𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬━𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡

ⅪⅠ

THE TWO HAD STAYED THE NIGHT AT A HOTEL ON THE SOUTH PART OF TOWN (in separate beds, of course). It was early in the morning when Reagan had gotten up. She put on a fresh pot of coffee to drink. She needed her energy. She was as quiet as possible, to not wake Arvin. He was grumpy in the morning sometimes. That's what she had learned from sleepovers that she used to have with Lenora, but those were over.

It was around 7:30 in the morning when Reagan was up. She had done what she normally did in the morning. She got up, got a shower, got dressed, and made herself some breakfast without waking up Arvin. Pretty skilled on her part.

She was up for a good three hours before Arvin even looked her way with open eyes. She had mistook it a couple times when he rolled over and faced her direction. Reagan had been reading a book that had been sitting in her car when she had noticed that he was awake.

"I didn't know you read." She heard say to her from the bed that sat across the room from her. "Yeah. This one is one that I've read multiple times. It's actually pretty good."

"What is it?"

"To Kill a Mockingbird. My mama gave it to me, and readin' it is helpin' me not be upset over her." She told the boy as he walked into the bathroom. Reagan sighed and slipped the piece of paper into the book to mark where she was reading. She thought for a moment before suggesting the events that they should do. "Hey, Arvin.."

"Yeah?"

"You grew up here, right? Like, up until your mama and daddy died?" She called into the bathroom where he was. He came out, looking at the girl. "Yeah, why?" Reagan smiled lightly and looked at him. "Maybe we should go and visit your house. And you could show me the mini church your daddy made in the woods behind the house. You've told me about it before and I've always wanted to see it."

He stood there and stared at her blankly. "You want me to go back to the place where my daddy killed himself and my dog?"

Reagan shrugged as she looked at him. "I don't know. It could help you get closure on their deaths." He walked back into the bathroom to finish what he was doing. "What the fuck do you know about closure?" Reagan scoffed. "I know I got it when you killed those assholes who shot my daddy. I lost a parent too, Arvin. Not in the same day, of course. But I still lost someone. And we both lost Lenora. So, don't act like I don't know what I'm talkin' about."

He didn't answer her this time. It was like he was ignoring her. She waited for a few minutes before calling him. "Arvin?" He still didn't answer. Reagan got up and looked in the bathroom. "What? You're not answerin' me now? Because I offered something? I wasn't sayin' we should do it."

He didn't even bother as look at her this time. She scoffed. "Fuck you then. You ain't gonna talk to me. You ain't gonna talk to me. You ain't gonna look at me. Fine. I'll just go then. Not like I left an entire life behind because you were in fucking danger."

Reagan walked away from the bathroom door and grabbed the small bag that she had brought in with her. She began throwing her things into it before turning to leave out the door. She heard a gun cock behind her and she smiled and giggled a little. How a sociopath would at the sound of their victims scream.

"Cockin' a gun. Mighty brave, Arvin." She said to him as she continued to stare at the door. "Shoot me." She told him as she turned around. "What have I got to live for? My daddy's dead. I left my mama a note  tellin' her why I was leavin'. Lenora's dead. I get stuck talkin' to air most of the time. What else is there?"

"If you walk out that door, then I will shoot you." He told her through clenched teeth. "You're gon' shoot me if I walk out the door? Why?" A look came across his face. A look she had never seen before. A look of sorrow. "Because you would be leavin' me like everyone else."

Reagan's smile dropped into more of a sad smile. "You are gonna hold me hostage because you don't want me to leave you? All you had to do was talk to me, Arvin. I'm sick and tired of talkin' to air all the time. I want to talk to you. I left my mama to talk to you. You know what Lenora is doin' right now, up in Heaven? She's probably laughin' at us right now. Arguin' like we always did when we were younger."

Reagan walked a little closer and made him drop the gun. "The people that left, left because they needed to. Your mama died because God said it was time for her to go. Your daddy died because he needed to be with your mama. Lenora died because she needed to go and meet her mama and daddy and, she didn't want any of us to be disappointed in her. The only way I'm leavin', is if God says so. And I pray he ain't sayin' so any time soon."

She threw the bag onto the bed. "What did I say when you were in the car surrounded by the dead bodies?" He sighed and looked at her. "That you were in love with me." Reagan laughed lightly. "And I stand by my word, Arvin."

She thought for a moment. "You wanna see some magic tricks?" He laughed lightly. Reagan smirked and walked over and shut the curtains and her magic show began.