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Entry tags:
Returning Home [Jonna/Riikka]
Title: Returning Home
Fandom: A Redtail's Dream (x SSSS)
Characters/Pairing: Jonna/Riikka. (Hannu and Joona and Ville are there too.)
Rating: 13+
Length: 3.2k
Summary: It hasn't been that long since everything turned messy. Jonna and Riikka go back to their village to scavenge some supplies, but things don't turn out quite how they planned.
Other: aRTD set during the very early years of SSSS's apocalypse. Established relationship. Some SSSS-typical violence.
Returning Home
They went back. Later. During the winter.
It probably wasn't the brightest idea in the world, but hey, at least they might get something out of it.
From a distance, the village looked quiet. Peaceful. A bit like a Christmas card, really; all those buildings, undisturbed and buried under thick white snow. It sparkled clear and bright in the noonday sun.
It was only when you got closer that you could see that something wasn't right. That there were windows broken. Doors boarded up or hanging off their hinges. Tracks running through the snow – the ordinary kind, deer and rabbits and all, but another kind as well, the kind that'd get your hair stiffening, the kind with too many feet.
Jonna motioned for Riikka to come closer to her. She put a finger to her lips, and then gestured in the direction of Riikka's house. Well, the place that used to be her house, anyway.
Riikka nodded.
They went, and Riikka's cat walked along beside her.
Nearby, Joona and Hannu and Ville dipped their heads to exchange a few words, then headed off in the direction of what used to be the Kuikka house, pulling along the salvaged kiddy sled that they'd brought to carry the supplies they were hoping to pick up.
It had been Joona's idea. The village was just sitting there, still and empty. They'd figured out that in the cold it was a little safer to get around than it had been before winter. And they were running low on pretty much everything, so maybe they could –
The plan was worth a try, anyway. If they went poking around, they might be able to find some useful things, pick up some of the supplies they needed. Not too risky if they stuck to their own homes, probably, at least they thought, since they knew that those buildings had been closed up decently. And Hannu had agreed. And that sealed it, because somehow Hannu, of all people, was the one they were listening to these days.
Jonna bit her lip to stop from laughing at the thought of it. Hannu couldn't lead his way out of a paper bag. At least, that was what they used to think.
Funny how the world ending changed things.
A mittened hand slipped into hers. Jonna glanced at Riikka, raised an eyebrow, and then tilted her head to silently ask if there was anything to worry about. Riikka shook her head, then nodded down the street, and went forward.
Nothing wrong, then. Just... well.
Jonna shivered. It wasn't from the cold. It was just from everything. Walking through this place, this silent village that had used to be everything that they ever knew. It used to be home.
Well, Jonna thought. It wasn't, not any more. The weight of the crowbar that she'd taken to carrying around with her spoke to that.
It didn't matter.
They'd get what they needed, and then they'd leave, and that would be that.
They circled Riikka's house once. There were no tracks leading in or out; neither human nor animal nor other things they'd rather not think about. No sign of anything at all, in fact, and that was good. As Riikka bent to slip the spare key from its hiding place under a board on the porch, Jonna kept a look out. Watched across the street for any sign of life, or anything that was not quite right.
Nothing.
Good.
They slipped inside. Closed the door behind them. The click of the latch rang too-loud in the winter stillness.
For a while they stood in Riikka's front entrance, boots dripping snow all over the mat. It was dark. The curtains were drawn, the blinds shut, but a hint of weak brightness slipped in anyway.
Jonna breathed in. Took a big old sniff. She couldn't detect any scent of decay, that dank smell of half-rotten half-alive downright wrong something-or-other that they'd all come to know meant danger. Just a musty old empty house that nobody had entered in months.
She glanced down at the cat. It sniffed too, tilted its head a bit, then wandered in toward the kitchen with its tail in the air, prissy as you like, completely unbothered. Good.
Okay.
"Usually I wouldn't dream of tracking snow all over your house," Jonna said, keeping her voice low, flashing a grin at her girlfriend and hoping that it looked more confident than she felt. "But I think we're better off if we go in with our boots on, don't you?"
"Yeah. I... um. You're right." Riikka wasn't looking at her; she was slowly taking in the sight of her house, untouched since she'd left it months ago. She'd had some time to pack, but it still showed signs of the owner rushing to go. There were still mugs forgotten on the coffee table, a library book open pages-down on the arm of the sofa. The throw blanket was draped half-off the couch, just as it had been when they'd sat down there for a moment to have a breather before they finished packing up for good.
Jonna watched her for a second or two. She looked a little pale, but not too bad aside from that. "Let's go," she said, giving Riikka a nudge. "You know where everything is."
Riikka took a deep breath. Nodded. "Right," she said, and took Jonna's hand, giving it a squeeze before following her cat into the kitchen.
Months ago, they'd spent time in this same kitchen, packing up boxes full of everything they could think of, on account of Riikka's crazy aunt. One night, she'd come over to tell Riikka that she had to get some provisions together and leave. As if the apocalypse was coming. As if it was the end of the world. And Jonna hadn't wanted to believe it, but – well.
Funny how things turn out.
But they hadn't packed everything they wanted. And there were some things they hadn't thought to take. Some things that they hadn't realized they would be missing.
Jonna slipped her backpack off, setting it down on the kitchen table along with her trusty crowbar. As she did, she looked around, glanced quickly through the room – just in case. By now, everyone knew that you never could be sure, never could be too careful, and that it wasn't worth it to risk it.
But there was the cat sitting on the counter, washing its paws and face as easy as you please. It didn't have that puffed-up distressed look that they'd all come to know too well, and that set Jonna's mind at ease, at least for the moment.
Riikka was muttering to herself, down on her knees, looking through the cupboard under the sink. "I know it was here, I had a whole case of them somewhere... Aha!" She rose, brandishing a box of batteries, smiling for the first time since they'd made their way into what was left of their village.
"That'll last us a while."
"And there's more where that came from...."
Before they'd left their camp, they'd made a list of everything they'd need, all the things they'd run out of, and all the little things that they'd missed on the first go-round. The stuff that would be portable, anyway. Painkillers and antiseptic and a package of sewing needles. Forks and spoons, extra pairs of scissors. A box of salt. Soap and toothpaste and extra toothbrushes. Blankets and extra socks and as much underwear as possible. As much as they could take. Pens and pencils and notebooks. Measuring tape. And, if they had room for them, a few books, too.
It was amazing, the little things you missed when you couldn't get your hands on them any more.
They tried to be both quick and silent, slipping things swiftly into their backpacks and pockets. Riikka stepped back into the living room to gather up the blanket from the sofa. Jonna went to the kitchen window and gently pressed down the blinds to look out.
The street was empty, covered in snow. Still. Quiet.
They'd been able to get back into the village without trouble. And now, here, in Riikka's house, they hadn't run into any danger.
Could they ever put things back together again? Maybe?
Don't think about that, Jonna told herself.
There was a reason they'd built their shelter on an island.
Jonna turned away from the window. Riikka hadn't come back into the kitchen. She glanced toward the living room, then stepped into it.
She expected to see Riikka sitting on the sofa, taking a break from packing, just like they had done together all those months before. It wouldn't surprise her if it hurt to be back in her house. If it was overwhelming to be here again after everything. But the living room was empty.
"Riikka?" Jonna said quietly, keeping her voice down. Just in case.
No answer.
Jonna bit her lip, wondering if she should speak again, if she should speak louder. Maybe Riikka just hadn't heard her. That was probably it. But it wasn't a good idea to make too much noise, and the both of them knew that.
Suddenly, she noticed footprints going up the stairs, damp patches left from snow melting off boots.
Okay.
She slipped back into the kitchen and picked up her crowbar from the table. Then she made a kissing noise to catch the cat's attention.
"Come on, kitty," she said as she stepped back into the living room, knowing that there was a good chance it wouldn't follow, no matter what she did. But as she made her way up the stairs, it caught up and walked beside her.
The upstairs smelled musty and slightly off, the way that any house might smell after being left for months without being properly cleaned and winterized first. Jonna put her sleeve over her nose and tried not to sneeze.
She squinted, looking down the short hallway, dark without the benefit of electric lighting. "Riikka?"
No answer.
A rustling sound came from down the hall. All of the doors were shut. The sound came from the furthest one.
Maybe, Jonna thought, Riikka just hadn't heard her.
But she didn't want to raise her voice too much.
"Riikka?" Jonna said, slightly louder, as she went toward the door. She kept her steps quiet, just in case.
No answer.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. There was a noise beside her, then, and she glanced down.
It was the cat, hissing, its fur fluffed up in all directions.
Jonna sucked in a breath. She knew she had to get out. Now. But where was Riikka?
She took a step back.
The door to the left of her opened. She swung toward it, crowbar held high –
Riikka put up her hands, then held one finger to her lips. She gestured down the hall toward the noises.
Something was there. That was what she meant.
Down the hall, in the furthest room, behind that door, was something that didn't have any right to be there.
They could leave. And Jonna knew that they should. But if they did, whatever it was would still be there, wouldn't it.
Jonna peered over there in the dark. Bit the inside of her cheek as she thought it over. Hefted her crowbar all contemplative-like. Then she looked at Riikka. Nodded in the direction of the noise.
I'm going in, she mouthed.
Riikka's eyes widened. She grabbed at Jonna's sleeve, looked pointedly toward the room, and shook her head.
Fuck that, Jonna thought. She pried Riikka's hand off her, and then pointed down the stairs. "Get our stuff and go," she said, breathing the words in her ear.
"But--!"
"Go. I'll take care of this."
And without looking to see if her girlfriend would do as she asked, Jonna headed toward the door.
She went slowly, keeping her steps light. The crowbar was a reassuring weight in her hand.
Her blood was pounding in her ears.
There really was something there. She could hear it more clearly as she approached: a slow, even scratching, like something trying to get out. Or trying to get in.
When she and Riikka had done their walk around the house, they hadn't bothered looking up to check to see if the upstairs windows were intact. It hadn't occurred to them. But as she faced that door, Jonna wished they had.
In the back of her mind, Jonna was aware that by all rights, she really should turn around and go. Go down those stairs, grab her bag, grab Riikka, and run. Go find Joona and Hannu and Ville. But the fact of the matter was, she didn't bloody well want to do that.
They might have all abandoned these houses months ago, but that didn't change the fact that there was something in Riikka's house that shouldn't be there. Something in her girlfriend's house.
That settled it, as far as Jonna was concerned.
Jonna clenched her teeth. Took a deep breath. Then she pushed the door open.
She didn't see it. Not really. It was just suddenly there, long sharp appendages darting quick and spider-like through the dark slip of space.
It pushed at the door. Tried to get at her. But as it tried to push through, it ended up just pushing the door toward the jamb, narrowing the crack it was trying so desperately to slip through.
You really are a dumbshit, aren't you, Jonna thought, grabbing for the doorknob.
She pulled the door shut, and it screamed.
One of its hands - was that even a hand? - was caught in the door. The sharp, gnarled things that probably used to be fingers wiggled and waved at her, trying to grab at her coat, her hair, anything. Jonna gasped, tucked her crowbar under her arm, and gripped the knob with both of her hands. Then she pulled the door just a bit tighter.
That did the trick, severing the digits and making them fall to the floor.
Gross.
She stared at them for a moment, hand going to her mouth as she tried desperately not to lose her breakfast.
That proved to be the wrong move, because as soon as she wasn't holding the door tightly closed, that was enough. The knob twisted, jerking out of her hands.
Then whatever was behind it heaved it open.
The thing sprang at her, long scrabbly limbs waving. She darted aside as it came out, letting it run down the hallway.
Toward the stairs.
And toward Riikka. Who was no doubt at the bottom of the stairs.
"Fuck!" Jonna screamed. She took up her crowbar and ran after it, cursing all the way.
"Hey, asshole! Look over here! Look at me! Hey, shitface! Here, behind you!"
The thing skidded to a halt on the hall carpet and turned on her.
In the darkness of the hallway, she couldn't even be sure what was staring her down. Jonna had the impression of long, sharp limbs. Too many teeth. Too many eyes.
She knew what these things were. She knew that it was a person. Or at least, it used to be.
Somebody she knew?
She sure hoped not.
"Come on, fuckface," Jonna said, grinning as she beckoned it over. "Make my day."
As it leaped toward her, she hefted her crowbar and swung.
Metal connected with flesh and sent it slamming into a wall. It shrieked as it slid down to the floor. But it was hardly down before it tried to pick itself up again, struggling on all of its limbs, spider-like.
Jonna didn't give it room to run away. She slammed the crowbar down onto its head, and heard a sharp crack as it connected with bone, sending fragments of skull everywhere.
It screamed, flailing at her with its claws.
She did it again, and that time, she heard a sickening squelch.
It kept on screaming.
She hit it again, and again, and again. All the while, there was screaming.
After the thing stopped moving, it took a moment for Jonna to realize that, actually, she'd been the one who was screaming.
She stood there, breathing heavily, staring down at what was left of it. Not a whole lot; she'd done a number on it, and the mass of blood and bone on the floor didn't resemble anything much, let alone something that might have once been human.
"How do you like that, you goddamn pain in the ass," Jonna muttered to the bloody pulp on the floor.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps running up the stairs.
She whirled around, crowbar up and ready to strike, only to be blinded by the sharp glow of a flashlight.
"Jonna, are you okay?!"
Her brother's voice. She'd recognize that anywhere. As Jonna squinted past the light, she saw four familiar pale faces. Riikka had gone to get Joona and Hannu and Ville.
Jonna sighed. "You know," she said, lowering the crowbar, "you guys were so slow that if I'd really needed help, I would've been totally screwed."
"Oh, come on -"
"She has a point, Hannu," Riikka said hesitantly. She swept the flashlight from Jonna to the mess on the floor. Then, after seeming to think for a moment, she passed it to Joona, and stepped forward to hug Jonna tightly, not seeming to care about the mess she was covered in. "You're sure you're all right?" she asked, muttering it into Jonna's coat.
"Yeah, I am." Jonna bent down to kiss the top of Riikka's head. "Sorry about the mess. I'll clean it up before we go."
"Hell no." Hannu shook his head. He took the flashlight from Joona and swept the light over the mess, then down the hall. "You made so much noise that we could even hear it outside. We should get the fuck out of here."
Jonna opened her mouth to protest, and then thought better of it.
All of them knew that noise could draw the attention of things that they definitely didn't want around. And if there had been one creep lurking around, then there were probably more.
"Okay," she said. "We were pretty much finished here."
It wasn't like they would be able to get anything more out of this scavenging trip, anyway.
They headed away from the village together, carrying their heavy loads. Ville pulled the sled, which was weighed down with things scavenged from the old Kuikka house.
For a while, Riikka had fussed over the state Jonna was in. Her eyes had gone wide when they'd stepped out into the sunlight and she'd caught sight of how much blood she was covered in.
Jonna'd had to tell her more than once - several times - that it was fine, that none of the blood was hers, and that all of it belonged to the other guy. Still, she knew it looked like a pretty damn impressive mess, and it'd take more than a little effort to wash all that out.
Riikka gripped her hand and wouldn't let go.
As they went, Jonna kept turning back to look in the direction of the village. Under the snow, it looked quiet, peaceful, and empty. Its sleepy silence made her heart ache.
Would they ever be able to come back? For real. To stay. Would they ever?
Jonna turned away from it, squeezed her girlfriend's hand, and headed down the path toward the lakeshore.
Some day, she told herself. Maybe.
But not any time soon.
Fandom: A Redtail's Dream (x SSSS)
Characters/Pairing: Jonna/Riikka. (Hannu and Joona and Ville are there too.)
Rating: 13+
Length: 3.2k
Summary: It hasn't been that long since everything turned messy. Jonna and Riikka go back to their village to scavenge some supplies, but things don't turn out quite how they planned.
Other: aRTD set during the very early years of SSSS's apocalypse. Established relationship. Some SSSS-typical violence.
Returning Home
They went back. Later. During the winter.
It probably wasn't the brightest idea in the world, but hey, at least they might get something out of it.
From a distance, the village looked quiet. Peaceful. A bit like a Christmas card, really; all those buildings, undisturbed and buried under thick white snow. It sparkled clear and bright in the noonday sun.
It was only when you got closer that you could see that something wasn't right. That there were windows broken. Doors boarded up or hanging off their hinges. Tracks running through the snow – the ordinary kind, deer and rabbits and all, but another kind as well, the kind that'd get your hair stiffening, the kind with too many feet.
Jonna motioned for Riikka to come closer to her. She put a finger to her lips, and then gestured in the direction of Riikka's house. Well, the place that used to be her house, anyway.
Riikka nodded.
They went, and Riikka's cat walked along beside her.
Nearby, Joona and Hannu and Ville dipped their heads to exchange a few words, then headed off in the direction of what used to be the Kuikka house, pulling along the salvaged kiddy sled that they'd brought to carry the supplies they were hoping to pick up.
It had been Joona's idea. The village was just sitting there, still and empty. They'd figured out that in the cold it was a little safer to get around than it had been before winter. And they were running low on pretty much everything, so maybe they could –
The plan was worth a try, anyway. If they went poking around, they might be able to find some useful things, pick up some of the supplies they needed. Not too risky if they stuck to their own homes, probably, at least they thought, since they knew that those buildings had been closed up decently. And Hannu had agreed. And that sealed it, because somehow Hannu, of all people, was the one they were listening to these days.
Jonna bit her lip to stop from laughing at the thought of it. Hannu couldn't lead his way out of a paper bag. At least, that was what they used to think.
Funny how the world ending changed things.
A mittened hand slipped into hers. Jonna glanced at Riikka, raised an eyebrow, and then tilted her head to silently ask if there was anything to worry about. Riikka shook her head, then nodded down the street, and went forward.
Nothing wrong, then. Just... well.
Jonna shivered. It wasn't from the cold. It was just from everything. Walking through this place, this silent village that had used to be everything that they ever knew. It used to be home.
Well, Jonna thought. It wasn't, not any more. The weight of the crowbar that she'd taken to carrying around with her spoke to that.
It didn't matter.
They'd get what they needed, and then they'd leave, and that would be that.
They circled Riikka's house once. There were no tracks leading in or out; neither human nor animal nor other things they'd rather not think about. No sign of anything at all, in fact, and that was good. As Riikka bent to slip the spare key from its hiding place under a board on the porch, Jonna kept a look out. Watched across the street for any sign of life, or anything that was not quite right.
Nothing.
Good.
They slipped inside. Closed the door behind them. The click of the latch rang too-loud in the winter stillness.
For a while they stood in Riikka's front entrance, boots dripping snow all over the mat. It was dark. The curtains were drawn, the blinds shut, but a hint of weak brightness slipped in anyway.
Jonna breathed in. Took a big old sniff. She couldn't detect any scent of decay, that dank smell of half-rotten half-alive downright wrong something-or-other that they'd all come to know meant danger. Just a musty old empty house that nobody had entered in months.
She glanced down at the cat. It sniffed too, tilted its head a bit, then wandered in toward the kitchen with its tail in the air, prissy as you like, completely unbothered. Good.
Okay.
"Usually I wouldn't dream of tracking snow all over your house," Jonna said, keeping her voice low, flashing a grin at her girlfriend and hoping that it looked more confident than she felt. "But I think we're better off if we go in with our boots on, don't you?"
"Yeah. I... um. You're right." Riikka wasn't looking at her; she was slowly taking in the sight of her house, untouched since she'd left it months ago. She'd had some time to pack, but it still showed signs of the owner rushing to go. There were still mugs forgotten on the coffee table, a library book open pages-down on the arm of the sofa. The throw blanket was draped half-off the couch, just as it had been when they'd sat down there for a moment to have a breather before they finished packing up for good.
Jonna watched her for a second or two. She looked a little pale, but not too bad aside from that. "Let's go," she said, giving Riikka a nudge. "You know where everything is."
Riikka took a deep breath. Nodded. "Right," she said, and took Jonna's hand, giving it a squeeze before following her cat into the kitchen.
Months ago, they'd spent time in this same kitchen, packing up boxes full of everything they could think of, on account of Riikka's crazy aunt. One night, she'd come over to tell Riikka that she had to get some provisions together and leave. As if the apocalypse was coming. As if it was the end of the world. And Jonna hadn't wanted to believe it, but – well.
Funny how things turn out.
But they hadn't packed everything they wanted. And there were some things they hadn't thought to take. Some things that they hadn't realized they would be missing.
Jonna slipped her backpack off, setting it down on the kitchen table along with her trusty crowbar. As she did, she looked around, glanced quickly through the room – just in case. By now, everyone knew that you never could be sure, never could be too careful, and that it wasn't worth it to risk it.
But there was the cat sitting on the counter, washing its paws and face as easy as you please. It didn't have that puffed-up distressed look that they'd all come to know too well, and that set Jonna's mind at ease, at least for the moment.
Riikka was muttering to herself, down on her knees, looking through the cupboard under the sink. "I know it was here, I had a whole case of them somewhere... Aha!" She rose, brandishing a box of batteries, smiling for the first time since they'd made their way into what was left of their village.
"That'll last us a while."
"And there's more where that came from...."
Before they'd left their camp, they'd made a list of everything they'd need, all the things they'd run out of, and all the little things that they'd missed on the first go-round. The stuff that would be portable, anyway. Painkillers and antiseptic and a package of sewing needles. Forks and spoons, extra pairs of scissors. A box of salt. Soap and toothpaste and extra toothbrushes. Blankets and extra socks and as much underwear as possible. As much as they could take. Pens and pencils and notebooks. Measuring tape. And, if they had room for them, a few books, too.
It was amazing, the little things you missed when you couldn't get your hands on them any more.
They tried to be both quick and silent, slipping things swiftly into their backpacks and pockets. Riikka stepped back into the living room to gather up the blanket from the sofa. Jonna went to the kitchen window and gently pressed down the blinds to look out.
The street was empty, covered in snow. Still. Quiet.
They'd been able to get back into the village without trouble. And now, here, in Riikka's house, they hadn't run into any danger.
Could they ever put things back together again? Maybe?
Don't think about that, Jonna told herself.
There was a reason they'd built their shelter on an island.
Jonna turned away from the window. Riikka hadn't come back into the kitchen. She glanced toward the living room, then stepped into it.
She expected to see Riikka sitting on the sofa, taking a break from packing, just like they had done together all those months before. It wouldn't surprise her if it hurt to be back in her house. If it was overwhelming to be here again after everything. But the living room was empty.
"Riikka?" Jonna said quietly, keeping her voice down. Just in case.
No answer.
Jonna bit her lip, wondering if she should speak again, if she should speak louder. Maybe Riikka just hadn't heard her. That was probably it. But it wasn't a good idea to make too much noise, and the both of them knew that.
Suddenly, she noticed footprints going up the stairs, damp patches left from snow melting off boots.
Okay.
She slipped back into the kitchen and picked up her crowbar from the table. Then she made a kissing noise to catch the cat's attention.
"Come on, kitty," she said as she stepped back into the living room, knowing that there was a good chance it wouldn't follow, no matter what she did. But as she made her way up the stairs, it caught up and walked beside her.
The upstairs smelled musty and slightly off, the way that any house might smell after being left for months without being properly cleaned and winterized first. Jonna put her sleeve over her nose and tried not to sneeze.
She squinted, looking down the short hallway, dark without the benefit of electric lighting. "Riikka?"
No answer.
A rustling sound came from down the hall. All of the doors were shut. The sound came from the furthest one.
Maybe, Jonna thought, Riikka just hadn't heard her.
But she didn't want to raise her voice too much.
"Riikka?" Jonna said, slightly louder, as she went toward the door. She kept her steps quiet, just in case.
No answer.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. There was a noise beside her, then, and she glanced down.
It was the cat, hissing, its fur fluffed up in all directions.
Jonna sucked in a breath. She knew she had to get out. Now. But where was Riikka?
She took a step back.
The door to the left of her opened. She swung toward it, crowbar held high –
Riikka put up her hands, then held one finger to her lips. She gestured down the hall toward the noises.
Something was there. That was what she meant.
Down the hall, in the furthest room, behind that door, was something that didn't have any right to be there.
They could leave. And Jonna knew that they should. But if they did, whatever it was would still be there, wouldn't it.
Jonna peered over there in the dark. Bit the inside of her cheek as she thought it over. Hefted her crowbar all contemplative-like. Then she looked at Riikka. Nodded in the direction of the noise.
I'm going in, she mouthed.
Riikka's eyes widened. She grabbed at Jonna's sleeve, looked pointedly toward the room, and shook her head.
Fuck that, Jonna thought. She pried Riikka's hand off her, and then pointed down the stairs. "Get our stuff and go," she said, breathing the words in her ear.
"But--!"
"Go. I'll take care of this."
And without looking to see if her girlfriend would do as she asked, Jonna headed toward the door.
She went slowly, keeping her steps light. The crowbar was a reassuring weight in her hand.
Her blood was pounding in her ears.
There really was something there. She could hear it more clearly as she approached: a slow, even scratching, like something trying to get out. Or trying to get in.
When she and Riikka had done their walk around the house, they hadn't bothered looking up to check to see if the upstairs windows were intact. It hadn't occurred to them. But as she faced that door, Jonna wished they had.
In the back of her mind, Jonna was aware that by all rights, she really should turn around and go. Go down those stairs, grab her bag, grab Riikka, and run. Go find Joona and Hannu and Ville. But the fact of the matter was, she didn't bloody well want to do that.
They might have all abandoned these houses months ago, but that didn't change the fact that there was something in Riikka's house that shouldn't be there. Something in her girlfriend's house.
That settled it, as far as Jonna was concerned.
Jonna clenched her teeth. Took a deep breath. Then she pushed the door open.
She didn't see it. Not really. It was just suddenly there, long sharp appendages darting quick and spider-like through the dark slip of space.
It pushed at the door. Tried to get at her. But as it tried to push through, it ended up just pushing the door toward the jamb, narrowing the crack it was trying so desperately to slip through.
You really are a dumbshit, aren't you, Jonna thought, grabbing for the doorknob.
She pulled the door shut, and it screamed.
One of its hands - was that even a hand? - was caught in the door. The sharp, gnarled things that probably used to be fingers wiggled and waved at her, trying to grab at her coat, her hair, anything. Jonna gasped, tucked her crowbar under her arm, and gripped the knob with both of her hands. Then she pulled the door just a bit tighter.
That did the trick, severing the digits and making them fall to the floor.
Gross.
She stared at them for a moment, hand going to her mouth as she tried desperately not to lose her breakfast.
That proved to be the wrong move, because as soon as she wasn't holding the door tightly closed, that was enough. The knob twisted, jerking out of her hands.
Then whatever was behind it heaved it open.
The thing sprang at her, long scrabbly limbs waving. She darted aside as it came out, letting it run down the hallway.
Toward the stairs.
And toward Riikka. Who was no doubt at the bottom of the stairs.
"Fuck!" Jonna screamed. She took up her crowbar and ran after it, cursing all the way.
"Hey, asshole! Look over here! Look at me! Hey, shitface! Here, behind you!"
The thing skidded to a halt on the hall carpet and turned on her.
In the darkness of the hallway, she couldn't even be sure what was staring her down. Jonna had the impression of long, sharp limbs. Too many teeth. Too many eyes.
She knew what these things were. She knew that it was a person. Or at least, it used to be.
Somebody she knew?
She sure hoped not.
"Come on, fuckface," Jonna said, grinning as she beckoned it over. "Make my day."
As it leaped toward her, she hefted her crowbar and swung.
Metal connected with flesh and sent it slamming into a wall. It shrieked as it slid down to the floor. But it was hardly down before it tried to pick itself up again, struggling on all of its limbs, spider-like.
Jonna didn't give it room to run away. She slammed the crowbar down onto its head, and heard a sharp crack as it connected with bone, sending fragments of skull everywhere.
It screamed, flailing at her with its claws.
She did it again, and that time, she heard a sickening squelch.
It kept on screaming.
She hit it again, and again, and again. All the while, there was screaming.
After the thing stopped moving, it took a moment for Jonna to realize that, actually, she'd been the one who was screaming.
She stood there, breathing heavily, staring down at what was left of it. Not a whole lot; she'd done a number on it, and the mass of blood and bone on the floor didn't resemble anything much, let alone something that might have once been human.
"How do you like that, you goddamn pain in the ass," Jonna muttered to the bloody pulp on the floor.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps running up the stairs.
She whirled around, crowbar up and ready to strike, only to be blinded by the sharp glow of a flashlight.
"Jonna, are you okay?!"
Her brother's voice. She'd recognize that anywhere. As Jonna squinted past the light, she saw four familiar pale faces. Riikka had gone to get Joona and Hannu and Ville.
Jonna sighed. "You know," she said, lowering the crowbar, "you guys were so slow that if I'd really needed help, I would've been totally screwed."
"Oh, come on -"
"She has a point, Hannu," Riikka said hesitantly. She swept the flashlight from Jonna to the mess on the floor. Then, after seeming to think for a moment, she passed it to Joona, and stepped forward to hug Jonna tightly, not seeming to care about the mess she was covered in. "You're sure you're all right?" she asked, muttering it into Jonna's coat.
"Yeah, I am." Jonna bent down to kiss the top of Riikka's head. "Sorry about the mess. I'll clean it up before we go."
"Hell no." Hannu shook his head. He took the flashlight from Joona and swept the light over the mess, then down the hall. "You made so much noise that we could even hear it outside. We should get the fuck out of here."
Jonna opened her mouth to protest, and then thought better of it.
All of them knew that noise could draw the attention of things that they definitely didn't want around. And if there had been one creep lurking around, then there were probably more.
"Okay," she said. "We were pretty much finished here."
It wasn't like they would be able to get anything more out of this scavenging trip, anyway.
They headed away from the village together, carrying their heavy loads. Ville pulled the sled, which was weighed down with things scavenged from the old Kuikka house.
For a while, Riikka had fussed over the state Jonna was in. Her eyes had gone wide when they'd stepped out into the sunlight and she'd caught sight of how much blood she was covered in.
Jonna'd had to tell her more than once - several times - that it was fine, that none of the blood was hers, and that all of it belonged to the other guy. Still, she knew it looked like a pretty damn impressive mess, and it'd take more than a little effort to wash all that out.
Riikka gripped her hand and wouldn't let go.
As they went, Jonna kept turning back to look in the direction of the village. Under the snow, it looked quiet, peaceful, and empty. Its sleepy silence made her heart ache.
Would they ever be able to come back? For real. To stay. Would they ever?
Jonna turned away from it, squeezed her girlfriend's hand, and headed down the path toward the lakeshore.
Some day, she told herself. Maybe.
But not any time soon.