![]() ![]() Both are dressed in flannel button-downs, faded jeans, and utility boots. Both are tall, strong-looking men, most likely in their 40's. "S'good to see ya, Charlie."īeatrice gets a better look at the men as they step back from Charlie. Oof! The shorter one lets out a grunt from the collision before wrapping his arms around her. "Boys, your queen is home!" Charlie shouts as she crashes into them with open arms. ![]() She looks over at Charlie only to hear her squeal and run in the direction of the men. Beatrice tenses into a defensive stance, ready to run at any moment. Two large looming figures step out into the sunlight, their utility boots crunching on the gravel path. Beatrice raises her eyebrows at the redhead in question, about to make some snarky comment when the metal door creaks open. Beatrice's first thoughts think this little sprite of a woman lives in a damn Hobbit Hole.Ĭharlie takes out her phone and shoots a quick text to "Handmaiden". Upon closer look, she sees what could be a large metal door embedded into the hillside. Beatrice gets out of the car confused about why they've stopped. With a roll of her eyes, Beatrice sandwiches her head between the headrest and the window and pretends to sleep for the rest of the car ride.Ĭharlie drives on until she reaches a grassy hill on the outskirts of Lebanon, Kansas. Beatrice can feel Charlie's gaze on her, each sympathetic look making her skin prickle. But my friends, they'll have all the answers for you, they can help."īeatrice stares disbelievingly at Charlie, "God, you're more cryptic than Mothman." she grumbles. Her hands swipe at angry tears before clenching back into fists in her lap.Ĭharlie sighs "Look, I know you have a lot of questions and I really wish I could help but, I'm kinda a newbie at this. "What's special about this place anyway? Is it like a refugee camp or something? Do you even know what happened up there? What happened to my family? My town? Hell, what the fuck happened to the whole North East?" Beatrice's voice climbs in volume with each unanswered question. But now, she's getting shipped off to bumfuck Kansas the minute she got back on her feet? She thought she could trust Charlie to be her friend, her guardian angel. Beatrice wanted to know more but was too tired and grateful to see another human being. ![]() She told Beatrice that there is still a world out there and that whatever happened didn't spread outside of the East coast. Punch buggy no punch backs is her last clear thought as she climbs off the bridge and is brought down by sheer relief and exhaustion.Ĭharlie took her in and nursed her back to health. Beatrice turned her head towards the sound, staring in disbelief as the butter-yellow BMW beetle came speeding toward her. She froze in place when the near silence is broken by the sound of a car engine. She laughed humorlessly at the thought and took a step closer to the edge. She was alone.īeatrice thought it somewhat fitting to end her search in Maine. She had traveled across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, searching for family, only to find every passing street, highway, and home abandoned. Everyone was gone, vanished from existence. She remembers looking down at the rushing current of the river, painfully wanting to be swept away from it all. It's only been 2 weeks since Charlie found her standing on the edge of the Piscataqua Bridge. Lebanon's in just a few more exits."īeatrice snorts disdainfully, "You know if you wanted to get rid of me that easily you could have left me up in Maine."Ĭharlie's smile dips into a hurt frown. "It's fine," Beatrice mumbles, her voice soft from lack of use.Ĭharlie smiles sympathetically at her. Yeah, let's add broken bones to the list of shit I need to deal with. She takes a deep breath and pushes down the urge to jump out of the moving car. "Crap, I didn't mean to scare you!" A shock of red hair falls on her face as she turns her head towards the young woman.īeatrice warily eyes the driver, Charlie. The driver glances over with a nervous smile and worried brown eyes. The sound of someone clearing their throat makes her jump out of her seat and fumble at the car door's handle. Beatrice's body tenses with each passing day, her green eyes alert and anxious. She watches as the scenery changes from the familiar mountains and thick forests of New England to the rolling plains of the midwest. Beatrice glares out the passenger side window of the yellow beetle. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |