Curiosity Rewritten

Chapter 2; She Has Curiosity For Cars

     She put the car in park in front of a very old house she had one day hoped she would call home. As she opened the door and stood from the car, two things crossed her mind; two people to be specific.

     As she walked passed the old cars that had sat still for years, begging to see the road again, she thought of yet another person.

     Her grandfather.

     She shook the thoughts off, leaving her red Cadillac to fend for itself with the other cars as she walked towards the front door.

     As soon as she entered, a million memories crashed down onto her. From power outages to a fight that temporarily drove her family apart. She looked to the rocking chair where she would often find her grandfather or her great aunt. She then turned to the spot where her grandfathers bed used to be, the one he spent most of his last moments on.

     She slowly closed the screen door and dropped her bags on the nearby couch. She ventured into the hallway and into a bedroom where she'd spent much of her time.

     "Joana!" She called out when she moved towards the basement.

     "Cameira?"

     "Aunt Joana! Hey," she smiled at her as she spotted her under the hood of a car, "You're still working on that old thing?"

     She pulled her self out from under the car, wiped the grease from her face and petted the bumper of the car, "Don' listen to her, sweetie. Yer a good kind of old. Like a fine wine."

     She turned to Cameira with a fake scowl before breaking into a smile, "You're getting too old for this stuff, Joana. You and that car," she spoke softly, looking around at the mess of car parts and tools, "It's a mess in here, too."

     "Well if yous let me teach ya' how to do this stuff, I wouldn't be doin' it."

     "Well, that's kind of why I'm here. I think I'd like to take you up on that offer now."

     She gave her a skeptical look before laughing and hitting her knee with her greasy towel. She put a hand on the hood of the old car to help her stand up straight again before looking back at her great niece.

     "I'm serious, Joana. Something happened back home. Phone lines are down, no power, no water. There was a bombing. I-I don't know how serious it is but I want to be prepared. Without dad, I'm the only thing that can stop paps Cadillac from breaking down."

     "Was a bombin' here too. No power or water, no nothin'. I figured I'd try fixin' up this old thing one last time before those crazy neighbors 'cide to raid my house," she looked to the engine on the car, "ya' wanta learn? Come 'ere."

+~+~+~+~+~+~+

     She forgot how long she was there for. She was stalling going back home, fearing the worst. She spent most of her time in that garage with Joana watching and listening to her explain what each part was, what it did and what could happen if it broke.

     It was late one night, just Cameira down in the garage, practicing on that old hunk of metal Joana loved too much. No noise other than crickets, frogs and Cameiras wrench.

     Until suddenly noise seemingly exploded around her. A door busting open, shuffling, floors creaking. Cameira crouched behind a car, wrench held close to her chest in fear as a door creaked open.

     "I told ya' that ol' bat would 'ave some stuff," a male voice spoke, Cameira could tell it wasn't a neighbor she knew, "Fin' that niece o' hers 'fore she runs off."

     "On it," one less pair of shuffling, leaving just one.

     Cameira focused on keeping her breathing level as the footsteps neared her and hands began inspecting and moving things closer to her.

     The footsteps came in front of the car, stopping near the left headlight to inspect something near it. She hated waiting for this man to find her, however, fear would not allow her to move. It kept her rooted in her place with her wrench held close to her chest.

     Finally, the intruder moved closer to her, moving to look at the wall of tools near her. He was right next to her, focusing on a tool before he turned to her.

     "Well, hell-."

     She threw her wrench at his crotch before standing up to grab a classic red toolbox.

     "Motherfu-"

     She slammed the box onto his head when he looked up at her as he bent over holding his crotch.

     Thud. "Oww.." A groan.

     She grabbed his hair and forced his dropping eyes to look at her.

    "Where's Joana?"

     "Who?"

     "The 'ol' bat' as you called her. Where the hell is she?!"

     "What are ya' talkin' 'bout?"

     She took his hair and pulled it back, causing his face to scrunch in pain, before she slammed his face onto the cold floor. This caused his body to go slack. She knew he was still alive, he was still breathing.

     She took a nearby cord and tied his wrists to the nearby door handle. She walked slowly, wrench back in hand, as she approached the small laundry room where her weapon bag rested in hiding. She pushed the door open lightly, picking up a flashlight and shining it into the dark. She saw the slight shine of Joana's ring in front of where she'd hidden her bag. She picked up the ring and slid it in her pocket before unburying her bag from the pile of clothes. She removed her bow and arrow and slowly made her way out of the room.

     She heard shuffling in her old room upstairs and made her way up. Carefully avoiding creaks in the steps, easily doing it after years of learning how to go upstairs quietly when everyone was asleep. She sat near the top, peering around the corner and finding her door open. The persons shadow was visible.

     They stood on the other side of the room, a bed would be in their way of easy escape.

     She readied an arrow and crept closer to the room, stopping near the doorway and peering inside.

     She pushed herself inside, hiding behind the bed. She lifted her bow just above the bed as his back was turned and let the arrow fly.

     He dropped to the ground with a yelp, dropping his knife as he fell. Before he could let put a scream of pain, Cameira jumped over the bed. She landed onto his back and pressed his mouth into the carpet in order to silence him. She reached to pick up his knife and he grabbed her wrist.

     She moved her mouth to her ear, "Please make this easy, I don't want to do this but I feel I have to," she whispered softly as to not alert anyone else if there were any.

     He pulled his head back enough to get Cameiras hand off his head, "Please spare me, it's a misunderstanding," he spoke quickly before she could properly react.

     "Explain, quickly."