[center] [b][color=39b54a]Finn Loughty  - Finn's Shelter - Nicole Brenn[/color] [/b] [/center]



     Finn jolted awake at the sharp sound of something metal crashing on the wooden floor, followed by a frustrated and unintentionally loud, “damn it!” Shuffling and hurried movements followed as Nicole pressed her fingers to her temples in her usual way of overreacting to small incidents. She had a lousy habit of dropping things. Her dark gaze traveled over to Finn. From previous experience, she remembered that she needed to tell him that it was just an accident and not a horde of walkers coming towards them, which was usually his first assumption. “Everything’s fine, Finn. Just dropped some pots and pans,” Nicole sighed, bending over to pick them up. 

     “You’ll wake up Nat as well with all that damn racket you’re making," he remarked, his heavy lids fluttering as he began to doze off again.
      
     Ignoring his comment, she continued to put away the pots. “Nat? She's already woke up a few minutes ago,” Nicole informed him, her voice chirpy as ever. His tired eyes blinked as he rolled over, seeing Nicole’s cot empty except for his jacket and Nat’s dark shirt laid over it. That was when Finn realized he had slept too long. He forced himself to sit up and rested his back rested up against the cabin wall. His muscles ached terribly and his head hurt. Dried blood was plastered across his old clothes and his bronzed skin was mixed with dirt and sweat. His fingers ran through his hair. It sure needed a good washing. "Well, where is she?” he raised an eyebrow, concerned. His head tilted to the side in confusion. Where could she have gone?

     “Nat needed some time to herself, to clear her head and splash some cold water on her face. So I told her about the creek nearby. She promised she would only be five minutes. [i]And[/i] I made sure she had her machete with her,” Nicole put her hands on her hips, trying to muster up enough confidence to show that she was proud of her decision she made while her brother was sleeping. “Speaking of the creek, you desperately need to take a trip there yourself,” she said, her features scrunching up in disgust.
  Her last remark made him let out a slight chuckle. Finn knew Nathalie was more than capable of taking herself so he wasn’t a whole lot worried. After all, she had made it this far alone. He had wanted to be the one to show her the creek but was amused she had beat him to it. 

     “How long ago did she leave?” He inquired, now standing on his two feet. The zesty aroma that carried over the fire pit to his nostrils, almost made his mouth water. He had to resist for a little while longer, at least until he was washed up. “I dunno, maybe almost ten minutes?” she replied, preoccupied with getting a bowl for her to eat the rice and beans. 

     “She’s probably headed back by now then,” he assumed, grabbing his machete and his only extra shirt.  “I’m gonna go clean myself up and then come back to eat. Which, by the way, thank you for making,” he announced with a smile, his voice still hoarse from just waking up. He didn’t know how but Nicole almost always found a way to make bland canned food into something far more tastier and enjoyable. Finn lowered the ladder after making his way down the stairs. His leather boots dropped to the forest floor with a soft thud as he took in a moment to inhale the crisp night air, blissfilly unaware of the nightmare coming his way at that very moment.