The Stockings and The Eyes

Chapter Thirteen

  It had been so long since we ran away. I had kept track for almost three years until things changed. We would walk, run, steal anytime we needed or wanted to. My vision had even begun to change how I saw things. Anyone who had the potential to cause serious damage to me or any of the others in the group were seen as threats. I would now often see Caroline in her spider appearance. I knew it wasn't real but it was all I could see her as now. We had begun to build a variety of houses nearby. We had found a remote location somewhere in the middle of deciduous forest. We had built platform among the tall narrow trees. We used at least three trees to hold up one platform, four if it held a room. In the middle was the living room and kitchen. The next round was a circle made from our rooms. Everyone had their own room, mine was the only one without a bed. Azure had me continue sleeping with her. The last ring had storage rooms for weapons, food, water, materials, clothes, and a bathroom. The bathroom was surrounded by strongly scented flowers for obvious reasons. We also used the hollowed out trunk of the larger tree as a shower. It had an opening at the top which was lucky for us. The only way up was by climbing up half of a rock wall and jumping onto a large tree branch. Then you would have to jump to the ladder we made.

So much time was spent building that fortress that when we finished it we were so bored. Still no one seemed or felt crazy to me. It made me wonder why they were even taken away. I kept watch whenever Azure held a knife to be sure she didn't hurt herself. Arin had been working on a new card tricks everyday. Caroline went out almost every night. She brought a new pair of boxers or panties and stitched the names of the owner on them. She even rated them on a five star scale. She locked them up in a box, though I had no idea why. I assumed I had gotten taller since all of this, but I certainly hadn't built any visible muscle. Azure seemed to like me as a less masculine male.

"There really haven't been any good guys lately," Caroline came up behind me and used my head to rest her arm, "And girls are so hard to find."

"Coming in for the night Caroline?" I got off the couch and stretched, "Who's are those?"

"Some guy named Marcus," Caroline grabbed a thread and needle, "He was a pathetic three. Hey Azure why not let me rate Noah for you. Then I'll let you know if he's really worth your while."

Azure slammed the pot she was boiling water in on the stove, grabbed a knife and threw it at Caroline in a matter of nanoseconds.

"I've said no before and that's what it's going to stay as," Azure sounded perfectly annoyed, "Besides I already know he's going to be worth far more than a five star."

"Going to? You haven't yet," Caroline was pulling Azure's strings now.

"No," Azure sounded annoyed so I backed out of the room, "and he hasn't either way so back off."

I ran out of the main room and ran to see what Arin was up to. He was in the workshop. We had it moved far from the rest of the rings in case of a fire or explosion. He was bent over his desk working of something.

"Ahh, Noah," Arin looked up at me with his yellow goggles, "Caroline getting at Azure again?"

"Yeah," I responded, "I suggest locking up the guns and grenades."

"I assume it's over your sex life," Arin said, "Don't worry Azure will forget about it by the time you two are asleep tonight. Anyway come look at this."

Arin waved me over and showed me a deck of cards. He took off his goggle and shuffled the card a few times.

"What is it?" I asked.

"So everyone knows the pick a card guess your card trick," Arin motioned me to sit on the desk, "But there's a difference here. You pick a card and when I guess it's opposing color card. It's bye bye guest guesser!"

Arin began laughing like there was no tomorrow. My eyes had changed for him too. I didn't see him as a human anymore. He was like a red crow ready to eat people alive. He straightened his red, long trained vest and dusted his black pants. His dress shoes tapped against the wood as he ran to tell Sasha.

I got down and dusted off the back of my olive colored, lose combat pants. I walked out to the shower. Memories always flashed when I undid the belt tied around my left thigh. Azure had made extra holes in it with a knife when she gave it to me. She gave me another to keep around my waist. I untied the white bandaged around the calf of my right leg. I wasn't injured it was merely for design. I removed the black combat boots that matched Azure's and tested the water. It was warm so I check all five of my pockets. The two back and front pockets were empty. There was a jewel in the covered pocket on the left calf of my pants.

"Noah," I head Azure say.

"I'm gonna shower," I shouted back at her.

I didn't get a response. I assumed she was going to leave me be so I took off the open vest I wore. It had no buttons it was really just covered my back. It had on hidden pocket on the right side. Under I had on a sleeveless turtleneck, it only really covered my chest. It left my stomach and lower half of my back exposed. I didn't mind.

"Noah!" Azure gabbed me from behind.

"Azure," I began to feel hot in my cheeks.

"Since when have you started taking your pants off last?" She asked.

"Since you started sneaking up on me," I said sarcastically.

"So cute," Azure twisted her finger in my hair, "Want me to wash you back? It's be like in a manga."

"No thanks," I replied, "I'm fine on my own."

"I'll keep watch then," She said, "Caroline is gonna pay for even thinking about you like that."

I was nervous but I learned it's better to go with the craziness than fight it. I got into the shower and Azure waited outside.

"Oww! Hot!" I shouted as a sudden burst of hot water hit me as I was rinsing my hair.

I practically ran out for the shower. Azure got hold of me, she looked pissed.

"Coraline," She said as she clenched her teeth.

"Too hot for ya?" Coraline was hanging above the shower with a steaming teapot in her hand.

My shoulders and back were stinging and burning now because of her. Azure pulled a knife from her pocket and threw it at Caroline. She cut one of her arms and Caroline backed off laughing.

"Oh... How bad is it?" Azure took a look at my back leaving my front exposed.

I covered as much as I could with my hands. She moved her hand across my back. I twitched from the sting of her hand. Azure got me a pair of clean boxers and took me to the water bucket in the kitchen to rinse out the rest of the soap in my hair. After she had me lay on my stomach in our bed. She applied burn cream to the burns from the water. I wound up falling asleep to the feeling of her hands gently running along my back and shoulders.