Chapter 2: Two Moons
"ELEANOR GET YOUR LAZY ASS UP NOW!"
I don't understand why he feels the urge to yell so early in the morning. Its not like I was really sleeping anyways, he tends to go into his drunken rages pretty early sometimes and when he does he likes to yell and break things.
"I'm getting up, keep your shirt on!" That comment was sure to get me hit, sure enough here he comes.
In two stride he managed to cross the room and flip over the grubby old mattress I was laying on which threw me to the floor. He reached is ham hand over and grabbed me by my hair. I screamed but he didn't care if he hurt me, that was the only other entertainment he had.
"Ok ok ok, I'm sorry, let go!"
"You need to learn a little respect!"
"Oh you mean how you respect me!?"
With his other hand he swung and hit me across the face, then he threw me into the wall then he stormed back into the other room.
I sat there and cried for a few minutes holding the swollen spot across my cheek and rubbing the spot where my head hit the wall. I really need to learn keep my mouth shut, it serves me no good to open it around him he just hits me for it.
After I waited the appropriate amount of time I left my room grabbed a can of soup for breakfast and started to head out the door when he said,
"Where do you think you are going?"
"To do my chores, isn't that why you had your underwear in a bunch about?" Shut your mouth Elli, shut it now!
"What did you say you little bitch?"
He swung, I ducked. It was a good thing I was in the doorway because he probably hit his hand on it.
I used my pocket knife to open the can and I ate it as I walked around the house to the crops.
The old man might be fat but hes not stupid, he managed to figure out an irrigation system using gravity and some pipes to run rainwater into a hose so we can just turn the nozzle to water the crops. It sure saves time but it is a little boring just walking around with a hose spraying the took about an hour but now that it was done I had to go feed and collect the eggs from the chickens, which was my favorite part of the day. It gave me time away from Walter and let me spend time with creatures who didn't want me dead.
When I got to the chicken coop something didn't seem right, I couldn't hear their clatter which was weird because our chickens were noisy. I put my ear to the door, I couldn't hear anything so I opened the door. A massive coyote shot out and ran towards the house. I yelled for Walter to get his gun but by the time he got his fat ass out of the house the dog was already out of range. I bet he could find a way to blame this one one me.
I could hear him huffing all the way over here, so I took the time to check the damage. I looked into the coop and was shocked, blood and feathers were everywhere and there was a hole in the side of the coop. The coyote probably chewed his way in and was just small enough to get in but when he ate all the chickens he couldn't fit any more.
Walter was at the door and he was furious, red faced and fuming. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT I HAD TO DO TO GET THOSE CHICKENS! I PROMISED LEE HALF THE CROPS FOR FIVE CHICKENS NOW THEY ARE ALL DEAD! THIS IS COMING OUT OF YOUR HIDE!"
"And just how is this my fault?!" I knew it.
"If you weren't hiding out in that tree of yours and doing your chores, you probably could have found the weak spot in the coop and fixed it!"
"I checked the whole area before I went off last night, the coyote just chewed his way in there!"
"Thats it, you aren't getting any dinner until you make up for my losses!"
"Thats not fair!"
"Ya well you should have thought of that before you slaked off!"
This is the first time he has gone that far, but its a good thing I'm not going to be sticking around that long. I walked down to my favorite tree, this old dead tree that had big tall branches. It has this little notch that I keep my stuff in I don't want him to break or find. I keep my knife, compass, locket, and these special knockout pills I found in an old dog pound not far away. They will come in handy tonight.
I quietly walked back to the house and went to Walters distillery where he makes his liquor. I cracked open the pills and poured the stuff into the big vat. I hope its enough to knock him out but not enough to kill him, I want him to know what happened. I snuck back to my room and waited. It was about night time when he finally left to go get his bottles, I really hope that with the amount he drinks it won't kill him because I have no Idea how much those people used to knockout a dog. After a little bit he came back in and sat in his chair and started to slam them down. After a few shots he got up and staggered to the doorway and gasped,
"What have you done to me!?"
I just sat there smiling until he hit the ground unconscious. I waited a little bit to make sure he was out, then I went around the house collecting all the stuff I would need on the trip the Grokery. When I had everything I need I went out to my tree and grabbed all my stuff and headed down the hill in the direction of the town. Its was nice knowing I never had to see Walters fat sweaty face again.
I walked a while in the moonlight when I saw a campfire in the distance, I slowed my pace and crept along really quiet. It was a boy around my age with jet black hair and freckles around his nose, sitting hugging his knees just staring into the fire. and there was another kid with blond hair laying on his side, both of them looked like they have been crying.