Scarlett, the Found One

Chapter 49: Scarlett

When I woke up, the room was quiet, and Maya was already gone for her morning jog. I sighed and got out of bed, deciding to tidy up the motel room before taking a shower. The morning light filtered through the thin curtains, casting a soft glow across the room. I picked up our scattered clothes, folded the blankets, and straightened the small table and chairs.

The shower was a welcome relief, the hot water washing away the lingering exhaustion from yesterday. As I stepped out, wrapping a towel around myself, the door opened, and Maya walked in, her shirt wet from sweat and her face flushed.

"You look exhausted," I commented, raising an eyebrow.

Maya wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "Yeah, I'm just worried about not getting to Vastoria in time. We only have a week and a half left."

I paused, considering her words. The deadline loomed over us. I had been so preoccupied with not dying that I hadn't realized how little time was left. "What if we got a train ticket to DC? We could find a way from there."

Maya shook her head, frowning. "It's too dangerous. The authorities are looking for us. That cult, whoever else we may have pissed off. We can't risk being spotted."

I stepped closer, placing a hand on her arm. "It's already dangerous for us to be sitting ducks in the middle of nowhere. We can't just stay here and hope for the best. We need do something."

Maya sighed, her resistance crumbling. "Yeah... we can't just wait around. We'll save up enough money for a one-way ticket. No more ice cream."

We spent the morning planning our next steps, figuring out how much money we would need and how to earn it quickly. The sense of urgency was palpable, but so was our determination.

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I got to work determined to make as much money as possible. Locking up the bike, I walked into the bakery. Paula greeted me with her usual enthusiasm, her smile bright and welcoming.

"Good morning! My mom went to run errands in town, so it'll just be us until lunch," Paula said, her voice tinged with excitement.

"Got it," I replied, trying to match her energy.

Paula showed me how to use the cash register before we opened for the day. She explained each step carefully, her fingers flying over the buttons with practiced ease. "I'm so excited for lunch later," she mentioned, almost as an afterthought.

I couldn't help but feel a bit weirded out by Paula's enthusiasm. It seemed a bit over the top, but I chalked it up to her spending so much time with her older mother in the bakery all day. Maybe she was just lonely and eager for company her own age.

"Hey, Paula," I said, trying to lighten the mood, "I have to take you to a bar at some point. You need to get out more."

Paula laughed, brushing off the suggestion. "Maybe one day," she said with a grin.

We opened the bakery, and I threw myself into work. Customers trickled in, and I rang up their orders, trying to be as efficient as possible. Paula handled the baking, moving around the kitchen with a practiced grace.

As the morning passed, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered from yesterday. Ruth's absence felt like a weight on my shoulders, and Paula's overly friendly demeanor didn't help. But I pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand. I needed to make money.

Hours slipped by, the bakery filled with the warm scent of fresh bread and pastries. I glanced at the clock, noting that lunch was approaching. The thought of seeing Maya later kept me going, and I resolved to push through the rest of the day with the same determination.