Xqulth: Hey once again, sorry for the lateish updates…and I am going to address something in this author note. So it has come to my attention via helpful reviews that people are losing sight of why they like my dear character Avery. Like everything else in this story that needs help, I'm working on it. Read and review! You reviews help me fix all the little details and major details that are slowly emerging.
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The stars in the desert we clearly visible without the bright street lights of Chicago. I had to say that I missed the city a lot. Everyone else was asleep inside Griffin's little cave. I however, couldn't sleep. Well, I mean, I tried but the worst nightmare I've ever had, the one that I thought I had stopped having, was back. The worst thing was, I had no clue why.
We were walking down the back alley behind the Cadillac Theater after seeing "In the Heights". My dad had his arm around me and my mom and we were laughing. My dad had said something remotely funny I guess. I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, two shadows coming from behind us.
"Come on honey, we're almost home and then you can have your ice cream." My Mom said to me. I had a chocolate and vanilla ice cream sundae in my hand. The shadows appeared again, only this time closer and I edged closer to my dad. This time my dad looked down at me, "What's wrong Ave?"
I shook my head, "I don't know, I keep seeing these shadows and they're scaring me."
My dad pulled me closer, "You'll be fine Ave." He said with a small chuckle and a smile as he pulled my mom next to him even closer. Suddenly from a side alley two dark figures arose wearing trench coats and strange looking brief cases and guns. My eyes bugged out of my head and I cowered closer to my dad, who pulled my mom and me behind him.
"Evening gentlemen, can I help you?" My dad said, putting on a fake Southern accent.
"Your daughter for one." The man on the left answered and I cringed. My dad, who was extremely surprised, forgot the accent and stuttered, "W-what?"
"We want your daughter; if you give her up quietly your lives may be spared." The man on the right clarified. My dad's posture stood rigid as a tree in front of us and I shivered. Suddenly the men, realizing my parents weren't going to give me over, dropped their briefcase and this gun like thing was thrown up. My mind was racing and I shut my eyes tight, trying to prepare myself for some kind of impact that would hurt. I hit concrete next and I opened my eyes surprised. It was a small balcony I had been looking at before we went into the theater! I looked down and saw my parents and the two men in trench coats. They were trapped in some sort of net with guns to their heads. The two men shifted their stances and I hit the floor with my hands over my ears but I still hear the simultaneous and muted gun shots. The tears had come to my eyes and I shut my eyes as tight as I could and just wished I could go home. My body felt like it was being torn through a hole and when I opened my eyes in surprise, I was in my room. I curled up in my bed with the covers over my head, a gunshot ringing through my ears.
I shivered, despite the nearly unbearable heat in the sand dunes by Griffin's lair (cave…). My memories of that night continued to haunt my dreams at night and sometimes I would wake up and find that I had broken out in a cold sweat. Griffin sat down beside me in the sand and looked out into the sand, then at me, "Penny for your thoughts?"
I shook my head, "Just thinking of the past, it's nothing." Griffin looked at me with a look of disbelief and I chuckled, "It's nothing, seriously; I'm fine."
He shrugged and looked back to the sand. Griffin looked back towards the entrance of his "lair" (cave) and nudged my shoulder, nodding towards the entrance. Casey was sitting with Alex and honestly, they looked like father and daughter. I grinned, Casey had never really been close with her parents, they were good to her of course, I mean she got whatever she wanted. But, I don't think she ever had someone like somewhat parental that she could just talk to. It was one of the things that drew us together.
"So," Griffin started, "Because we have been working our asses off, I figured we could go hit up our friend, David, for some good gourmet food, considering he's the one that robbed a bank."
I grinned and nodded, "You know, that sounds like a really good idea right about now. Perhaps I could get a shower and rinse all this sand out of my hair, that or get it cut."
He chuckled, "So, I never got it, if you hated the woman so much, why did you stay?"
"With my Aunt?" I asked
"Yea."
"My Aunt I didn't mind so much if I avoided her. I don't think that unless I had to that I would leave Chicago. It's been my home for so long and I've had so many memories there, I don't think it was possible for me to actually leave the city. I must say it feels like something's missing while I'm all the way out here, like I'm homesick."
Griffin nodded, "I know how you feel."
"You do?" He nodded again and I figured he'd tell me when he was ready. I stood up and brushed the sand off my pants, looking down at him, "So, should we go tell them of our little plan to get food?"
Griffin stood up and followed me as we walked towards the entrance of his lair (cave).
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Xqulth: I finally got it finished! Not the story…just the chapter…Yea!!
Avery: ReViEw for a free, metaphorical DoUgHnUt!
