:D woo! second chapter
broke my thuumb3
so0o read y review!
I don't think I've ever seen so many fucking rocks in my entire life.
I had honestly thought that the trek into the hills would be "an awesome adventure"
Turns out that it fucking blows.
I swung the loaded shot gun around by my side, making smacking noises against the rocks, spooking away lizards, spiders and snakes. My gold and spring green orbs floating up to the peak of the hill, wiping sweat from my for head. I sat down on a rock, placing the shot gun by my feet and stared off into the horizon.
"No shiny.." I dully called to no one, watching the sky turn shades of pinks and oranges.
"Nope, shiny has left the building." I concluded as a purple hue had been added to the sky. Soon-the sundown had ended and the sky turned jet black. I snorted, standing up and dusting off my pants before slinging the shot gun back over my shoulders. I heard something scurry to my left- and I spun around, but nothing was to be seen. I shrugged it off as coyotes and began to jog down the steep incline. It was honestly..fun, coming down the hills, especially if you started to sprint. Your feet would leap from rocks-and for a few stray seconds, or if you're lucky, maybe a minute-you'd be flying, not even touching the earth.
I whooped, startling some desert hares, and I called out an apology to them as I neared the bottom of the hill. I laughed, falling down into the soft, but gritty sand, as it burst into the air as I impacted. The sand dust floated upwards, into the sky, and I ran my fingers in the sand, watching the sky as I laid on my back.
"And my papa asked me-if dust becomes star dust~then what becomes of us?" I sang lowly, hoping my random song rhymed-even if there was no one around to hear me. I could see the gas station from here, and all the lights were on. I could faintly see Uncle Jeb sitting on his rocking chair, nursing a bottle of sweet rum. I shook my head, at least he was what one might call a "nice drunk" and wouldn't go bat shit crazy on me.
I starred up at the moon, for at least another hour, before a similar shuffling sound caught my ears. I spun, and got sand in my face from the wind whipping my hair. I rubbed at one eye with my closed fist, and attempted to open the other one-and what I saw was almost frightening. Before me stood a large shadow of a man, wearing what looked like a white shirt, black coat, black pants and black boots. He was monstrously tall and muscular-and I didn't get a good look at his face, but it seemed..not normal. What really caught my eye was the giant axe that he was wielding. I closed my eyes again to rub at them, and when they opened-the man was no where to be seen.
I shook my head, my eyes red as I scratched my head-hoping to rid myself of as much sand as possible before I returned to the station.
"Somethings fucking with me.." I mumbled to myself. I knew that I was crazy, but never to the point of seeing crazy shit. I shrugged it off, and got into a squatting position and looked all around me, but again-nothing was there. I shook my head again, mumbling to myself about how people drag themselves in the desert and go insane all the time- as I stalked back 'home'. I found myself lucky that my shotgun had tumbled down with me, landing about a foot away from me. Especially since I wasn't shot, and I had taken the safety off within the first minutes of the gun being in my possession. I decided to name it Lucky, as I slung my ass up-and headed for the gas station.
As I stepped onto the porch, Jeb eyed me with a mix of surprise and admiration. I tilted my head in question, as he pointed inside.
"Ya did't see nuthin'? Yer bags are in ya room. Jus' go up tha' stairs..ya got tha' attic 'n yer own bathroom." He slurred, but was still comprehensible.
"Nothing really Uncle Jeb. Something odd-but there was just sand in my eye. Thank you Uncle Jeb." I said, pressing a kiss to the dirty cheek as I slowly made my way inside. I heard him sigh, before shaking a fist at the sky.
"Benny..she's gotcha' charm." He spoke to the stars, toasting the twinkling reminders of my daddy. I smiled softly, stepping up the creaking stairs into the attic-bedroom. True to his words, the room was a fair size, with a small bathroom attached to it. The walls and floors were all made of the same wood-old but soft-giving the room that homey look. My moving boxes stacked neatly in the corner, by what I assumed was a large closet. I hummed in approvement, flopping down on my bed, the sheets, pillows and blankets already on it.
I changed into a pair of sweatpants, and an old shirt that used to belong to my father, and quickly fell asleep, the sound of sand grains hitting against my closed window. I closed my eyes, pressing further into the mattress, and let my dreams begin to wander.
I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on my door, before it was opened.
"Mornin' girl. How ya sleep?" Uncle Jeb asked, already smoking another cigar, but smelt less of booze, and looked much cleaner. I sat up, rubbing my eyes as I moaned out a greeting.
"Get's cold out night here girl! Why'dya open tha winda?" He asked, stepping across the room and slamming the heavy window shut. I starred at the window, glaring. I stepped closer to inspect the window, and it seemed to heavy to be opened by the wind somehow. Now that I looked closer..I spied some flecks of dried blood and what looked like black ash. I shrugged it off, stepping away from the window.
"It was closed." I mumbled, standing up beside the bed. Jeb froze, looking out the window wearily, before heading back towards the stairs.
"Breakfas'ts soon if ya want some." He mumbled, taking off quickly down the stairs. I mumbled a yes, putting on some socks and throwing my hair back into a messy bun. Apparently, Uncle Jeb thought that I would be taking longer, since when I arrived in the small kitchen/office/living room/dining area, he was angrily whispering into an old walkie talkie.
"I told ya Jupe..leave 'er 'lone! She's all I got left of mah family, 'n I'm not 'bout ta letcha tak'er from me!" He growled lowly into the radio, static around his words. I hid in the doorway, and it was easily done, as his back was to me. There wasn't a response, and for awhile, I thought that Uncle Jeb was just nuts. There was probably no one with a matching walkie talkie, or was even on the same wave. Just as my doubt began surfacing, it was shot down with a deep voice.
"Awwhh..Jebby..Pluto was jus' lookin'." The voice mocked, as Uncle Jeb gripped the walkie.
"YER BOYS DO MORE THAN JUS' LOOK, JUPITAAR!" Jeb yelled into the radio. Soon, a deep, low voice answered him.
"Jus...t...lookin..g.." The voice seemed slurred, and obviously strained. Who names their children Pluto and Jupiter anyway?
"Yeaahhh Jubby..Goggle 'n I..we's tha un's ya should worry 'bout." A gravely voice cackled from the devise, as Jeb visibly shivered. I snuck in the room, snatching the walkie from the frozen hand.
"Hello all." I laughed, watching Jeb's horrified face. Grunts of confusion came from different walkie talkies, and I could identify at least eight different people.
"Who tha'?" A deep voice called first.
"Eilonwy." I said, before the devise was snapped away from me by my seething uncle.
"STAY OUTTA THIS!" He snapped, turning to the radio.
"aaaaayyy, lil' ladyy..why duncha' come outside?" A second deep voice called, as Jeb's knuckles turn white. I yelled over his shoulder into the talkie.
"Why don't you come inside?" I said back, hearing a gravely chuckle come back.
"Like ya girlie."
"Git' gone 'lonwy!" Uncle Jeb said, throwing a bottle of orange juice and a piece of toast at me before shoving me out into the store part of the house. I hummed, munching on my toast as I sat on the counter. No one would be coming around now, and my heels kicked the wood underneath me. I clapped my palms together, ridding them of crumbs as I starred out the window. Again, I saw that shiny thing reflecting in the sun, and I glared at it.
I will defeat you shining object.
As I was planning the downfall of the shimmering object, Uncle Jeb stepped back into the store, a grim look upon his face.
"Lony." He said, hefting himself up next to me on the counter. Apparently I have a nickname, a southern nickname. Cool.
"Jeb."
"I need 'ta tell ya' somethin'."
"You're not my daddy's real brother-I know that. You're still my uncle." I said, smiling up at the aged man. He smiled, patting my head before he glared at the shining object, way up in the hills.
"Aahh..you hate the shiny too.." I said, our vision watching the reflecting light. He sighed.
"There's people ou' there..but they ain't like us." He said, drumming his fingers on the counter.
"Like..?" I questioned.
"Mutants. The government used this land as a test sight fer nuclear bombs. Miners used to live out 'ere, an' some of em' didn't wanna leave..and thus'..is how they' live." Uncle Jeb said somewhat dramatically. I starred out into the desert. I cleared my throat, heading for the door.
"I wasn't taught many things Uncle Jeb." I started, crossing the room, picking up empty bottles of booze along the way.
"But- I was taught that drinking isn't good. I know that boozing will lead you a'crusing. But-just cause someone's different doesn't mean that they're scary." I said, dropping the empty bottles into a nearby basket, thankfully with no questions asked. Jeb shook his head.
"Lony..they...I help them!...and they wont let me stop!" He cried, placing his face in his hands. I stopped collecting the bottles, and sat beside him once more, awkwardly placing my arm around his shoulder. I saw no harm in helping people, but if it was so disgraceful, I didn't want to insult him. .
"Don't be sad uncle Jeb." I said, patting his back. "You did what you did-there's a reason for everything. There's a reason you're helping them, just like there's gonna be a reason for my death, your death too." I said cheerily, kissing his cheek.
"Imma start putting stuff away upstairs..if you need me, ill still be there." I said, grabbing a pack of cigarettes and skipping up the stairs. I know I like being alone when I cry, so I thought I'd give Jeb the same courtesy as I skipped up the stairs. All I really had to do now with my room was to move my small furniture (a book shelf and a desk) around the room, trying to see which way was better, and to put away some clothes.
After about an hour, everything was to my liking, and already through one smoke, I skipped down the stairs, the lit fairy in my lips. I blew the smoke out my nose, as I passed Jeb who was going to go sit outside. I grabbed an old rag, an empty booze bottle and headed outside with him. He sat on a creaking old rocking chair, as I tied the bottle up in the rag, creating sort of a bag. Jeb watched me curiously, as I grabbed a nearby hammer and started lobbing away at it. The breaking of glass was heard, and thankfully, I had made the rag-bag well enough so that no shards flew out at me. I stopped hammering away, and opened up the sack.
"Whatcha' doin' with that?" He asked, puffing from his cigar.
"Got any glue?" I asked, closing the bag again and heading inside.
"Yes ma'me. Why?"
"I'll show you when it's done." I said, grabbing the strongest glue I could find and headed upstairs. I had glued the broken glass on the bottom of the window sill. So if anyone tried opening up the window, they'd get a handful of glass. I hummed, nodding in approvement as I heard chuckling. Jeb stood at the door, shaking his head fondly.
"You is Benny's girl." He smirked, watching me close the window.
"He might have taught me a -few things.." I admitted, stepping down the stairs with the older man. He laughed, patting my back as we headed back downstairs.