Aracelli In Italy

Chapter 4

         Aracelli ran through the streets of Grosseto with Apollo at her heel. The sky was a pinkish-yellow, as the sun was setting. For a moment, Aracelli lost herself staring into the sky. She kept running, only paying attention to the sky. She eventually, without noticing, ran out into the middle of a street and almost got hit by a car. Apollo scratched at her leg, as if saying, "Don't be an idiot! I need you for my daily belly rub!" 

        Aracelli then picked up Apollo, and slowed her travel to a walking speed. She was exhausted from running for 3 miles. So was Apollo. Apollo passed out, sitting limply in Aracelli's arms. A couple times, Aracelli put her hand on his stomach, just to make sure he was still breathing. 

        Aracelli walked for 3 more hours, until it got too dark outside to see. It had started to get cold too and Aracelli was only running on drops of adrenaline. So finally, Aracelli found an abandoned villa. It was small and cold, but warmer than the outside was. Aracelli found a carpeted room and fell asleep in about 5 minutes. Apollo eventually decided that the floor was too uncomfortable and decided that Aracelli's back was a good place to sleep. Aracelli didn't mind, it was keeping her warm, and made her feel good that she could be of use to someone.

        The morning light peaked through the big villa windows, shining directly onto Aracelli. Aracelli woke up, and squinted out the window. The sun had just peaked over the horizon, signaling it was just after dawn. Aracelli eventually realized that Apollo wasn't there with her.

        "Apollo?" She called out.

        THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

        She heard a thumping noise from upstairs, so she walked around the house until she eventually found an old creaky staircase. Aracelli cautiously climbed the stairs, onto the second floor. There was a long hallway, painted in a slamon color, with four doors spread down it. It wasn't hard for her to figure out which room the thumping came from, because one of the doors was cracked open. Aracelli approached the door, and swung it open. The door creaked, and a black shadow darted across the room, and into a closet. Aracelli opened the closet door, and there was Apollo, staring at her with his head cocked and a quizzical on his face. He was holding a mouse in his jaws, and it was twitching vigouresly.

        "Oh! I forgot to feed you!" Aracelli whimpered.

        "I'm sorry, Apollo." she said.

        Apollo bit down on the mouse, and it stopped twitching. The Apollo started to dig in, but Aracelli couldn't watch. Just hearing the sounds of Apollo tearing it apart was enough. 

        Aracelli waited for Apollo to finish his deluxe meal, and then the headed out. It wasn't until an hour and they were out in the middle of nowhere, for Aracelli to realize that she was starving. Apollo was still licking his chopes, like he had just had some 5-Star meal. Aracelli was jealous that he got to eat. A mouse isn't something she would eat, but still she was jealous. 

        They walked miles before they came to the next town. There was a sign that read "BENEVENUTI A PANCOLE!" Aracelli did know some Italian and she knew that the sign said "Welcome to Pancole!" 

        Pancole was a small city, with very few restraunts or stores. The overall population was only about 400 people. So with no other option, Aracelli roamed the empty streets until she found a rundown restraunt. It was an Italian diner called Franco's. Aracelli walked inside and looked around. The diner was really small and the only place that you could sit at was at the front bar. So Aracelli sat down, and waited. Eventually, a woman came out om a blue apron. She was dark-skinned, with curly black hair.

        "May I take your order?" the woman said, with a suprisingly thick American accent.

        "I'll take the tuna fish sandwhich." Aracelli growled.

        "Whats the matter with you? the woman asked.

        "It's the hunger talking, sorry. I haven't eaten in two days." Aracelli said.

        "And..... who is this?" the woman asked, pointing at Apollo.

        "Thats my cat, Apollo. Hes coming with me."

        "To?" the woman asked, way too interested in the conversation to remeber Aracelli's sandwhich.

        "The sandwhich?" Aracelli asked quietly.

        "Oh, I'm sorry!" the woman said, grabbed some bread and a container of tuna fish from the cooler nest to the bar.

        She quickly jostled the tuna fish, and then put the sandwhich together in five seconds flat. Aracelli was impressed.

        "That will be two ninety-nine." the woman said.

        Aracelli froze in shock. She didn't have any money, considering she was on the run fron CPS and looking for a mysterious mafia man.

        "Uh... well...--" Aracelli was cutoff.

        "Its on the house then. It's fine." the woman said.

        "Thanks,...... Janice." Aracelli said glancing at the woman's name tag.

        "Happy to oblige! Now would you mind telling me where you're going?"

        "I'm going to Rome, to look for someone." Aracelli said, afraid she had said too much.

        "Oh! I know this is a weird question but, can I come with you?" Janice asked politely.

        "I'm not sure--" Aracelli was cut-off again.

        "Let's go!" Janice said excitedly, and then motioned for Aracelli to follow her as she galloped over to her car.

        "I guess we have a new friend." Aracelli muttered to Apollo, making air quotes on the word friend.

        So, Aracelli assumed it was payment for the free sandwhich and followed Janice outside, with Apollo in one hand and a tuna fish sandwhich in the other.