Battle Scars

Chapter three; Nova

I was now rushing around the kitchen preparing a glass of water for Spencer. I place the glass right in front of her and I see a look of worry on her face.

"Who is that?" She says with fear in her voice as she points to the corner of the kitchen. There he is standing, the guy I had tied up and left upstairs. As I rush at him I grab a kitchen knife from the counter. I pin him up against the wall and he begins to chuckle.

"Damn you're cute when you get defensive." He says with a cocky voice. I then realize Spencer is next to me with some rope. We tied him to the kitchen chair and stuff a sock in his mouth.

"This is the guy who broke  into my house earlier today after I heard a gun fight down the road. I tied him up and locked him in a room before I left to get you, but I guess he found a way out. " I finally explain to Spencer as I watch the curiosity lift from her face. Now all we need is some answers form this rat. Spencer begins to walk to other room so I follow closely behind her. She grabs a gun out of her bag and I know she has the same idea I have.

"So I say we shoot his foot and tell him to give us answers or his head is next, just so he knows we are not afraid of shooting" Spencer explains to me with a huge grin on her face. I grab the gun from her and empty it so that it is no longer loaded. "What was that for?" 

"Spencer, if I have learned anything these last four years, it's that you don't hurt someone unless you have a really good reason to. Shooting someone for walking into your house is not one of them." I whisper back and she gives me a look of acknowledge. We slowly walk back to the guy and I take his now saliva soaked sock out of his mouth. Slowly he looks up at me with a sly look, a hand flies past me and slaps him across the face.

"don't you dare look at her that way," Spencer hisses in his face, "now talk we don't have all day." His face slowly turns to a frown and all looks of humor are gone. his face goes dead serious but I can see hints of innocents.

"I promise I mean no harm," he begins with a huff, "My name is Filos, I was being chased by a gang but I lost them I swear. That gun fight you heard was only me defending myself from a hunter. I shot him in the knee and ran here thinking it was the best bet for a hiding place. I promise nobody saw me come here. Then as I was scavenging for food you threatened me and tied me up." he finishes and looks down awaiting his punishment.

"Why was a gang after you?" I question thinking we could now be in more danger than we thought.

"The only reason was because I accidentally stumbled across their base while on my way to, well I don't exactly know. I'm honestly just looking for a group to tag along with because I am alone at the moment." He answers with a desperate voice. I look to Spencer and she knows exactly what I am thinking. We turn and walk to the other room again where we begin our debate on what to do with Filos.

"Nova he seems kind of sketchy to me. I mean with a gang wanting him and being a lone traveler, he may be a rapist for all we know." Spencer lectured me in a whisper yell sort of way. I look to the ceiling thinking about all the facts about Filos we just learned. I know Spencer is right, but part of me really wants to learn more about him.

"We should keep him for a little while. What happens when we throw him out? He will make his way right back and kill us if we are not carful" Spencer looks at me thinking about what I just told her. We both hear a thud in the kitchen and I sprint back while Spencer limpes behind me. I round the corner to see Filos on the ground still tied up to the chair. Spencer is now at my side and making her way to him.

"We won't hurt you... yet." She tells Filos while he looks up to her in agony. "You are going to stay with us for the time being. Just promise you won't try and escape and if we catch you with a weapon, God know what will happen to you!" Spencer finishes now yelling and spitting in his face. I walk over and help him up off the ground with a little help from Spencer and then untie one hand.

"Thanks," Filos says to me as I grab him a glass of water. I watch him drink to whole glass while Spencer begins typing away on her communication device. I begin to fall deep into Filoses sky blue eyes that give me a warm feeling. It doesn't help either that his brown hair is still in a very clean condition from being in the war. The sound of the front door closing rings through the house and I run to my dad before he sees Filos.

"Hey dad! So I went to the diner and guess what, Spencer was there and now she is here. That's great right? Anyway, how was your day?" I ramble on as he puts his arm around me to hug me.

"Slow down honey. Why are you telling me all this so fast? Is there something I should know about?" He questions me and I drop my head preparing to tell him about Filos.

"So this guy name Filos is tied up in the kitchen right now, because he walked in the house minutes after a gun fight down the street. Filos will be staying here for a week or two while we decide what to do with him." I explain and my dad gets an angry look on his face that slowly disappears.

"Ok but he gets handcuffed at night, and watched in the day." My dad tells me as if he is bargaining with a five year old.

Only a few hours pass, we eat our dinner while Spencer tells about her travels. Finally we are in bed about to fall asleep, with Filos handcuffed to the bed in the room down the hall.

"Spencer?" I ask as I stare at the half peeled glow star stickers on my ceiling from when I was six.

"Yes Nova?" Spencer replies from the sleeping bag on the floor.

"Are Jaspar and my mom ok, because I have not talked to them for four years." I ask with tears welling up in my eyes. I can hear Spencer breathing heavily while she thinks up an answer.

"They were doing fine when I left, but it's been three and a half years since we have spoken so I'm sorry but I have no idea what had happened to them." She finally replies sounding like she was now crying also. "How is Rice?" She asks after a few minutes.

"No clue," I respond with tears running down my face, "he was at UCLA looking at the college when this all started, but he hasn't contacted us in any way, so for all I know he's dead." I say now fully crying knowing that my brothers could be dead along with my mother. I begin falling asleep with tears dried to my face when I hear Spencer snore. I am so glad to know Spencer is alive.