We got to the bunker and went inside. It was pretty cramped, so I decided to do some improvement.
Over the next few months, I upgraded the kitchen from small to large, I enhanced all of our bedrooms, and I added one for Anna, who’d been sleeping in Lindsay’s room.
I also upgraded the living room to have a large TV and a couch. We had found some solar panels on one of the buildings and hooked them up to the roof. Since I finished a new kitchen, I thought I might as well cook a delicious dessert of Creme Brulee, with some Ginger Ale as a drink. (When there's an abandoned Walmart close to your house, you might as well take fancy things. How do you think I got all the supplies to re-furnish the house?)
I started cooking. That was when Lindsay walked into the kitchen.
“Jack is in his room tinkering with his sword and Anna is in her room making her bed," Lindsay said to me. “I’m bored,”
Jack walked up to us and said, “I’m going to the abandoned Walmart. See you guys soon."
He walked out, and Lindsay piped up.
“I’m sick of all this mess. I’m going to clean up this entire bunker,” she said, and she pulled her hair up into a ponytail.
I helped her out, but it still took both of us all day just to clean the bunker, which seemed larger every minute that we spent cleaning.
At last, we finished cleaning. You would not believe how much dirt is collected by a handful of dinosaur slayers.
Jack finally got back, with no groceries. He kicked off his mud-caked shoes, getting dirt everywhere, and stomped off to his room. Lindsay and I watched him throw the blankets off of the bed that Lindsay had just made. Lindsay walked out of the room and down the hallway, and, before I could follow her, came back brandishing her bow with a drawn arrow.
“You have five minutes to clean up the mess you made before I shoot you!” Lindsay hissed. “Go!”
“Aye aye captain!” Jack hopped up immediately.
I thought Jack moved quickly when he thought that we were the FBI, but that was practically snail speed compared to how fast he was scrambling then. I couldn’t blame him. I’d be terrified too. Lindsay was downright terrifying when she was mad.
Wow.
As soon as Jack was done, Lindsay turned to me.
“I have something to show you,” she whispered. “Follow me!”
I followed Lindsay out to the back. She led me through the forest behind our bunker, into a clearing. Before we entered, she said, “Close your eyes!”
I did, and she led me forward.
“Open them!”
I opened my eyes and saw it… a garden!
“The veggies and other foods are over here,” Lindsay explained, “And here are the flowers!”
I turned, and I swear that there were millions of flowers! They were beautiful, but I just couldn’t help being drawn to the food.
Then I saw them!
The okra plants!
“I can cook tonight,” Lindsay muttered from behind me. “Would you like me to?”
“Yes!” I exclaim.
“Okay!”
“Awesome! You go get cooking, and I'll do a patrol of the area around the garden, and, while I'm at it, I might, just might, pick some okra,"
“Okay! Just make sure you bring some back,” Lindsay replied.
I walked off to the garden.
All that I found were a few footprints that looked like they came from a dinosaur, but they were headed out of the garden. I decided to go back inside, after eating some of the plants, of course.
I was about halfway to the bunker when I realized that I had forgotten to pick okra for Lindsay. I went back to grab some, then I went back to the bunker. For some odd reason, I was singing “Sound of Silence” on the way back.
“What took you so long?” Lindsay asked as I got back inside. “The pot was ready half an hour ago,"
“Sorry,” I said. “I forgot the okra,"
“You had one job!”
“Oops!” I said.
I went into my newly-renovated bedroom and started singing.
Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence
In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
No one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
"Fools" said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls"
And whispered in the sounds of silence
I got out my bass guitar and played. I recorded myself singing it, so all I had to do was play the bass part now.
It is a beautiful song, in my opinion. Jack was in his room with his sword and heard me playing. He came into my room, picked up a snare drum, and started playing. Lindsay came in with an acoustic guitar and played the chords.
It was wonderful.
We played together for hours until Lindsay jumped up, saying, “Dinner is burning!”
“Oh no!” Jack yelled sarcastically. He’s not a fan of Lindsay’s cooking, but I certainly am.
Since that burned, I ran to the abandoned Walmart to grab some Ramen Instant-Noodles. I came back, heated them up, and we all had a hearty meal of chicken and noodles!
I hear Jack yell “ahhh” when he comes back with noodles instead of okra.
“Really!?” Lindsay yelled.
She got up, walked over to Jack, and slapped him upside the face!
“I don’t want to hear any comments from the peanut gallery!” Lindsay shouted.
“But I don’t like peanuts!” Jack complained.
“It is a figure of speech that means that, unless you think you can do any better, you should zip it!”
“Then I’ll cook lunch tomorrow!” Jack muttered. Oh crap. Jack can’t cook. At all.
“Challenge accepted,” Lindsay said. “I’ll cook too. Kyle will vote on whose is better!”
“I get an assistant though,” Jack said as he ran outside and brought back a turtle. “Turtle gets to help!”
“Oh, God! It's a freaking turtle!" I shout.
“Yeah. I like turtles," Jack said.
I laughed.
“I’m going to my garden,” Lindsay announced. “To get fresh ingredients."
She walked out, and Jack was left in the dust.
“I-I’m going to Walmart…," Jack said, and sort of ran away.
“Don’t forget food for Turtle!” I called after him.
“Right!” Jack replied.
I walked out to join Lindsay in the garden.
When I was almost there, I heard Lindsay calling out, “Bob! Come here, Bob!”
Who’s Bob?!
I sprinted into the clearing, and this dinosaur the size of a chicken jumped out at me.
“Aaaahhhhh!” I yelled, “What is that thing?!”
“Oh, wonderful! There you are, Bob!” Lindsay said as she… wait, what? She picked up the dino-chicken, and she let it climb onto her shoulder.
The thing… Bob… growls at me. I pulled out my sword to show the tiny demon what I thought of it, but Lindsay stopped me.
“Don’t hurt him, Kyle! He’s just a little sweetheart!”
To the thing, she said, “Bob, why don’t you go grab me a basket of okra? You can put in other things that you like, too."
“What are you thinking?” I hissed.
“He’s so cute,” Lindsay explained, “I met him when I got out here. He has an appetite just like yours, you know. He was eating okra off of one of my plants, but when he saw that I saw him, he picked one more piece of okra, and he offered it to me. So I adopted him and named him Bob. His stomach is all cut up from another dinosaur, so I’ll nurse him back to health. I also trained him to help me out in the garden. He’s a very quick learner!"
“Yeah, that is cool and all, but don’t you think it will just make a bigger mess?” I said.
After glaring at me, Lindsay spoke. “No, I think Bob will be a good pet for now. Where’s Jack?”
“He legitimately needed turtle food for his Galapagos Turtle," I said.
“I see…. When did you want to start the competition? In other words, can I start cooking yet?” Lindsay asked.
“Yes, you can,” I said.
“Great! Do you like Alfredo? I have a family recipe."
“I love Alfredo!”
“Which type should I make?”
“Chicken."
“Got it. Come on, Bob! Let’s go cook!”
After rushing to the store to grab a few ingredients she didn’t have in her garden, Lindsay was in her corner cooking as fast as lightning. Jack, on the other hand - well, he was still looking for a recipe.
“Jack, we can both cook Chicken Alfredo. Then it’ll be easier for Kyle to decide which is better," Lindsay called out.
“Sure, we can do that," Jack replied.
“You better start now,” I warned Jack, “Lindsay will be done before you know it."
“Ok,” he mumbled. All of a sudden, he ran outside!
“I'll be back! I’m still in the competition, though!” He yelled.
Lindsay was furiously cooking in the kitchen, asking Bob for ingredients. I saw her use fresh spices from her garden, and lots of basil.
As soon as she yelled, “I’m finished!” Jack bursts through the door with a Chicken Alfredo in a plastic container!
“Holy cow, this is going to be close!” I said.
“I might need an assistant taste tester," I said to Bob.
The little dino perked up, and jumped on the dinner table!
It stood on a chair, and it almost looked like it was beckoning for the food!
“Here we go!” I said as Bob and I got our food.
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