How Things Are

eleven

Walking through this first little town I realized how many stairs Winwrey and I were getting. I mean a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl with a Samari bun isn't ideal but we made it work. I think.
"Hey, Tibs? Look around. You think they know we're girls?" She doesn't know the meaning of subtle.
"If you're any louder they might." There were some females on their lap or sitting on the ground by their masters' feet. My poker face was slipping seeing how skinny they were. Some were being handed like a child. Watching them giggle and flirt to get their food turned my stomach.
"You're the one who picked this ugly-looking cowboy coat!" Great. Princess is complaining again. "Honesty! I thought I'd show up nice for Carmen. Not in this costume." If she wasn't my friend I'd have choked her with those breakfast biscuits the first day.
"Carmen this, Carmen that. Everything's about him. We walk here with you in the nice clothes I got for us we'll draw attention." My whisper yelling was getting louder.
"Gah. You could've at least found something that blends in. You look like Mr. Shmee in that hat!" Wait. Wasn't that a guy from Captain Hook's crew?
"Did you just call me a chubby pirate?" We both stopped walking in the center of town. Our voices were growing louder by now. The thing about Winwrey, she always knew the buttons to push.
"You may be a good thief but you never steel the right things I need!" I can't wait til Carmen meets this side of her.
"Oh, I'm sorry Princess. Did I not pick out your favorite-smelling perfume to match your cowboy coat?"
"That dress you took looked like you found it in the trash! There's no way I can show up-"
"In front of Carmen? Cuz it's all about you and him and your happily ever after." I started marching away. "And I did find it in the trash!"
"Ugh." She started following. "Tibby- oh crap"
I looked back to realize the small crowd we drew. "Well, if they didn't know we were girls they do now," I say while drawing my katana. Winwrey takes out a dagger in each hand.
"How about you put your toys down and come warm out beds tonight." Some dirty old man says. We don't wait for the crowd to get bigger. It's just ten. They think we're weak so they haven't even pulled out a weapon. Before he can speak again I jump and remove his head. Win has my back and I have hers. That's the thing, no matter how much we bicker we always end up saving each other.
It's always entertaining when they see a woman fight for the first time. The looks on their face are priceless. That and it gives me time to kill or injure one more before they pull themselves together. I take off the stupid hat. It's making me sweaty. When my hair falls the fight continues.
The women that watched were wide-eyed. Too shocked to move out of the way. Winwrey had a smile on her face the whole time. Blood trickled down as she sliced the necks to those that tried to grab her. Working on our speed paid off. The slave women whose masters were dead just stood there. It's there choice now what they do. There are weapons here for them to take. They could loot the bodies like I usually did when if I was alone. This is all on them. Right now they're in shock and we don't have time for that.

I started running towards the town border before word got out. Winwrey braided my hair in a way for it to folded in. I redid her samari bun. We both washed the blood off as best we could. By the time it was done we heard one of the women screaming. I guess she didn't take the opportunity she was given. Survival is what matters. I saw the guilt on Wins face but she knew we couldn't take that many with us. We already waited three months.
Mafia had enough time to find us and bring us in. Something is happening that we don't know. I'm sure the big brother Lucas is involved somehow. We exit the border with ease. Another thing to be cautious about but Winwreys too sad to notice.

"We couldn't have helped them." I nudge her
She sniffs "I know."
"They made their choice." I say with conviction.
"What happened to you?" She's surprised. Why wouldn't she be. It's been five years I think.
"Derek happened. Then my father. You've been someones bedwarmer and that sucks but trying to avoid it is just as hard of a life." It sounded so cruel. It came out before I could stop it.
"You're right. As I've been sleeping in a nice cozy bed You've been chopping off heads. Poor Tibby." We're walk down a dirt road, the Town with booze isn't for another hour or so. We'll smell it in the air when we get there.
"That's not what I meant." Explaing everything to her will be too much. She makes it sound like I'm a hero.
"You think I don't know?! I eavesdrop too!" Great. I'm getting yelled at. "Hearing about you with your brothers sword killing anyone who trys to take you. I tried to run more than once Tibby! He broke my wrist the first time." There were tears in her eyes. I let her vent. "What about your father?"
I'm not telling her. She's sobbing. Let her think I'm heartless. I refuse to bring up my past with him.
"Ugh. Fine be stubborn. But you have no right!" She has no clue

Flashback

Two years ago I was in a new hiding place. It was perfect. There was hardly any civilization. Digging the bullet out of my hip and stop the bleeding with heat. No first aid kit so I had to burn it shut. Stuffing a rag in my mouth so i wouldn't scream was successful but the pain was new. I've been beaten, wiped, chained, cut stabbed but never shot. Bullets are rare nowadays. Digging it out was hard alone as well.
I needed to sleep. I set the bullet next to me and climbed into my makeshift bed in the abandoned building. Sleep came fast. When I woke up I wasn't alone. There was more guns over my head and my sword was gone. I looked at the bullet, tracker. Shoot. Before I knew it I was knocked out and woke up in my dad's basement again.
He was less lenient this time. Everyday he himself would come down and beat me. He'd give me just enough food to live but not be full. My thirst wouldn't go away. However I wouldn't speak to him. One day Derek showed and had his way. He did it a few times. In front of his men. In front of my father. Derek is a curse that should have never been born.
Then the door was unlocked. Derek thought I was too weak and didn't need chains. I just walked out. I was bloody and broken but I left.
My katana was in the same abandoned building I was taken from. I knew he wouldn't want something of my brothers. I'll never forget how weak I was then.
End flashback