Suckerpunch 2: Awaken
By Nick Goodman
Chapter 1: A Journey Ends, and a Sweet Pea
The bus she was on trudged through the storm, the passengers made passing glances but not a word was said.
They were right to have those judging looks, she had only just joined them in Vermont, when the kindness of one bus driver saved her life from the local police that were after her. She glanced around at the passengers once more, a small boy when sad eyes made eye contact with her and quickly looked away. Sweet Pea wondered what his story was, he was very well dressed, small suitcase by his side. She missed her sister, the last day had flown by her, losing her sister, Babydoll, Amber and Blondie. Her only family for years, she wondered what she would tell her mother.
Lightening flashed outside the window, she blinked as the darkness set back in. For the first time in what felt like a eternity, Sweet Pea slept without a single nightmare.
The bus came to a sudden stop and shook Sweet Pea from the darkness she was swimming in, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and blinked in the bright afternoon light. She glanced up at the driver who nodded to her, without another word she stood and exited the bus.
"Thank you, I don't know how I can repay you…" Sweet Pea started, a tear started to fall from her eye.
"Miss, i've been doing this job a long time, I know a troubled person when I see one…" The man had started, Sweet Pea took one step off the bus, stopped and turned to him.
"Just try to stay out of trouble." He finished, nodding once again, reaching over with his free hand to pull the level and close the rusty doors.
She looked around the familiar landscape, she had grown up just 20 miles from Augusta, Maine. She wondered if the town of Winthrop had changed since she and her sister were left, her mind suddenly went to a dark place, a place that she tried desperately to avoid.
the night it happened.
She shook her head, trying to keep the memory from surfacing.
The night we…
The night fell shortly after she made it to a local grocery store, she didn't like the idea of stealing, but at this point she would eat anything she could get her hands on.
She took only what she needed from the failing grocery stores shelves, and slipped back out into the night, looking for a place to sleep.
Sweet Pea sat in a local store's back ally, she had rigged a few metal sheets into a nice roof and curled up into a ball beneath them. The night sky was breathtaking, she hadn't realized how long it had been since she looked up at anything but a moldy, rain ruined ceiling of the asylum.
For a moment, Sweet Pea was lost in the stars.
Chapter 2: Stars & Rockets
Rocket had loved stargazing, when they were younger they used to "Camp in the wild" (which was really their spacious back yard.) They would tell ghost stories and giggle, life was easier back then.
Rockets last words surfaced in Sweet Pea's head, clouding it yet again.
"When you get home, when you're free, you tell Mom I love her."
She thought of Babydoll, still trapped in that place, not even knowing if she was alive or not. She had sacrificed herself, not even batting an eye for doing it. Something had to be done, Sweet Pea's anger surged within her, she kicked the brick wall to her side with all the force she could muster, not caring about the pain spreading up her foot and leg.
She awoke to the sun glinting off of the metal roof of her shelter, dusting her clothes she stumbled out of the alleyway, making sure no one was around to see her. She had a plan, a plan that had been planted in her mind by her sister, to make it home, just tell her mother what Rocket had said, she had made that promise to more than one person. She realized that Babydoll, the one she owed her own life too, had let her escape, just to redeem Rocket.
Something inside Sweet Pea stirred, she hadn't even thought about her parents much until today, she wondered if they were still even living in this small town.
She set out for Winthrop, she glanced at the nearest road sign, and found that it was nearly 15 more miles away.
Seeing the miles took its toll on her already aching feet, she sat on the sidewalk rubbing the bottom of her foot, trying to will the pain away. She glanced at her almost broken hospital shoes, giant holes that had been there for the entire time she had been locked up, were only worse now.
She glanced across the street to see a shoe store, its door propped open. It was tempting, a fresh pair of shoes would surely help protect her feet, keep her from having to take so many breaks. She put on the withered hospital shoes and made her way across the street, the town bustled away as she snuck in and tried on a pair of plain but beautiful shoes. Already her feet felt better, she felt as though the shoes she was wearing had magical properties, refreshing her.
"I sure hope your not going to steal those!"
Sweet Pea glanced around in panic, she had been spotted. Upon searching, she only saw that one store clerk was working, and they had their face planted in a book.
"I mean come on Sis, do you know what would happen if you were caught!"
Again, Sweet Pea glanced around in panic. She knew this voice, confided with it, nurtured it, it was her sister Rocket.
"Rocket! Where are you?" Sweet Pea whispered, feeling slightly dizzy.
"Not about to let my sister get caught again, that's where, what are you thinking?"
Sweet Pea took off the shoes, pulled back on the tattered ones and left the store immediately. She leaned against the store window, she couldn't believe it, she had heard her sister's voice. Looking up from the window her eyes widened in surprise, she hadn't noticed walking in, but her face was posted on the window. She touched it through the glass, wondering if she was imagining this too, but there she was, the picture was quite a bit older.
Beside her picture was a very old picture of Rocket, most likely from grade school. The words below it were dark and as plain as day, it read; Have you seen us?
To Be Continued…