Chapter four! Yay! XD A nice and long chapy for all of ya.
I just wanted to apologize for Roxy's language, which might be getting a tad worse and I hope I do not offend anyone with that. If I do, just tell me and I will reign myself in when writing.
And my reviewers, you guys rock! Luv ya all XD
Hope you enjoy the chapter ;)
Golden Sunset
Chapter 4 - Should just give him a lecker bite
With a loud groan I started to move around, however I did not open my eyes, trying to contain the last images of my dream. I had been back home in Africa and my eldest brother was next to me. He had told me that he missed me. I had never had such a wonderful dream in my life, but that was all it was. A dream. A fantasy. It wasn't real.
Another moan escaped my lips as I rolled over onto my stomach, before slowly opening my eyes. After a couple of times of blinking, they had finally adjusted to the sunlight and I could look around clearly.
Currently I was lying upstairs in one of the smaller rooms, tangled up in the various covers that Rango had brought me. Nevertheless my back was killing me after the night. It had been more than uncomfortable and I just prayed that I could somehow get hold of a a bed or at least a big cover, to soften up the hard wooden floor a bit for sleeping, however for that I would need the money.
My job would only start tonight so I had more than enough time to sleep, but I didn't really feel like it anymore. At the current moment my body craved the vitamins of the pure sunlight, so I just would have to get up and go outside.
I wondered how late it was and just hoped that there weren't too many people out and about at the moment. I still hated it when people started at me or watched me for that matter, so of course I didn't feel very comfortable when thinking about going and lying on the road, exposed for everyone to see and watch.
'Oh well, stuff them! I don't care! I want to have a nice sunlight bath and no one will stop me. I mean it is something natural, nothing to be ashamed of, right? All snakes do that and isn't it good if people look at me? Okay, not good but still. It is stupid not to want to get up just because of the thought of having to see people…'
After I had finished my little pep talk, I was finally able to heave myself of the ground and after rolling my head from side to side and stretching my long sunset coloured body a little, I finally could make myself fold the various blankets together. I wouldn't want to leave my house a mess after my first night. That would just be more than embarrassing if Rango for example came in again to bring me something and my actually blank room looked like a blanket monster had thrown up!
Once I was finished, I made my way down the stairs and once downstairs I pushed open one of the huge doors and slithered over the threshold of the door. Squinting while looking up into the sky, I noticed that it had just gone up and that – at the current moment – the only really sunny place was occupied by – guess who – that stupid rattlesnake!
'Well Rox, let's get to work and see if we can mess up his day already in the morning!' I snickered a little while slowly slithering up to the larger snake. Then, when I was close enough, I drew in some breath and:
"EY!"
He didn't budge. Not a millimetre did that damn rattler move. I let out an annoyed breath and tried again.
"Ey, you! Mind moving your scaly behind away so that I can have a sunbath?"
That at least earned me a very low and angered growl, but the larger snake still didn't move. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Rango hurrying past with a rather absent minded expression on his face. That's when I was struck with an idea.
I turned my head slightly towards the sheriff and tilted my head. "Sheriff Rango! Jake won't share! Do something!" I whined with my best 'little upset bitchy girl' voice I could manage and that even caused the rattler to roll his eyes beneath his shut eyelids. I smirked when seeing it, but quickly put my spoilt brats face back on.
Rango stopped and looked at me in utter bewilderment before quickly glancing over at Rattlesnake Jake, who had now finally opened his eyes and from where I was standing, I could see him once again roll his eyes.
"Excuse me, miss Roxy, but what are ya talking about?" The sheriff looked terribly confused and maybe even a little scared and worried about the current situation, most probably fearing that Jake and I would once again get in each-other's faces for nothing.
I pouted and pointed at Jake. "I also want to sun myself, but Jake is being a bitch and won't let me catch some rays. That's not fair. You're the Sheriff, so you better do something about this right now!"
Now it was obvious that I was pulling Rango's leg, well at least obvious to everyone else except for Rango, who – still with a rather shocked expression – actually went over to Jake and cleared his throat.
"Jake, won't ya let the missy lie down too –" But I interrupted the sheriff by breaking out into loud laughter and actually letting my entire body drop to the ground, where I started to roll around, gasping for air.
"Oh, that was just too sweet sheriff! That catapults you right up to the number one on my favourite people list!" I managed to choke out between laughter. I was actually laughing so hard, that I didn't notice the sheriff's face turn pink and him rush off quickly, nor did I notice the slightly amused smile flash across the rattlesnake's face, before he too left, most probably crept out by me, the red and golden woman, rolling around on the ground laughing.
When I finally managed to stop laughing, I was all alone, well except for all the towns folk that hard started to walk around to begin their daily duties, most of them staring at me as if I had gone completely nuts. Well, maybe they were right…
With a happy sigh I moved over to the exact spot where the outlaw had lain and curled up there with a happy smile on my face. Sweet success.
After about an hour of simply sunbathing and falling in and out of sleep, I opened both my golden eyes and yawned a huge big yawn, showing off all my spiky teeth and my two flexing toxic fangs, scaring off a few townspeople, who were currently walking past me, but ended up fleeing in fear.
It didn't really bother me for at the moment I was way to hungry as to think of anything else than getting to the saloon and making Buford get me something to munch on. Maybe a few eggs of those tasty looking roadrunners would do…
I licked my chops in excitement and quickly slithered off to the saloon.
When I entered everything did stop for a second, the movement, the sound of the piano, maybe even some people stopped breathing, but once they saw that it was just me, most off the dirty looking critters turned back to their drinks, meals and card games, however some still did watch me with wary, blood shot eyes.
I quickly made my way over to the bar where Buford was talking with some of his customers, but he quickly ignored them once he noticed me. "Hey there Rox. What yer doing 'ere? Yer shift only starts t'night."
I nodded. "I know I know, but I'm here to get some grub, before I have to go around eating the towns people, you know."
I said it with as much sincerity as I could muster up, but it seemingly did the job, for Buford hurried into the kitchen as fast as his stumpy little legs could carry him and started yelling at whoever was working in there, that they should make a snake sized portion of ham and eggs and that better fast, if they didn't want to end up being served to me as my breakfast instead.
'This is life!' I sighed and smiled, before turning around and once again spotting the outlaw at the same table in the back. There were some other tables free this time, but I didn't even consider sitting down at an empty table, all on my little lonesome.
When getting closer to Rattlesnake Jake's table, I noticed the little eye-eye girl sitting next to him on a chair, whipping back and forth while talking up a storm. It did confuse me a little, to see the little girl sitting next to the dangerous outlaw as if that was the safest place in the word and she seemingly enjoying it as well. I couldn't stop a thought from entering my mind. 'They look so cute like that..'
But I quickly got rid of it, I still was cross with the little girl for going to Jake and telling him everything about me and of course I was still angry with the rattler for squeezing me the day before.
"What's up?" I placed my coils next to the table, earning a slightly curious, but mostly angered look from the outlaw and a bright smile from the little girl.
"Hello there miss Roxy. I was just telling mister Rattlesnake Jake Sir that Rango will soon be leaving, to check out on some bandit group!" The little girl had turned around to me completely, most probably believing that I would be a more talkative person that Jake, but when hearing her refer to him as 'Mister Rattlesnake Jake Sir' I nearly broke out into loud laughter again.
"Mister Rattlesnake Jake Sir. Mister Rattlesnake Jake Sir! Oh how adorable! Ach no, that is just too sweet for words!" I was smiling broadly, however also very tauntingly at the rattlesnake who was growling and hissing quietly at me. I even heard the words: "Stupid bitch" Slip through, but I didn't care.
"So, tell me again, I was distracted by Mister Rattlesnake Jake Sir. Where Is Rango going?" I rested my head on the table and concentrated on the little girl, ignoring the outlaw who was currently trying to kill me with his look alone.
"Sheriff Rango's going South, 'cause a town is having trouble with some mangy bandits and the town just won't get rid of 'em. Rango's taking the whole posse with him, ya know and he told me next time I'll be going with!" The black eye-eye with the yellow eyes puffed out her chest proudly, but before I could tell her that not even the sheriff was that dumb as to take a kid with him, the girl was called away by her playmates and she went running after them, laughing and giggling like a little girl should.
"Yer was distracted by me?" From my lying position I looked up into the firery eyes of the outlaw, which were currently looking down at me with a glint in them and the outlaw himself was wearing a way to smug expression on his face, for my liking.
"No. I was distracted by what the pesky little brat had called you, numb-nuts. That's a huge big difference, you know." I closed my eyes, not knowing where I should look. Maybe coming over here hadn't been such a good idea, but before there still had been the little girl with whom I could 'socialize'.
The outlaw snorted. "Why are ya here, woman?" I nearly heaved a sigh of relief. Seemingly the little eye-eye hadn't told the damn gunslinger everything!
"Needed a change in scenery." But seemingly that was not what the bigger snake wanted to hear.
"No. I mean here here. At this table. Little Priscilla told me yer wanted to meet me and the good ol' sheriff. Why?" Oh I was so going to kill that little girl!
"'Cause I'm a stupid bitch and as ignorant as a god damn new born baby, that's why." Suddenly a rather scared mouse came up to me, balancing a huge plate of food in his arms. Without a thank you I snatched the plate away from him, but simply started to pick at my food. I wasn't really hungry anymore.
I pushed the plate over to the outlaw. "Not hungry."
The outlaw however also didn't touch the food, instead he smirked at me. "At least once yer right with a statement, woman."
With a dirty look on my face I snatched the food away from the outlaw again. "I think I actually am hungry again. Stupid asshole." And then I slithered away, however not without hearing the outlaw call after me with a dark chuckle in his voice.
"Get yerself a dictionary woman. Learn some new insults!"
I practically stormed out of the saloon, the tray of food held by a part of my coils and actually nearly flattened the sheriff who had wanted to enter the saloon at that moment.
"Miss Roxy? Roxette! What's wrong?" He called after me.
While slithering away down the main street back to my new home, I turned my head slightly so that the sheriff could see the furious look on my face. "I hate him! That lousy no good, self-righteous assholy moronic – ARGH!"
I screamed in frustration when I realized that that idiot was right. I really should stock up on my insults!
I never would have thought that interacting with another living being could actually be as entertaining, as it was with that red and golden female. I never knew how she would react and when she got herself all riled up, it excited me. To play with something that actually could kill me with a simple bite was the most fun I had had in years.
After Roxette had stormed off, I saw no reason in staying in the saloon any longer, so I slowly made my way outside, only to come face to face with a dishevelled looking Rango.
"What's eatn' ya sheriff?"
Not that I really cared, I was simply bored out of my mind, since Roxette was off having a temper tantrum.
"Ahm, Jake. Maybe yer should go a lil' easy on sweet ol' Roxy. That girl sure can throw a fit and I don't want nobody getting hurt just 'cause ya think it's funny to rile her up a bit. I know she's a little nuisance, but she's a good girl, at least when she wants to be. She's new and I don't want ya to take that as an advantage!"
In an instant I had rapped my coils around the green sheriff and had pulled him right up to my face. "What do ya take me for, brother? Some mangy lowlife critter that'll use a woman just for a little fun? That's more than insulting, sheriff. For such a statement I should kill ya, ya know. I still got some honour left in my bones, Rango."
With that said I let him fall to the ground, where he landed with an audible 'Uff'.
I didn't care, I simply started to slither away, but then, after thinking about it, I stopped and half turned back to the chameleon who was currently trying to get back onto both legs. "Yer a good sheriff, Rango. Stupid has hell, but a good sheriff."
And then I slithered off quickly, leaving an extremely shocked sheriff behind, while wondering, why on earth I had said that.
I guess, maybe I was still a little dishevelled due to the accusation of the sheriff. If I was absolutely honest, in the past day, since I had met that woman, I did think about paying her a visit a few times, but I would be damned if I didn't have at least enough self-control to stay away from a bad tempered female. How pitiful would that be, running after a woman like a lovesick puppy. NO thank you! That was not going to happen. But every time I thought of the African bush viper, my scales stood on end.
'Damn you woman!'
With an angry hiss I flung my door closed, nearly causing the entire house to shake. I was absolutely pissed off! No, I was beyond pissed off! I was royally – fire spitting furious. I had wanted to make him angry, but somehow that blasted snake managed to turn the whole thing around against me, every god damn time!
Trying to calm down, I placed myself near one of the windows and started to eat my by now cold breakfast, or rather brunch for the matter of fact, as it was already nearly mid-day.
'I wonder what I could still do today? In the evening I must work, but I can't go back to sleep again! What do these weird people do the whole day? I mean they can't work day and night and I am sure that not everyone spends their entire day in the saloon! There must be something else to do….
Oh, I've got it! Didn't the sheriff say that they had a lake? It would be great to have a nice rinse of once again, I can't even remember the last time I got a nice bath. Yes, that is what I will do. Maybe I even get to scare some people. Yay. So much fun!'
With a huge grin I finished the last bites of my ham and eggs, my fury already long forgotten, before I slithered out the door of my still bare home. I really needed that money soon! 'I'm not a very fussy person, but this is ridiculous! I have nothing inside there, no bed, no table not even a kitchen! Maybe I can go and see what they have in the second hand shop, the. Buford must give me my money for yesterday in any case! But I will stop by there a little later, don't need no money at the moment so yeah, pick it up later lassie… wait, what did I want to do again?'
I stopped in the middle of the road before I remembered that I had decided to go to the lake. 'Damn, looks like I am slowly getting Alzheimer, I'm sure of it! I blame these stupid people from around here. No! I blame that god damn rattler. For what else is that gunslinger good for in any case! Nothing, that's just my point! Should just give him a lecker bite and get rid of him once and for all. Damn me and my way to good heart…'
I stopped conversing with myself in my head when I saw the glittering water of the grand town's lake right in front of me and all I could do was stare. It was absolutely wonderful, magnificent. It seemed so wrong, however, so out of place. So much water sure as hell did not belong in the middle of the damn desert and it just wouldn't get into my brains how this could be. I guess I would have to ask the sheriff at some stage, because this was actually quite fascinating to me.
Slowly I started to slither closer towards the water, only to notice that it was packed with those idiotic desert critters who were screaming around, running around and of course fooling around at the lake. Guess I would not be getting any peace and quiet around here. Damn them all.
However I chose to ignore the people and their stares and simply started to explore the shores of the lake. The water was crystal clear with a light hue of turquoise too it and it made me happy, looking at it. Weird I know, but then again, water means life, life means, well, being happy or something like that.
I'm not very poetic okay!
My golden eyes suddenly caught hold of a bunch of children running around, one of them being the little black eye-eye, Priscilla. Looking at them made me scowl. I didn't like children. I actually pretty much hated those damn little buggers but that little girl was currently very high on my 'To Kill List'. I still resented her for telling that stupid rattlesnake all about myself. It was none of his god damn business! Actually I should demand him to tell me all about himself. I mean fair is fair! But then again, I doubt that that would go down so well. I'm not stupid, at least not all the time and getting a bullet logged into my brain was not on my 'To Do List'.
Wow, I just noticed that I have quite a lot of lists…
But now my thoughts had turned back to the damn rattlesnake and I really hated to admit it, but in the last day or two he had been on my mind way too much for my liking! 'He infuriates me! Always cocky and cool and he seems to think himself above everyone else! He doesn't even have a problem pressing the life out of someone in front of a crowd. Most probably that guy is simply bat-shit crazy, but damn good looking as well…
No way! No way I just thought that! Bad Roxy, very very bad Roxy! That ass is messing with my head, I just know it and most probably he is having a whale of a time and chuckling that damnable chuckle of his the entire time! Grrr! Biting him is sounding more and more appealing by the minute. I think I really should-'
"My my. Someone's looking angry." I had been so concentrated on, well, myself, that I hadn't noticed someone sneek up from behind me and when suddenly someone spoke right behind me, I let out a little yelp and of course, being me and so on, I just had to fall head first into the damn lake.
Spluttering and gasping for her I quickly raised my body out of the water, only to come face to face with a heavily amused rattlesnake. 'The fucker is so dead…'
With a snarl I shot out of the water and glared up at the smirking rattlesnake. "Speak of the devil, no speak of the asshole! What do you want, gunslinger?"
Jake immediately started to glare down at me, causing me to flinch back a little. That however brought the annoying smirk straight back onto his face. "Just wanna know what could make ya look like yer wanna rip something te shreds. Looked like yer were deep in thoughts, hon."
I hissed slightly. "I was thinking about you, actually." 'Shit. Shit shit shit! Why did I say that? I am such a stupid idiot!'
The rattlesnake's smirk broadened considerably while he loomed over me, his dark tongue flickering out while he leaned down towards me, cutting of all escape roots with the lake behind me and him in front of me. "And what exactly did those pretty little thoughts contain, my dear?"
All I could do was move my body as far back as I possibly could, certainly not enjoying the facts that his body was now pressing against mine once again. 'Okay, maybe a tinie tiny lie…'
"Was thinking about different ways how to kill you and that little pesky brat, as a matter of fact, so if you would please get lost so that I can continue with that rather entertaining line of thoughts-"
But I was interrupted by an angered hiss coming from the larger serpent. "Who do ya think yer are? I could kill ya with a single twist of my coils or with a bullet to yer pretty little head. Ya do know that, don't ya, woman?"
Rattlesnake Jake had come so close, that I could go no further backwards, as the tip of my tail was already hanging into the water, but I had leaned so far back that my head was already hanging above the clear water, with the outlaw pressed up against me, our snouts nearly touching. I know it was wrong, but my heart hadn't started to beat faster due to fear, but more due to the rather intimate stance of the two of us. Why did that moron have to look so good?
Deciding that whatever I did, it wouldn't really change the outcome of the situation I snarled and moved forwards, which only made me press myself closer to the rattlesnake, who was still staring down at me with anger, but now curiosity seemed to also speak through his fire red eyes.
I brought my head up in a swift movement, making the rattler jerk his head away as to avoid the collision of our heads and shot him a nasty look. "Sure I know that. But you also know that if I really wanted to, all I would have to do is sink my little fangs into you and there would be no Jake no more. But, as both you and I know, if either of us kill the other, Rango will know and will either kill, put the one in jail or kick the one out of town real fast and as neither of us have a place to go, well damn. You have bounties on your head and I – well, it's not like there is a too big selection of towns with enough water round here, right? So why don't you get lost and leave me alone, huh?"
I smiled a sugar sweet smile at the rattler, guessing he would get angry and go away, but sadly, that did not happen. Instead he too smirked, but quickly wrapped his coils around me, and that real tight.
"Didn't take ya for a reasonable one, miss Roxette. But the problem is, I don't have no problem killing ya. Would just be another town for me to make a bow around, that's all. So if ya value yer life, I would suggest yer start reading through the rules, my dear. I'm not always in such a good mood, ya know."
I was scared. I really was scared. I had to fight to start shuddering, but I couldn't help but feel a shiver run down my long spine, and Jake who still was holding me in a fierce grip let out a dark chuckle, when feeling it. But I didn't want to appear weak in front of him, not now, not ever, so I simply cocked a scaly eyebrow. "Sorry, but I don't like to play by the rules. So go ahead. Kill me. What difference does it make? Okay, Buford must get himself a new waitress, but else? So there!"
I was being stupid, I was being reckless, but I couldn't care less at that moment, so I simply tilted my head back to expose my throat to the outlaw. I doubted that he really would kill me then and there, but there still was a chance that he would just take this opportunity and get rid of me, so I couldn't stop another shudder to shake my body, but the outlaw seemingly ignored it.
I felt his grip loosen a little and I already wanted to heave a sigh, smirk and say, knew ya wouldn't do it, but suddenly something cold was pressed against my throat and I didn't have to look, to know that it was his gun.
'Well shit.'
My heart started to beat faster and fast and my breathing to quickened, but I simply closed my eyes and awaited to pain, but it never came.
Instead, the outlaw started to trace first my throat and then my heaving chest with his gun.
"My my. What a brave little thing yer are. So stupid, but also so brave."
To my surprise there hardly was any mockery in his voice, but then again he was also mumbling slightly, more to himself than to me really. When he then lifted my chin with the gun, so that I was forced to look him into his eyes, I did not protest, did not make a single sound, but just gazed back into the flickering reds of his eyes and I found, that even if I tried, I could not remember any of the murderous thoughts that I had about him only minutes ago.
Both of us were staring intently at each other, but it was no glaring, just gazing, full of a weird kind of curiosity. But suddenly, I blinked my eyes, coming back from lala land and when realising that the rattler was not gripping me tightly anymore, but simply holding me, I – in a swift movement – shot out of his coils, cast him one last – rather pissed off – glare and then raced off towards home, trying to rid myself of the lingering feeling, where his body had been touching mine.
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