Three Converts

Part 24

Drenched, exhausted, and hurt, I stumbled back to the warming house. My robe was exactly where I'd left it. I stripped out of my wet clothes and put the robe back on. For the first time in my life I appreciated it's heft. The day was warm, but I shivered beneath its weight. I curled up on the bench. Should I get help for Franklin? Who would I go to? Annie was the obvious choice, but I didn't want to put this on her. She was still scared of the commune, and rightly so. Plus, I didn't want her to regret her hospitality toward me already. The image of Franklin thrashing and yelling made me cringe. I covered my own eyes.

He was trying to kill me. He would have succeeded if it weren't for Sophie's glass.

I inhaled deeply, but it made me cough. My lungs were as traumatized as the rest of me. I supposed I could go to Griffin, but what would he do about it? I didn't want to burden anybody. The police. I'd have to tell the police. Wouldn't I?

The mountain people didn't exactly have a friendly relationship with the town's police force. Townspeople were constantly filing complaints against us for soliciting, trespassing, occasionally for stalking... would they even believe me? What if they arrested me? I just got out of that forsaken pillory, I couldn't take another punishment. I couldn't. My thoughts tumbled and tangled. There were no good options.

Maybe I could just live in this warming house. I closed my eyes and let myself entertain that impossibility. My lungs were in no shape to handle the heaving sobs, coursing through my body. Each breath stung, though I knew Franklin was in more pain than I.

A knock at the door interrupted my sobs. I froze. The door handle wiggled. Then, "Lucy? You in there?"

I exhaled relief. "It's me, Griffin." I almost smiled at his voice. It warmed me more than this stupid robe could. Still, I was thankful for the cover of the robe and pulled it tighter around me as I opened the door, just a crack. Griffin ran a hand through his hair, and shoved his way in. "Lucy!" He hugged me and I let my sobbing resume. "It's okay," he murmured over and over. Later I would be embarrassed that he was constantly comforting me. He must think all I do is cry. Lately that was true. "Sit." He ordered, pulling me to the bench. He moved my wet clothes over.

"Tell me." So I did. For the second time this week, I poured my heart out to Griffin. I started with the day I left him. I included my trial in front of the council, Franklin's accusations, the pillory, my epiphany in the pillory, saying good-bye to my parents, and Franklin trying to drown me in the lake. "I didn't mean to get him in the eye," I ended. "I didn't."

Griffin looked grim. "I know you didn't." We sat for several seconds. "But I'm glad you did." He wrapped his long, lanky arm around me and I let my head fall on his shoulder.

"How did you know where I was?"

"Franklin."

"What?"

"He came tearing into the fair like a drunk ox. Knocking into things, bellowing, cursing-"

"Cursing?!"

"Oh yeah. He kept ranting that you were trying to kill him. Anyway, I just guessed you'd find someplace quiet to pull yourself together."

"Ohmygosh. So they're after me now." Panic wrapped around my head like a blindfold. "Okay, okay. I'm going to run. I have to go. I have to go." I was wheeling around looking for my bag and clothes. Griffin grabbed me and locked my arms down.

"No running. Franklin went like an animal right through the fair and up the mountain. The police aren't involved. They aren't going to touch this case. You know they like the mountain people to handle their own stuff."

If the councilmembers weren't looking for me before, they would be for sure now. Would they come down here to find me? Send a mob to pull me back up the mountain? They'd leave me in the pillory to die. "They'll kill me, Griffin. If they get their hands on me. The council will kill me." I remembered Misty alluding the to the dangers of the council. I'd always scoffed at her. "They're our leaders!" I'd argue. She saw them for what they are: dangerous.

Griffin nodded, understanding. "Let's not waste any time then." My brain was fuzzy with water and fear, but Griffin was cool and clear as Lake Maybelle. He tapped his fingers for a moment on his lap, then, "Okay. I'll be back. I have to do a couple things."

"Tell Annie." He raised an eyebrow, questioning if I was sure about that. I gave him a brave nod, which he returned before slipping out. I locked the metal door behind him. Do something useful, I ordered myself. Stupidly, the only thing I could think of was to get my clothes to dry faster. I waved them around the little warming room like an idiot, to no avail.

Griffin returned impossibly fast. "Here," he tossed me a bag with some clothes. Dry clothes!

"Where did you get these?"

Griffin smiled. "You were right to have me tell Annie. Um, those probably won't fit just right." I held up a skirt seven times the size of my waist and a shirt that Griffin and I could both slip into. I was happy to find I was still capable of smiling. Griffin turned around pointedly and I did too, though I kept looking over my shoulder to be sure he was still facing the other wall. I slipped into Annie's outfit. It was ridiculously big on me. I folded the band of the skirt over until it sat on my hips a little easier. I stuffed my mother's clothes into my satchel. As an afterthought I crammed the robe in too. It would do for a blanket, if we were sleeping outside.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Griffin turned back around and smacked his face with his palm. "You're swimming in those clothes."

"Well. What did you expect?! Annie and I aren't exactly twins!" We cautiously shared a smile. Was it okay to smile just hours after sticking glass in a person's eye? I shook the grin off my face. "What now?"

"Annie also sent this." He held up a paper bag. "I ate the other one." Inside was a donut. Of course. This time a giggle escaped. I couldn't help it.

"I'll save it for later," I decided, stuffing that into my satchel too.

Griffin breathed in. "Now, we're getting out of here. We're going ahead to Bellevale. Annie, Gibby, and the rest of the fair finish their circuit there in two days. Will the council look for you outside of this town?"

I considered this. Bellevale was a neighboring town. It was the only other civilization we could reach. It was a long walk there, but manageable in a pinch. I'd never been. I couldn't imagine the council going outside of Mayrood. "I don't think so. We should be safe."

"Okay. Then let's go."

"What about your booth?"

"Gibby is going to take it down for me." He put a hand up before I could protest. "Don't worry. I had some great sales. I'm good."

Guilt passed over me for disrupting Griffin's life like this, but I didn't let it linger long enough to tell him I'd be fine, or insist he didn't come with me. Guilt is a weird thing. It only changes your course of action if you let it.

Griffin slung my satchel over his shoulder and looked me up and down. "I cannot get over how ridiculous you look. You feeling good?"

"Yup." Good wasn't the word for what I wasfeeling, but now was not the time for brutal honesty. If I answered honestly("No, I am terrified, guilty, and in a ton of pain.") we'd never leave thewarming house. Which was appealing, but not sensible. "Let's go," I coughed, mylungs still recovering. Griffin gave me a nervous look, but swung the dooropen. The brightness of the real world made me recoil. I opened my eyes as bestI could and followed Griffin, who didn't even flinch at the sun, away from thefair and city, toward the dusty road leading out of town.