This section is from Derrick's perspective.
Ever since we arrived in this small town, I couldn't shake the feeling that somethin' was off. It wasn't like there was any immediate danger or threat, but it sure as hell didn't feel normal, either. In a way, it reminded me of my hometown – quiet, out of the way, and with its own quirks. Though I reckon there were fewer crocs here and just one racist Gator.
He carried Maria's things to her cabin, as I dropped the Allen's things off in the smaller cabin. As soon as the door closed behind us, Mrs. Bitch turned and slapped Mr. Allen across the face.
Mr. Allen reeled back, "What are you doing." He clutched his cheek and hissed. I wish I was allowed to stop her...but Mr. Allen told me not to.
Mrs. Allen Huffed and stomped away.
Mr. Allen turned to me. "I'm not hungry right now; I'll deal with this. You should go eat."
I looked concerned. "Are you sure? Will you be okay?"
He looked sad at me. "I'm sure."
I walked out of the cabin and looked around. The nature was pretty. I much preferred the city. I listened to the yelling in the cabin and thought about what to do.
I noticed Maria and company walking towards the big house in the twilight. I jogged to catch up to them. On the patio, I stood waiting for the food to be served. When everyone else sat down, I did too.
I had my doubts that someone this far north knew how to grill, but this man knew how to season. "Damn, this ain't half bad," I muttered to myself, taking another bite. Despite the unexpectedly good food, I couldn't shake the unease I felt. My instincts were usually spot-on, so I stayed vigilant, watching everything while eating. I tried not to engage in conversation beyond introducing myself, focusing instead on the environment and people around me. My ears were on high alert for anyone and anything coming anywhere near us.
Nothing felt right, but I didn't have my usual itch warning me when something terrible was about to happen. I glanced around at the others, tryin' to gauge how they were feelin'. Maria and Rosalina seemed to be doing their best to keep the kids happy and distracted, but I could see the worry in their eyes.
After we finished eating, I asked again, "Do you mind if I take some leftovers to the cabin for Mr. and Mrs. Allen?"
Ivan noted, and Tsu quickly walked away and brought back a fresh plate. She handed it to me. "Here you go, we have plenty of leftovers."
I muttered, "Thank you." I took a few pieces of meat and bread and prepared to leave after Maria and Rosalina gathered the kids and carried them out of the eating area.
As we walked back to the cabins, I kept replaying the day's events in my mind. Mr. Allen hired me 'cause I was good at protecting him and handling the stuff he wasn't too keen on. But Ivan...Ivan was a different story. We'd only met him today, and already, he was offering us food and shelter for a month. The promise of meat seemed like a lousy trade-off, and I couldn't help but wonder what his angle was.
"Good night, everyone," I told Maria and Rosalina as we reached the cabins.
"Alright, Derrick," Maria said, eyeing me warily. "Take care and sleep well."
"Promise," I replied, shifting the plate in my hands and heading towards the cabin where Mr. Allen and his wife were staying.
The night was colder than I liked, and I shivered involuntarily as I watched them walk away.
As I neared the cabin, screams pierced the air like rapid gunfire. It wasn't unusual for there to be conflict, but what struck me was that Mr. Allen's voice matched Mrs. Bitch's in intensity. He usually tried to be the voice of reason. But not today. The tension hung heavy around me like the cold air itself was holding its breath watching the show.
"Damn," I muttered under my breath, hesitating for a moment before knocking on the door. The voices went quiet, and I pushed open the door. Inside, Mr. Allen and Mrs. Bitch stood in the living room, their chests heaving from the verbal brawl. A thin layer of sweat glistened on their brows, catching the faint light from the window.
"I brought you two some food since you didn't go to dinner." My voice sounded strained, even to my own ears. As I set the plate down on the kitchen table, I sighed, preparing for some response I had to react patiently to.
Mrs. Bitch stomped over, her eyes narrowing as she looked down at the plate. "What is this shit? It looks vile!" Her words were spat out like venom, her volume threatening to shake the walls of the cabin.
I smiled, ignoring her tone and volume, trying to defuse the situation. "It looked better fresh, but it actually tastes good."
She whirled on me, her face contorted with rage, looking like she wanted to hit me. I just raised an eyebrow, staring down at her 5-foot stature. I doubted she'd be able to reach my face even while jumping. Mr. Allen finally spoke up, his voice barely more than a growl. "Don't you dare hit him!"
Mrs. Allen whirled around, her fury redirected at her husband. She screeched at him, then stomped to the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Mr. Allen looked sad at me, shoulders slumped in defeat, before following after his wife.
"Sorry 'bout that, Derrick," he sighed, disappearing into the bedroom.
I stood there for a moment, processing what had just happened. My instincts were telling me that this situation was far from over.
As soon as the door slammed shut, the screaming picked up again. I could feel the tension in the air thickening again. I sat down on the couch, trying to drown out the conflict with my own thoughts. My ribs still ached, something fierce.
After 5 minutes of listening to the emotional storm behind the wall, I sighed and groaned, pushing myself up off the couch. I couldn't stay here. The screaming was too much, wearing me down bit by bit. I needed distance.
I slunk out of the house and sat on the porch chair, letting the cool night air wash over me. The noise of the nightlife had picked up, but it wasn't loud enough to drown out the sound of the fight going on inside. I shivered in the cold, my Louisiana blood longing for the warmth of home.
"Damn," I muttered, getting back to my feet. My only option was to go ask Maria if she had room for one more. I walked over to their cabin, hearing the sounds of kids giggling through the walls. I knocked on the door, hoping they wouldn't mind the intrusion.
The door opened, revealing Rosalina's concerned face. Behind her, Sofia, Emma, and Michel spun around, laughter bubbling up from their innocent faces. "Is somethin' wrong?" Rosalina asked, her eyes searching mine for any sign of trouble.
I shook my head, hesitating for a moment before replying. "No, just... not peaceful in the other cabin."
"Ah, so you need a place to rest away from...the boss and wife?" Maria's voice came from behind Rosalina, her tone gentle and understandin'. I nodded, grateful for their kindness.
"Ah, I understand," she said, her worry replaced with empathy. She stepped aside, gesturing for me to come in. "You're welcome to stay here with us."
"Thank you," I said, stepping in as Rosalina moved aside.
"You know, I feel a bit safer with you around, like a guard dog or somethin'," Rosalina said, lookin' me right in the eye.
I smirked at Maria's Sassy little sister but didn't respond to her. Instead, I turned to Maria.
"Do you mind if I sleep on the floor in the kitchen or something?" I asked sheepishly.
Maria shook her head, smiling warmly. "I think it's fine if you take the couch. This cabin has two bedrooms; we're planning to put the kids in the bunk room and take the other room for ourselves."
"Thank you," I repeated again.
"Okay, we need to settle down," Maria announced, turning to the kids, her voice firm but gentle. "Tomorrow, we need to have energy and time to get everything done. So we need to head to bed." She looked toward Gabriela. "Can you work with us tomorrow?"
"Of course," Gabriela nodded, smiling at her mom.
"Sofia, can you please take care of Emma and Michel tomorrow?" Maria asked next.
"Of course," Sofia hugged the two younger kids, her eyes sparkling with affection. The children all headed off to the bedroom, leaving Maria, Rosalina, and me alone in the living area.
As I settled onto the couch, I kept worrying about Mr. Allen and Mrs. Bitch back in the other cabin. Were they still going at each other?
The wind outside the cabin howled softly, and I shivered despite the warmth inside. Tomorrow was gonna be a long day, and I needed to be ready for whatever it threw at me.
After a few minutes of the kids babbling in a room in the cabin, I heard the kids settle down. A door opened and closed.
"Sleep well," Maria whispered as she and Rosalina disappeared into their room.
"Y'all too," I murmured back, already half-asleep. In this moment of fragile calm, I held onto the hope that maybe, just maybe, things would work out for us after all.
Dreams came and went on the usual rotation. Every louder noise woke me up to see if anything wanted to try to threaten us.