Act II

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

Chapter 4
________________________________

The cool and gentle wind blew through the woods while the leaves tumble and toil under foot. A lone deer wanders into an opening between the trees to feed.

Crouching behind a fallen tree, I turn and whisper, "Alright, you remember what I taught you?"

"Yeah I think so..." Ellie replied while bolting my hunting rifle.

"Keep it tight on your shoulder..."

"Turn off the safety..."

"Relax your breathing..."

"And aim right next to the shoulder...are you sure you trust me with this Crow?" Ellie said glancing up at me. She looked like she expected me to say no honestly.

"I do Ellie. Just take your time and gently squeeze that trigger when you're ready." She looked down the scope as the deer stayed grazing in the field. Ellie inhale and exhaled slowly, then the air was filled with silence, time seemed to have stood still. With one last exhale, she pulled the trigger. The rifle shattered the silence as the deer jumped and ran into the thicket.

"I think I got him!" Ellie turned to me with a smile of relief.

"You nailed him!" I exclaimed even with a little chuckle. I was genuinely impressed and proud of her, honestly couldn't have done it any better myself...I wouldn't tell her that of course. Not yet at least. I did offer her a high five though, which she received with a lot more excitement than expected.

We waited about an hour then started following the blood trail, along the way I taught Ellie how to find blood easier and other tricks on tracking, she actually seemed interested in learning even the basic things from me.

"Alright now lead the way Ellie." She turned to me looking confused.

"Lead the way? I don't know- what if I get us lost?" She nervously twiddled her fingers.

"You'll be fine, I'm here if you need me but I know you can find your buck." Smiling to reassure her, she nodded and took the lead. After only about thirty minutes of searching we find the deer laying in the woods. Ellie's face lights up as we get closer to the buck. She grabbed him by his antlers and took a good look at him. A beautiful animal and a beautiful blessing it was. Now the fun part...gutting it. And dragging it. Yay. Ahem I'll spare you the details of that.

As we were walking I did notice a blue butterfly patch on her backpack, it struck my curiosity for some odd reason, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Come on keep up will ya?" said the sarcastic Ellie a few yards in front of me.

"Oh forgive me for having a little bit of extra weight." I replied out of breathe while patting the deer on it's side. Finally though after what felt like a century of dragging that beast through the woods, we reached our humble little hideout. We're only staying here while I figure out what on earth to do next.

Back inside, I go to what remains of the kitchen table and start prepping our food while Ellie gets the fire in the chimney started. This was our routine for the past few weeks, and honestly I can't say I didn't like it.

"I wanna big piece!" Ellie exclaimed while she sat in front of the fire.

"Trust me, I figured." I replied, putting some of the meat into a pan and cooking it over the fire. Waiting for it to cook was the worst part, especially once the smell starts getting more and more enticing. But after a few moments we could finally appease the emptiness in our stomachs.

"So what's next for us Crow?" Ellie was ravenously eating away. I sat brain storming because frankly I was clueless. I've already gone through enough trouble to get Ellie to Jane's orphanage to the point of it not even being worth it. But I'm stubborn, so that's an issue. Who knows, maybe I'll just stay with her and help run the orphanage with Jane? Even though that would defeat the purpose of why I'm taking her to the orphanage...wow I'm a mess.

"Well...I think the best thing to do right now is to go meet with an old pal not too far from here, he owes me a few favors."

"Hmm ok, what's this pal's name?" she replied wiping food off her cheek.

"We call him Spikes."

"Spikes? Why-?" She stared at me confused as I would, if I was her.

"Just- don't ask- trust me. We'll pack up the rest of this meat and leave his afternoon. Alright?"

"Sounds good to me." Ellie said with a mouthful.

"Charming, Ellie. Real charming."

Chapter 5
________________________________

After about an hours walk we reach the old warehouse building where we'd find Spikes.

I knock on the locked metal door, "What's your business here!" A rough voice retorted to me.

"Tell Spikes that Crow needs to talk to him." I replied, leaning on the door. A few moments of listening to all the locks being undone and we were finally inside.

"Holy...crap." Ellie gasped as we entered.

"Just stay next to me." What used to be a warehouse now looks like a gym, a biker bar, and a car garage all blew up together and made this mess. Spikes turned this place into a little campground for him and his gang. The activities included as following: fighting, drinking, weight lifting, arm wrestling, knife throwing, and a few more I might have missed. A delightful place. For most.

"These guys look nuts..." she whispered to me.

"Well most of them are so."

"Great."

Looking around the building I finally spot him sitting on a sofa smoking a pack of cigarettes and playing poker. "Spikes!" I yelled to him.

"Ok wow, he actually has Spikes in his head." Ellie just found out how he got his name. A wonderful first time experience.

"Crow! What's up buddy!" Spikes replied through a puff of smoke, "And who's this little pumpkin?" he crouched in front of Ellie.

"I am none of your business, 'buddy'." she retorted.

"This is Ellie she's uh-" I was interrupted by a puff of smoke blown in my face. Aggravated of course I take the cigarette out of his mouth and flick it on the floor. "Look Spikes I have a favor that you owe me."

"I don't owe you nothing man!"

"Memphis. Nine months ago."

"The hell did you do for me back in Memphis?" Spikes was confused but I was even more confused by the fact that he's forgotten already. I think a few of the spikes in his head are hitting his brain.

"Nine months ago back in Memphis you needed to get from there to here but you had no ride and you were shot in the leg. So what happens? I patch you up and risk my neck stealing a few horses for us to get back to Maryland." I have a thing for bad decisions it seems don't I?

"Fine. What do you need Crow."

"I need a car." I even asked nicely.

"Man this ain't a dealership you think I just got those things laying around!" Spikes threw his arms in the air as if I was asking too much. I crossed my arms and stared at him, Ellie even mimicked me and did the same.

After a moment of silent stares Spikes finally gives in. "I have an old Jeep Cherokee in the back. I'll have my guys fix a few things on it then it's yours. Just make yourself at home." I was honestly quite relieved, Spikes was the only guy on this side of the country who had access to functional cars. Since we had a bit of a wait, Ellie and I leaned against a cement wall.

"So do you know everybody here or what?" Ellie asked puzzled as she watched two guys wrestling on the floor.

"Me? Oh I know a few. That's Nuts and Bolts on the floor there, they're brothers. That's Sledge by the punching bag, Gaige is the gal by the knife throwing board-"

"Geez does anybody here have a normal name? Maybe one that isn't a tool or something?"

"Yeah that over there's Bob." I replied pointing to the biggest and most muscular guy in the room that was currently doing pull-ups.

Ellie raised her eyebrows and nodded her head, "Well. Alrighty then."

Suddenly I heard someone call my name, I hoped it would be about the car being ready, but it was Sledge calling me out to an arm wrestle. I was going to turn it down, till Ellie called me chicken- now I couldn't say no. I sat down at a wooden table across from a straggly man with ripped sleeves and a bandana on his head.

"Howdy Sledge." I smirked.

"Crow. Hope you ain't gotten lazy." He replied flexing his strong arm.

"We'll see won't we?" I said confidently pulling up my sleeve and propping my right arm on the table. We locked hands and when we heard "Go!" the struggle began. We both stared at each other as people chanted behind us. His strength was more than I expected and he started to bring my arm down slowly with a devilish little grin too. I strained but couldn't regain any lost ground...until I heard a specific voice cheer me on, it was Ellie yelling as if she was emotionally invested in this. My veins popped and started bringing his arm down, as I watched the grin disappear from his face, his arm slammed onto the table. Ellie grabbed my shoulders and shook me from her excitement, I even cracked a smile.

Well now that the fun was over, I was going to head into the garage to see how the car was coming, until Gaige stopped us. "Hey kid that's a cute knife you got there. Wanna take a throw?" she said pointing towards the dart board with knives stuck in it.

"No I don't think-"

"Crow please! Let me try just once!" Ellie looked at me with hopeful eyes. I was honestly just worried she was going to hurt herself.

"Fine." I can't believe I caved in that easily.

Gaige waved us over and we stood to watch two guys take their throw. In all honesty they could have done better, a few inches or more off the bullseye was sad to see.

"Step aside boys let a gal show you how it's done. Here you go kiddo." Gaige said handing Ellie a knife. My anxiety levels just shot up why did I let her do this? More importantly why do I care so much? I think being around these people was killing my brain cells.

She stood for a second lining up her throw, and with a quick flick of the wrist, Ellie's blade pierced right throw the bullseye. All the guys there freaked out and I stood rather impressed with a gaping jaw.

"I'm the champ baby!" She shouted in a loud and proud voice.

Our little freak out was only interrupted by Spikes letting us know the car was ready. "She's all ready to go for you buddy. I left the gas line in the back seat, you should be able to steal some gas from other dead cars." I could tell he wasn't too enthused about giving up the car by the way he handed me the keys.

"Thanks man, this means a lot." Just as I put the keys in my pocket, bullets started flying through the windows. I flip over a table for cover as everyone in the building scrambled to grab their guns. "Raiders!" One screamed from the top floor.

"Crow what do we do?" I could barely hear Ellie through all the gun shots. I didn't have a plan yet but all I knew was we weren't staying here. I scan around the room and make eye contact with the garage door.

"Come on Ellie we're getting out of here." We make a mad sprint to the door, I could faintly hear Spikes yelling something behind me, most likely cursing my name if I had to guess. I bust through the door and see our get a way car waiting for us.

"Ellie get in! Hurry!" As she runs around to the passenger seat I try locking the door, until I'm blindsided and thrown forcefully against the wall. The impact left me in a daze, and before I can even get my bearings I'm put in a choke hold. I could feel my oxygen being cut off as I struggled for a breath and struggled to get set free.

"Night night!" Said the grizzly man trying to kill me. I started to feel myself fading, quite honestly out of all the horrible situations I've been in I never thought this is how it would end.

*BANG* a single gun shot rang rthrough the garage, I felt his tight hold loosen as I slump to the floor inhaling precious air.

"Night night you frickin' freak!" Ellie yelled at the man who now didn't have a pulse. I was bewildered at the fact that she had a revolver but I had no time to ask. I took the gun back and we quickly hopped in the car.

"Hang on tight!" I said flooring on the gas pedal. Lucky for us everybody's attention was on fighting inside the warehouse so hardly any shots were fired our way. Once we were in the clear I look over at her in the passenger seat just smirking at me.

"Ellie."

"You're welcome." She winked.

"Where did you get that gun?"

"It fell out of your pants when that guy threw you against the wall." I...I honestly didn't know how to reply to this. Frankly it was embarrassing. She also added, "Hey you should let me have a gun, I mean I did save you so-"

"No." I immediately replied.

"Come on please!" She whined. "I can actually help you! I promise I'll be careful, I know how to use a gun Crow you've seen, I shot the deer and then I saved your neck, that's two in a row! I'm on fire today."

I thought about it for a second. I stopped the car in the middle of the road, and reach into the back seat for my backpack. I pull out my 9mm and check if the safety is on. "I want you to be very careful, and use this only for emergencies, ok?"

"Ok." she was smiling with glee as I handed her the pistol. I can't deny she did know her way around a gun so I was quite impressed.

"Thanks by the way." That took me long enough to say.

"No worries pal." She smiled. I thought I was in the clear but Ellie asked me the question I've been dreading. "So where we headed?"

"Oh um-" I hesitated and tripped over my words like a kid who couldn't tie his shoe. "There's some loose ends I need to tie up with a friend is all." Wow what an excuse. Been dodging lies my whole life so why did this one specifically bother me?

"Oh cool." Ellie replied so innocently it felt like I got stabbed in the chest. The fact that she just blindly trust me is actually killing me.

I sat a silent few moments arguing with myself about my choices. Me, myself, and I were really going at it with each other, until Ellie interrupted us, which was probably for the better.

"I found a little somethin' somethin'!" She smiled as she dug into her bag.

"Found something?" I replied doubtful at that fact that she 'found' something.

"Well...Stole. But that's a strong word. I got this!" Ellie pulled out and old CD with a piece of paper in the casing.

I grabbed the case and started reading off the rather organized list. "Johnny Cash, Shawn James, Ben Howard, Kaleo- this is a mix of a bunch of folk and blues artist!" I was actually quite excited, these were some of my favorite musicians I haven't heard in ages. "Where'd you get this?"

"Back at the warehouse, I was standing next to the radio when no one was watching and I uh, borrowed it cause I figured we could have some tunes on the way." She replied taking the case back from me and popping the CD in the player. The first song that came on just had to be "On The Road Again" by Willie Nelson.

"Cheesy timing, but a classic." I turned up the volume and we started singing the words together. "On the road again, can't wait to get back on the road again..." It was a good time I had to admit.

The music made me lose track of time, it was getting dark quicker than expected. I glance over at Ellie, who's looking out the window, watching the sunset. I notice that same blue butterfly patch on her backpack that stuck out to me in the woods earlier this morning. My curiosity got the best of me. "Hey Ellie, where'd you get the butterfly patch on your bag?"

"Oh that old thing? Just something I found at military school, why?" She seemed confused I was asking.

"Oh I was just curious is all." Maybe my hunch was wrong, maybe it was nothing more than a simple patch. A few moments of silence passed as a guitar melody could be faintly heard through the speakers.

"Back at military school-" Ellie began, "after my parents just dumped me off there, I just felt kind of useless. Neither of my parents really seemed to care much about me, so I guess they figured it be best for me at the school, which they were wrong. Anyways once I got to that stupid school I got depressed a bit, because I was hoping I could make some friends and fit it, but everyone ignored me and shut me out. It was lonely." she said sighing. "One day in my little dorm room thingy, I noticed an old little butterfly patch on the floor below my window, I didn't think much of it, but when I looked up and out my window, I saw a cocoon above my window."

"A cocoon?" I chuckled.

"Yeah a cocoon!" Her eyes lit up, "Everyday I would look up at it, waiting for it to open up, and finally one day, it did. A beautiful blue butterfly came out of it and sat on my windowsill before it flew away into the world. That's when I remembered the patch on the floor and sowed it on my bag. I started sneaking out and exploring the world, and sometimes I would even find the butterfly following me around. This patch reminds me that there's always a little room for hope."

Everything she told me was weighing pretty heavy on my conscious. I'm finding it harder to be cold. But it'll take a lot to make me melt.

"So you're the butterfly then huh?" I said with a slight smirk.

"Hey, if you're the crow, I at least get to be the butterfly." Ellie jokingly pushed on my shoulder.

"Alright fair enough." I chuckled. It all seemed light hearted but what she said stuck with me, and there's a lot of road left to drive. My conscious always gets the best of me when I have time to think, and there was about five or six hours left to drive. Great.

"Hey Ellie, it's just about dark and we got a long way to go. Why don't you hop in the back seat and get some rest here soon?"

"Alright," she yawned, "I will when I get tired."

Sure enough, Ellie was asleep laying across the back seat, as a chunk of hours passed by under the moonlit sky.

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net