The Feathers of Fire [1st DRAFT]

5. Walmart

                           By the time we reached the local Walmart of Durango my face was swollen and blood had stained my pancho. I dismounted and pulled two blue spheres the size of walnuts out of my saddlebags. I shook them in both hands, making sure the chemicals inside were well mixed and then pressed them on my face.

                          The chemical reaction inside of the objects caused them to get cold which would help the swelling on my nose and around my eyes go down. I sat on the ground, eyes closed, breathing heavily. Beanstalk, cricket and slug stood nearby awkwardly. I trusted them to keep watch while I was off guard, gritting my teeth through the steady throbbing in my head.

                            After a minute or two I stood and placed the spheres back in my bags. I approached Beanstalk who flinched at my arrival. I punched him in the shoulder. Don't worry, it was in his good arm. "What were you doing?" I demanded. "You would've gotten killed! All three of you!" I yelled, whirling around to face the twins.

                         "Ya, about that. Uh . . . thanks mate," Beanstalk muttered. I took a shaky breath to compose myself. "I suppose I have to thank you boys a bit as well. They would have shot me dead if you didn't distract them during the fight."

                          My voice was tinted with a hint of approval, but rage was still woven through it. "So, uh, why are we here?" Beanstalk asked while gesturing at the Walmart, obviously anxious to change the subject. "I had to stop here anyways," I growled. "Watch and learn," I said, limping toward the glass doors.

                        I pushed them open easily, entering a dark and completely trashed store. The boys followed me timidly. I immediately drew my pistol and pointed it in the direction of every aisle I walked into. The shelves of course were empty and had been probably for years. The ground was littered with shredded paper, random pieces of metal, bullets, clothing scraps and rodent skeletons. After clearing the first half of the store I began to relax and headed towards the back.

                          I glanced back and saw that Beanstalk and slug had pulled out the guns that they'd stolen from the men and were defensively pointing them around themselves with the safety off. I stifled a yelp and rushed towards them. "What are you fools doing?" I demanded. They looked startled. "Put those away! You don't know how to use them. Just keep watch."

                          They obeyed. Once I reached the back of the store, where the milk was previously stored, I spotted the yellow 'Employees Only' door and went inside. It was dark and extremely hot. There were scraps of wood and cardboard made into a makeshift shelter. "Axel?" I whispered. "Axel, soy yo Mocosa. Está en tu casa?"

                       There was a sudden shift in the rubble and out from under a dirty tarp a face appeared. I was expecting the trader Axel, an old and very strong man that had been living in the Walmart since before I was born. Or so he said. I had stumbled into the store when I was eight and begged him for water. He yelled at me to get out, threw things and threatened to hurt me. But at the time I was angry, thirsty and exhausted. My stubbornness outweighed my fear and I refused to leave. That earned me my nickname 'Mocosa', which means 'Brat' in Spanish.

                     Looking back on it made me respect him a lot more. He could have done anything he wanted with me seeing as I was a helpless child, but instead he didn't lay a finger on me and grudgingly gave me some of his left overs and little water.

                     I had revisited him twice since then. This time however I was greeted by someone new. The face I looked down at was pale and dirty with a scruffy brown beard and sharp gray eyes. The man scowled at me, looking repulsed.