The Wolf's Marine

The Legion

I can't resist the urge to turn the radio on as I drive home. Everything is just too quiet in my truck.

Fuck you bitch! You broke my heart. Fuck your friends for tearing us apart. Fuck your dog, hope he never comes home. Fuck you bitch, hope you wind up alone!

I can't help but sing along as Wheeler Walker Junior's, Fuck You Bitch blares through my speakers.

This is a perfect song to be playing as I go home to deal with my mother and her stupid curfew.

I can't help but grin when I pull into the driveway and find Mark's truck gone. No Mark means not having to see his ugly face. That's the perfect way to end my night.

I park my truck and take my time walking to the house. As soon as I enter the house I see Mom sitting in her chair looking very angry.

"It's 12:07 you're late!" She snaps at me as she rises from her chair. "I'm seven minutes late, that's not even that late."

"I don't care. You're fucking late and grounded." "You can't ground me, I'm twenty-four!" I feel the anger rising in my chest, threatening to explode.

"As long as you live under my roof I can ground you." Deep breaths Storm, deep breaths. Don't lose your cool to her.

"You can't ground me, I'm moving out in the morning or should I say in a few hours?" I grin as I walk past her and up the stairs.

My boots clunk on the steps loudly as I march up the stairs. In my room I find Cowboy sleeping on my bed.

I shut my door and strip out of my clothes and leg before shutting the light off and laying down next to Cowboy.

I can't wait to leave this hellhole.

Later that morning/day/whatever you call it

As soon as I wake up the events with my mom roll through my mind. Great, I let my damn temper control me. God, I need to get a grip and lose the weak civilian attitude.

Well now that I have to move out I better get dressed and start packing.

It doesn't take me long to pack up, I really am only bringing what I brought here from the corp and a few other trinkets with me.

"Cowboy, buddy, are you ready to go?" I ask him once I have my backpack and suitcase packed. He gives me a grin before getting up from the bed.

We exit the bedroom and walk downstairs. "You're really leaving? You'll be back." My mom scoffs as she sits on the couch sipping coffee.

I don't say a word and just walk past her. Once outside I run straight into someone. "I'm so sorry Storm. I didn't think you would be walking out that door." And that's how you ruin your morning, you literally run into Mark.

"It's fine Mark. Now I have to go." I say as I try to walk around him, but he sidesteps in front of me. "Where are you going?" There's no use in lying to him.

"I'm not sure yet, anywhere but here." "I know a place where you could go..." "I swear Mark, if you say your house." I interrupt him.

"I was going to say there's a cabin on Frog Splatting Lake that's for sale." He gives me a sharp, pointed look. I've never seen him with that kind of look before. Maybe I'm not the only one who's changed in the last six years.

"That's what Callie said, but she never told me who's selling it." "Good ol' Blue Tippin is selling it." Mark gives me a familiar smile, reminding me of when we were in high school. Yuck.

"Thanks Mark. Now I have to go." This time he doesn't step in front of me. I limp down the stairs and hurry to my truck.

I open the door and Cowboy jumps in. I throw my bags in before getting in myself. Now it's time to go to Blue Tippin's favorite hangout spot, the Legion.

Cowboy bangs his head against the window. "Happy now?" I ask him as I roll the window down for him. He wags his tail as he sticks his head out.

It doesn't take long for us to pull up in the legion parking lot. I park next to someone's dark green truck and hop out, Cowboy on my heels.

As I open the door a bell chimes, letting everyone know I'm here. The three people here turn from their newspapers to look at me.

I give them a wave before walking up to them. "Whatcha need lassie?" The little old Korean War vet asks me. "I'm looking for Blue Tippin. Do you know where he is?" "Just hit the can." The Vietnam vet replies.

"Sit down Storm. Blue's gonna take awhile." Walter, another Vietnam vet says while gesturing to an empty chair next to him.

"Thanks Walter." I grin at him before sitting next to him. I expect Cowboy to sit next to me but instead he's next to the Korean War vet who's petting him.

"What brings you back to town? Last we heard you plum tuck vanished." The first Vietnam vet asks. "My time in the corp ended. I got medically discharged."

"Same thing happened to George. He had both his legs blown clean off. It's a miracle he survived." Now I see the wheel chair George's in, I never even noticed.

"A woman in the marines? I didn't expect that." The Korean vet replies. "Don't be rude Keith."

"It's okay. It was tough being one of the few women in the corp. But it just made me tougher than nails." I grin at Keith.

"I like her." Keith whispers to Cowboy. "What do you need from Blue?" George asks before sipping his glass of coffee.

"Rumor 'round town is that he has a cabin for sale. And I plan to buy it." All of the men at the table visibly grimace. "Lassie, you don't want to buy that house." Keith says.

"Why not?" Blue's cabin can't be that bad. "The beast lives around that lake. It'll kill you if you give it the chance." Walter says, getting a horrified look in his eyes.

"Anything is better than living with my mother." Just as I say that a short man with a cane walks out of the bathroom.

"Blue! Storm here wants to talk to you!" Walter yells. Blue doesn't rush and slowly walks to the table.

"What do you want?" He asks as he slowly sits in the open chair next to Keith. "I want to buy your cabin." His eyes go wide at my words.

"Storm, it's very dangerous." "I don't care, I've seen the horrors of war. And I've lived with my mother. I can handle the beast who lives around the lake."

"Storm, you don't understand. The beast is killing farmer's cattle. It can take down a full grown bull!" Blue argues. What man tries to discourage someone from buying his cabin?

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." Blue gives me a dirty look. "Git! I need to talk this over with them." I do as he says and walk out to my truck.

I lean against the passenger side door, the hot metal burning my skin. I quickly pull away, damn that hurt.

The pain makes me think, maybe if I offer Blue cash, he'll be more likely to sell me the place. I open the passenger side door and climb in.

With a click of a button the glove box opens, revealing my stash of money. It's not a lot, just my most recent paycheck plus what little money I have left from what the corp paid me. I grab it and head back inside.

I sit down in my chair from earlier and place the wad of money in front of Blue. "What do you say Blue?" I watch him eye up the money eagerly, just itching to grab it.

"We've talked it over and I'll sell it to you. All of this money you just set down will cover the cost of the house." "What? I owe you more money than that. It's just my down payment." This man is crazy.

"No. That's all you will pay me." Blue argues back as his hand goes under the table. A few seconds later it comes back up with a set of keys. As much as I want to argue back at him, I've got to respect my elders.

"They're yours. Just be careful out there Storm." I take the keys and give him a grateful nod before walking away. "Cowboy heel!"

The two of us walk to the door in quick steps. Just as I open the door Blue says, "Use that knife in your boot on the beast if you have to."

"Yes sir!" How did he know about my boot knife?