The Road Ahead

Blood

The Road Ahead 

   "Blood" Chapter Five 

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   After he showed me his tattoo I fell asleep on our makeshift bed. I don't know what made me so tired and sleepy, but as soon as my body went down my mind shut off. 

   I think I slept for a couple hours because when I woke the sun was starting to peek over the horizon, my back was toward it, but I saw the sun rays beam through the trees. Creating delicate patterns that danced through the cave like fairies. "I don't know, Zero. There's just, there's just something about her." 

   There was a small pause, an intake of breath, and the rustling of leaves. "Well, she is pretty incredible. I technically grew up with her. We've been in that prison for about six years." Zero replied, her voice was soft, delicate. It was a tone I had never heard in her voice before, but I liked it.

   "I feel..." I guess he couldn't find the word he was looking for, because there was a long break. 

   "Connected. Whenever I touch her, or look into her eyes, I feel a connection. Am I sounding sappy?" He asked, Zero laughed lightly. 

   "No, I know what you mean." Zero responded, her voice sounded far off. Like she was talking to herself. 

   I started stretching, throwing in a little moan and groan to add to the cover that I was just waking up. I felt like that was a conversation I wasn't suppose to hear. When I flipped around I saw that Giles and Zero were sitting across from each other, tossing a ball back and fourth between them. Maybe that's what caused the rustling noise, the ball not being caught. 

   "Hey sleeping beauty." Giles said, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. Zero tossed the ball up in the air and he caught it, suddenly flinging it at her roughly. She caught it in her hands, but he did it with such a force that it made a smacking noise when her fingers latched around it. 

   "That sounded like it hurt." I said, smiling at my friends. 

   "You know it did." Giles said tilting his head at me. I looked at him, he was distracted. The ball came out of nowhere and hit him right between the eyes; Zero's laughter filled the air. Giles flinched as soon as it hit him and leaned over, his hands on his face. A large red mark soon showed, even then, I couldn't stop myself from laughing. 

   After a minute of us laughing Giles looked up, at me, then at Zero. "You're gonna pay for that." He said. 

   Zero stood on her feet, "Highly doubt it, lover boy." She sang, winking at him. His cheeks and ears went red. This made me go pink. 

   Zero walked out of the cave and left us to ourselves for a while, she disappeared behind a tree. "So, really, how'd you sleep?" He asked suddenly. My eyes switched back to the man in front of me, he stood looking down at me. I grew shy. 

   "I... I slept fine. You?" I asked quietly, he smiled at me then fell to his knees. His hands on my shoulders. 

   "The first night int seven years, I actually had a perfect nights sleep. I usually have nightmares that keep me up, but I didn't tonight." 

   Hearing his words made me happy, "Good." I said. Suddenly, I was in his arms. I don't know if I went to him or if he pulled me into his chest, but either way, I loved it. I love being close to him, feeling his hard chest on me. Feeling his warm breath against my ears. His hands moved from my shoulders down to my waist, holding me closer to him. 

   I don't know how long we stayed like that, honestly, I don't care either. It was heaven. We slowly pulled away when a distance snap sounded. I, personally, thought it was Zero. But when the snaps started growing louder, Giles shot up like a rocket. Putting his body in front of mine, protecting me. 

   "Who are you and what are you doing on my property!?" Shouted a man, he sounded old. Then, the click of a gun echoed through the cave. I stood then and peered out from Giles shoulders. A hunting rifle was in the strangers hands, pointed at us. Giles slowly raised his hands up to the sky, I quickly did the same. 

   The stranger lurked forward, his eyes on us. They were hard; intimidating. "Sir, I'm sorry. We'll leave." Giles spoke easily, trying to work with the man. 

   "No! I'd rather see you put in prison for trespassing than you leaving, trouble-free! Maybe I'll shoot you and you're girl first." Giles brought his hands down. 

   "So you're one of those, I see." He said, the man laughed and brought the gun up again. Tears started streaming down my face. I don't want to be shot, I don't want Giles to be shot. 

   "Whatcha mean, boy?" 

   "I mean that you're one of those self-absorbed,asshole, country pricks." Giles said, grabbing me. He was comforting me, but scaring me at the same time. "I don't tolerate those kinds of people, they deserve to rot in hell."

   "I'll see you there!" The man called, Giles laughed. 

   "I think you'll be there first." Giles said, a black wolf jumped from the bushes and took the man to the ground. A shot fired and I ducked, holding onto Giles tightly. I watched as Zero pawed at the man, drawing blood. The man screamed, yelling for help, for mercy. The wolf jabbed it's head down and sank its teeth into the strangers neck. 

   I yelled, "No!" 

   Giles held me while I continued yelling at Zero, the mans blood stained the grass and dirt; even splattering the rocks that formed the cave. I don't know how long I yelled, but when I stopped my throat was raw. 

   "Was... was that necessary?" I croaked out. Zero looked at me with her wolf eyes, then she glanced at Giles. Her fur shifted back and fourth as the wind blew, she stood taller than both of us, but in that moment she seemed small. I know I just watched her kill a man, but she did it in a... regretful way. The look in her eyes made me frown, but another look quickly took over. 

   She didn't look small anymore. She didn't look upset. 

    With the blood everywhere, stained on her fur and flooding the grass, something became very clear to me. 

   I'll be seeing bloodshed for the rest of my life.