Trouble in Tiltown

Hangout with Amber

Laurence's POV, Current day

"You got into a car accident?" I asked her as she nodded.
"Yes but I'm afraid that it was no accident. I don't remember much after the wreck, but something tells me that it wasn't an accident." She admits to me. As we continue walking, I nearly fall on my face after tripping over something. Amber grabs hold of my arm, catching me from a painful injury. I gasp before looking at her again as she stares at me with concern in her eyes,
"Thanks." I laughed at myself, "I can be so clumsy." I continued.
She stares down at the ground, "It wasn't clumsiness." She points at what I had almost tripped over. I looked down to see a brick of stairs leading up to nothing. Strange.
"I don't remember seeing stairs in the middle of these woods." I say, still staring down at them.
"I do. There used to be a hospital right here." Amber replies.
I dart my eyes back on her, "How'd you know that?"
She looks at me, "Because I used to work here, at the hospital. They tore it down though eventually."
I scrunched my eyebrows together, "We should keep going." She nods in silence and we continue our exploration in silence besides the occasional sounds of twigs snapping and crickets chirping loudly throughout the woods.

I stop in my tracks as I spot a dim light in the distance. As Amber continued walking forwards, I threw my hand over her chest as to stop her.
"What's wrong?" She questions me, looking back at me.
I point straight ahead, "I think that's a building."
"Underground." She added with a low tone in her voice. We both glanced at each other as if we were trying to figure out what the other what thinking. I scratch the back of my head, feeling a bandage on my head as I groan slightly and bring my hand down quickly.
Amber frowns, "You're in no shape to do this. Heck, neither one of us are."
"I suppose so but we have to save West."
"You should go home and get some rest, we'll try tomorrow." She suggests as she pats my shoulder.
"Well, where are you gonna go?" I questioned as crickets filled in the silence.
"I- I just sleep in the woods really." She brushes her hand over the plaid sleeve.
"You can stay the night at my house." I say as I lead her out of the woods.
"Really? Wow." She softly gasps to herself.
I chuckled, "What?"
"I've never been treated well by folks in Tiltown." She admitted.

As I turn over on the floor, I see Amber staring up at the ceiling.
"What's wrong?" I inquired her quietly as to not disturb my mother's sleep.
"I haven't eaten a good meal like tonight or slept on a couch like this in so long." She sighs as she closes her eyes softly, a gentle grin spreads across her cheeks.
"I'm glad we could help." I reply simply.
"Also, when you said your house, I thought you meant you lived on your own." She laughs.
"Well, I'll be moving out in a year." I admitted. Her grin disappears, however, her eyes stayed closed.
"How old are you, exactly?" She asks.
"I'll be eighteen in August." I informed.
"Ahh. Two months away," She pauses, "I'll be sure to get you a present." I laughed silently to myself.
"We should sleep." I suggested as she nods her head and turns over.

We finished our cereal and I got dressed.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you honey, I left you some clothes to wear in the bathroom. I hope they fit." My mother smiles at Amber. Amber glances up at my mother as milk dribbled out of her full cheeks.
"Oh, you're too kind." She says as she chews quickly while dashing to the bathroom.
"So, who is this girl again?" My mother questions me.
"A friend of a friend, I suppose." I informed her vaguely.
"She looks so familiar. I used to work at the old psychiatric hospital here in town before it closed down and she looks like a girl that volunteered there." She explains as she begins washing dishes. Amber suddenly comes out of the bathroom wearing a baggy pair of bibs along with a white shirt underneath along with some sandals.
"It's a very lovely outfit, ain't it?" Amber asks with a brightening smile, glancing at my mother and I for opinions,
"Looks good." I complimented the style.
My mother cups Amber's cheeks in her hands, "You look much better. Oh! I've got to give you braids!" My mother exclaims as she brings Amber to the couch and sits down before going at it with her long strands of red hair.
"Really mom?" I groaned loudly.
"This is fun!" Amber giggles as my mother begins braiding her hair. A few minutes pass by and she finishes braiding her hair as Amber continues brushing her hand over the braids.
"How do you like?" My mother asks me with a smile.
"Nice, can we please get going now?" I motion to the front door. Amber walks outside as she awaits for me to meet up with her.
"We'll be back in a couple hours and yes, we'll be safe." I say before rushing out the door without anymore exchanged words.

"I miss my family." Amber speaks up since the first time we've left. I looked up at her as she focuses on not getting stabbed by the branches by furrowing her eyebrows together.
"You mean, Scott and West?" I asked.
"Yeah. My dad died years ago." She confesses to me.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"As for my mother, I ain't got a clue. I was adopted."
"So, you never knew your real mom?" I questioned as she nods. As we stopped talking, we heard a branch snap. The only problem was that it wasn't one of us. It was from behind us. I quickly turn to be met with Kat who appeared startled herself.