After days of waking up with new brusies from grueling hand-to-hand combat sessions. Along with patience being tested during weapons training. Tomorrow it would all be put to the test. Tomorrow I would go on my first hunting trip. Dean said he'd go over the rules with me tomorrow.
Today I would just get to relax around camp. As I walked around camp I still got some suspicious looks thrown in my direction but, not as many as the first couple nights so that's good I guess.
I made my way down to the creek The water was crystal clear as usual. The sun reflected against the surface making the water seem like it was sparkling. I couldn't help the smile that krept across my face as I marval at the beauty of the trees swaying in the wind and the gentle motion of the water water moving down the creek. I closed my eyes and sat still absorbing the warmth of the sun.
"Hey," I don't turn around I recognize Sophie's voice "I'm not interrupting anything am I?" She asks walking toward me.
"Nope. What's up?" I ask patting the ground beside me inviting her to sit. She silently walks over and sits down.
"So, I hear you're going on your first hunt tomorrow," She noted.
"Yeah. Im pretty excited."
"Well then if you're going to be a hunter you have to look like one."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You have to blend in and survive out there. First off your hair could get in the way. You have very fair skin you'll stick out and sometimes you get in situations out there where you might be out there for a night or two that's why the guys always where jackets when they go out."
"So your going to help me with all that?"
"If you let me I'd be happy too?"
"Alright when do we start?"
"Now is as good a time as any. Let's start with your hair." She beams getting up and scurrying to sit behind me. She begins to run her fingers through my hair then stops. "It'd be easier to get the tangles out of your hair was wet," She informs me. I dip my hair into the creek and sit back up. Then she starts running her first gers through my hair once again. She soon began sperating sections of hair. She pulls my hair back so tight the front of my scalp starts to hurt. However, I didn't bring it up to her. I didn't want to seem ungrateful.
My neck and back are begin to get stiff but, whenever I try to move she yelled at me to stop. I had been sitting here all day getting my hair tugged on and twisted. Sophia has been humming a sweet melody this entire time. The song sound very familiar but I can't quite place where I've heard it before.
"Done." She says clapping her hands together. I feel my hair. The sides of it has been braided. The braids continued back into the ponytail. There were four braids tangled into the untouched parts of my hair. I crawl over to look at my reflection in the water.
"I did two frnech braids on the side, separated them, and then took them back into the ponytail. My mom used to do my hair like that all the time. I always loved it. What do you think?" I look at my reflection in the clear creek to admire her work.
"It looks amazing! I could never do anything like this. My mom only taught me how to do a normal braid. I don't think she would have had the patients for this stuff." I say laughing at the momory of my mom. That's when it his me. That where I remember the melody Sophie was just humming.
"What?" Sophia asks smiling
"I was just remebering this one time my mom attempted to do some hair style Kida had saw in some book on Kida. It had a French braid that started on the back of the skull and came up into a ponytail. It was the first time I'd ever heard my mom cuss. Needless to say Kida was absolutely horrified. Because like I said we'd never heard my mom cuss before. But I think she was even more teriffied to move. Kida was like 'never mind its ok' but of course my mom wasn't having it. She was so determined she said 'No, I'm going to get this just give me a second' poor Kida sat there for hours. Finally my mom finished and me and Kida went into the bathroom to look at it. We just looked at each other because we didn't know what to do. It looked awful but, neither one of use had the heart to tell my mom. So Kida being the brave soul she is kept it like that for two days. She felt so bad about taking it down because she didn't want to hurt my moms feelings but, it had to be done." I say bursting out in laughter replaying the exact event over in my head.
"Sounds like you had a good life back there." Sophie says laughing with me.
"I did," I say sadly thinking of the fact that the memory is just that. All I have amd will ever have from now on is memory's.
"Its ok to miss them you know," She reassures me with sympathy in her eyes.
"I know. Thanks for that."
"For what? Doing you hair? It-"
"No," I say cutting her off "for being a friend and making me laugh. I don't think ive laughed about a memory I've had since I set foot out here. Its nice to laugh again."
"Any time," She says offering me a sympathetic smile "Now, how about we get you some dirt on the fair little face of yours." She says standing up and wiping off her pants as if there was dust on them. She holds out her hands to help me up.
"Sounds like plan." I say grabbing her hands and jump up from the ground. She walks me back to the camp and walks me over to her tent.
"Stay here for a second. I gotta grab something first," She says then walks into her tent she comes back out a few seconds later she comes back out of her tent with a wore out black leather jacket and a bowl with so black powder in it.
"Here is your new best friend." She says handing me the jacket.
"Is this yours?" I say looking it over
"It was."
"Why would you give it away?"
"I can't wear it any more. A friend gave it to me before I left the vault."
"They knew you'd fail?"
"Yeah I'd done a lot of shit while I was there. Even my parents knew that when I took the test I was screwed. They would always tell me a wild animal doesn't belong in a cage. They knew I didn't belong there. I was curious, a fighter, and strong. They knew I'd survive out here. They knew I'd never really live in there"
"That's nice that they believed in you so much."
"Yeah it was. Put on the jacket I wanna see how you look in it," She demanded. I unzipped the jacket and put it on. It fit perfectly.
"Ok, close your eyes."
I do as she says and ask "What's in that stuff?" I ask referring to the black stuff in the bowl
"Crushed up charcoal and a some water to make it a little more muddy." She says running her hand from my eyelid down to my jaw on both sides of my face.
"Ok, there you go." She chirps as I open my eyes. She takes a step back admiring her work.
"How do I look?" I ask
"Like a badass hunter." She says and we both start laughing.
"Thanks."
"Anytime."
