Chapter Text
Day 1, Nighttime, Jensen and Jared:
He looks up at the sky with a frown, watching as the dark clouds swallow up the night sky bit by bit. It’s going to rain soon, so he quickly zips up his jacket, hoping to feel a little warmer. The taller man beside him doesn’t seem to be bothered by the cold or the fact that it’s about to start raining. Ever since this whole thing started, they’ve decided to stick together and keep in touch all day, every day, just so they don’t lose sight of each other. And Jensen has to admit that was the smartest thing they’ve ever done. It was mostly his idea, but ultimately that doesn’t matter.
“What do you think Misha’s up to right now?” asks Jared, a slight hesitation in his voice. He pauses for a moment, unsure how to answer such a question. “I hope he’s alive and well. I don’t want to believe he’s…” He trails off, unwilling to say it out loud. “But he’ll manage, I’d imagine. He’s smart when things get serious, so I have faith in him.” Jared nods, looking around thoughtfully, as if the surroundings held the answer. Since they’ve been alone, Jared has become very quiet. A silence that makes Jensen feel a little uneasy.
With a sigh, Jensen carries on, knowing full well that the other one won’t say another word – as is usually the case in their conversations. Brief, direct and to the point. Normally, he likes this way of speaking, but in their situation, a bit of small talk would be most welcome. Just a little chat to fill the oppressive silence.
Jensen glances briefly at the others before speaking: “Hey, we should find some shelter, you know. It’s already really late and it’s going to be pouring down on us any minute now. And you know how annoying it’ll be to dry everything we’ve got with us.” Once again, he’s met with silence, then a slight nod. “You’re right. Sleep would be important now, as we’ve been walking all day. I’m so exhausted, worse than yesterday. I feel like I could just lie down right here and now and sleep like a baby,” he says, slowly starting to smile. Jensen laughs softly and nudges him in the side: “Yeah, you could sleep anywhere; it’s crazy how you do that.”
So they check the map to see where they are and where they might find somewhere to stay. After a long discussion about where to go, they both decide to head for a small farm not too far from where they are. It will be completely deserted – or so they hope.
They both start chatting a bit more, which is a rare occurrence, which is why Jensen savours every single word and every joke Jared makes. It’s great not to have to listen to the sounds of nature for a change. And time passes more quickly, so that eventually they spot a farmhouse in the distance, standing there proudly and completely abandoned. This place was probably beautiful once, but now it’s just a lonely sight. “Look at that, it’s perfect for tonight, isn’t it?” grins Jensen, and Jared smiles too, equally glad of the safe shelter in the distance. Both quicken their pace and hurry a little towards this mysterious place.
Seen up close, the farm looks a bit creepy. The windows are smashed, the door has been kicked in and the roof has a few holes in it. The grass is overgrown, as no one has bothered to mow it. Jensen pulls his knife out of his pocket, just in case someone is inside and attacks them. Jared is also very cautious and holds the flashlight for Jensen. The house looks empty and like something out of a horror movie. Everything is littered around. Furniture has been thrown across the rooms as if a hurricane had raged through.
Suddenly, they hear a whimper from above. They look at each other in horror, realising they are no longer alone. “Shall we go and check?” Jensen whispers to the other, who merely shrugs before replying: “They might be infected, Jen. It’s a real risk, but better to check than to leave them all alone again.” So they make their way towards the staircase, the floor creaking beneath their boots. Jensen goes up first, slowly and with a sharp gaze. Whoever is here could attack them at any moment.
Jared points to a door behind which the whimpering and moaning is loudest. They look at each other, hoping that one of them will be brave enough to open the ajar door. Jensen nods and gently kicks it open with his foot, whilst Jared shines his flashlight inside. What they see leaves them both in a state of mild shock.
On the bed, just a few metres away, lies a man, stretched out. His face is so pale it could be as white as a sheet of paper. He is covered in who knows what, and his skin is torn open here and there. “He’s infected, his skin’s already breaking down, and just look at him. He’s probably in the final stages of this virus, barely alive. We have to go now,” says Jared, grabbing Jensen’s arm and gently pulling him back. Although this was their reality, Jensen still can’t bear to see these sick people. They hurry out and both wash their hands several times with a little water.
“I’m not going to touch my face for the next ten weeks,” mutters the shorter one, whilst the other chuckles quietly at the remark. But he understands him all too well. Who knows what that man in there has been touching and where he’s spread the stuff. Once they’re done, they decide to go somewhere else, somewhere safer, if such a place even exists. And as they set off, the first raindrops fall gently. Jared quickly pulls his hood over his head so as not to get wet unnecessarily.
“Why does it have to be raining again, man? It’s really annoying, especially when you’ve got nowhere to shelter,” Jensen complains, clearly fed up, and he’s far from done. He keeps muttering to himself about how stupid the rain is right now, whilst Jared just laughs beside him. The younger one just loved it when a bit of rain got him so worked up, as if it had personally offended him. He always reacts like that.
Amidst loud complaints and pouring rain, they reach their destination. It is the cabin they had found, and they enter it just as they had entered the farmhouse before. Fortunately for them, no one is there. Jensen begins to lock and bolt the door. The windows are already boarded up with wooden planks, so they no longer need to worry about them.
“Right, rock, paper, scissors – who gets to sleep first? Deal?” Jensen had already clenched his fist and was waiting for the other to join in. “Oh, all right. But don’t be sassy if you lose, okay?” So he gets ready too. “Rock, paper, scissors!” Both chose one of the options and Jensen groaned in annoyance. Jared had beaten his rock with paper, and that made him a bit angry. Why does he always win this stupid game?!
Jared smiles happily, unrolls his mat and sleeping bag. He takes off his shoes, lies down and snuggles into the warm fabric. That was always the best part of the day. Six or maybe seven hours’ sleep. It always depends on how tired Jensen is, but most of the time he lets him sleep as much as possible. “Good night, Jensen,” he mumbles, already half asleep. “Yeah, you too,” he smiles and walks around a bit. He’d love to sit down, but his body would probably give out on him within seconds.
So Jensen stays awake and refuses to let his tiredness get the better of him. He’s fished a Rubik’s Cube out of his backpack and starts playing with it. He’s never understood how these stupid cubes work or how people can solve them so incredibly fast. It must be some sort of witchcraft; there’s no other explanation for this stupid toy. After about an hour, he’s had enough of it and glances at his watch. He’s still got many hours to go.
For the next few hours, he writes in his diary, mumbles to himself or wanders around looking at things. It’s a long night, but eventually the six hours are up and he gives Jared a firm shake by the shoulder. The other man wakes up and looks at him groggily. With a big yawn, he sits up and packs his things together whilst Jensen gets his sleeping spot ready. “Enjoy doing nothing for the next few hours,” he grins and lies down. As his body snuggles into the sleeping bag, he falls asleep within seconds; his body has been waiting for precisely this moment. Jared chuckles quietly as he watches him sleep like a rock.
So he decides to freshen up a bit for the day, gently combs his hair and finally gets changed. He can’t wait to wash in a lake again – he really needs it badly. At the thought, he smiles, sits down, picks up his book and begins to read, whilst taking in his surroundings with keen attention.