𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 ━ 𝙟. 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧

new strings

N E W S T R I N G S

Two brunettes sat in on stools at an old bar in silence, they had just cleared out a building and they were waiting for their accomplices to get back. Iris sighs as she was going out of her mind, when she notices that the man wasn't paying her any attention, she sighed again, louder this time.

Joel looks up from the purple savage starlight he was reading and looks at the woman, "what?" She blows the air out her cheeks and tilts her head back groaning, "I'm bored."

He continues to flip through the comic and says, "that's nice." She rolls her chocolate eyes, she rips the book from his hands, "pay attention to me." He takes the comic back and mumbles, "no."

She narrows her eyes at him and groans louder this time, until she sees Ellie guitar leaning against a table, she walks over and grabs it, she stands in front of Joel and shoves it infront his face, "play something for me." He turns the page without looking at her, "Nope."

Iris huffs at his behaviour, "please?" He was about to reject her again, but her bottom lip was out in a pout like fashion and she was using her puppy dog eyes on him, he places the comic down and takes the guitar from her, "fine."

Her face lit into a huge smile as she sat down in the chair next to him, waiting in anticipation she looked like a child on Christmas morning. Joel thought for a second as he began to play the chords and opened his mouth to sing in his deep, gravelly voice.

Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River

Life is old there, older than the trees

Younger than the mountains, growin' like a breeze

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong

West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads

The smile hadn't left Iris's face as she listened to Joel sing, once he finished, she says, "wow. You really are a country boy aren't you."

Joel scoffs at her and holds the guitar steady. Ellie and Tommy walk through the door and into the lodge as Joel asks, "that was y'all shooting up there right?"

The pair walk to the table and pull out the chairs, "just some stragglers. Ellie got to try out my scope." Tommy motions as Iris raises her eyebrow, "how'd you like it?"

Ellie sits down, "Yeah, feels good." Joel stands up from the stool, still holding the guitar as he walks over to their table, "I, uh, I see you haven't gotten around to changing the strings yet."

"I didn't know I was suppose to." Ellie laughs slightly as Joel replies, "yeah, we'll get you some new ones." He places the guitar down and walks back, he sits down beside Iris as Tommy picks it up for himself, "well, there's that old music store down there, I bet they got guitar stuff. I mean that area's long overdue for a sweep anyway. I can keep watch."

Iris and Joel look at Ellie and the man asks, "whaddya say, kiddo?" Ellie shrugs, "sure."

Tommy strums the guitar, and the trio stand up as Iris jokes, "and that's our cue." Tommy laughs as the adults go out and stand by the horses while Ellie tries to escape being alone with them.