Once Bitten: Twice Mad

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Chapter Fifty-Eight: Who Said Life Was Easy?

"Alright, let's get out there and get our supplies off those carts." Colt said the next morning as everyone stood in the sitting room of the house they were temporarily calling home.

Charlotte missed having a home. She missed having that one steady place to lay her head down at night and the knowledge that that same bed would be waiting in that same spot at the end of a hard day of work.

"What are we going to do without horses?" Rachel asked and Colt sighed before sliding his hat back on his head.

"Let's just take things one step at a time. Priority number one is getting all our belongings in one place."

"Alright then. Let's get this done," Ox said, gripping his favorite pick axe tightly in his hands. Charlotte was happy to see that he was in better spirits this morning. Ever since Susette had woken up with a smile and eaten breakfast for the first time in days a lot of the tension that had been in the air had disappeared. Her arm was still bruised, her hand was still swollen, but it was clear she was going to live.

"Susette and I will stay in here," Katherine spoke up.

Susette whimpered in the arm chair. "But I wanna—"

"You heard Miss Kate," Ox warned her. "We love you and want what's best. You can't use that hand just yet so you don't need to be out there fighting with rabid."

"Ox, you sounded just like a papa." Evangeline teased with a smile. The grin that appeared on Ox's face nearly split his cheeks.

Comanche walked to the door with Frankie's hatchet in his hand. "Are we ready?"

Colt inclined his head. "After you."

Comanche threw open the door and ran outside, a war cry bursting from his lips. While Charlotte did not share in his enthusiasm for the fight, she tightened her grip on the knife in her hand and followed Silas out the door.

There weren't many rabid. Comanche took care of most and Colt took care of many of the ones Comanche didn't. Charlotte noticed that Evangeline was right in there as well. Oh how this world changed people.

Charlotte didn't like it but knew that's how it had to be. The world was hard and cruel now and so there a need for the people living in it to become the same.

She stuck the knife in her hand deep into the head of a rabid that had run her way just as Silas hit another with the end of his shot gun.

"That's the last one." Comanche said as he slid his spear back out of a young rabid's head and shook off the gore left on the wooden point.

"Alright, hopefully that'll be the last we see for a while." Colt sighed. "Let's get these supplies unloaded."

"Colt, there's a horse!" Evangeline exclaimed, pointing out over the plains. Charlotte followed her gaze and saw that the horse she saw was actually Silas's mule.

"That's your mule, Silas." Charlotte smiled.

"Well I'll be..." Silas smiled. "My faithful steed."

Comanche whistled and his Paint was soon galloping toward them with Silas's mule and Katherine's brown mare in tow.

"Well three is better than none." Charlotte said brightly. "The day is already looking better."

"That it is, Miss Charlotte." Silas agreed as he kissed her hair.

"Comanche, Ox, why don't the two of you go clean out the smokehouse? We'll lock the horses in there until we're ready to ride out. No point leavin' 'em loose and risking them to those rabid." Colt ordered.