Chapter 126 - 126. Settling in 2
I still had a long way to go before I could rest.
First, I searched for a room for Henry and me, then I looked for a ladder so that the others could move on their own, and LUCKILY I found not one but TWO, stuck in a wall that apparently should have led to a utility room, which was destroyed and full of earth.
After placing each ladder at the ends of the two staircases, I encountered Baggy Jeans and Red Hair while heading back to my room.
"The two ladders are permanent, and they must remain there—no removing them. I will provide my ladder for leaving the mansion. Tell the others." Baggy Jeans nodded, and I continued on my way.
I cleaned the room as well as I could, though the upside-down windows were broken and only displayed an earthen wall, making the place a bit depressing. However, there were enough candles lying around for a cozy atmosphere, apparent decoration, and our superior sight to avoid bumping into anything.
There was a king-size mattress as well as an upside-down bathtub, which would come in handy after I turned it around.
I then searched for clothes for Henry, for myself, and for my grandma, and dragged another mattress into my chosen room for her. With everything ready, I went upstairs to get Henry and my grandma.
Baggy Jeans was sitting with Jeyjey at that moment, speaking to her about whatever.
"Baggy Jeans, you are responsible for Jeyjey. If you mistreat her, she will tell me." I threatened, not even waiting for a response, half-dragging, half-carrying Henry down the staircase and then the ladder, nearly dropping him again before placing him in our room, along with my grandma, who walked on her own two feet, thankfully.
When I pointed at my grandma's mattress, she looked at me with clear disdain.
"I won't stay in the same room as my grandson and his girlfriend."
I ignored the last part.
"Then where do you want to stay?"
She looked around in the corridor and led me to the room adjoining ours, which was where I had gotten the second mattress from.
Groaning loudly, I dragged the mattress her clothes back again, only for her to tell me where to place everything before kicking me out of her room.
Fine.
I went for water and food, as well as towels, and returned to Henry.
"I am so dead tired; you fucker could have helped," I said, kicking him lightly before undressing him.
I found a bunch of black and blue bruises on his body.
"I bet you had these before—not my fault."
Finally, before pulling down his pants, I really hesitated. Without these damn visions, I wouldn't have, but now—damn it!
Ignoring any discomfort, I got him naked and dragged him to the bathtub.
Like me, he still had his ankle monitor on, as well as very prominent muscles, which I had as well; still, it was pissing me off.
"Good for you. And yet you still dare to be useless."
I poured shampoo and shower gel over him, also part of my loot, as well as water, and then I scrubbed him with a towel. His hair was the most difficult part, with all the dried-up blood that had been there forever.
To get him clean, I directly violated my own rule, needing masses of water.
I really wished there was a stream nearby. Then I could have just thrown him inside, fishing him out a while later, clean and squeaky; if he hadn't drowned in the process.
Finally finished, I got him out, threw him on the mattress, and passively aggressively dressed him in new clothes before getting myself clean.
I don't remember much more, as in a zombie-like state, I put on fresh clothes and dragged the bathtub with a bunch of wet and dirty towles in front of the door to barricade it in case Henry woke up and wanted to go somewhere to choke people again.
Then I crashed beside Henry on the mattress and fell asleep or went into a coma—who knows?
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I am so damn tired. Fuck, why am I even awake? I should sleep some more.
Turning around, I had a strange taste in my mouth from lying down so long, but not nearly long enough. Then I remembered to check on Henry and sat up. He looked born anew after being washed and was also sitting upright on the mattress, dazed again.
Nobody had come to wake me up, and there were no screams, so I figured that everyone had settled in successfully.
I went for the beans and water that I had brought into our room, opening two cans with a conjured-up can opener, and put one on the floor beside the mattress where Henry sat.
"Eat something." He didn't react, just staring at one specific area with glazed-over eyes.
I ate alone and then conjured up a spoon to feed him.
"You are the first to dare use my services. I thought it would be the demented mummy I had to feed before anyone else." Before I would do it with my kids– should I ever get some.
No reaction again, but when the spoon touched his lips, he opened them, chewing and gulping it down as well. Very interesting.
"Henry. Are you in there?" I asked, but I might as well have been talking to a wall.
"Good, stay stubborn; see what you get from that." I just spoke to myself again, getting annoyed. After feeding him, I stood up and dragged the bathtub away from the door, finding that Henry followed me like some lost puppy.
Damn. Now, I can't stay angry anymore. I petted his head and went to my grandma's door, knocking.
Shortly after, the upside-down ceiling-height door opened, and my grandmother looked fresh and clean in a new tunic and pants. Her hair was again put into a strict bun, with not a single strand out of place. Additionally, her nails were painted, and she had red lipstick on, looking like some ancient model. The disheveled figure from before was gone.
"What the fuck? Why do you look as if you are hunting for men in a place like this?"
Her stick struck me in the stomach with the end first, nearly stabbing me to death. Damn, I hadn't seen that she had her stick with her; she had hidden it behind the door.
"Why should I do that for a man when I can do it for myself? What are you doing here?"
"Well, I wanted to check on you. Is everything alright? Heard anything about the others?"
"I am good and have seen the others, since I am not someone who can sleep more than forty-eight hours, even barricading the door with a bathtub full of dirty things just so nobody comes to disturb me."
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Hahaha, she even came to check on me, then went grumpy as if I hadn't worked my ass off and was just some lazy teen.
"The others are doing fine; they also woke up much earlier." She finished.
"Fine. I'm going to my room and see if I can figure out how to get rid of the shadows."
"Go away and don't come back." She slammed the door shut before opening it again.
"Scream if you need me to save you." The old dragon said with glee.