see it. Being alone fucked with your head.
    My dad’s safe room had a built-in bathroom. Small as fuck, but it did the job. I went in, washed my face and stared at myself in the mirror. Haunted gray eyes stared back at me.
    I had a brief flash of the last time Evan and I had been together. His hands standing out ruddy-white in contrast to my almost caramel skin. He was a mutt of Irish, Scottish, English and French. Me…I was English, German and a hefty dose of Native American. No one could ever agree on what tribe, so I went by law of averages. The most common I’d heard from family members, including my dad, was Cherokee, so I just ran with that.
    The image of his hands on skin faded when his face appeared in the doorway making me jump.
    “You okay, El?”
    I