Chapter Three: The Hag

For the past two years living in Flagstaff or what's left of it I learn that there are two monsters that live here. One is my boss's vehicle he uses to go out and do whatever he wants.

That thing is twice as big, has twice as much ammo, and twice as protected than what we use to gather up supplies. It was built for long trips which means it has a very small indoor bathroom and enough small beds, food and water for six people to stay out there for days. My boss calls it the "The Monster"

For days of my training to be a leader, I dreamt of driving that thing one of these days but only the boss and his team members are allowed to drive it because he still complains that I'm still too young to come near it. Who knows, one of these days I might get a chance to drive it.

The other one is the woman Matt and I live with ever since we were well enough to walk.

We stared at fancy Days Inn Hotel where only the rich people lived while the poor lives in the streets.

"You got her cigarettes" I asked Matt.

He nodded as he took them out of his pockets "you better hide that ring of yours"

I quickly took off the engagement ring Marc gave be back then. I still kept my promise to take care of it to him. I stared at it for a second, it still was nice and shiny then place it in my shoe where the hag wouldn't find it.

"Hide the money" I said

Matt stuffed it in one of his deep pockets on his pants then we went inside. We waved to some of the people who were smoking, drinking wine while listening to some classical music. They only gave us a disgusted look then went back to what they are doing.

We got into the elevator, pushed the button for the top floor and stood there.

Matt yawn "I hope she doesn't have anything else for us to do I need to get some sleep"

The hag was called Mrs. Taylor, an old woman who was fifty years old and had a diamond shape figure and enough Botox to that will make you wanna puke.

She was very popular with the other rich snobs that live in the Days Inn hotel and loves having the spotlight on her all the time. She grew even more famous when she took us into her home and promise to take care up us since we were still "little kids." A few days later she somehow became our legal guardian

To others, she was a sweet kind old lady, but behind the doors she was like that lady from the book Mommy Dearest. It started harmlessly enough I would say, she was always smiling and gave us a room for us and buy us food and in return we clean and do some errors for her. Til one day about a year ago, when I got home after a hard day of training and going out to the dead world I collapsed onto my bed and tried to take a nap.

Mrs. Taylor walked in holding her steel made cane. I never knew why she carried a cane since I see her once and a while walking perfectly without it.

"Bianca, be a dear and clean up my room for me" she asked

"I did it before I left, Mrs. Taylor" I said trying to go to sleep

"But you didn't do it right, so can you please clean it up again"

I growled "Can I clean it after my nap I had a long day"

"No, I want you to get it done now" she said raising her voice a bit.

I pretended to have fallen asleep hoping she would go away, but instead I felt something hitting me right on my arm. The burst of pain caused me to roll off my bed then I was hit again right on my back. I choked on my screams as a sense of numbness ran through my body.

I rolled on my side and stared at the hag who was holding the cane above her ready to hit me again. Her face seems to have darkened "when I want something done, I want it done now" she said

"What the hell is wrong with you" I asked

"Don't you dare talk back at me" she shouted and swung the cane at me again, but this time I caught it.

"Those who hit me never leave without a few teeth being punched out" I warned her.

"You would do that to me after I gave you and your friend a home" she said "you would dare hit an elder"

I stared at her, still holding on to the cane, "I would"

"Lay one finger on me and I'll have you kicked out of here"

"I don't care if I have to live on the streets"

"No, I could have you kicked out of this town and back into the dead world with no weapons or car"

"You wouldn't?" I asked

"Try me, my son who is your boss will make sure of it. He never wants his mother to get hurt by teenagers" she said

I growled and let go of her cane only to be hit again by it, "Now go clean up my room" she said

I bit my lip hard as I got up and went to go clean up her room. After that event she became more insane knowing she had the power over Matt and me. Soon, we were like servants or slaves to her in her own house. Cleaning and going out of town to get her things she wanted and if we messed up or didn't obey her she hits us then threaten to get us kicked out.

She was harsher on me then Matt, which I didn't care, I didn't want him to get hit. I told the hag that I won't defend myself when she hits me as long she didn't lay a finger on Matt even if he was the one who messed up.

We tried to save up money to get a place on our own but I guess she found out and took any thing valuable away from us. (Servants are not allowed to have valuables) she said. But we managed to save a bit but that was for getting food since she didn't want us to eat in the hotel anymore and I made sure she didn't get my ring.

What made it worse it's like she knew what we were thinking. There were times where I thought about just living on the street or stay at the place Kristine lives, but out of nowhere she pops out yelling "if you ever think about leaving, I'll make it look like you robbed and attacked me and you'll find yourself dead"

I finally gave up and let her win. I got use to the hitting and yelling, but Matt never like what she was doing to me. I told him I was fine and it's not as bad as he thinks it was. He shook his head and sometimes didn't want to look at me because all he sees were the bruises.

"I don't want you to get hurt again" Matt yelled at me from time to time.

"I'm fine, Matt, I can take a few hits if it means for us to stay here, safe and sound"

"I meant I don't want you to protect me when I make mistakes" he said "I can take a few hits too"

"But I don't want you to get hurt, you've been through that your whole life" I said

Matt stared at me and said nothing; he hates it when I bring up his past. The regret of never helping his mother when she got hurt. I know sooner or later he's not going to listen to me and will do something to the hag that he'll regret later when we're being chased by zombies.

I shook out of my thought as we stared at the door 504 where Mrs. Taylor lives. She told us to visit her after we went off to gather up supplies plus it was the only way to get the only card key to our room.

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. I can actually hear her walking over to the door with that steel cane , the sound made my bruises on my arms, legs, and back to throb. She opens the door with her sunshine smile but when she noticed it was us, her face once again darkens.

"It about time you two disgusting insects came back, I thought I would have died without my smokes"

"Sorry Mrs. Taylor, we had a little problem-

"I don't want to here your lame excuses, Bianca, now get in here" she sneered

We walked in to her room that was full of smoke and cigarettes were every where. The smoke was so bad that my eyes were tearing up.

"I can't believe it takes the whole night just to go out to get a box of cigarettes" Mrs. Taylor said, snatching the box out of Matt's hand. Now you can see why Marcie was so pissed off at me earlier.

She looked at the box then threw it in my face "you stupid lame ass excuse for a girl, you got the wrong brand" she shouted in her raspy voice, tighten her grip on her cane. "I sent you out of one thing and you can't even do that!"

She started marching over to me but I stood still, I wasn't afraid, I never was. "Mrs. Taylor, It was my fault, I didn't know what brand it was, I was just grabbing things because the dead-" Matt tried to explain himself, but was interrupted.

"Stop trying to protect her, Boy, now empty your pockets and get out of here"

"I don't have anything" Matt lied

"DO IT" she shouted, raising her cane to my hip.

Matt said nothing, emptied his pockets and watch the money we earned falling to the ground. He stood there staring at it knowing all what we have done was for nothing. Mrs. Taylor looked at me with her pull-tight face "and what are you hiding, you little insect"

"Noting" I said

"Are you sure, or do I have to beat it out of you like the last time"

"I'm not lying, I have nothing" I shouted

"What did I say about shouting at your elder" she holler while spitting in my face.

"I'm sorry" I whispered

She smirked and backed away from us a little, picked up the money then smiled at us again "Don't for get my little servants, you live with me, that means you do whatever I say and if you don't you'll find yourselves out of here or worse. I own you and as long as I'm alive, it's going to be that way forever" she said "Do I make myself clear"

We nodded which made her smile even wider "Now, you, Boy, go out and get some breakfast for me and my guest that are coming over" she said

"I don't have any money" Matt said

She grabbed him by the sleeves and pulled him to the door. For an old hag she was pretty strong. "I don't give a shit, now do what I say and get me some food" she said, shoving him out of his room.

"I can't get it without-" Matt shouted but the door slammed on his face before he could finish. Now I was alone with her and whatever she can find in this room she can use for a weapon.

I learned long ago the excuse for Matt to go buy some food without money was her way to get my punishment with him interfering. I stood very still, I had no choice because her threats can happen if I'm not careful.

She paced back and forth for a minute, she always does that when she didn't have her daily packet of smokes or wine. She looked over at me once and a while and snarled "ugly excuse for a girl, don't you ever wear any girl clothes"

I rolled my eyes, when she's in a bad mood insulting me was her favorite way to release it. "Do you know how embarrassing it is to walk around know I have to take care of a ugly young lady dresses up like a boy"

"Again, I'm sorry Mrs. Taylor, I've been this way since I was eight" I said, sarcastically

"Yeah, you should be sorry" she said pacing back and forth again mumbling about those fucking cigarettes.

"Can I have my room key, Mrs. Taylor" I asked

"You want your precious room key" she smirked

I nodded which made her grin even more "Well, you have to work for it, now clean up my room and make it SPOTLESS" she said

"Yes, Mrs. Taylor"

"And when you're done with that get my warm bath ready. A young woman like me has to look her best"

"Yes, Mrs. Taylor"

"And whenever the Boy gets back, set up the table for my guest then get my clothes iron"

"Yes, Mrs. Taylor" I said walking over to the small build-in kitchen to get the cleaning equipment.

"And one more thing" she said

Before I even got the chance to turn around, she swung her cane right in to my side. I lost my voice cause she hit me right in the ribs and fell over. I wrapped my arms around my side and held back my scream of pain.

"That's what you get for not obeying one single command" she shouted "Now get up and do your chores"

She kicked my in the stomach with her pointy high heels shoes then walked off to her bedroom. I laid there for a minutes wondering what was worse, here or the outside world of the dead.

(Curse you, you fucking bitch) I thought.

---------------------

By the time I was finished with my chores and the hag was past out from too many drinks she had from breakfast, it was already noon and I was tired.

I stood there in the room Matt and I shared. It wasn't much like Mrs. Taylor's room, it only has two old beds, a sink, a bathroom and a small closet with very little clothes for him and me.

I sighed as I lifted up my shirt a bit to see my new bruises the hag gave me. I had four on my stomach, two on my side and countless on my arms and legs.

Matt looked at the one on my side where she hit me in the ribs. "Dose it hurt when you breathe"

"A little, but I don't think it broken" I said

Matt touched it causing me to hiss in pain "you're right, they're not broken"

I placed my shirt down and fell on to my bed "what a morning, it feels like I haven't slept in two days"

"We haven't" Matt said

I groan from what he said and the bruises "Sometimes, I wished we can just get away from this town," I said "away from this job and the fucking hag"

"And go where, we don't even know what's really out there" he said

"True, I sometimes have to tell myself to face the fact that we're stuck here til the day we die by the dead or the old woman" I said

Matt flopped down next to me and we stared at the ceiling "well, look on the bright side"

"Which is" I asked

"Tomorrow is Thursday" he said

I grinned "Yeah tomorrow is Thursday, the day for me to let out "a little" bit of my anger"

With that in my mind, I drifted off to sleep...

-----------------------------

Chapter Four: A Boy Named Jimmy: Bianca bumps into a guy who ends up stealing the thing that means the most to her.