Part 3

The Lucky 38 was now barely visible as she looked back. A needle sticking upwards in the distance. She wonders if this is a good idea. 500 miles is a long way.

She decides to just keep walking.

Ulysses is in front of her. They haven't talked since The Divide. He is not angry or upset. Genuinely curious would fit the description.

The sun beats down on them as always.

Yeonmi isn't a fan of this silence, but they can't exactly talk for 500 miles straight. She tries to come up with questions in her head, saving them for later.

After six hours of straight walking, they come across a little gas station. It looks well weathered but capable.

Six hours of straight walking was something they would have to get used to, in order to make it in less than a year.

Yeonmi checks her pip-boy time, remembering 3:00 AM. It is 6:25 PM. The sun is lowering quickly. Looking out, she doesn't see any more buildings besides a small few houses around half a mile up. Sand as far as the eye can see. Some mountain ranges line the horizon.

"We should stop." She walks up next to him.

He nods. And they make their way to the small collection of sheds.

He enters and she goes to look for supplies for a fire. She walks around back and finds a tire and drags is to the back of the building. No need to start a flare on the side of the road.

She heard growling behind her and recognizes it. A dog. She takes out her 10mm and shoots it twice, piercing the skull. It drops to the ground with a light thud. She drags the body around the corner before it starts bleeding everywhere and returns to her fire. Ulysses comes out, in no rush.

"Just a dog. How's the building looking?"

"Good enough."

"Great," she wipes her forehead, "could you help look for firewood? We won't need much."

After collecting as much scrap wood as they could, they start eating.

"So, where is this town I lived in?" Yeonmi asks.

"Little place called Grass Valley. No Legion or NCR that far north, either. Not yet, at least." Ulysses does not make eye contact.

"I've never heard of it."

"Ever heard of New Reno?"

She nods.

"It's about half-way between us and there."

She hums and places her head on her knees, unable to find an appetite even though she hadn't eaten all day.

"So how do you know this anyways?"

"I met you. Before. You were very different, always had an energy about you. Always busy though. We didn't have much time to talk before you left. I've walked this road before. After I left New Canaan and the White Legs, I traveled to a bigger town a few miles north of your town, Winnemucca," He picked up a stick and drew an oval, representing the Great Salt Lake, then a line to Winnemucca. Then he drew a path down. 500 miles. A dot half way through, New Reno. A dot at the end, New Vegas.

She feels like she needs to keep the conversation going.

"Where are you from?"

"Arizona."

She could tell it was something he wasn't fond of. She remembered how he talked about the fate of the Twisted Hairs. The tone of his voice was a bit shocking, up until then he was monotone. Even though his nature was accusatory, it was nice to see he was human after all.

"I see." She didn't want to push the conversation any more. They had a long trip ahead of them and wanted to time their conversations.

He didn't mind her asking, thinks it's strange she would want to know something so trivial.

After another full day of walking, they came across a small town full of nothing but ghouls. Just as they were nearing, a man walked out a bit to meet them halfway.

"Nice to meet you, little missy, what's your name?" He stuck his hand out, and she took it. He nearly shook her whole arm.

"I'm Yeonmi, thank you."

"And who's this?"

"Ulysses." They shake hands.

"I'm Gus, welcome to Clark. Ghoul haven in the middle of nowhere."

He led them into town. Yeonmi is reminded of Sloan.

"People pas through here all the time. Bigots mostly who don't take too kindly to a town full of ghouls." He plops down next to a girl, puts his arm around her, and lights a cigarette.

"Not that we care though. They'll find their fate out there. This is the only stop for a while." The woman speaks, placing her hand on the man's knee.

"Thank you for welcoming us." Yeonmi smiles. Veronica said she should try that more, but it feels awkward to the woman.

"You can head on over to the motel, Joanna can get you set up with a room. We're thinkin' of havin' a bonfire tonight. All of us. You can come if you want."

"Thank you again." Yeonmi bows her head a little.

"Of course sweetie, any time."

She pretends to not hear it.

The room they get is surprisingly clean. She guesses this is because there isn't much else to do out here, but clean. For fun.

Yeonmi sets her bag down on the couch. She is reminded of Novac. Thinks about sending a letter, but decides it's too early.

The first thing she does is check if the water still works. She is surprised when it does. He speaks before she can.

"I'm going to go get some supplies."

"I'll take a bath."

She hears him leave and immediately starts her bath. The water isn't warm but she does not care. Sweat and dirt from two days of straight walking covered her, and it was not a pretty look. It actually feels nice on her skin.

She thinks about him again. She never thought about how he lived, he was always an enigma to her. He ceased to exist after her tour. She imagined him somewhere far off, unreachable. Maybe even dead.

The bonfire later that night was held in front of the motel. Somewhere around two dozen ghouls and travelers were all circled around a fire pit. Yeonmi sat on the upper floor walkway of the motel, her legs hanging down. Ulysses was standing, leaning against the railing.

"Do you have any family?" She asked, and almost regretted immediately.

"Twisted Hairs were my family. I was born in."

Yeonmi was not one to nag. She knew her boundaries.

"Do you know if I have any family?"

"You told me of a sister."

What's her name?"

He thought it might not be a good idea to tell her. Might trigger something bigger.

"Sun-mi." He remembers the conversations they had so long ago. Every mile they put between The Divide and them was a step towards a better life, towards forgetting. He could forget everything. Up north, there was no Legion to find him. To remind him. He could leave this woman at her home, and keep walking.

He remembers Wolfhorn. Things were looking up then too. Things were finally looking well for him. Then things got much, much worse.

There was a sliver of hope, even just for a second.

Yeonmi ran the name through her brain a few times. Sun-mi.

"She's younger than me, isn't she?"

He nods, looking ahead. Doc Mitchell's guess was Yeonmi must be somewhere around early-mid 30's. Her mind felt clouded. Memories of a childhood long forgotten.

A bundle of twigs and grass.

Yeonmi stands abruptly and nearly slams the door to their motel room.

She has remembered too much.