The Journal of a Connecticut Yankee

Victoria

February 6th.

It took us another week to reach the forest in front of Yenbren mountain range that Victoria called home. My injuries healed up decently although there were a few scars as well as a faint imprint of a paw mark on my chest, courtesy of Red Romie cauterizing the stab wound.

Oddly enough we didn't see anymore signs of GI Jane and her Order lackies. It made me nervous and forgive me if I quote an overused phrase but:

'It was quiet... too quiet.'

I finally worked up the nerve to explain to Romie exactly who it was that we were going to see. Understandably she had questions, which I truthfully answered. Then she asked me the one I had been dreading,

"Did you two have sex?"

Halting Rudolf, I sighed, hesitating slightly before answering,

"Yeah, the night before I left to find a way back home."

"How was she?"

I looked over to her. She had her impossibly huge grin aimed at me, so it didn't seem like she was mad?

"I'm not going to answer that." I said shortly, flicking the reins to continue on.

"What? Why?" She asked floating after me.

"It's in the past. Whatever feelings that may or may not have been there are gone. This is strictly business."

"Come on! I'm curious!"

Guess she never heard the story about curiosity and the cat.

"I really don't want to talk about it. You and I are together now and what's in the past, I'd rather leave in the past. Please?"

Romie didn't say anything after that but she had an extremely thoughtful look on her face.

The hike through the hundred acre woods was a bit nicer with Romie with me. No rapey woodland critters tried anything this time around. Guess they must have smelled her. I should actually say the real name of the place. It was called Yenbren forest just like the mountain range by it but I'll always know it by the other name. This was where I first woke up in this world, scared shitless and alone. I'll admit to feeling a certain amount of fucked up nostalgia as we traveled.

But look at me now, Ma. A gunslingin Merc tryin to save the world. Aient cha proud?

We took a worn, winding trail up the mountain to an exact spot that I knew. Picking up a nearby rock from the ground, I paused and looked over to my Cheshire. Well, no going back now. Leaning over, I kissed her and said, "I love you."

I then slammed it against the stone wall as hard as I could.

Knock... knockknockknockknock....knockknock.

Romie looked to me in confusion as I finished pounding on the side of the mountain.

"It's a secret code that her and I used. No one else but me knows it, so she should come pretty quick and open the door," I explained, tossing the rock away.

A few long minutes passed as I started to get worried. Fuck maybe something happened? Did I get the wrong area? Was she ok? Did something happen when I was gone? Did she move? That panicky feeling of the unknown started to engulf me as time passed by and my imagination ran wild with horrible possibilities.

Finally, to my relief, a large section of the wall pulled in and rolled to the side as a familiar one eyed, blue skinned figure stood in the entrance way wearing an old Connecticut Tigers baseball cap.

"Donnie...?" She breathed in confusion.

I wont lie, as I doubt anyone will read this anyway, I felt time stop as we stared at each other. For a brief few seconds that seemed to last an eternity, we were the only ones on that mountain pass, hell on the whole damn planet. I was taken back to a time, years ago when she nursed me to health after finding me almost dead near her doorway. When she taught me the ways of this world, what a Mamono was and what kinds were out there. When I discovered that I could be attracted to someone of a different species and developed feelings for her. To that one beautiful night when we made love, before I left to find a way home. It all came rushing back in a tidal wave of emotions and feelings that threatened to crush me.