LOCATION: 33°40'16.2"N 84°20'26.9"W
DATE: Sunday, 3rd of May 2020
TIME: NOON
WEATHER: HEAVY RAIN

---

It was raining again, heavily. The water roared down, making it impossible to hear anything other than the big drops that were pounding the ground like a million hammers. The water gathered in large pools, both deep and shallow, wherever it could. The sewers had long since stopped draining the water. Now, it wouldn’t have mattered much anyway, not even the earth could keep up with the downpour.

Though it was around noon, the sky was almost black, or at least not far from it. Ever since the storm 8 years ago, when the world practically ended, the weather had not been the same. Clouds had become darker than before and the weather was still unstable, though it wasn’t as bad anymore as it was right after. Visibility was bad. If anyone wanted to execute an ambush, it would have been easier than stealing from the dead.

You have been walking Southwards on what used to be Moreland Avenue, or what was left of it. Nature had done its job taking back what used to belong to her. The asfalt had been penetrated by grass and roots. Without constant maintenance, the road and the surrounding buildings had now significant cracks everywhere and the surrounding forest had closed in on the human constructions that now stood alone, unused, unattended. The tumults and destruction had left dead cars and trucks everywhere. What was left of them was rusty carcasses, heaps of junk and bent metal that the powers of nature had claimed.

You arrive at a crossroads. As you look around, you see what used to be gas stations, storage buildings and parking lots with abandoned human machinery. You have chosen to approach what used to be a Circle-K on the South-East side, once upon a time. The actual structure seems somewhat intact, though rundown and windows are mostly broken. Previously bright red plastic signs had lost their color and metal frames had lost their shine. The gas pumps had been destroyed. It was obvious they had been robbed empty long before your arrival.

The young woman was famished, but she used every bit of energy to sprint to cover in order to avoid the heavy rain pouring down on her. She hated feeling like a wet dog for as long as she could remember, though she was glad she had finally caught a break. Even though the worn down gas station appeared to be isolated, she obviously wouldn't let her guard down. Jane waited in place as she tried to make out any movement from within the small building located across the lot. Nothing. She shifted her weight, simultaneously placing her hands on her hips.

"Oh yes, they've settled right on the beach. Atlantic Beach down in Jacksonville."

"How do I know you're not lying to me?"

"Why would I? What do I have to gain?" The man smiled, but Jane didn't return the same. Instead, she stared him down, the interaction between the two growing a bit tense.

"Well either way, you believe me and make the trip, or you don't, but you don't find the individual you're looking for," he shrugged his shoulders as if he couldn't care less about her indecision.

"I'm not a fan of rumors, that's all, but I'll bite. I need to find this person."

"A lead is still a lead at the end of the day...I knew you were smart."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks for the tip." Jane put her gun away before walking off, hoping she wasn't being lied to.

She replayed the interaction in her head. Nothing since had gone as planned, to include the horrid weather. Jane weighed her options, and after some mental debate she decided to go over into the main building of the gas station. She would hurry down across the lot, but she wouldn't rush in blind. Once more, she drew her gun and carefully moved forward to avoid any surprises.

The shelter above the broken gas pumps offers a brief solace from the torrent-like rain. It wasn’t extremely windy, but water would rain and splash in regardless. At least it wasn’t equal to standing directly under a bucket like it was under the dark menacing skies. Though, if one already was thoroughly soaked by Mother Nature, it most likely didn’t matter much where you were. You were soaked and cold, period.

This close, the building still seemed good enough. Yes, the windows were shattered, and inside it looked a mess. The walls outside had received various decorations in the form of vines, mold, cracks and discoloration. From outside you can see some shelves, chairs and tables. None of them is where or in a position they are supposed to be. It is hard to tell, but the shop seems empty of all the wares it once had. It has been years already, so it is no surprise that a gas station this close to a big city and big suburban areas is already looted empty.

As you walk across the remainder of the lot, approaching the shattered doors of the gas station, you can see a brief glimpse of a shadow inside the building. It flashes by the door quickly. It seemed like a dog or a large cat, or something similar. It moved on four legs and had a tail. That much you are sure of, though there are many other things in the world that would fit the description. You don’t hear anything because of the rain, but you know what you saw.

]Jane stopped dead in her tracks. She was not all that fond of surprises; but rather, she was the type that liked to have everything calculated just perfectly. She exhaled slightly and bit her lip, her expression one of unhappiness. Her surname may as well have been Murphy. The thoughts going through her mind slowly started to develop a pattern, taking a turn in a negative direction, and an all-familiar tingling sensation slowly spread through her skin. It was obvious what was about to happen next, and that point, there was no turning back. She voluntarily relinquished control to the branding on her skin. The tattoos set aglow, slowly flickering with light. Jane felt the slight burning sensation, slowly building up in intensity to the point where she gritted her teeth, but just as fast, a cool wave washing over her while she watched herself slowly become surrounded by the animated, dark shapes.

Her hand naturally fell to her side, though it still maintained its grip on the weapon. Slowly, Jane inched forward, avoiding rushing in blindly. She didn't care for animals, mainly dogs. She was attacked by one when she was a little girl and the incident could have ended a lot worse if her mother hadn't intervened. She didn't care that it was that one dog had went after her, in her mind, they were all the same. Even the little ones that just like to yap away at someone mercy passing by.

The moment Jane stepped through the doorway and turned left, three stems shot out in front of her. She smirked in response, glad that whatever had been wandering around had met its demise.

You enter the gas station. The room you enter is roughly 12x10 meters (40x33 ft).

The inside of the gas station is a mess. Exactly like you would have expected from the little you saw from outside.

Immediately to the right, along the long wall, there is a narrow table attached to the wall just below the broken windows. The years of being exposed to all kinds of weather have destroyed significant portions of it. Regardless of how well it was processed when it was built, you would not want to lean on it now, or place anything heavy on it. Either the plate would crack or the holds that keep it attached would fail. The bar chairs that once upon a time were placed right by the table for eating customers were either gone, or broken and scattered around the room.

On the short wall to the right, there are three built-in table and sofa groups. The red artificial leather that once covered the sofas, was now torn and slimy of the humidity. Years of mold and discoloration where now what sat there instead of happy and tired travellers. The tables were in equally poor shape as the one along the long wall next to them.

There is an open, broken door in the back right corner.

The long back wall is hidden behind useless, rusty refrigerator shelves with broken doors. The shelves themselves are empty as expected, some of them are in place, but most of them have fallen or are gone.

The space in the middle is a mess of toppled dry-ware shelves, pieces of glass, rotten wood, all kinds of materials that have been mangled unrecognizable by time and nature. To the left, right by the door is an ice-cream chest, rusty, broken and the glass shattered. It is filled to the brim with nasty, reddish brown water.

On the left, a rusty metal counter for receiving customers runs along the full length of the room. Cashier’s machines are gone, surprisingly the glass shelf in the middle of the counter where pastries used to be is somehow intact. It is held together by a loyal rusty metal frame. Close to the end where the entrance is, by the ice-cream chest, there is a swinging gate that the staff used to pass through long ago. Behind the counter, there is a row of tables and industrial kitchen machinery for preparing fast food, stoves, grills, ovens and microwaves. In the middle there is an opening with a view into the kitchen and offices. A doorway to the space is in the rear left corner next to a softie machine.

The red and white concrete walls are discoloured, cracked, dirty and covered by mould and various kinds of damage from humidity. The lights and ventilation systems are still in place, but rusty and useless. They have been that way for a long time. The floor is completely wet. The inside is not flooded, but there is a stench of humidity and decay.

A crash, rattle and a bang briefly echoes in the room as the stems hit the swing gate. The power of the impact breaks the hinges and the metal plate goes flying. It swings open smashing against the counter and detaching from it. Then it continues and smashes against the metallic table structure behind the counter, that is open from below. The detached door sends all kinds of metallic kitchen ware flying, pots and pans, scattering them around the floor behind the counter.

As the door swings open from the impact, you can see briefly a cat-like figure that now shoots further into the building, staying behind the counter. All you could see was that it was about knee height of an adult man and the fur was a mixture of sickening white/gray/washed-out yellow with small black dots.

Once the noise and chaos from the destroyed gate settles, you can hear sounds from the kitchen through the opening in the left side wall. You hear sounds of paws stepping around frantically and a body smashing against metallic structures. The noises disappear quickly as the cause of them apparently stops moving.

The first attempt was a miss. Eventually, the noises quieted down save for the steady drumming of the raindrops on the weatherworn structure. The putrid stench inside the building invaded her nostrils to the point where she became nauseated. Jane did her best to ignore the feeling and quickly pressed forward, but in just a matter of moments, the terrible smell was replaced by a soft, floral scent. The young woman was confused at first, but quickly realized where the scent was coming from. It only made sense given that she was surrounded by plants. Apparently, not only were they there to protect her, but also to alleviate any discomfort. Jane hadn't experienced anything like it before, but it was a luxury she would welcome with open arms.

The creature resembling a cat moved itself further into the building to hide itself wherever it could. Jane followed suit, not wanting to lose sight of it. She attempted to raise her hand to bring her weapon into sight, but a vine of roses wrapped itself around her wrist to keep it in place. They had spared her of the foul smell in the building, and maybe this was their payment. But she be dammed if she couldn't even make her own decisions at that point.

For a moment, Jane didn't have a visual on the animal, but she found it once more moments later.

"Come here!"

She picked up speed, quickly taking the corner as the same vine which had restrained her seconds earlier whipped at the creature once it was within view.

You enter the kitchen of the station's café-restaurant. The room is slightly smaller, but still large enough to have a group of cooks working at the same time.

From the viewpoint of the entrance to the kitchen, there is a small room straight ahead in the rear right corner. A light wooden door that separates the space is broken, rotten and slightly loose from the two upper hinges. The door is slightly open, but not enough for you to see what is inside. It is obvious though, that the room used to be the office of whoever was the last boss in this establishment.

Three of the four walls are lined with rusty metal tables, industrial kitchen appliances and the likes. In the middle there is an island table that is divided into a parilla and a table. Around the island there is enough space for two adults to move past each other in a hurry without bumping into each other.

The walls and the ceiling are in an equally bad shape as in the first room.

There is a trail of various metal items going around the island table, though it didn’t seem much different from the mess that seemingly had already been there. In the wet dirt there are paw tracks. They are about the size of a man’s palm.

As you search the room and turn around the corner, going straight and left behind the island table, your eyes catch the feline that had evaded its first meeting with death. You see a creature that used to be a bobcat. It still is, vaguely, recognizable because it’s fur pattern and pointy ears. The previously vibrant orange-ish brown had faded into a sickening blend of lifeless white and yellow. It had lost weight, and its body had taken the shape of something akin to a hyena, slightly arched back and always cunning and preying posture. Its face had lost a significant amount of fur and its upper lips had receded and now revealed a row of sharp teeth designed for the lifestyle of a scavenging carnivore.

As Jane’s vines whip at the creature, it, again, reacts lightning fast and the attack barely misses it, hitting the floor instead and sending a wet splash of moss, water and whatever had gathered there flying. The creature screamed with a voice that was a mixture of a cat’s cry and a child’s wail. In a frantically smooth movement it jumped on the island table and continues to bounce from the back wall, flinging itself towards Jane. It has its claws out reaching for her and mouth gaping open to sink its teeth deep into her neck.

The kitchen was just as in bad shape as the general area outside, and Jane scowled in disgust with every step as she pressed forward further into the room, the dirty water underneath her feet leaving an unpleasant feeling in the pit of her stomach. She scanned the various areas within the kitchen, her ears listening for any sudden movements other than her own. And it wasn't long, as predicted, when Jane came across what she was looking for.

Jane made eye contact with the odd-looking feline prior the offensive attack against it, but once more, it had managed to evade it. The creature then closed the distance between them at a quick pace, making Jane instinctively take a few steps back. The creature pounced on the woman, the force knocking her off her feet and onto her back before she felt a strong, sharp pain at the base of her neck. She cried out in pain, and a moment later witnessed her foe being squeezed to death right in front of her eyes. The details were gruesome as thorns dug into its skin and blood oozed out from numerous puncture sites. Another scream from the creature, although this time it was a cry for help. But such attempts fell on deaf ears and its body went limp and was lifelessly dropped to the ground instantly. Jane's tattoos abandoned her immediate surrounding and she was suddenly left alone with nothing more than a series of bleeding wounds.

A few moments later, another wave of pain hit her when she attempted to get back on her feet. She grit her teeth and used the island for leverage to stand up, quickly unshouldering her backpack to grab her first aid kit. Jane had a dressing she was going to use to stop the bleeding. The creature lay dead by her feet, but Jane didn't care for it at the moment. Instead, she pulled out the dressing and pressed it against the wounds. She held it there for a few moments before realizing she would not be able to secure it in place. It was frustrating, but she knew it wasn't the time to feel sorry for herself. Using her free hand, Jane placed everything in her backpack again before closing it shut. She looked around momentarily and decided to head out the same way she had come in. She grabbed the bag by the top strap and walked out in somewhat of a hurry. Jane had learned a lesson the hard way, and she told herself she wouldn't chase after those weird creatures anymore.

LOCATION: 33°40'16.2"N 84°20'26.9"W
DATE: Sunday, 3rd of May 2020
TIME: NOON
WEATHER: HEAVY RAIN

---

As Jane stepped out and left the protection of the roof, she was greeted by a cold barrage of the falling rain. She had not been in the building for a long time, but in that short period the rain had only intensified. Beautiful and majestic as nature could be, and terrifying when it decided to flex its muscles, today, it seemed the sky was hellbent on flooding the Earth in a record time. Visibility was bad before, now it was even worse. You could barely see the road that was only a stone cast away from the door of the gas station. The otherwise silent and abandoned traffic station was fully enveloped in the roar of the falling rain. Wind had entered the picture now too. Increasing gusts made the trees sway and the water droplets that were thrown around by the wind turned into a watery mist as they crashed into each other.

A second later there was a flash. It was followed by a distant roar from a violent crack of lightning not too long after. As if by a result, the roof of the shelter in the parking lot, a few meters away from the door to the station building failed. Years of corrosion, neglect and the weight of the water made the structure break and a mixture of rotten wood and other materials crashed down leaving only the pillars and the metal frame of the shelter standing. No one would find solace under it anymore. Instead, the rain and the water collected by the hooks and nooks by the structure streamed down through the gaping hole onto the pile of rubble that now spread at its feet.

The scenery was everything but inviting. Today, the world around seemed to remind anyone who was lucky enough to be still alive of the destruction and collapse that cast the once vibrant civilization to the edge of annihilation. The ones that were alive, were a special generation. This world was not for the weak, or the faint of heart. Every day was a battle and every time one closed their eyes, it could be the last time they would sleep.

Just a bit further south of where she used to be, Jane found herself on hotel grounds. Judging from its exterior appearance, the property could have been in much worse shape given the events that had transpired since the fall of humanity. And for that, Jane was thankful. If she was lucky enough, she'd get to rest for some time as well as take a closer look at her wound to weigh in on her options. Not that she was a medical expert of any kind, but at the very least, she wouldn't allow herself to bleed out. And even worse, catch an infection from that damned creature biting her. If the wound got worse any which way, Jane knew she would have no choice but to take action.

The road leading up the parking lot curbed left. Jane was cautious not to rush across the open space without at least judging its surroundings, so she used the field of unkempt foliage to conceal herself against enemy eyes. Standing in place, Jane couldn't pick up any sounds coming from the building. The rain didn't help though, and she silently wished it would simply stop. Maybe for even 20 minutes, that's all she asked. But of course, life wasn't that easy. Aside from her diminished hearing, Jane's visibility was also hindered. She couldn't see all that well save for a few vague shapes. But after a few moments of observation, there was no sign of life there, and so Jane pressed forward. She cautiously moved in and out of sight between the trees until finally reaching the perimeter of the parking lot. Once there, she sprinted towards shelter, in her mind wishing to her lucky stars that no creature was waiting for her on those grounds.

Jane was then on the first floor of the hotel next to the southernmost stairs, and for a moment she pondered where to stay on that floor, or go up to the second or even third floor. But her decision-making process was a quick one and she found herself ascending up the steps, deciding that maybe she'd have better luck on the last floor. If anything, it would at least save her the headache of having to deal with the flooding due to the torrential downpour.

Cara needed somewhere to rest.

True rest was a distant memory, with danger around every corner, and remnants of society to help hold together. Still, people had their limits. Especially when they'd failed to save someone. Cara gritted her teeth at the scene from a few hours ago replaying through her mind. The collapsed figure. The stab wound. The blood, so much blood, more than she could keep from seeping away, through magical or mundane means. She glanced down at her clothes, at the deep red stains that the rain couldn't wash away. He'd been past saving even before she'd arrived, but the knowledge didn't help. It didn't this time, and it hadn't all those other times.

The only semblance of relief was a silhouette through the downpour. A building. Knowing better than to hurry to it, Cara hid in the overgrowth, wary eyes flicking this way at that. She'd given a slight boost to her eyesight earlier, a boost that was starting to fade, but made the view clear enough for her to know the coast also was. Shivering, she pushed aside foliage and crept into the hotel.

Her footsteps splashed across the flooded floor, then stopped. She wasn't alone. Across the lobby, a woman made her way up the staircase. Cara tensed, her guard up, but slowly approached anyway at the sight of something. A raw, ragged neck wound. This girl needed medical attention, something Cara wasn't going to deny anyone.

"Do you need help?" she called, in as calm and gentle a tone as she could. "It's ok, I'm not going to hurt you." Unless she gives me no choice, Cara thought, heavy-hearted. She doubted the tattooed woman would find a stranger covered in blood reassuring, especially in a world like this, so she held out her hands and let a soft glow dance across her veins. Showing that she was of the light would hopefully put the girl at ease.

She wasn't alone. Jane hadn't heard the woman approach due to the heavy rain, and it made her stop on one of the steps on the way to the second floor. She looked down at the stranger, and she immediately noticed the fact that she had a substantial amount of blood on her person. That should have been reason enough for Jane to turn her away, but despite the fact, Jane didn't do that. Instead, she went down a few steps, her hand resting on the railing for support.

"If you're going to help me, then why are you covered in blood? Because from the looks of it, either you are not very talented or you're doing the opposite of helping..."

There was a brief silence. Maybe Jane had gone a little overboard, but it was easier to ask questions now and not the other way around. Her skin tingled, but she maintained her composure. At a first glance, the woman didn't seem all that threatening to her. She didn't rule out the possibility that she was hostile, of course, but to jump to conclusions could possibly end up setting her up for failure. She was at a disadvantage due to her wounds, and she didn't want to chance it. Jane would rather play along for the moment being and adjust later if needed be.

"...I have to admit though, I'd be foolish to turn away any help at this point." Jane went on, noticing the woman was glowing. She would have attacked Jane by now if that was her intention, and the thought put her at ease. She didn't let her guard down completely, but she wasn't on edge. "Come on, I was just going up to find a room," Jane motioned, the dull ache on her shoulder intensifying as a result and Jane was once again reminded that any small gesture or movement would be painful. Hopefully the woman would put an end to that and then leave her be so she could rest. The fight had drained her quite a bit and she'd be insane to go outside again without fully recovering.

Cara pressed her lips together, but showed no other sign that the comment had gotten to her. She'd heard worse from some people she'd helped, and the attacks weren't always merely verbal. Even so, a duty was a duty. "I'm a paramedic," she said, to explain both the blood and her offer to treat the woman's injury, as she took her first aid kit from her backpack. "Or at least, I was until all this happened."

She approached the girl, setting down the first aid kit on a higher step, donning thin translucent gloves and examining the wound. It wasn't deep enough to need stitches, but bore the distinctive jagged edges of a bite, heightening the risk of infection. She set to work cleaning and dressing it, the glow returning to her hands as she did so. Her fingertips tingled, neither her gloves nor the bandages stopping the energy from flowing through. "This will speed up the healing process a little," she explained. The girl would feel the effect right away - reduced pain, and no blood seeping through the bandage - but would still have to be careful not to aggravate the injury.

Once done, Cara put away the medical supplies. "How's that?" If the woman wanted to rest, hopefully she'd have an easier time of it now, in so far as rest could be easy in recent years. Of course, there was always the chance the girl would use the slight recovery as an opportunity to attack. Cara could feel the strain setting in, partly from earlier, but couldn't let her guard down just yet.

"Thanks doc, you have magic hands" she remarked with a smirk, "You did a great job as far as I can tell," she went on, looking down to check out her shoulder. Jane was truly impressed. Whatever the woman did, it had helped her heal to the point where she wasn't worried about bleeding out, and the kind gesture wasn't lost on Jane. She did however notice that the woman was just the slightest bit apprehensive in her presence. Nothing visibly alarming, but Jane was skilled at reading people, and most of the time she could tell when something seemed off.

It's gotta be the tattoos...

"Well, I don't know how else to thank you other than with words. If I may, I don't think we'll run into trouble here so please, don't be afraid to stay and take advantage of any of the available rooms. I'm doing just that for the evening to rest up and hopefully continue on the move tomorrow. I should be good by then if all goes well."

Jane was appreciative of the services rendered, and in all honesty she didn't mind the woman staying in one of the rooms. If nothing else, she would be able to take a look at the wound the following morning before Jane took off. Usually, she wouldn't have extended the invitation, but she thought it was a good idea to have a healer around, especially when you already had an existing injury.

A slight smile softened Cara's formerly stoic expression. "It's no trouble," she replied. "That injury should be healed in a matter of days, but you'll still want to be careful with it in the meantime." The change in the woman's attitude brought relief. Not only because it was now clear she wasn't hostile, but it seemed she'd be ok in a world where so many people weren't.

Visibly relaxing, Cara nodded in response to the offer. "Good idea for people to stick together when possible anyway," she replied. She probably sounded paranoid, and hoped she wasn't setting the girl's nerves on edge, but the intention was to reassure her there was safety in numbers. Relative safety, in any case.

"If you want, I can check on the wound in the morning," she offered. The girl would likely want the effect renewed by then, especially if she was planning on setting out. Cara hauled her backpack onto her shoulders and started her way up the stairs, her ascent slow as she held onto the rail, careful not to slip in the water trickles. With any luck, the upper floors wouldn't be too bad, although of course that depended just how leaky the roof was.

The fact that the woman was offering to check on her the following day meant that Jane didn't have to go fetching for her in the morning. Good, less need to have to ask for a favor and in return, have to be in her debt. Jane never liked being in debt. She always did what she had to do to even out the help, otherwise, she could very well be taken advantage of. It had happened once in the past, and she did not respond kindly. In order to avoid a similar incident from occurring again, she rarely asked for assistance.

Jane turned around with a smile, climbing up the stairs. The woman looked like the textbook definition of a goody two-shoes, but she obviously didn't mind. After all, Jane now had an additional body who not only was a medical professional, but could also help her out if they had an encounter with someone or something trying to cause mayhem.

"Yes, that'd be great, thank you."

A few moments later both women were on the top floor. Jane looked down over the lot, the downpour making it nearly impossible to see anything clearly past the hotel grounds. The raindrops were landing heavily on the railing, some of it splashing Jane. She didn't mind though. She enjoyed the rain, except if she was getting soaked like she did earlier. But otherwise it was fine.

Jane noticed the doors to the rooms on the right. She tensed a little, wondering for a moment what, if anything, was on the other side of the door closest to her. She motioned for her companion to stay put as she walked up to the door. It wasn't locked, but it was mostly closed; enough to prevent them from seeing inside. Jane drew her firearm, placing the palm of her free hand on the door just about eye level before she swiftly pushed it open. Quickly walking inside, her eyes took some time to adjust to the darkness. However, as far as she could tell, the room was clear from any threats. Two beds on one side, a drawer with a TV on it opposite the beds, a table and a chair, and finally, two nightstands all made from the same material. The beds were stripped of any linen, and there was only one bare pillow on one of the beds. Jane was a bit surprised that the furniture was mostly intact, and she most definitely wasn't complaining.

"Alright, I guess this is home for the night," she called out to the woman, suddenly realizing she didn't know her name. "I'm Jane, by the way, and I suggest we both stay here together. No sense in splitting up and giving whatever freaks are out there the upper hand. What do you say, roomies for the night? We could even have a pillow fight but one of us would be shit out of luck."

The two had made the right choice by going to the top floor, or at least Cara could hope. The stench of mold still hung around, and rain leaked through the ceiling in steady trickles, but most of the water ran down the stairs. This was the closest to a comfortable shelter they'd find. Now to check that it was also a safe one.

Slowly, she approached the nearest door. She reached for her medical kit, in case the sharp tools were needed for defense. The opposite of their usual purpose, but there was no telling who, or what, the two may run into in the room. The younger woman, however, motioned to her to stay back. Before Cara could offer to go first, the girl took the plunge and marched inside, gun in hand as she peered through the darkness.

Cara followed, exhaling in relief as she scanned the surroundings. The earlier eyesight boost hadn't completely faded, and it quickly became clear this room held no threats. Just basic, bare furniture, which thankfully hadn't rotted away or fallen apart. She headed to the beds, checking them over and pressing down on them to test their sturdiness. Damp and worn as they were, they'd be usable, and a bed of any kind was a luxury.

Looking over her shoulder as the other woman - Jane - spoke, Cara nodded. Her lips even twitched at the joke. "Sounds good," she replied, sitting down on the bed without the pillow. "You take the pillow - for sleeping, that is, not for fighting. And I'm Cara." She kept her voice low. They were the only occupants of the room, but not necessarily of the hotel.