Remember that time when I wrote an 18k word long chapter in less than one week? Yeah… Things have changed…
Ok, so first thing's first.
WE HIT 400 FUCKING FOLLOWERS! (Like, a while ago… But still.)
I want to thank everyone. Again. I'm always thanking you. We're always hitting these crazy ass milestones like it's nothing, but I feel like some sort of apology is in order. I have some explaining to do, so I'm going to be honest here.
I've been really out of it lately.
Sure, my life has been pretty busy lately, but that's not why it took 4 weeks to come out with this chapter. I'm done giving excuses cause I'm all out of them, so here we go. I haven't been uploading because I have been lazy. Yep. That's it. I've been distracting myself from writing by doing everything else. I've had time, plenty of time. I just haven't had the energy to sit down and type shit lately.
I've also gotten a habit of procrastinating things.
It seems like the more free-time I have, the less likely I'm willing to actually sit down at write. For example, at school, I'm always typing during lunch and in between classes, but the moment I get out for the day, BOOM! All of my energy is gone, and I don't even want to think about writing. It honestly sucks. When I'm not in the mood, I end up writing at a pace of 100 words per hour (as opposed to my normal pace of 1,000 and hour.) It's become almost a chore to write lately, even though deep down I really love it.
And you know, I've thought about this story literally everyday since Nov 3, and I've been constantly kicking myself in the ass for not hurrying up with the next chapter. Seriously. I felt like shit.
So yeah, I'm not updating slowly because I've lost interest in the story. I'm not updating slowly because I don't know what to write. I'm updating slowly because I'm a lazy fuck with poor time management.
But you know what's fucking awesome about this? 0 people unfollowed during the past 4 weeks. 0. When I took a break from writing to revise books 1 & 2, about 15 or so people stopped following the story. It might of been because they thought the hiatus would be longer or something, but I don't care. Not a single person unfollowed over the past 4 weeks, and as inactive as some of those readers might be (Yeah, I'm looking at you, Cuttooth), it really means a lot that you've guys stuck with me. As old or new you may be to the story.
So here's what I'm basically saying. I have shit planned. I don't know when it'll be written, but I know that it will. I don't want to get in a habit of holding off updates. I don't want to go 2-3 months without typing. That'll annoy me.
So yeah… This chapter. Lots of build up. Lots of shit happening. Hopefully this makes your day/night better. That's honestly all that I want.
Thanks.
Monday, April 25th. 11:57 AM
Day 3
The needle trembled subtly between my fingers.
It was difficult to control the thread. I kept my paws close to my body, tucking my arms to my sides and keeping them as stiff as possible. I sat in a strained silence, holding my breath as I maneuvered the needle around the torn coat pocket. Judy had gotten me a sewing kit when she went into town the first day out here. It's been ages since I've last used one, and it was blatantly easy to tell. I used to be an expert at repairing clothes, but now, out here in the middle of the countryside, I was making mistakes left and right. I couldn't keep my arms from shaking. I couldn't make my paws stop trembling.
Around me, the gradual glows of day grew brighter through the trees. My vision became clearer as the sun climbed into the sky. The bitter chill of the previous night was starting to fade away again, but as late into the day it was getting, I continued to shiver where I sat. Without my jacket on, I only had a dirty, oversized shirt to wear. It was all I had now. After last night, the clothes on our backs were the only outfits Judy and I had. The combination of the cold weather and my fatigued body made sewing nearly impossible.
I sighed in frustration, setting the needle down and raising the jacket up. I scoffed in annoyance at the sight.
… Nice— Great job, Nick…
The patchwork was deplorable. My incisions were horribly out of line, and the thread was already starting to come loose in a few areas. I somehow managed to mess up a simple pocket tear, as if I had never used a sewing kit in my entire life.
I took a deep breath and set the coat back down on my lap. Picking the needle back up, I went back to work with the torn pocket.
I grew increasingly agitated as I continued. The simple act of sewing seemed to tire me out both physically and mentally. My back was constantly tense, and my arms were extremely sore. I glanced over at the bandages on my arm. They were usually covered up by the sleeves of my jacket, but without it on, the off putting sight was beginning to stand out noticeably. I long since ignored the piercing pain of the wounds, but the lining of dry blood in my fur was itchy, and the bandages themselves were starting to dig into my skin. I needed to get them off, but removing my stitches was going to be a painful process. I shrugged and shook my head at the thought. I was already in enough—
"AH—"
A sudden wave of pain shot through my fingertip. I whipped my arm back, lifting my paw and shaking it forcibly. Vague traces of childhood memories emerged in the back of my head, reminding me of the all-too-familiar feeling I currently felt. It was the one thing I hated about sewing. I grabbed my paw and raised it up to eye level.
Yep. I pricked my finger with the needle.
Nice one, Slick…
I sighed angrily and glanced up, falling back against the trunk of the tree and taking in my surroundings.
Hours of running had gotten the two of us here. Judy wanted to settle down somewhere with a good vantage point, so together, we climbed up a small bluff and set our stuff down near the shallow cliff side. We arrived just before the sun started to rise, and after a measly half-hour of sleep, I found my way over to the nearby tree and decided to spend my morning in silence.
Ahead of me, the bags of supplies were slumped together in a small pile: Our weapons, our medicine, and a bunch of other miscellaneous items like flashlights and duct tape. The sight was a disheartening one. The plentiful collection of essential survival items had been lessened significantly. Our food and clothing were gone now, thrown into a lake somewhere in the distant forest behind us. We couldn't go back and retrieve the lost bags, even if we wanted to.
Beside the bags, the small squirrel blanket sat limply on the ground. It had picked up quite a bit of dirt since we got it last week. The stains and dirt patches blended into the acorn-colored fabric noticeably. Still however, it served its job well. I was able to get a little sleep this morning, which was needed to clear my mind of the events from last night. Judy didn't get any rest since we got here. She spent the morning sitting over at the cliffside.
I glanced over at the rabbit. She sat readily behind a fallen tree trunk, using a pair of binoculars and occasionally looking down at her map. In front of her, the forest spanned out for a few miles, covering the countryside with a carpet of green. Judy glared out into the open with a focused stare, scanning the horizon with slow and watchful eyes. We had barely spoken since we got here. Judy told me she'd be keeping watch while I got some rest, and that was about it. I took a deep breath shifted. I glanced down at the jacket…
…
…
…
Ugh… Fuck it.
It was good enough for now. I shrugged as I placed the needle and thread back into the small plastic box beside me. I'd been sewing for over an hour, and I was getting easily annoyed with it anyway. I stood up and yawned, putting the jacket on and picking up the sewing kit. Walking a few feet over to the bags, I apathetically tossed the box onto the top of the closest backpack. It bounced off the top and landed in the leaves, but I was too lazy to pick it back up.
Sighing heavily, I turned back and made my way over to Judy.
The wind began to blow as I got close to her. I glanced at the map as it folded and crinkled in the breeze. A number of circles and arrows were marked on the paper. Judy was writing stuff down, but I wasn't exactly sure why. I thought about it as I knelt down beside her. The two of us sat in a collected silence.
I started to notice a pattern as the seconds passed by. Judy would stare up into the open, glance around a bit, and then avert her attention back to the map. She did this a few times, keeping a concentrated stare for the duration of the process.
I looked down at the map, now able to make out the smaller details of Judy's markings. A bunch of lines sprawled out from a single point on the paper, spreading out into several directions and heading towards the top of the map. From what I could tell, the lines and arrows traveled along predetermined paths, tracing over the roads and streets that were already on the paper. I looked away from it hesitantly, still unable to identify the vague plan's purpose.
I glared over the log. Ahead of us, the wide open wilderness spanned out for over a mile. The scene was sight of silent serenity. The trees waved around like tiny blades of grass, and the sky casted down its brilliant shades of blue. In the foreground, a small farmhouse was situated in a clearing. The plantation was a fraction of the size of Judy's, and it was easy to tell that whoever lived there wasn't a big farm family. There were a few mammals out walking around, but we were a safe distance away, and the possibility of being spotted was almost zero to none.
I took a deep breath and glanced around us. There wasn't much else to look at. The point of Judy's studies still lingered in my mind. I went over the facts in my head: we were utterly alone in the woods, we had a bounty on us, and now, we had no food or clothing. Part of me wanted to speak, but the uncertainty kept me quiet…
…
…
…
Roughly a minute had passed when Judy finally spoke up.
"You were in a gang, right?"
I was partially confused by the question. I glanced over at Judy momentarily. She kept her gaze on the map beneath her, staring at it with the same, fixated expression. I looked back out into the open as I responded.
"Ummm… Yeah— kinda, I mean… I did jobs for someone, but I wasn't an actual gang member…"
"—What did you do?"
She looked up and over at me. I glanced back, even more unsure about what she was implying. Slowly, I started to formulate an answer. I had to recall my days in the city.
"Oh— uh, well… —A lot of things… I sort of did their dirty work, you know… delivering money my boss owed, driving illegal weapons across the border, stealing and selling things—"
"—Ever hotwire a car before?"
I perked up at the question. Suddenly, a surge of suspicion rose up in my head. I opened my mouth to speak, but my mind blocked out the words. An idea appeared in my head. My eyes shot over to the farmhouse.
The quaint little cottage was accommodated by only a few mammals. I squinted my eyes and looked closer. Outside, an elderly goat walked around the gravel driveway, carrying a cane in one hoof and holding a cup of grass in the other. Across the lot, a pair of collared panthers worked in what looked to be in the house's garage. One of them laid underneath a dismantled truck, while the other one sat by with a toolbox prepared. Beside them, another truck was parked idly in the open space. I contemplated at the sight. Unlike the other one, this vehicle seemed to be in working condition…
…
…
…
I finally realized what Judy was talking about.
"... Wait— wait, are you actually… Are you saying we—"
"—Steal the old goat's truck? … —Yes… Yes I am."
I felt my stomach lurch. The idea was outlandish, no, it was downright outrageous. I had to take a moment to digest her proposal. I looked back and forth, glancing between Judy and distant farmhouse. No. We couldn't. There was no way.
"—Okay, wait, no— We… we can't just… steal an old mammal's truck!"
"Why not?"
I opened my mouth, but yet again, I was unable to speak. My eyes shot back over at the farm. Although it was inhabited by only a few mammals, the idea of actually stealing a truck seemed impossible. There were too many things that could go wrong. I shook my head in protest.
"No… No, that's crazy."
"We have to get out of the city-state, Nick… We have to get to Galena somehow!"
"Yeah, I— I know that… It's just…. —Look, Judy— we have to be reasonable here… There has to be something else we can do—"
"—Like what?"
Her voice was soft yet determined. I glanced at her for a few seconds, sighing nervously and looking back into the wilderness. I found myself scanning the horizon, as if I was searching for the answer somewhere in the distance. I wanted to find another option. I wanted to come up with a better way of getting out of the forest. We could walk. We could go on foot, and that was all. I rubbed my head and gulped.
"Nick, we almost got killed last night… If that was the military, or… or if those mob members were actually smart… —That would've been it… We got lucky. Super lucky."
I sighed, keeping my eyes on the farm in front of us.
"I know."
"We can't be here anymore… Somebody had have contacted the military after that, and if they know where we are…"
"We ran like twenty miles last night—"
"—It doesn't matter."
…
…
…
"Listen, Nick— Everybody knows our names now… Everybody wants us dead… —If we don't get to Galena anytime soon, they'll find us here…"
As much as I hated the idea, Judy had a point.
Memories of last night reemerged in my mind. The lights, the yelling, the gunshots; the mobs were extremely close to killing us, and since our bounty was so high, they couldn't have been the only ones looking. The news had to have gotten out by now. The government was good at keeping secrets, but they were even better at spreading rumors. The thought was a horrifying one. Every single mammal who wasn't a predator wanted me dead. The whole world was literally against me. There was no grey area with strangers now. The government had drawn a fine line…
And only the two of us had crossed it…
…
…
…
"How far do we have to go?"
I looked back at Judy. She glanced down at her map and rested her finger on a figure she had already written.
"We've traveled about 70 miles so far… and according to the map, we are 173 miles away from the border."
"—And to Galena?"
She paused momentarily, shifting her gaze over to the top portion of the map.
"... About 160."
I took a deep breath and glanced back into the open. We had well over a hundred miles to travel, and at the rate we were going, we would be in the woods for the rest of the week. Judy was right. As far as we had traveled, staying here just wasn't an option anymore. With the idea of stealing the truck still burning in my head, I hesitantly gave in…
…
…
…
"Alright… How do we do this?"
Judy looked up from her map, shifting closer to me and pointing out over the log. I followed her gaze as she spoke.
"—For us to actually get away with a car, we need to make sure that the homeowner won't report the crime."
"... And how do we do that?"
Judy motioned her finger over to the left. My eyes followed, eventually landing on the edge of the plantation. It was somewhat difficult to see, but I was able to spot what she was looking at. Connected to the small cottage, a single electrical wire ran out into the woods, disappearing beneath the cover of trees.
"That telephone wire is the only way the goat has access to the outside world… If we cut it, he can't call the authorities…"
"—What if he goes to a town or something?"
Judy looked down at her map, seemingly prepared for the possibility to be brought up.
"... Well, we are stealing his only working car— so driving somewhere isn't even an option… He could walk, but there isn't a farm or a village within the next twenty miles… It'd take him over a day to actually get into contact with someone…"
"—And what if he has one of those cellular phone things?"
Judy shook her head, speaking with a skeptical tone.
"No… No, it's extremely unlikely that anyone out here would have one… Besides— even if he did, he wouldn't have any coverage…"
"... Coverage?"
"Yeah, it's like… Ughhh— forget it."
I shrugged and glanced back at the map. We had a legitimate way of buying ourselves some time, but actually getting out of here would prove to be difficult. 160 miles was a long distance to travel. Doing it in secret would be anything but easy.
"Okay… So let's say we cut his wire and steal his car… Then what?"
Judy focused her attention back to the map, pulling it out and resting it on the log in front of us. She pointed to a spot where all of the markings met up, nearly halfway up the paper.
"... We are currently twenty-three miles northeast of Coltsden, the town where all of those mob mammals lived… There are a few service roads that branch out from this guy's house— If we take one, we can use some of these back roads to make our way towards Galena."
"— Aren't there still military checkpoints everywhere?"
"... They set up their posts on highways and interstates… There's no way they could patrol every roadway in the city-state. We should be okay."
"—And if they're out looking for us, you know, in the woods?"
Judy paused, taking a deep breath and glancing up. She stared out into the open for several moments, settling into a stupor of deep concentration. The possibility crossed her mind; it crossed both of our minds. If the military was notified we were out here, they wouldn't hesitate to join the mobs in their search. We could be risking it by driving; we could be making it easier for them.
She shook her head and looked back at the map. Her eyes landing on the small dot labeled "Coltsden." Judy kept her gaze on the town as she spoke.
"If they're out there looking for us, they'll find us… If we're on foot or in a car— It doesn't matter…"
Her eyes rose, following the webbing of lines that led up to the top of the map. Her voice was traced with an anxious interest.
"...If we had it our way, I'd want to sneak onto a train or something— not much suspicion, lots of places to hide, little chance of getting caught… It'd be great but… —We gotta work with what we got. We can't just sit around and wait for an opportunity like that to come… We need to get out of the area, and we need to do it fast."
Judy nodded to herself. As many doubts as I had, she was completely right. It was gonna be difficult, but our options were few. If they were out there, they were hopefully looking where we were last spotted: twenty miles away in somebody's polebarn.
"Okay… So we get on the road, we somehow make it to Galena… Then what?"
The rabbit quickly moved her gazed towards the top of the map. She responded readily.
"Well… We're obviously gonna want to avoid passing plantations on the way there. The next 90-or-so miles are pretty rural, so we'll be able to stick to trails and service roads… However, as we get closer to Galena, we're gonna start passing some villages and towns… —I found a few ways we can work around them, but eventually, we're gonna have to stop south of the city…"
"—How far south?"
"...About 40 miles."
I sighed. It wasn't an unreasonable distance. We've traveled over seventy last weekend, heck, we could make it to the city within a day after we ditch the car. The idea was an enticing one.
"Okay… And after that?"
Judy yawned, folding up the map and sitting up. Her voice was that of assured confirmation. She nodded subtly as she spoke.
"We'll just see what happens…"
In an instant, the rabbit sprung up to her feet, picking up her map and her binoculars in the process. She took a final glance at the plantation before turning around. I quickly inquired.
"What're you doing?"
She responded without turning back.
"Figuring out how we're actually gonna do this thing!"
Without another word, Judy disappeared behind the trees. I looked back for several moments before returning my gaze back towards the farmhouse.
I watched as the farmers finally finished their work. Like tiny ants, the mammals went into their dwellings, the goat making his way into the cottage and the panthers walking towards a small shack across the property. They were completely oblivious. I smirked at the thought. Judy and I were about to commit a crime, and none of them were aware of it.
With a satisfied grin on my face, I slowly rose to my feet and headed back towards the camp.
Monday, April 25th. 2:05 PM
The hour passed by sluggishly.
I continuously kept my gaze on the swaying trees above me, pondering and wondering about the night ahead of us. In front of me, Judy sat next to the bags, drawing on the back of legal documents and formulating a plan of attack. She went through the papers one by one, scratching out the scraps and throwing them to the side. I at first offered to help her, but Judy said she was alright by herself. Without anything else to do, I decided to just sit around and wait…
…
…
…
… And I was starting to get hungry.
I leaned back against the tree earlier and attempted to get some rest, but my stomach seemed to have other ideas in mind. It was insanely easy to sleep when I was full, but when I was hungry, the simple act seemed like an impossible task. Even when I was tired from last night, my body wouldn't let me get some shut eye. I tossed and turned in my spot, struggling to get comfortable with a hollow gut. I eventually had to stop trying when Judy told me to be quiet; I was crinkling the leaves beneath me and making her lose focus.
With a growl, I rose back to my original position and sat up against the tree. I crossed my arms and closed my eyes, waiting as the minutes continued to pass by…
…
…
…
Now, with an hour spent doing nothing, the irritability was starting to grow.
"Ughhh…"
I let out a stressed sigh, glancing over towards the rabbit with a strained stare. She kept her eyes on the paper as she responded.
"Nick, I already told you— You need to be quiet, I'm trying to focus…"
I shrugged at Judy's words, glaring over at the backpacks and speaking hoarsely.
"I'm sooo hungry…"
"No. You're just bored."
She said it with a smirk. I looked back at Judy, responding with a sour tone.
"Well, then I'm bored and hungry."
"—And what do you want me to do about that?"
With a deep breath, I sat up, staggering onto my feet and stretching my arms and legs. After a few moments, I slowly made my way into the clearing.
"I don't know just… Can we steal any food from that goat's house?"
With an exhausted scoff, Judy set her pen down, staring up at me and rubbing her eyes. She spoke tiredly.
"Nick, it's been like what— half a day? … How on earth can you be hungry already?"
I shook my head and stared over to the edge and of the bluff.
"I… I didn't eat that much yesterday…"
"Really?"
"Yeah! … And— you know… All of that running wore me out… Gotta get those calories back somehow…"
"Calories?"
"Yeah…"
…
…
…
"God you're an idiot."
Judy shook her head and returned her gaze to the papers below her. She picked up her pen and scanned the sheets closely. I looked away from her, glancing back towards the cliffside with my paws on my hips. I started to think about that cup of grass the goat was eating. As much as I hated greens, the food he had was starting to sound pretty—
"Come here…"
Judy's voice broke the temporary silence. I glanced back at her, partially confused by what she had said. I spoke up inquisitively.
"Wait— I thought you said that you work better alone—"
"—I do, but if it'll keep your mind off of food, then… come here."
She motioned for me to sit down beside her. I hesitated for a few moments, glancing over at the bags with an uncertain gaze. No. As hungry as I was, my curiosity got the best of me. I wanted to see what she was up to. I started to walk over.
"Alright, but— just to clarify... We don't have any—"
"Nick!"
"—Alright! Alright…"
I snickered as I sat, plopping down on up the bed of leaves below me. Judy sighed in annoyance, clearly unamused by my jiving antics. She glanced back down, and I followed her gaze, this time speaking with a more serious tone.
"So… What do we got here?"
The map of the city-state had a few more lines on it. Some of the routes she came up with were now crossed out, and a select few were left without any additional markings. From what I could tell, Judy was becoming a bit more confident with which roads we could take. The arrows all pointed north, ending just a few inches short of the dot labeled "Galena City."
Beside it, a pile of papers was sprawled out across the ground. The sheets had a large amount of scribbles and markings. It was hard to tell at first, but after a few moments, I could see what Judy had been planning. On the top piece of paper, a large circle was drawn out in the center: the goat's property lines. Within it, a few boxes were precisely placed and penned down: the house, the garage, and the serf shack. And lastly, to the right side of the sheet, two lines went out from the edge of the circle to the end of the paper: the goat's driveway and the telephone wire that ran along it. On top of the makeshift map, a few arrows were written down that were labeled either "J" or "N." They both eventually led to the goat's garage.
Judy cleared her throat and picked up the sheet, shifting it across and laying it onto the map of the city-state. After a few moments, she placed a paw on the paper, pointing a finger towards the road and the telephone wire. I followed her motions as she spoke.
"Okay… Alright, so the first thing we need to do is cut this guy off from the outside world… We need to make sure that we have as long as possible before anyone is notified of anything… The longer we have to drive north, the less likely we'll be caught…"
"Good— yeah, I don't want that to happen."
Judy took a deep breath before continuing.
"...So here's what I'm thinking— At around ten, the two of us will pack our things and head down to the edge of the property. We can wait in the woods next to the driveway, and when the goat looks like he's gone to bed, I'll head down the road a bit to cut the wire…"
"... And what will I do?"
"...You'll sit back and watch— if anything goes south and the goat wakes up or something, you'll sneak off and run down the road to meet up with me…"
I nodded my head, glancing over to where the line ran off the edge of the paper. After a few moments, Judy continued to speak, sliding her finger over to the edge of the property.
"...When I'm able to cut the wire, I'll shake it a bunch to get your attention up near the house… Once you see the wire jiggle, that'll be your cue to sneak onto the property and into the goat's garage… There, you can start with breaking into the car and hot wiring it… —You know how to do all that, right?"
"Yeah— but I need some stuff to do it…"
"—Like what?"
I sat back and pondered for a bit, recalling all the times Finnick and I went on our runs in the city. It didn't take much to get a car running, but I wasn't sure if Judy and I had all of the tools to make it work.
"...Ummm— okay, we need screwdrivers…"
"Check."
"... Scissors."
"Check."
"—Electrical tape…"
"Uhhh… Check."
"—And a coat hanger…"
"We don't have a coat hanger, but we do have some metal wiring."
"Yeah— yeah, that'll work."
Judy nodded, glancing briefly at the backpacks before staring back down at the map.
"... Alright— so once I get the wire cut, I'll make my way back over to you… By the time I get there, you should already have the truck mostly ready. Once we get it running, we can get the heck out of here…"
"... And then what?"
Judy paused briefly, sliding the paper off to the side and revealing the map below it. She pointed towards the area we were at and guided her finger along one of the marked routes.
"I've been looking at these trails for a while now, and I think that this one is our best shot… It's low traffic, and it doesn't pass by any major highways in the area…"
"—Do you think there'll be mammals out on the roads tonight?"
The rabbit sighed, raising her paw up and rubbing her head. She stared at the map with strained eyes, thinking to herself as she followed along the trails in her head. After a few moments, she mustered up a response, speaking a little bit quieter than before.
"... It's definitely possible… Word had to have gotten around about our bounty… Even though the route we're taking doesn't really pass by any towns, there still might be a few mammals out searching for us…"
"—So what if we run into them?"
"...I'm really not that worried about the mobs… If anything, we'll just pass them on the road… As long as I wear some clothes to cover my face, and as long as they don't see you— they'll just think I'm a fellow bounty hunter…"
"—And what about the military?"
Judy took a deep breath, clearly uncertain about the possibility of encountering them.
"...The military… Well— ughhh… I don't know, I mean… There are hundreds of roads that travel north, and with all of these bounty hunters running around the city-state, I highly doubt that they're gonna put checkpoints on the service roads— especially the ones we're taking… If anything they'll look around the area we were last seen, which was twenty miles south of here…"
I swallowed and glanced back towards the edge of the hill. Judy was right. As secretive as our route was, the possibility of being spotted was always going to exist. But then again, this was practically our only opportunity to get to Galena. Traveling north on foot would make us extremely vulnerable, and it would take almost a week to get there; not to mention the fact that we basically had no food and clothing. No. Driving a car was risky, but staying in these woods was even more dangerous, especially after last night.
I glanced back at the map as Judy moved her paw closer to Galena.
"Once we get near the city, we'll need to stop and ditch the truck… I'm thinking we can drive it into a lake or something, just to make it more difficult for it to be found by the feds…"
I couldn't help but snicker.
"—Sounds fun."
"...Yeah, I'm gonna leave that up to you."
I scoffed and glanced up at Judy for a few seconds.
"Really? You're gonna have me drive a car into a lake?"
The rabbit only smiled.
"Yep!"
I scoffed again, shaking my head and looking back down at the paper. Judy continued with a steady voice.
"Whenever we go on foot, we need to get as far away from the truck as possible… The further we distance ourselves from the evidence, the less likely we'll be followed…"
"—And then… We look for my friends?"
Judy sighed, sitting back and folding her arms. She spoke with a soft and uneasy tone.
"You're still thinking about them, aren't you?"
I hesitated, shifting back a bit and glancing away from Judy. It's been awhile since I've mentioned them, but Tyler and Lupus still lingered in the back of my head. It seemed like ages since we got separated. A lot had happened since we escaped the confinement zone. I met Judy, lived as a serf for two weeks, and narrowly escaped a military raid. The two of them were almost a distant memory by now, but I still couldn't seem to just forget about them.
It was pretty odd.
Tyler and Lupus were strangers. We got thrown into an unfortunate set of circumstances and somehow made it out alive. That was it. I didn't really know them personally, and I never really got to learn more about them. However, an unavoidable obligation seemed to eat away at my mind. It was the reason why Judy and I were together now. We went through a near death experience. We beat the odds and escaped the inescapable. Something about that drew me close, both to my friends and to the rabbit I was with now. There was no way I could forget about that night in Happytown. There was no way I could forget about them.
"Look… I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for them… They got me out of the city, and more likely than not, they're out there somewhere… —From what we know, they're the only ones who escaped from the Capital who could still be alive… They're the only ones like us, Judy… We need them."
The rabbit wore an uncertain expression. She held a paw to her chin and tapped her foot, glaring off into the trees beside us. From what I could tell, she wasn't exactly fond of the idea. However, she didn't look too doubtful either. Judy responded with a cautious nod.
"—Yeah… We'll see what we can do…"
I sighed. I wasn't sure how exactly we could do it, but it would have to be discussed some other time. We had a lot to think about in the coming days, but for now, all we needed to focus on was tonight. We had a plan. We had a goal. We had a city to get to.
I rose to my feet, stretching my arms out and yawning lightly.
"Alright… I can keep watch for a while…"
"... What— wait… What do you mean?"
Judy's voice was traced with a subtle surprise. She stood up and looked at me inquisitively.
"I mean… It's gonna be a long night so should… you know… get some sleep."
She stared at me blankly for a few moments before perking up, her eyes suddenly lighting up with a befuddling realization.
"Oh… Oh! —uhhh… okay, yeah! I can… You can do that, sure— yah."
"Okay."
"Yeah—"
"Cool…"
There was an awkward silence that slowly grew between us. Judy was acting a little weird, and I was partially confused as to why. It seemed that actually volunteering for something caught her off guard…
…
…
…
I smirked and started to walk towards the tree.
"Yeah, okay… You do that, Carrots."
Behind me, I could hear Judy putting away the stacks of papers on the ground in front of her.
"I will… and— don't call me that."
I sighed with a grin, spinning around and sitting down next to the tree.
"Whatever you want, Fluff."
"Don't— ughhh."
I smiled and leaned back against the trunk. Ahead of me Judy set the papers down next to the backpacks and made her way over to the squirrel blanket, currently laid out a few feet away from our bags. With a mumbled voice, she started to give me a random list of directions.
"Make sure my papers don't fly away…"
"Alright."
"—Oh, and if you hear or see anything, wake me up immediately…"
"Will do."
"—And don't go anywhere, stay at least twenty feet within the—"
"—I'll stay here, don't worry."
The rabbit disappeared behind the cover of the blanket, her voice soon muffled by the slurs of drowsiness. Judy had barely slept in the past day or so, and it was becoming clear just how tired she was.
"Wake me up at like, six…"
"Okay…"
"—Oh, and do NOT fall asleep…"
"Wouldn't dream of it."
…
…
…
"Sweet dreams, Whiskers."
"Shutup."
I snickered to myself and leaned my head back. We had a big night ahead of us, and after last night, we needed all energy we could get.
Monday, April 25th. 10:06 PM
The day passed by slowly.
For eight hours, the two of us waited anxiously on the top of the hill. There wasn't much to do; we went over our plans a few more times, spied on the goat some more, and took turns napping. That was all we could think of to pass the time, and to be honest, I'm not sure that anything we did put our minds at ease. Watching the goat was uneventful, getting proper rest was practically impossible, and talking about our plans tonight only made us more uneasy. There was a lingering feeling of mutual discomfort, and as the sun began its gradual descent behind the surrounding tree line, the feeling only grew. We were excited, but we were nervous, very nervous.
It seemed like ages until we actually started moving.
It was about nine o'clock. The sky was pitch black, and there wasn't a cloud to be seen. Judy and I had moved our stuff over to the edge of the bluff. We sat and kept a watchful eye, spying on the goat's farmhouse behind the safety of our log. The plantation gradually died in activity. The two serfs who were working around the garage had returned to their sleeping quarters, and the goat hadn't been seen outside for over an hour. The property was mostly dark, only illuminated by the few glowing windows of the cottage. There was more than one room that had its lights on.
For over twenty minutes, the two of us sat and waited. We waited for the first signs. We waited for our cue. After almost half an hour, it came. The lights in the house were finally shut off.
The goat had gone to bed.
Judy and I mobilized, taking with us our bags of belongings and heading down the hill. The journey was a fairly easy one. The moon was full tonight, and the two of us could see much easier than the night before. The two of us were quiet for the duration of the trek. We knew what was in store, and we knew what was at risk. There wasn't anything to discuss. No. Not until we got to where we were going.
The two of us made our way through the woods for about thirty minutes. The plantation was a bit further downhill than what I first thought, but it wasn't too long before we saw it. We ran into the goat's driveway, and after taking a few moments to look around, we quickly crossed the gravel road and disappeared into the trees beneath the telephone wire. With only a little more to go, Judy and I quietly followed the road to the edge of the property, staying within the trees to make sure we weren't seen. It didn't take long before the house was in sight. We came across a small break in the trees, safely out of sight from the household and just below the telephone wire…
…
…
…
The two of us set our bags down and got ourselves situated.
"Alright…"
Behind me, Judy unzipped her backpack and began to dig through it. I silently stepped forward and peered through the trees. Straight ahead of me, the goat's little farmhouse was snugly situated in the center of the open clearing. Beside it, the 3-walled garage looked even smaller than before. I couldn't quite see the truck from here, but I knew it exactly where it was. I took a deep and stepped back.
"Are goats good at hearing?"
The shuffling behind me came to a stop. I kept my gaze on the property in front of me. Judy spoke up with a confused tone.
"What?"
"—Like, are goats naturally good at hearing?"
I turned around. Judy glanced up from the gun bag, glancing at me momentarily before staring over at the farmhouse. She pondered for a few brief moments, biting her lip and shaking her head subtly.
"I don't think so… I mean— this guy has to be in his sixties… Even if he was good at hearing, I don't think we'll wake him up…"
I sighed, glancing down at backpack for a few moments before turning back arou—
…
…
…
Wait a minute.
I whipped my head around and returned my gaze to the inside of the gun bag. No. My eyes didn't deceive me. I stepped forward at the sight, anxiously bending down and reaching for the package.
"—Nick, what are you…"
"—aHA!"
I grabbed the white plastic bag, raising it up to my face and taking a step back. Yes. It was what I thought. I remember struggling with it last night. We had to put it in with all of our weapons. I completely forgot about it.
We had a package of fruit in the gun bag.
"Oh— fuck yes!"
"Nick, we need to—"
"—Shhh!"
I dug my claws into the package and tore the top open. The fruit was dry and scent-less, but I could already taste my mouth watering. I reached in and grabbed a pawful of raisins and blueberries, immediately shoving it into my mouth with a satisfied grin. My mouth was filled with a wonderful sweetness.
"Ughhh."
I ignored Judy's disapproval and scooped up another mouthful of food. The taste was amazing. I usually wasn't a fan of raisins, but the ones in the bag I had were incredible. They were like little, sun-dried pellets from heaven. I chewed on them with a wide smile. Hours of being hungry were finally wiped away.
Pleased with my discovery, I glanced back over at Judy. She continued to rummage through the gun bag, occasionally pulling things out and setting them on the ground. I watched her for several moments, partly confused by what she was doing. I grabbed more raisins as I spoke, my voice slurred by the food already in my mouth.
"Waht—'re yoh doin?"
She continued at her work, lifting the submachine gun up and laying it gently on the ground. A small pile of items was created beside the bag. Judy stepped back and glanced down at it, placing her paws on her hips as she spoke.
"You're taking the gun bag."
"—Yah, buht like… Why're you takin 'tuff out?"
I swallowed the mouthful of raisins, lifting my paw and opening my mouth for another.
"I need it."
Judy's voice stopped me dead in my tracks. I looked back down with the fruit still in my paw. The pile she made consisted of only a few things: a gun strap, two clips of ammo, and the submachine gun. She needed a submachine gun. I glanced up at her as an uncomfortable thought popped into my head. I spoke hesitantly.
"Wait… You don't think we'll need to—"
"—Look, this guy is old and all, but gun permits are very easy to get out here… If he wakes up and sees us—"
"—But what if he doesn't have a gun? … What if he just wakes up and sees us? —Are we still gonna… you know… use these?"
Judy glared back at her gun, taking a deep breath and softly shaking her head. She paused for several moments.
…
…
…
"We might have to."
I sighed and turned around, staring off into the distance and over at the goat's house. I never thought about killing the old guy. He didn't seem like a mob member or anything, just a lonely old farmer. If everything went according to plan, we wouldn't need to, but if something went wrong… If he actually did wake up… I didn't like the idea at all, but if it really did come to that, I guess we didn't have much of a choice.
Behind me, Judy had unzipped her bag and was going through more items.
"I'm packing the things you'll need in the gun bag…"
I slowly turned back around, shoving another pawful of raisins into my mouth and glancing down. Judy had all of the things I needed out and ready: the scissors, screwdrivers, electrical tape, and the wiring. I watched as she began to stuff the gun bag with my stuff and her backpack with her's. I stood around for a few moments, chewing on raisins and thinking to myself…
…
…
…
"What did you say the closest town was again?"
Judy glanced up at me momentarily, pausing briefly before looking back down and continuing to pack the bags .
"Coltsden… It's like, twenty miles south."
I nodded, and after a few seconds, I started to snicker. Judy looked up again.
"What? … —Why are you laughing?"
I put a paw to my chin, slowly stepping back and looking over at the goat's cottage. As risky and dangerous of a task we had planned, there was something slightly amusing about what we were doing. I thought about it earlier today, but it seemed even more ridiculous now…
"We're just leaving this poor old goat with a walking stick out here in the middle of nowhere…"
"—And you think that's funny?"
Judy's voice was quiet and passive. I crossed my arms and grinned, speaking with a entertained tone.
"Yeah, I mean… It's evil— but still… I think it's pretty funny that he's gonna have walk all that way. I kinda feel bad…"
Judy sighed a disapproving shrug, zipping up her bag before closing mine. We became silent. She waited in a crouched position, thinking to herself as she looked over the bags she had packed. A few moments later, she slowly rose to her feet, placing her paws on her hips and staring at the three backpacks below her.
Judy was done.
I took a deep breath, rolling up the bag of raisins and slowly passing it over to Judy. She took it quietly, reaching behind and shoving it in her back pocket. Several seconds passed before either of us spoke. Judy breathed a heavy sigh, bending down and picking up two of our backpacks.
"You ready?"
I nodded.
"Guess I am…"
Taking a step forward, I reached down and picked up the gun bag. It was a bit lighter than before, only holding my pistol and the supplies I needed to break in. I felt my legs start to tremble. This was it. I spoke up with a smirk.
"You nervous?"
Judy rested the straps of the bags on her shoulders. She responded with a swallow.
"Kinda… —You?"
"Eh… We've been through worse."
She cracked a subtle smile, either out of amusement or fear.
"Just remember what I told you, alright? … Don't be a—"
"—An idiot? … I'll try not to."
She sighed and crossed her arms, waiting a few more moments in a contemplative silence. I took a deep breath.
It was time.
Judy nodded reassuringly and started to step back towards the telephone wire. Her expression was that of excitement and concern. I didn't know what to feel. She spoke with a light tone.
"Alright… Remember— go whenever the wire wiggles."
"When the wire wiggles. Got it."
She smiled and turned around, making her way into the trees surrounding us. I started my way back towards the edge of the goat's property. Judy spoke up one last time.
"I'll see you in a bit… Please just— don't get killed."
"Whatever you say, Carrots!"
She kept quiet, but I could see Judy shake her head. I watched as she slowly disappeared into the woods, heading away from me and eventually along the gravel road. After several moments, the rabbit was gone…
…
…
…
I was alone.
I wasted no time. Turning around, I briskly walked out of the clearing and into the trees behind me. The farmhouse was close in sight, slowly coming into view as I got closer to the property lines. I tried to avoid the twigs and leaves below me as I stepped. I didn't care how bad at hearing this elderly goat was; I wasn't taking any chances.
It wasn't long before I arrived at the edge of the treeline.
I glared out into the open. Directly ahead of me, the house and the garage were situated together about 50 yards away from where I was. There was practically no cover for me. Whenever it was time, I'd have to just book it.
I looked around me. Above and to the side, the telephone line ran out from the woods and across the clearing, perfectly visible from where I was at. There wasn't much of a breeze tonight, and so the wire remained motionless. I glanced down. Just a few feet in front of me, a small ditch ran around the perimeter of the property. It wasn't filled with any water, and it looked to be deep enough to hide in for the time being…
…
…
…
After taking a few moments to look around, I ran out from the concealment of the woods and ducked into the ditch.
I set my bag down, shifting around and lying on my back. I could still see the telephone wire from here. I took a deep breath and leaned my head back. All I could do was sit and wait.
Whenever the wire wiggles.
…
…
…
Minutes began passing by. I crossed my arms and kept my eyes on the wire, thinking to myself to pass the time.
Can mammals get shocked by cutting telephone wires?
Can they? … I never— No wait… No, no they can't.
Are you sure about that?
Yeah! Remember that time when you had to replace Honey's bunker wire?
Oh yeah…
I sighed, glancing away from the wire for a few moments. It was still motionless.
Fuck…
What?
… I miss that paranoid psychopath.
Oh come on! —Now's not the time to be thinking about that!
I know, I know… but still… I feel like shit.
…
…
…
You always feel like shit.
I know.
Your whole life is shitty.
Yep.
But— I mean… it's gotten a bit better.
Oh! Sure it has! It's not like every living being in the city-state wants me dead or anything…
Well… Judy doesn't.
Yeah, cause they all want her dead too!
Ok that's true, but still… she's got your back… And she's not an ass…
Yeah— she's not an ass, she's a rabbit…
…
…
…
God I hate myself.
Is the wire wiggling yet?
I glanced back up at the telephone wire. It's been about 5 minutes, but the phone line remained still. I shrugged, returning to my thoughts and continuing to stare at it.
You could've just missed it, you know.
Oh come on… I looked away from it, for like— 10 seconds!
Yah! —And she could've wiggled it just then!
Ughhh…
My mind went blank for a few moments, my speeding thoughts finally slowing to a stop. I wasn't sure what to do. I wasn't sure what to think. My entire body was stunted by excitement. All I could was wait. All I could do was watch in silence…
…
…
…
Can rabbits even climb up telephone poles?
Ok— you know what? No. You need to be serious. You need to stay focused. Stop thinking about random shit!
But it's relevant! How the hell is Judy gonna—
—It doesn't matter! Just shut up…
I took an exhausted breath. I needed to clear my head. I tapped my foot anxiously, repositioning myself and staring at the phone line contently. Whenever the wire wiggled. That's all I needed to worry about…
…
…
…
How long do you think—
—Dude!
What?!
—Shut the hell up! You're gonna be distracted and miss your goddamn—
My thoughts froze suddenly. The wire. It vibrated slightly. It was only for a moment, but it definitely moved. I squinted my eyes and looked even closer, searching for any sign of wiggling. Nothing. Several seconds passed by, and the wire remained still. I held my breath.
…
…
…
Was that your cue?
I exhaled slowly, confused whether or not I should go.
I began to grow worried. I looked up at the empty field. Nothing was happening. Everything was silent. I quickly stared back. It could've been my imagination. I could've been so caught up in my thoughts that I only thought it wiggled. I started to have my doubts, but after several moments, they were suddenly erased.
I wasn't seeing things.
The phone line began to bob wildly up and down. The wire was wiggling. Judy had cut it. The goat was now an outcast.
I shuffled to my feet and grabbed my bag.
I began to run. I made a beeline for the garage, sprinting across the open soil without a looking either direction. Anyone could see me, but I didn't care. We needed to do this quickly. We needed to get the hell out of here.
With the garage now in proximity, I reached down for the gun bag, lifting it up and tucking it close to my side. I glanced over at house before entering. There was no sign of life. The goat was still asleep.
I bursted through the open door. To the right, the disassembled truck sat on a set of stilts, far from actually being useable. Beside it sat the fully-functioning vehicle, ready to be driven out of here.
I bolted towards the driver side door. I used my free arm to reach up to the handle, pulling down the lever and tugging outward. As expected, it was locked. I glanced around. No. There wouldn't be any spare keys out here, not accessible to the serfs at least.
I needed to pick the lock.
I dropped my bag, squatting down and unzipping the main pocket. I pulled on the sides, revealing the contents within: scissors, electrical tape, two screwdrivers, a coil of metal wiring, some 9mm rounds, and my pistol. I reached for the wiring and turned around, unwinding the coil and facing the car door…
…
…
…
Fuck.
A realization soon struck me. The goat's truck was a bit taller than usual, and I wasn't high enough to be able to pick the lock. I needed to be able to peer inside the window, which was currently a few inches above my eyeline. I stepped back and dropped the coil into the open bag.
I needed something to stand on.
There wasn't any light in the garage, but it wasn't that difficult to see. I looked around, searching for a box or something to stand on. There were a few toolboxes laying on a shelf, but they were too small. There was a large work bench over in the corner, but the steel structure seemed to be too heavy to lug over. I made my way around the back of the truck, looking over at the disassembled car parts across the room. In an instant, I found what I was looking for:
A small, rollable stool.
I quickly made my way over, placing my paws on the seat and turning back towards the truck. I started to roll the stool towards the other side of the truck, but after a few moments, the wheels started to squeak. Without stopping, I lifted the seat up and began to carry it. I swiftly went around the back of the truck, staggering my way to the driver side door and eventually setting the stool down. Nearly out of breath, I reached down and grabbed the wiring, turning back and climbing up onto the padded seat. I slowly rose to my feet. My head was well above the window.
I let out a long, drawn out sigh. Exhaustion had started to take over. I took a moment to regain myself, placing a paw on the car door and glancing out into the open.
The field ahead of me was empty, and there was no sign of Judy. I glanced over towards the house. Although I couldn't see much of it from here, I could tell that there weren't any lights on. The goat was still asleep. The only other mammals that were here were the two serfs. I couldn't see the serf shack from here, but I wasn't quite worried about them. They went to bed a long time ago, and they weren't aloud to step foot outside their sleeping quarters. I was alone out here. Perfectly alone.
I waited around for a few short moments, turning back and peering into the truck. The car seats were dirty, but the inside seemed mostly clean. It looked a lot like Judy's truck, just a little bit bigger, which was completely fine with me. Her's was too small for a fox like me; I barely had any legroom.
I glanced down. The lock inside the car was directly below me. I gulped, continuing to uncoil the wiring in my paws. I've seen Finnick do this a few times on our city runs, but I personally haven't picked a lock like this. It looked easy, and hopefully I wouldn't be proven wrong.
I pulled on either end of the wire, straightening it out to a length of about 2 feet. Next, I took one end and started to twist, making it curve upwards like a fish hook. I made a few final adjustments, but once the wire was in the shape I wanted, I lifted it up and placed it against the window.
Slowly, I started to slide the wire downwards into the small slit between the glass and the outside metal.
The makeshift lock pick was inside the door itself. It clinked and scraped against the inner mechanisms of the metal. I recalled what I watched Finnick do. If I remember correctly, he twisted the hook towards the inside lock and pulled upwards, pressing on a lever or something and unlocking the door. It made sense.
Now it was my turn.
I started to twist the wiring around. I could hear the hook start to grind against the inside paneling, eventually stopping about halfway through the turn. It was getting stuck. I began jerking the wire around in an attempt to get it to move, but the wire wasn't wanting to twist. I thought for a few moments before I realized my mistake:
The hook was too big.
I twisted the wire back to original direction and pulled it up. The sounds of scraping metal were followed by the removal of the pick. Grabbing the tip of the wire, I started to squeeze the hook. I needed to make it skinner. After a few seconds, I got it to bend in the direction I wanted. I wasted no time, sticking the wire back in and lining it up with the inside lock. I started to twist again.
I got it to face the right way.
Taking a deep breath, I relaxed my arms and kept my paws steady. This was the tricky part. There was a little knob in the inside of the car. The door was locked when pushed down, and unlocked when pulled up. I remember watching it through the passenger side window whenever Finnick and I did our jobs. I needed to use the hook to push the knob up.
I started to look for the right spot.
I carefully maneuvered the wire from left to right, lightly pulling up on the wire to try to find the knob from the inside. The hook kept running into things that I couldn't see. All of the mechanisms inside the metal paneling made moving the wire difficult. The process was quickly becoming tedious.
Goddamnit, Nick.
I shrugged, staring intently at the knob and waiting for it to move. Several seconds passed, and still, nothing. I wasn't making contact with it. I continued to twist and tug, but the more I moved it around, the more bent and distorted the wire became. Almost a full minute passed before I had to rip it out of the car door and straighten it back out.
How the actual fuck did Finnick do this?
I reshaped the hook and dropped it back down in the metal paneling. I resumed the process, feeling around the inside of the door and staring at the motionless knob.
Oh come on! He did this in like, 30 seconds!
Yeah, because he's an experienced criminal!
I sighed heavily. I could really use his knowledge right now. My paws began to tremble, and the wire kept scratching against the metal inside. It was starting to make a lot of noise.
Shhh! —You're being too loud!
What am I supposed to do!? Tell the wire to be quiet!?
No, just— keep your damn paws still!
I paused momentarily, taking a deep breath and relaxing my arms and shoulders. I was shaking now. It's been too long. I've been out here for too long. A bad feeling started to grow in my head. I resumed my work, hurriedly moving the hook around and staring at the knob.
Every noise began to send shivers down my spine.
God, come on… Hurry the hell up!
I'm trying!
The scraping became louder. Outside, a gust of wind began to blow. The feeling in my head became more prevalent, more painful. I glanced out the open doorway. I didn't feel alone anymore. I didn't feel safe.
I looked back and began to pull it around even more.
Someone's outside.
No one's outside.
I tugged up and down. I twisted the wire sporadically. The knob remained still.
Someone is coming. Someone is definitely coming.
Shut up! Nobody's out there!
My paws shook rapidly. The wind got faster. The wire wasn't working.
It's the goat. It has to be the—
It's not him! He's not—
*click
I froze. The knob made a noise…
…
…
…
Oh shit.
I kept my arms perfectly still. The knob was still down, but it had moved. It definitely moved. I took a deep breath and lifted the wire up…
…
…
…
The knob was popped open.
"Hey!"
My breath was cut short. In an instant, I lost my footing. The stool screeched out from under me, and I fell hard on the ground. I scrambled, shuffling away from the door in a frenzied panic. I glanced up in fear. A lone silhouette stood a few feet in front of me…
…
…
…
It was Judy.
"Nick?"
"—Aw fuck…"
I collapsed onto my back and breathed out a large sigh. It was Judy. We were the only ones out here. No one else. I spoke with a loud whisper.
"...You scared the literal shit out of me!"
"Oh— sorry…"
"God…"
I rubbed the back of my head. I could already feel a bump forming. In front of me, I started to hear Judy making her way over to me.
"Did you get the—"
*click
I glanced up. Judy stood with the door wide open…
…
…
…
It was unlocked.
I quickly leapt up onto my feet, staggering over and grabbing the wire up from the ground. I then immediately went for my bag, shoving the coil into it and pulling it onto my shoulder.
"Come on!"
I brushed by Judy and climbed into the driver seat. The rabbit broke from her position, turning around and bolting behind the back of the truck. I threw my bag onto the floor and closed the door quietly.
*tap *tap *tap
I glanced over. Judy's ears appeared in the passenger seat window. I reached over and grabbed the small knob, pulling it up and unlocking the car door. Judy opened it and climbed in, hurling her bags at me and jumping into her seat.
"—God, Carrots!"
"Sorry!"
I annoyedly picked up the bags and tossed them into the back seat. Beside me, Judy reached out and slowly closed her door. I brushed myself off and reached for my bag, pulling out the screwdrivers and turning to face Judy.
"Ok, we need to…"
I suddenly lost my train of thought. I was distracted by what Judy was now wearing. It took her a little too long to cut the wire, and now I knew why. She had a towel draped over her head and a bandana covering her mouth and nose. She blinked in confusion.
"... What?"
"What the hell are you wearing?"
"My disguise."
I snickered, shaking my head and turning to face the dashboard. I reached underneath the steering column and started to pick at the paneling with my screwdriver.
"Look, I know we're being criminals and all, but you really didn't need to dress the part."
"—I'm wearing this to hide my face from cars we might pass by… If any of those mob members are out, they'll see my face and think I'm one of them."
"And what if they see me?"
I paused momentarily and glared over at Judy. Her mouth was obscured, but I could still see her smile.
"You're hiding in the back."
"... Goddamnit."
I looked back at my screwdriver and quickly resumed my work. There was a small crack between the panels below the steering column. I wiggled the handle back and forth, wedging the pieces apart with repeated pulls. After a few moments, I dug my claws into the opening and began to rip the covering off.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
The plastic began to tear. In an instant, the covering popped off. I peered into the opening. A small bundle of wires were now exposed. I tossed the cover onto the ground and smirked.
"Yeah, course I do— uh… —Here, shine a flashlight on this…"
I could hear her shuffling in her seat, reaching back and unzipping one of the bags behind us. She mumbled lightly.
"Thought you could see in the dark…"
"—I can, just not color that well…"
After a few moments, a light was shone onto the exposed wiring. The small cables were color coordinated. There were one brown, one yellow, and two red ones. They all connected to the top of the steering column before branching out into different sections of the car. I examined the wiring closely.
"Okay… So… Uh— there's two wires we need to—"
"—You need to—"
"... Okay… There's two wires I need to cut… The yellow one is the windshield wipers, the brown one's the ignition, and the red one's are the battery…"
"—How many times did you say you did this again?"
I paused briefly, glancing over at Judy for a few seconds before looking back at the wires.
"... Uh— a lot."
"A lot?"
"Yeah… A lot."
I could hear Judy's disapproving sigh. I leaned forward, grabbing the bundle of wires and examining them closely. After a few moments, I reached a paw into my bag, digging around for a bit before bringing out my scissors. I carefully raised them next the wires and prepared to cut.
"Don't electrocute yourself."
I held my breath as I cut one of the red wires, and after a few moments, I went on to cut the second one
"... Okay."
I breathed a slight sigh of relief. Grabbing one of the cut cables, I took an end of my scissors and began to cut away at the wire's covering. I went around the red plastic, slowly but surely revealing the copper underneath. I removed about a quarter of an inch from the wire's tip, letting it hang before moving on to the next red cable. Judy spoke up from beside me.
"How long is this gonna take?"
I scraped away at the second wire, momentarily glancing out the back window.
"Not too long…"
I glanced back down at the cable. I dug my scissors into the red material and started to chip it away. The process wasn't a long one. After a few moments, I was able to grab the loosened plastic and remove it with my fingertips.
Both of the wires were exposed now.
I leaned back a little and grabbed the ends of the red cables. With a deep breath, I brought them together, using a careful paw to slowly twist the copper tips together.
The truck was immediately filled with life.
The radio and interior lights were turned on, and the gauges on the dashboard started to spin and readjust. Judy gasped, looking around with an amazed smile on her face. She quickly flipped off the lights above us and turned down the radio.
"How much fuel does it say we have?"
I looked up through the steering wheel and glanced beside the speedometer. The little, spinning needle pointed to the right, just a few ticks away from the gas symbol.
"... Three fourths of a tank."
"Ah, yes! Come on, move over—"
Judy started to climb over onto my seat. I raised my paw in protest. I wasn't done.
"—Hold on, hold on… I need to start the ignition."
"Aw, just… Hurry up— please."
I nodded, snickering as I reached back down towards the cables. I needed to make the ignition wire touch where the two red cables were twisted together. I picked up my scissors again and reached for the brown wire.
"You know Wilde, I didn't think your criminal history would come this much in handy… "
I lined up the ignition wire with my scissors and cut it. All I needed was to peel back the plastic covering around the copper. I quickly went to work with a scissor blade.
"What can I say, Carrots? … I'm a resourceful fox…"
"You sure are…"
"You know… I'm gonna have to teach you a thing or two about being a criminal… Life in the capital has given me plenty of—"
*ZAP
My arms jerked suddenly. I jumped back as a wave of pain shot up my arm and through my body. I dropped the scissors and shook my hand, wincing as the agony started to fade away.
"Oh! —God, Nick. Are you okay!?"
I nodded, groaning as slowly regained my composure. My arms and legs continued to tremble for several moments. I took a deep breath and scooted forward in my seat.
"... Yeah… Yeah— I'm fine… I'm used to it."
I rubbed my face before leaning down, looking at the ignition cable with watery eyes. The brown wire was almost entirely covered. There was a small tear in the plastic where the scissors cut through, revealing the small sliver of copper that shocked me. It was the one thing I forgot; the ignition cable was a live wire.
I sighed deeply and reached down for my scissors. I wasn't done with it yet.
"Please, just be careful…"
I nodded again, picking up the scissors and lifting them up towards the wire. I grabbed the covered section of the cable, opening the scissors and using both blades to scrape away at the covering. I went a lot more slowly this time, making sure not to touch the copper and get zapped again. Several silent moments passed…
…
…
…
But I managed to get the plastic off.
I sighed in relief, holding the exposed wire to my face and looking over it. Yes. It was going to work. I reached down and held it close to the tied red cables. It was the moment of truth. I slowly lowered the tip onto the power supply…
…
…
…
*BUZZZZZZZ
The truck started to shake. I threw the cable away from me and jumped onto my seat. The lights began the flicker. The radio started fizzle. The whole vehicle was suddenly put into a wild state…
But then, everything became quiet.
The lights turned back off. The radio returned to its original volume. Everything was the exact same as before.
But this time, the engine was running.
"Holy shit."
The words escaped my mouth, pouring out without me even knowing it. I did it. I actually did it. I looked over to Judy. Her mouth was agape. The two of us were in a humming silence…
…
…
…
"Holy shit!"
It was Judy who spoke this time. She leaped up from her seat and started to climb onto me. I snapped out of my trance and turned around, flinging myself over the back of the driver seat and scrambling into the back. I fell onto my head, sliding off the bags and onto the floor. I was kicking and flailing around upside down. Before I could climb back up, I heard Judy's seatbelt click.
"Hold on!"
The car suddenly jerked backwards. I was squished awkwardly between the floor and the backseat. The bags above me came toppling down, landing on my head and taking away my vision. Ridiculously disoriented, I squirmed around and threw them off me.
But suddenly, the car jolted forwards.
I was immediately thrown onto my side and pinned against the bottom of the backseat. The floor started to shake wildly. One of Judy's bags was left open and things were flying everywhere. I was hit in the stomach by the history book, and the squirrel blanked flew over my head and covered my face.
"Geez— ah— gah— … Get off!"
I flung the blanket off of me and climbed up onto the backseat. I started to regain myself as I sat up. Turning forward, I could see Judy in the driver seat. On either side of me, the sea of trees swiftly passed us by outside. We were off of the property. I turned around and stared out the back window. My heart leapt at the sight.
Behind us, left completely in the dust, the goat's house remained unlit.
A smile broke onto my face, growing wider as I continued to look. A second passed. The lights were still off. Many more passed, and the lights were still off. The farmhouse was still. The serf shack was silent. The goat was asleep. They were all asleep. I stared at it for as long as I could. I smiled until the sight was swallowed by the forest.
And then, I started to laugh.
I sat back down and put my paws to my head. My thoughts raced. My head spun. The adrenaline-flooded veins in my body were filled with something else; exuberance. I couldn't keep it in, and neither could Judy. She started to laugh too. We started to laugh together. I leaned forward and turned the radio up. The music on it was terrible, but we didn't care…
Our laughter drowned out the songs, and I could listen to that all night long.
Hey, if you want to keep in contact with me about shit, I'll put my contacts here again. If I don't update for awhile, you can ask me about it online. I don't want to keep you guys in suspense.
(Even though I do that like, every single chapter.)
My contacts:
Discord: Jacato #6539
Skype: Jacato_O
Tumblr: J-cay
Kik: Jacato
(Oh and P.S. I've stopped updating on Ao3. Fuck Ao3.)
Bye. :3