The Blonde Bowstring: Steelgray's Story

11

With the TV on, Nicole didn't have to worry about saying the wrong thing. Oh how badly she wanted to growl at the man with his arm around her mother. She would've liked to yell at him to get out of her house.

The Limitless Today news channel was on the wall-mounted TV as the 'family' watched intently.

"I'm here on the scene at the Colorado docks, where just two days ago a massacre happened."

Massacre? Nicole thought and rolled her eyes. Did the reporter not see the bullet holes?

"The story is this: three of the town's infamous red masked kidnapper ring brought down a young Sabrina Young."

Their tv transitioned with a flash of white and a girl with a blurred face was seen talking in a chair. "I was terrified... terrified of all four of them."

"While Sabrina Young heals from her trauma from that fated Saturday night, authorities gather a description." The reporter said over the pre-recorded video of Sabrina.

"A blonde woman in yellow leather and a hood came out of nowhere and started firing arrows at them. She killed them. All of them."

Nicole rolled her eyes and shook her head. Please. How would she know? She was too busy running away.

"All three men in Masks were found dead at the scene. Authorities say if you see this woman to keep your distance. Your life just might depend on it."

Nicole's mouth fell open from her seat furthest from the tv.

Her living room was just set up that way: Tim was on the couch and leaning forward to hold Jillian's hand. Jillian was sitting on the main sofa with Sebastian's arm around her waist. Nicole's chair was the only one directly facing the tv, but all the other furniture was in front of her, so the family couldn't see her.

Nicole had to shut her mouth and act a different kind of shocked when Tim turned around to her.

"Can you believe this?" he asked. Don't say it, don't say it, Nicole inwardly begged him. "And the night of your party too!" On the inside, the little blonde was sighing and shaking her head. He said it.

"No, God," she whispered as she stared at Sabrina Young's blonde locks.

"I think she's a hero," Nicole heard Sebastian say with his ugly hair.

Nicole stiffened as she felt his blue eyes on her.

"A hero?" Nicole asked incredulously. She gave him a look of disappointment. "I think she's a maniac. I mean come on, a bow and arrow?

Sabrina was talking again. "I mean, I wouldn't call her a villain. She probably saved my life. I just, well, wouldn't want to be saved by someone like that again."

Nicole clenched her fists, wishing she could go back to that night and sucker punch Sabrina in her stupidly blurred face.

"Sabrina Young seems to appreciate her," Sebastian said with a curt nod.

"Is there a new level of panic and fear in Limitless Colorado, or is this the work of someone taking the law into their own hands? From the docks, police were able to obtain this picture of the blonde with a bowstring."

Nicole shook her head and stood up. "No, I'm not watching this hooded maniac for one more second." Nicole grabbed the remote from the coffee table and turned the TV off.

"Hey, I was watching that," Jillian chastised her daughter with a frown.

Nicole turned to her best friend. "Tim, are you ready to go?"

"Is Rush driving us? Because I have so many questions to ask him."

"If you don't plan on starting now..." Nicole warned, already tallying that as a question.