“Tree trunks?” Colleen mockingly put a hand over her mouth, “How dare you?”
“Oh, please, you aren’t offended,” Marisha said, playfully slapping Colleen’s leg, “That’s what you call them.”
Colleen turned her gaze to Chenoa, “I guess that means you’re out too?”
Chenoa wet her full lips; her black hair swayed as she tilted her head from side to side in thought. Anyone who saw her would immediately become aware of her ‘warrior princess beauty,’ as Marisha called it, with her almond eyes and sharp cheekbones. The group patiently waited as she gently rubbed the bridge of her thin, aquiline nose.
“Come on, please?” Marisha said, shooting her a sad, puppy dog plea.
“Maybe next time,” her words were gentle, drawing out the first syllable, “I need to get some things done back at the hospital. Hit me up when you get home, and I can help you cook and clean it. Deal?”
Colleen playfully turned her nose up, “I’ll hold you to it.”
Spinning on the balls of her feet, Colleen and Marisha began to walk away. She snapped her fingers, turned, and called back to Cooper and Chenoa, “Oh, and can you feed Jackson? He’s already mad that he didn’t get to come along.” They nodded a simple ‘yes’ and the group split off.
The two women stopped by the creek that ran behind the hospital so that Colleen could find and collect some stones for her slingshot. She grabbed several, and the couple headed toward an open field that butted up to a relatively young forest.
Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Marisha gathered her blond hair in her hands and tied it up into a tight ponytail, using the purple scrunchy that she always kept around her wrist. Her gaze fell lower, scanning over the oversized t-shirt that practically fell to her knees, and the leggings Marisha wore underneath it. Colleen huffed, knowing that they would likely have to stop ten times for her to dislodge the grass seeds that would poke through the thin fabric that covered her legs, or for her to unsnag her shirt. The ensemble wasn’t practical to hunt in, and would likely slow them down. Regardless, Colleen would wait for her to catch back up before proceeding. As if on cue, Marisha stopped in her tracks and bent over to swat away the wheat seeds that littered her legs.
Colleen walked back toward her, pulling at the loose fabric of her girlfriend’s shirt, “You know, if you wore something more practical, you wouldn’t have this problem,” she teased.
Marisha stopped, standing back up straight, and putting a hand on her hips. The glare she shot said it all, but the corner of Colleen’s mouth tugged up at the sight. Marisha’s curvy, short frame, though hidden under the loose fabric, was such a contrast against her own. And when she looked this mad, it was hard not to laugh.
“It’s called comfort, Love. That’s something we don’t get a lot of these days. I’m not giving up my leggings for you or the rabbits,” Marisha said before storming ahead through the field.
Colleen looked at the ground and a small giggle escaped her lips, and immediately, she regretted letting it slide. Her eyes grew wide as she looked ahead to see the stone-cold face of her girlfriend. Her body froze mid-stride and craned around so that she could deliver her death glare.
“Is something funny?” Marisha asked.
“Nothing at all. Are you ready to go?” Colleen said quickly, in a desperate attempt to recover. She paced ahead to catch up, and just like that, the conversation was over.
The forest was composed entirely of trees, only twenty to thirty feet tall. They had sprouted up where a BP gas station had once been. The building was still there, but in the twenty years since the Shifting, mother nature had taken it upon herself to reclaim it. It was a prime hunting spot, with hiding spots for rats, moles, and raccoons, but today, they were looking for a possum.
Colleen had always been too afraid to eat a possum in Texas; it just didn’t look right to eat. It was something about that narrow face and those tiny teeth. As they got closer, she pulled out her slingshot and tested the rubber. Other than a few cracks, it was holding up better than could be expected.
“Same plan as usual?” Marisha asked.
“Yes, but just try to be a bit quieter, than you were earlier. Or, I’m going to make you stay home next time.”
Marisha rolled her eyes and split off to the left, “Maybe if you’d let me be the one to shoot from time to time, then—"
“Shhh,” Colleen playfully shook her finger as she broke right around the grey cinder block building.
Their plan was reasonably straightforward, but almost always a success. They both would approach from their respective sides, keeping an eye out for an animal. If one of them saw something, they would alert the other. Colleen would approach to shoot while Marisha would flank them, cutting off any escape routes. There were probably better methods, but as she said, “If it ain’t broke… don’t fix it.”
Colleen palmed one of the almond-sized rocks and loaded it up. It would only take one of these to take down almost any small animal if she placed the shot perfectly. As they approached, they could hear a soft rustle in a small brush growing around the station’s base. They stealthily continued to advance, both ready for any sudden moves. A pink tail was barely peeking out between two discarded metal drums. Marisha alerted Colleen with a hand movement, letting her know to switch her sides. They crossed over as Colleen pulled back on the slingshot, taking aim. She went to one knee and let go.
“Darn it!” she said under her breath. Her shot was low.
The possum tore off in the opposite direction, right into Marisha’s waiting arms. But at the last second, the animal split off to the left and into the station out of sight. Marisha kept chase, ducking under boards and hurdling through a window.
“I can still see him,” she whispered, beckoning Colleen to join her.
Colleen crept through the window behind her, her eyes locking on a set of boots only five feet away from them. Marisha crouched down and slowly stalked the possum, but Colleen was distracted. They hunted there often, and the boots hadn’t been there two days ago. Looking closer, she spotted something else through the ground cover. There was a set of jeans morphing into something white.
Is that skin?
It was too late; Marisha had already noticed them and reached down to inspect the heap on the ground when it moved. “Marisha! Wait!”
A glint of steel flew through the air toward Marisha as she jumped backward, swinging her arm up protectively. The tip of a blade barely caught the skin of her forearm. She felt a slight sting and recoiled from the pain. Grabbing at the shallow wound with her other hand, blood began to run down her arm, dripping to the ground.
Colleen reached forward and pulled her back, positioning Marisha safely behind her. The clothes had formed into a person now—a man. He lunged at Colleen, but she slapped the man’s arm away, throwing him off balance. As he fought to regain his ground, Colleen slammed her palm into his shoulder. Almost as if in slow motion, his body met the ground with a resounding thud. An audible gasp for air escaped his lips, his eyes rolling back into his head.
Still struggling for air, he tried to scramble back, but his arms collapsed under his weight. His arm flung up, wildly swinging the blade around, almost slicing himself in the process. Colleen knocked his arm down with her boot and sent the knife flying end over end. Marisha had recovered and pinned down his flailing left arm. He tried to move, but it was pointless.
“Why are you doing this?” his shrilled voice begged through clenched teeth. The color had seeped from his face, and tears pooled at the edges of his bloodshot eyes.
“I was just going to ask you the same thing,” she said.
Two
Colleen
“What’s your name?” Colleen asked, the rage still building in her. “What are you doing here?”
He didn’t look like any vagrant they had been used to seeing pass through. The man had a nearly freshly shaven head and oval face, with blond, almost white, stubble peeking out. His white t-shirt was free of holes, and his boots well
worn. She could see the definition of muscles flex as he struggled, leading her to believe he hadn’t missed many meals.
He snorted, ignoring her.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” she said, as Marisha ground down on his wrist with her boot. He winced with pain as she dug in even harder.
“Why should—” he grimaced through the pain, gritting his teeth, “I tell you.”
“I can think of two reasons right now,” Colleen said, her eyes passing between the man and Marisha.
“Whatever,” he snorted, and yet his fear was unmistakable, “I’m not afraid of either of you. Just get it over with. I’ve made my peace with the big guy. There’s no guilt on my conscience.”
“Quit being so dramatic,” Colleen said, “Just tell us what you’re doing here, and maybe we’ll let you go.”
“Wasn’t it obvious? I was sleeping. Trying to, at least. Then you two came along and wouldn’t shut up.”
“Odd place to fall asleep, don’t you think?” Marisha probed.
“Not for me, it isn’t,” he glared at her and flexed his jaw.
Colleen lunged at him, “This is pointless… Let’s just get rid of—”
“Hold on, hold on,” his breathing quickly turned erratic, his face flushed, “let’s not be unreasonable here.”
She gave Marisha a knowing look. Marisha nodded a silent reply and let up on the man’s wrist. Her hand still holding the gash on her arm, trying to stop the slow trickle of blood that spilled from it. Once her girlfriend stood behind her again, Colleen freed the man.
“Sorry, we just aren’t used to seeing people just pass through. We find it best to maintain a low profile; it seems to keep the wolves at bay,” Colleen said, putting her hand out. The man slapped it away. Instead, he rolled over to gain enough momentum to push himself up.
“I’m just trying to help,” she said, holding her hands up in surrender.
“I’ll be fine,” he grimaced, finally getting to his feet. He rubbed his chest, wincing the closer he got to his right shoulder.
“If it’s any consolation, I could have killed you, and almost did,” Colleen said. “You swung at my friend, and instinct kicked in.”
“I found this place last night, and it was perfect. Nice and quiet,” he said, shaking his head, “Boy, was I wrong.” His eyes sized up Colleen, scanning from her feet to her face before shaking his head.
Marisha tore at the fraying hem of her shirt, getting enough fabric to press against the clotting wound, and looked him in the eye, “How about we get that name now?”
“Joel,” he said.
“Alright, Joel, I’m Marisha, and that’s Colleen,” she said motioning with her head, “Do you mind if we ask where you were headed?”
Joel looked at them, his eyes passing back and forth, then raised a shoulder and his left hand.
“I guess it’s no secret. Settling down isn’t really my thing, and,” he lowered his voice, “I’ve had a couple run in’s with some places I thought were friendly. Turns out the more welcoming they are, the deeper down they hide the crazy cult.”
Colleen looked him in the eyes and rubbed her forehead, “Don’t I know it.”
Thwack!
“Owww!” Joel screamed, grabbing at his shoulder, tears teetered at the brim of his eyes. “I thought you two were done beating me up?”
“I’m so sorry!” Marisha said as she pulled the door back open to the partially lit exam room. Three fluorescent light fixtures hung from the dirty white tiled ceiling. “I thought Colleen had the door. I really didn’t mean to do that.”
“Set him up there,” Dr. Vasquez said, pointing to the metal exam table in the corner, covered with wax paper over a ripped vinyl upholstery, “and try not to hurt him any more than you two already have.”
“Yes, sir,” the two girls said, eyes downcast.
Dr. Vasquez continued to write in his journal while the two girls impatiently waited. He wrapped it up and rolled over to the injured Joel.
“So, let me get this straight, he was innocently taking a nap, and you beat the crap out of him?” Vasquez said, stroking his chin.
“You make us sound like sociopaths when you say it like that,” Marisa said as she picked at her cuticles, “There’s more to it.”
“Well, what part am I missing?”
Colleen spoke up, “He was sleeping in our hunting spot, in the grass, in the middle of the day. Who does that?”
“He does. It’s not like we have a monopoly on the forest or even the surrounding grounds. They’re for everyone who needs it,” Dr. Vasquez said, examining Joel.
His eyes peered up at them over the brim of his reader’s glasses. The two girls bowed their heads, not wanting to look at him in the eye. Dr. Vasquez began making a note of the numerous healed and fresh injuries.
“Did you two do all this?” he asked in surprise.
Colleen exhaled, lips tightened, “No, we just—”
“I’m kidding,” he mouthed, allowing a quick chuckle to break through his stone exterior. “I know the difference between new and old injures. I’m afraid Joel here has seen some worse days,” he looked at the stranger as if he expected an explanation.
Joel scooted himself up, trying to get into a better position. “It wasn’t all them,” Joel interjected. He lifted his shirt, showing them bruises in various states of healing. Some fresh, others in shades of green and yellow. “Most of that black and blue is from my trip north. California is a madhouse,” he paused, “I’d stay far away from there if I were you.”
“Really? Cool.” Marisha grinned, rubbing her palms together. She folded her hands and turned to Colleen, “We should go. It could be fun. What do you say? Please, please, please!”
Colleen turned and gave her a look of disbelief, “Maybe you are a masochist… We definitely shouldn’t. I just got you healthy. Do you not see him? I won’t risk losing you.”
Marisha put her bottom lip out, her face contorting as she drew out the word, “Please.” Colleen shook her head in astonishment.
Did she not hear a word I said?
She opened her mouth to protest, but Dr. Vasquez interrupted before she could get out a syllable.
“Ladies, can you two settle this later? I have work to do. I’ll send him back once we’re done here,” with a wave of his hand, he dismissed them.
The two got up and headed out the double doors, both mindful of the gate this time. Colleen looked over to see Marisha stutter-step, her left foot now hitting every marble tile first. They plopped down on the front steps and waited for him to finish. They both stared straight ahead, neither one of them wanting to be the first to speak.
Colleen turned to her, “I guess they’re back, huh?”
“Don’t Start,” Marisha said through gritted teeth. Colleen reached out to put a hand on Marisha’s arm, but she pulled away, turning her back toward her.
“I thought you said they were gone. I want to help,” she whispered, letting her hand fall back into her lap.
“Surprise,” Marisha hunched over and shriveled her upper body, “they’re not gone. I mean, they never truly go away. Sure, when I have to be strong, or I’m completely happy—” Colleen slightly recoiled, but before she could respond, Marisha turned to her, pulling her in so that their faces were inches apart.
“My happiness is not contingent on you. Yes, you are an important part of my life, but I have to be happy with myself, and right now, my head is all sorts of screwed up. When things are like that, they come back. So, the best you can do for me right now is not make a big deal out of it.”
There was a knock at the door. They looked back to see Joel, his face pressed to the glass. The two of them stood up and opened the door for him.
“Looks good. How does it feel?” Marisha asked.
“It still hurts like heck, but I’ll be alright,” he looked down at the make-shift sling on his arm.
“So,” Colleen asked, “Are you up to meeting the rest of the crew?”
“Not at all,” she said with a wink. “Some kick harder.” With one last glance at Marisha’s expressionless face, she inhaled deeply and turned to lead the way.
They spent the next few hours walking all over the compound, showing him everything—the living quarters, the community dining hall, even the functioning indoor bathrooms.
“I’m still in awe. They’re so clean you could almost eat off the floor,” Joel said, eyes beaming.
“I’ll take that as a compliment, I guess,” Colleen said, allowing a sweet smile to tug at the corners of her mouth.
“You should. I’m used to places where I just close my eyes and…you know.”
Marissa scrunched her face up, sticking a finger in her mouth. Colleen laughed at her before giving Joel a quick rundown of expectations, making sure there was no confusion about who they were and what they stood for.
Even though Dr. Vazquez was seen as the de facto leader, he declined to truly take command, instead deferring to the majority. After Colleen’s recovery, she and Marisha had quickly learned that titles meant little to the small community. They had been accepted with open arms, no one questioning their motives. If anyone didn’t like them being there, they didn’t know it.
The more Joel learned, the more excited he seemed about being there. With few strangers passing through, and even less sticking around, they had nearly forgotten what it was like to offer someone a home—someone who had been through the wringer. However, Colleen would never forget the feeling of the community taking her in as one of their own and the happiness that filled her. Similarly, to what she assumed Joel was feeling now.
“What do you think?” Colleen asked as they made their way down to the cafeteria for dinner.
“I can’t lie. On the way here, when you were telling me about this place, it sounded too good to be true. But, now seeing it—it’s a miracle and well worth the fresh bruises for admittance,” Joel teased and nodded to his sling. A playful grin swept across his face, but tears of happiness seemed to threaten to fall from his eyes.
The Maddening: Book 2 in the Terror Saga Page 2
