"Nelly, try it now!" Duncan shouted under the car. Nelly turned the key on the car and... it growled and grumbled until the hood bounced and smoke seeped through the cracks. Nelly slammed her hand on the wheel, bashed her face in the horn and jumped out of the car, lifting the hood. She started coughing. Smoke clouded her lungs and she coughed it out, looking underneath the hood. "Oh, great." Duncan swore as he grabbed a wrench. But Nelly grabbed it from his hands. "Ah, Ah! Look, don't touch, right?" She smirked.
"Yeah, yeah." He poo-pooed, batting her hands away as she chucked the wrench in her tool box. "Alright. Get me that uh, metal tape measurer thing out of the barn." She said. "Yes, ma'am." He mocked. She rolled her eyes. "Run, soldier!" She shouted as he then darted towards the barn, pulling it back but then stepping in something. Nelly heard the loud SQWISH and dropped to the ground, laughing and holding her stomach. "Damn it, Ferdy, move your rump!" Duncan shouted from the barn, pushing the brown cow, Ferdy, out of the way. Nelly chuckled and got back down, laying flat on her skateboard.
She picked up a blowtorch and pulled her dark tinted goggles down, welding some of the wires into place. And then she heard the hunk of metal skid across the gravel into view. Nelly picked up the tape measurer and doused the torch, stretching it from one end to the other... "So, I'm gonna need 10 inches of electrical tape and that gun that melts metal... I can't remember what it's called. Get me that thingy!" She said to Duncan. "Yes, your majesty." He seemed to be running in and out of the house. "Hey! If I was a queen, we'd have enough damn money to get a new car! And get off the farm, Duncan." She wiped her hands on her shorts, smearing gear prints and black smudges on them.
She wiped away sweat that trickled down her face and she then pulled herself out of the car and leaned against the side of the car. "I hate this." Nelly picked up her water bottle and took a long gulp before Duncan came back outside with the materials needed.
"Gimme the melter." She said. "And don't burn me this time!"
"Nag, nag, nag." He said as she gave a low growl and snatched it from his hands.
She pressed most of the wires back into their place and melted them over with scrap metal. She took the electrical tape and closed up the gaps in the plastic covers over the electric wires. And then she looked up at Duncan, smirking. He was laughing. She kicked his leg. "Ack! Your so mean." He said.
"Yeah, it's my job. Hand me the wrench." She held her hand out. "What size?" He asked. "3/4." He obliged, digging through the wrenches and screwdrivers, stabbing his hand with a Phillip's head before giving it to her. She smiled and twisted the bolt loose before she pulled it back. And then, black gunk came out in dust and dropped on her face. Over burned ash. Nelly closed her eyes and spit it out of her mouth as Duncan died in the gravel road.
She growled at him, pulling herself out from underneath the truck. Nelly picked up the rag out of the tool box and smacked him over the head with it. "Shut up." She wiped the gunk from her face, spitting in the dirt as she heard her stomach rumble. "What, uh... What time is it?" Duncan looked at his watch. "4:30. Come on, lets go eat." He pulled her inside and she followed behind. "Oh, someone's gotta water the horses!" She remembered. Duncan groaned. "Alright, I'll take care of it. You make lunch. And this time, make it good." He said. She slapped his shoulder and he walked off, metal bucket in his hands.
She ran inside the old house, hearing a creak over every old floorboards. Wouldn't be long before the wood would topple over and the floor would collapse. She heated up the stove and pulled out the carton of milk from the jump started fridge and then fished around in the pantry, pulling out a can of Campbell's Tomato soup. She started up another burner and pulled down a loaf of bread from the pantry and cut four slices of the bread. Nelly was putting the pot on the stove as Duncan treaded inside, wiping his boots off on the welcome mat that needs a long, overdue beating.
"What's for lunch?" He asked, standing behind her, arms on her shoulders. She groaned. "Soup. And grilled cheese." She said. He ruffled her hair. "Your the best." He said. "Yeah... I know." She said, wiping her hands on the back of her jeans, running into the cabinets and fishing out the butter dish and a knife. She got Duncan to butter the bread and he slapped one down on the sizzling pan on the stove.
Nelly stirred up the soup as she sliced the cheese one by one. She put two on the current slice of bread, covering it up with another buttered slice before cutting an extra piece and dropping it on the floor. And that's when Juno ran inside, Bella-Boo following close behind. Juno got to the cheese first, mopping it up with his slobbery tongue. Bella-Boo whimpered and Nelly dropped another piece of mozzarella cheese to the whiny puppy who ate it up as well. "Coral those sheep, Bella-Boo? That's a good girl!" Nelly said, getting down and ruffling her sheep dog's hair. Juno, the black labrador licked at her leg and then her toes which were now sticking to the damp floor from his slobber. She dragged her toes across the floor and pushed on his side with her foot before she flipped the sandwich.
Duncan ran back down the stairs, holding a massive book. "Fence building made easy? Who'd you hoard that off of, huh? Knowing you, you'd blow the money on a new pair of shoes that'll just get covered in mud again." She said. He glared at her, dropping the book on the table.
"Ha-ha, your hilarious. But no. Got this out of dad's study. That's why it's so dusty." He blew on the cover. Nelly poured the soup into two separate bowls that curled to the bottom at the lips and were a sickly green color of paint. She put one in front of Duncan, dropping a crooked spoon into it before fishing out his grilled cheese and putting that on a separate plate.
"Think we need new fences? I don't see Chester going anywhere. Or Harrope. Or any of the sheep for that matter. And that's cause of Bella-Boo." She smirked. "Well, Bella-Boo's been doing a bang up job. But it's in case wolves attack. And the hay loft needs fixing. Raining in on the chickens every night." He said.
"So much to do, so little time. Think this year's harvest will be done in time?" She asked. "Dunno. Lets hope the tractor still works." He said. "Oh, it works, Duncan! Just you wait, my baby will be up and running in three days!" She said, jumping up and walking to the window, pulling the curtains back... "Old man, Runsten's in the Pasture again!" Nelly shouted, grabbing her jacket and loading her pistol. He shoots another horse again, he's gonna be the one limpin' home!
"Nelly!" Duncan jumped up, knocking over the chair as he flung back the screen door. She ran towards the pasture and jumped over the fence, marching right up to the crazy old man holding his own pistol. Straw hat with holes, and ratty old boots to match his wrinkled face and golden missing teeth. Not to mention the white beard and eyebrows that had to obstruct his view.
Anger pierced Nelly to the core as she jumped the fence and pulled back the hammer. "Get back from ma horses, Runsten!" She shouted, keeping her trigger finger in place, no fear but anger.
"Ah, Ms. Hally." He mocked her name. "It's Nelly, old man." She said, wrapping her other finger around the gun. He held his hand up. "I don't want no trouble, little lady. I've only come back to claim what is mine." He said, trying to touch the horse and brought up his pistol. Nelly retracted her hand and ran forward, pressing the gun into his shoulder. "Get your hands off ma stallion, punk!" She spit on the ground at his feet and he laughed. "That's a dangerous weapon, missy. Your tangling up in my net now, no escape." he said. And then, she jumped back, and pulled the trigger on her pistol. His gun went flying from his hand as a gold bullet pierced it at the source. "That's it, Old Man Runsten. Now get your raggedy ass off our land." She growled.
He picked up the wholed barrel pistol and darted. The horse he touched bucked back in shock and nuzzled up in Nelly's chest. "Don't you worry, babe... I won't let him hurt you." She kissed the horse on the forehead and patted its neck. "I'll give you a wash later, Midnight." His name. It was sewn on his saddle. Some of these horses were cart horses. Others, Duncan and Nelly rode around for fun when the sun was setting.
She pulled Midnight up into the stables and watched as Duncan refilled his food bucket. "That's the last time that old fart gets on our land." She tucked the pistol in her boot and walked off. "Now hold on there, Nelly! That's why we need electric fences. So that grunt can't get into the pasture!" He said. "And risk zapping the horses for personal problems? Not on your life, Duncan." She said. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Nelly pulled her rubber band off her wrist and wrapped her brown hair in a high ponytail before walking back inside and dropping the gun on the counter.
She lost her appetite soon enough and gave her food to the chickens and a slice of her grilled cheese to Bella-Boo and Juno. She got back to work in the barn, doing her work on the hay loft. Duncan climbed up the ladder. "The hay's gonna go moldy soon." He scolded. She then kicked the ladder, sending him back from the loft. He screamed as he landed in dirty blankets off the horses. He growled at her, dragging one off of his head. "Get to work on those, would ya?" She said, pulling her hammer off her belt and slammed a new board in place, putting two nails in her mouth as she snapped in a new one. She finished off with the last nail and was about to climb down the ladder but then remembered she kicked it down. Nelly slipped and then was left hanging from the loft. "Duncan! Help me!" She shouted.
He ran out and laughed at her. "This is the stupidest thing I've ever seen. Hey, you still wear boy shorts under those baggy ones!" he said. She growled and then let go of the loft, landing on top of him. He fell on the ground, his head hitting the wood. "Ack! You did that on purpose." He said.
"And that took so long because..." She said. "Ouch! And the ref takes a point away!" He said, standing up. And then, they heard a loud rumbling sound. "What's that?" Nelly said, grabbing the post attached to the loft.
Duncan ran to the rope hanging from the roof and climbed up the knots made in it and popped out of the roof... "Nelly! Get outside! I think the car fumes have made me high!" He shouted. She scratched her head and walked out of the barn. "Yes, yes... Oh, my God..." He wasn't hallucinating! In the middle of the woods was smoke coming out of the trees. "Get your gun, Nelly!" He yelled. She ran inside and picked up her pistol, tucking it into the waistband of her pants and running towards the woods while Duncan was hot on her heels. "Whaddya suppose it is?" He said. "Only one way ta find out!"
She wiped the sweat away and then, in the middle of the forest... Was a hunk of metal three sizes of the truck. Nelly stepped forward and noticed the thing was blinking from behind a windshield. "What in the hell are we lookin' at?" Duncan asked. "Dunno. Come on!" She stepped around and then saw a wing of some sort. Looked like it was from a plane. And then, something fell off the side and out crawled a person... Sort of a person. It had orange skin. And then another followed. "Holy shit..." Nelly reached in her waistband for her pistol.
"That was the worst landing stunt you've ever pulled, Master!" A feminine voice grumbled. Another followed back, masculine and unmistakably arrogant. "Sorry, you were supposed to read the drift charts!" The voice shouted. Then, Nelly's patience snapped. "Hey! What the hell are you doing on ma land?! On our property?!" She shouted, pulling the hammer back and cocking the pistol towards the orange creature on the ground. It had the body of a female teenager and face of one. But had orange skin and markings on it's face that looked like war paint. And then her head was the weirdest thing!
It had three tails drifting down from its scalp, one down it's back, stopping a little below the shoulderblades, the other two drifting passed it's shoulders and cutting off a little below the collar bones. The other one? Human, unmistakably human. His hair was messed, he had a tall strong and lean body, clearly shows he works out, and a scar over one of his eyes. His hair was a muddy brown but was beautiful color, matching his clothes. Black and red. Matching the alien laying down next to him, matching her completion perfectly.
Nelly raised the pistol at the alien. "Stand up!" She snapped. The alien froze under the cold barrel, raised its human hands and stood up.
It wasn't breathing. "What are you doing here? Why are you on our land?" Duncan spoke empty threats. "Look, we don't want any trouble... Our shuttle crashed! Because He was flying!" The angry alien directed a finger at the man coughing up smoke. "Hey! I'm a better pilot than you!" He snapped. "Here we go again." The alien rolled it's bright blue eyes. Duncan snickered. "So... From another planet? I hear the trumpet symphony." Duncan said, holding his head up. Nelly walked up to him and smacked him upside the head.
"Ow! Would you stop hitting me!" He shouted and she just hit him again. And then he grabbed her arm and swatted it back. "OK, enough! Still have the... Illegal aliens in front of us." He said, waving his hands as if casting a spell. Nelly snickered. "So... Where'd you come from?" She said, pushing the hammer back and tucking her pistol in the elastic of her waistband, waiting. "Planet Coruscant. We accidentally overshot our Hyperdrive and crashed in another galaxy... I think. Where are we, anyway?" The man asked.
"Uh... Earth?" Nelly shrugged. The alien looked at the man. "Never heard of it." It said. "OK, intros are in order, I reckon. I'm Duncan, this here's my sister, Nelly. And you two are..." Duncan said, waiting. The alien stood up and bowed it's head. Well, she bowed her head. "Ahsoka Tano, Padawan learner." She said. Nelly glanced at Duncan. "Right... And you?" She said. The man stood up, brushing his arms and legs off. "Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight." He said. Duncan looked at Nelly again and then shrugged. "Okay... Don't lose your pistol." Duncan muttered to her. She smirked. "So... I reckon you'll both need a place to crash... Lemme rephrase that," She said after peering at the wreckage.
"I think what Nelly's tryin' ta say is... You need someplace to stay before your can get outta here, right?" He looked at Nelly. "Yeah. If you believe the listening agent." She said, bashing her hip against his, mocking his politeness. Something she always lacked.
"Yes... It won't be permanent. Just until we can fix the ship." Ahsoka stated. Nelly nodded. "Well, you two better follow us. I warn ya, it ain't perfect... But it's home."