Ready Set Go

11. Oklahoma

Awan awoke to a startling item a woman who looked to be a bit older than her was asleep next to them. There was no one else she could see as she hurried to rise from where she was sleeping. They had fallen asleep several hours ago and now she was kicking herself. One of them should have been awake to keep watch.

Stupid move on your part, stupid.

She slung her bag off and quickly picked up the gun that was nestled at the top of the bag.

She then kicked at the woman who was asleep. Her clothing was worn and torn almost to the point of no reason wearing them. She was full of dust and ratted bits of hair. She hadn't moved since the first kick so Awan did it again.

"Hello!" Awan said loudly with urgency as she kicked again at the woman. If it wasn't for the noticeable snoring she'd have assumed the woman had died.

After another and at the moment Awan was debating to whack her again the woman popped awake. She jumped from her spot with doing so she woke Buttercup who was groaning and kicking at the air. She didn't want to be awake and hated whoever had made noise enough to wake her.

"I'm good."  The words both struggled to get out as the woman tossed her hands in the air. She continued to back away until she was where she felt safest. "Name's Demeter. And you are?"

"Buttercup!" Buttercup answered with a sleepy smile. She was now sitting up watching her sister and the stranger. There wasn't any effort to help Awan.

Thanks a lot, sis.

"You don't give your name out to strangers." Awan pointed out. Demeter shrugged and nodded at this information, "I wasn't talking to you."

"Still a valid point. I should have made a code name like Buttercup. Damn, you're a smart lil' cookie."

"No! It's my name." Buttercup answered. She looked toward Awan as if she was expecting her to defend the name. Awan quickly looked back at their new acquaintance.

"What do you want?" Awan asked.

"I was going to steal your things. Then go home. But the lil' one hugged me while sleeping. Couldn't. So I took a nap instead. My bad." She  shrugged.

"Are you alone?" Buttercup asked.

"Yeah, I am very alone. Haven't seen anyone in days? Weeks? Months? I can't remember." The woman answered with a frowning face as she started to think on this. "Where is this anyway?"

"Oklahoma." Awan answered. She kept the gun pointed at the woman. She noted the woman didn't seem at all bothered with the gun being pointed at her. It must happen to her a lot, especially, if she regularly steals from sleeping folk.

"Oklahoma doesn't exist anymore."

"Then, how are you here if it doesn't exist?"

The woman nodded at this and didn't verbally answer.

"Do you want to come with us?" Buttercup asked. She was taking her backpack off. She moved it toward her feet so she could balance it as she dug through it. Awan wanted to watch to see what her younger sibling was up to but kept most of her attention on Demeter.

It became apparent that Buttercup was dragging out something to eat for the person. She walked toward the woman handing over a couple of crackers.

"We don't have a lot. Can't carry much when you're traveling. But I got this."

When the woman didn't attack her Awan dropped the gun. The woman was so focused on the crackers nothing in the world mattered at the moment than those crackers.

"A little stale." She commented, with a shrug before walking toward the two girls. "I'm good, I promise. I will gladly go wherever y'all are going. It's better than being alone out here."

"Yay!" Buttercup danced around almost tripping over her backpack.