Demon Soul (1)

XXXI

A large bump in the road woke me from my daze. I'd been half asleep, and as I blinked my eyes open, I could see out the window around us. There was no snow, in fact, emerald green grasses and golden wheat fields stretched out for miles. My lips parted and I gazed at the beauty, pressing my hands up against the glass. It looked so warm out there.

"Where are we?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"We just got to Washington." Gabriel smiled at my amazement. "You really have never seen anything like this?"

"No." I whispered in awe, rolling down the window. The breeze was so warm against my skin. "Where are we going?"

"We're going to hit a compound here in about an hour, they're maybe twenty minutes outside of Leavenworth. It's a real tourist trap there."

"It sounds amazing."

"Wait until you see Seattle."

"We're going to Seattle?!" I gasped. "Oh my god...!"

Gabriel broke out in a grin, the excitement on his daughters face too much for him to handle. I was bouncing in my seat, trying not to squeal and scream to the heavens. I looked back outside, seeing the deep green trees and sunny blue skies for the first time in real life. My body melted and I hung outside the window, smelling the plants and listening to a distant river.

I felt like I was dreaming. This whole place was gorgeous, surrounded by cliffs to one side and a raging river on the other. I began to notice the temperature rising, and it reached heights I'd never experienced. I'd started to feel uncomfortable at eighty, and it was hitting the hundreds now. I pulled my jacket off and placed it in the back, realizing I had a very limited amount of summer clothing. Gabriel could tell I was having trouble, and I could tell that he was too, even though he'd never admit it. That turtleneck must have been killing him.

"Hey Gabriel," I began. "Why do you always wear turtlenecks?"

"I guess I just feel more comfortable in them." He chuckled. "Not to mention I have some things I'd like to keep covered up."

"Like what? Battle scars?"

"Tattoos."

I whistled, a big, teasing smile on my face. "Gabriel was a bad boy when he was in his hundreds, wasn't he?"

"I was a bit of a show off." Gabriel smiled, a sudden tinge of sadness to his eyes. "Nox got it from me. He was always such a storyteller..."

I reached over, squeezing his shoulder in an effort to comfort him. He gave me a grateful smile, just as we rounded a curve and found ourselves within the city limits of a town. It was built like an old Bavarian village, and I could now see why it was such a tourist destination. I couldn't help but gaze at the intricate woodwork and little shops that lined the street. Gabriel pulled to a halt suddenly, and I tore my eyes away to realize that we'd parked.

"What are we doing?" I questioned.

"I figured we'd need to stop and get changed before it got too sweltering in here." He took a deep breath. "Plus, a little shopping wouldn't hurt."

"We don't have to." I smiled awkwardly, and he only held a hand up to stop my protests.

"You're my daughter, I'm going to spoil you." Gabriel chuckled. "But, what are we going to do about Sully?"

"Caw!"

"Do you have a string?" I raised an eyebrow, and he reached into the truck to grab something. It looked like a broken ribbon off of something.

"Will this work?" He asked, and I nodded, grabbing it from him before opening the back door. Sully cawed at me again and I opened the cage door, tying the ribbon around its leg before scooping it up and handing it to Gabriel.