Spirit's Name

Chapter Three

"Hey, Auntie," Sengh says. "Is she feeling any better?"

The woman sits cross-legged on the ground, stirring a pot full of meat and vegetables over a homemade fire pit. "Are you asking about Spirit? Or your sister?" Gale looks up, one eyebrow raised.

"I think I messed up," the boy sighs, rubbing his forehead. "Bird won't even stay in the same room as me."

"Yeah," the woman nodds, adding a log to the fire. "You screwed up pretty darn bad if she doesn't even wanna have deer stew tonight." She stands up, dusting ash off of her pants. "I just dont understand why you'd bring up your mother and her...gift. You know how she reacts." She turns to face the boy. "It hurts her. You know she blames herself."

"She shouldn't."

"It's not that simple." Gale sighs.

"Hey, Sengh! Auntie!" Spirit calls, jogging over to the two.

"I see you're doing better!" Gale enthuses. "Or at least your legs are. You're still far too skinny."

"I don't know how with how much she eats." Sengh laughs, before his aunt takes her wooden spoon and whacks him over the head with it.

"As if you have any room to talk!" She growls. "You'd eat this wooden spoon if I wouldn't use you as a dartboard for it!"

Spirit giggles at the exchange, before she looks around. "Where're Tom and Bird?" she asks.

"I'm not sure where bird is," Gale responds. "But Tommy is heading over to our nearest neighbors to ask if we can use their truck."

"For what?" Spirit tilts her head slightly.

"Well, to fill out a report for you, of course." Gale says, peeking under the pot lid. "We found you, a sickly, injured girl, in our territory, nursed you, and when you woke up, we found out you have amnesia. That kind of thing can't go without being reported to the authorities."

Spirit looks down at her feet. She wasn't sure why, but the idea of leaving this little encampment put a knot in her stomach. She felt safe here, with these people.

"Of course, you're free to stay here with us while the authorities try to figure out who you are. That is, if you want." Gale adds.

"I'd like that a lot," Spirit nods. "Thank you."

..........

Spirit sits shotgun in the seat of a red pick-up truck. Sengh and Jay-Bird sit in the back, the girl ignoring her older brother for reasons unknown to Spirit. Tommy sits in the driver's seat, seemingly in a trance as he stares blankly at the road ahead. The group had just come off the stone and dirt path and onto the asphault when white flakes start to fall from the sky.

Spirit can't help but to watch the white flurries zoom past her window, transfixed as if it were her first snow. 'I guess it kinda is,' she thinks to herself. 'Not like I have any memories to say otherwise.' She closes her eyes, drowning out the awkward atmosphere inside the vehicle. Slowly, she begins to drift off.

..........

Spirit opens her eyes, only to see darkness. Was it the middle of the night or something? Feeling cramped, the girl tries to stretch her arms and legs. "What the...?"

Her arms and legs dont't move. She pulls again, something tightening around her wrists as she does so. "Hello?" Her voice echoes.
No response. "Hello?" More desperate this time. "Anybody?!"
Nothing.
She tugs at her rope bonds again, heart picking up its pace as fear starts to set in. Realizing that this is doing nothing but tearing into her wrists, she brings her hands up to her mouth and begins to gnaw at the rope, pulling at the fibers with her teeth.
It's too strong. There's no way she can chew through it. Spirit begins to search for some sort of knot. If she can find that, maybe she can undo it?
She finds one on the back of her wrists. Positioning her arms so that she can bring the knot to her mouth, she begins pulling with her teeth.
"Thank God," the girl sighs as the ropes loosen and fall from her wrists. "It was just a bow knot."
Hands now free, she reaches down and unties her legs.

..........

"Spirit! Wake up!"