Apocrypha

Chapter 4

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."
Hebrews 13:2

PASSING JUST RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, Gabriel had been walking for four days. When night settled, he built a space and slept. When he was hungry, he ate some of the food he had packed prior to leaving or used some money to buy food from random vending machines.

He was exhausted and needed to shower. As he was changing out of his clothes, getting ready to sleep for the night, he got a whiff of his smell and almost threw up. He also looked at himself at his reflection on his knife and saw his face was covered in grime.

After walking for a few more hours, he came across a lake with streaming water. He figured he might as well take a break. He sat on the edge of the lake and looked at the water. It was one of the few moments of relaxation.

He wondered what was happening in Washington. He hadn't heard any news since he's been spending most of his time away from any civilization. Perhaps no one cares. Truthfully, however, they do care. They aren't going to allow a gender traitor to just escape without any punishments.

Gabriel removed his jacket and removed his pants. All he wore were his boxers that he needed to be switched. He kneeled on the bank of the lake and cupped his hands to gather water. Slowly, he pushed the cold water onto his face to clean it.

The reflection showed that not much first had been cleaned off. Just then, he heard a twig snap behind him. Gabriel reached for his knife and turned around, only to see a young girl behind him.

"Jesus!" Gabriel muttered. He set the knife down since the little girl looked frightened. Looking at her, he knew she was a Canaanite. This must mean there has to be a ghetto nearby. But he wondered why she was out in the woods.

The little girl wore a slightly dirty blue dress that reached to her knees. Her black shoes were covered in mud, and she had a sack draped over her shoulders. Her curly hair was neatly braided, however.

Gabriel suddenly felt uncomfortable, seeing as how he was only in his undergarments. He reached for his shirt and put it on.

The girl reached into her bag and pulled out a piece of cloth. She handed it to Gabriel with a smile on her face.

"Uh," He muttered. The girl, still holding the cloth, walked to the river bank and dipped it into the water. She rang out the excess water and held it up to Gabriel's face.

Gabriel, seeing what the girl was doing, leaned down and allowed the young girl to wipe his face clean. She worked the pieces of the fabric into the crevices of his nose and eyes and cleaned as much dirt as possible.

While she cleaned, Gabriel kept kneeling and felt a sense of happiness. He had been alone for so long without any human interaction. And here was a young girl, whom he had been told to despise his entire life, being the first to show him kindness.

When the girl finished, she stepped back and admired her handiwork. She nodded and cleaned the cloth in the river before draping it over her other shoulder.

"Thank you," Gabriel said. "What's your name?" He asked her.

"Veronica," The girl softly muttered. Gabriel nodded and reached into his bag. He pulled out a silver coin that he had stolen from his father's connection. He knew his father didn't deserve it, but she did.

"Here. Consider it a form of thanks." He told her. The shiny silver coin got the girl's attention. She hesitantly took it and simply nodded at him, remembering to thank her superiors.

"Veronica!" A voice yelled. The girl turned around and knew her father was calling her. She may not have found a hare or berries, but she did help someone.