Blue Moon

Chapter 20

Alona was actually happy to be wearing shoes again, she had missed socks.

They had left in a hurry. Jonas had given them plenty of supplies, their bags were completely full of food and supplies. Alona had taken a picture of Meli and Jonas, and the inside of their bathhouse. She missed Meli already.

The bathhouse had several more floors than Alona realized. She wondered how long it must have taken to build a place like that in a world like this.

They opened a solid door that led to a tunnel. Arlo moved out in front of her. Jonas had returned Arlo's rifle to him, Alona was very thankful for that. Jonas had also given Alona a laser pistol, which she thought was the coolest gun she had ever seen. It was a sand color with a dark green handle.

Arlo silently crept down the tunnel, and Alona followed. The only sound was the click of the door behind them silently shutting and the soft crunch of dirt under their boots.

Arlo looked normal in his dark clothing. Even though Alona had liked seeing him barefoot, he didn't look like himself.

She wondered if they'd be able to relax like that in the Rebel City.

Arlo wouldn't tell her what the note from the room said but she had figured it wasn't an invitation to a tea party.

They came to a rusty ladder.

Arlo turned around, "Same as last time. I'll signal you when it's safe."

She nodded. He slung the rifle over his shoulder and began climbing.

He pushed open the metal trapdoor. It was eerily quiet being alone. He had been surprised to hear that she had heard the commotion outside the door and hadn't opened the door to see what they were doing. She had thought it was him, which he thought was strange.

He searched the surrounding area, nothing in sight. He took a deep breath of the fresh air. He tapped three times on the ladder.

Alona climbed up the ladder.

"Why did you automatically assume it was me that trashed the room?" He asked her as he put the trapdoor back into place.

"The room key card. I figured Blondie had talked to you again or something." She replied. 

He smirked at her calling Liv 'Blondie'.

He began walking out into the open. Alona walked beside him, a step behind.

"That makes sense. I wouldn't have taken my anger out on the room, though. I would have gone to the gym and punched my anger out." He smiled at the thought of the busted punching bag hanging in Jonas's gym. He could have down worse but he decided to let it go.

"Mhmm." Alona was no longer paying attention. She was watching a distant light. Arlo had seen it, it flickered which meant it was fire. He had also chosen a path that went nowhere near the fire. It was most likely a trap for the inexperienced or Wastelander thugs looking for an easy score.

"I saw it." He said as she stared at the distant light.

"I'd rather not run into any more creeps." She shivered as she thought of the last men that had come upon them.

"Don't worry." He said. 

She looked over at him. "Trust me, I'm not worried." She shook her head.

He smiled at her. He looked at her pants. "I was actually getting used to seeing you in that dress."

She looked down, her cheeks were turnin pink.

"You know I don't even know your last name." She said to his back.

"We don't really have last names. Well, they're where we live. Like Arlo of Jonas's bath house. Or Arlo of Treeon." He examined the area in front of them and then kept walking.

"I chose my middle name and last name." Alona said quietly.

He glanced back at her, "And they are?"

"Alona Juliet Jacobs." She said.

"Juliet. Like Romeo and Juliet?" He smiled.

She shook her head, "I was really young."

She stopped walking.

He turned around and looked at her. "What?"

"Did you hear that?" Her face was pale.

He shook his head. He sniffed the air. There was a faint smell he hadn't noticed before.

Then he heard it, a soft click. He jumped towards Alona and tackled her to the ground.

A shot range out through the open area. Arlo laid very still. He had been so distracted that he had missed looking for any snipers.

Alona shifted under his arm. "Arlo." She whispered.

He lifted his head to look at her. Her eyes were squeezed shut.

"What's wrong?" A tear fell from the corner of her right eye.

"My arm." She opened her eyes.

He moved off of her and laid next to her.

She looked down at her left arm. Blood was seeping through her jacket.

She had been shot. Luckily she hadn't been shot with an actual sniper otherwise she would be missing an arm. She hadn't been shot with a laser gun either, the beam would have cauterized the wound.

Arlo grabbed his rifle. He pulled it into his shoulder and jumped to his feet. A bullet whizzed by the left side of his body. He aimed his gun and waited. Another bullet flew towards him, he was able to see where it came from beside a large boulder.

"Too easy." Arlo said as he took off across the rocks. A man leaned out and shot again. Arlo barely dodged it. He slid in between two rocks. He crouched, leaned out, and waited.

The man leaned out again and Arlo popped off a round, the bullet lodging into the man's head. The man fell to the ground. Another shot came from his right. Arlo aimed his rifle. The man leaned out and shot. Arlo didn't flinch, he shot him in the chest. The man dropped.

Arlo ran back to where Alona laid. She had passed out. He pulled her jacket off, to check her arm. Blood had already begun to seep through her jacket sleeve.

The bullet passed completely through her arm. He ripped the end of his shirt off and tied it around her arm. He would have to hurry to the town. He lifted her into his arms. His right arm burned. He looked down at his arm.

The bullet had passed through her arm and lodged itself into his arm.

He picked up her bag, gun, and his rifle. He, then, carried her out into the Wasteland.

----

Don't forget to like! <3

Sawyer :p