17 Bullets: becoming the Werewolf Queen

Chapter 25: No Women

34 BULLETS

I woke with the sun slivering between the trees. The fire was still crackling beside me with no Thann to be seen. But my eye caught on three things placed purposefully beside the blanket. A large blue lily, a handful of raspberries, and a folded piece of cloth.

Lifting the cloth between my fingers, it unfolded.

It was a basic straight edge shirt without sleeves in the same soft leather that Thann's pants were made of. Looking down to my bra, my shirt had been ruined with those cockroaches. Had Thann made this for me? It looked like it would fit perfectly.

I scanned the area and there was no trace of him so he must have been on his morning abandonment.

I put the shirt down and ate one of the sweet berries while I twisted the spectacular lily between my fingers. It was velvet soft and smelt like heaven. It was making it very hard to decide if I was still mad at Thann or not.

Maybe I should have just went with Cane. I wanted females now, not necessarily my flashlight.

Maybe I'll just go it on my own now.

Setting the flower down, I twisted over my shoulder to see my back wound. It hadn't been hurting since Thann's medicine, but was seeming grimy after sleeping on it. Though I knew not to get off the blanket again if I didn't want to be woken up covered in roaches.

The stream still trickled by and I figured it could use a good wash out before Thann got back and we... or I... needed to start walking again.

Stuffing the last three berries in my mouth I dropped my pants, keeping my underwear on. I was ready for a slight bath. My long hair whipped around and while it had been catching every tree the day before it wasn't dirty enough to need a wash. So I pulled out the ponytail holder and made a twisted messy bun on the top of my head securing it with the elastic. I was sure not to win any beauty contests looking like that, but what did I need to worry about looking pretty for. My eyes rolled internally. Matza ball guy already wanted to get laid. He didn't care about my ugly topknot.

I pressed myself down in the water and clenched at the morning chill. I was more of a lava hot bath person, but the water barely went over my thighs so it's not like I'd get a soak anyway. Leaning down I scooped up a handful of cool water and poured it over my back. I knew I was washing away my stitches, but Thann's basket was still near the fire and he had a bunch of those leaves still.

It was good to give it a thorough wash. All I needed was to get it infected and need antibiotics on top of everything else.

After a few minutes of rinsing, I stood and found a sunny patch on a nearby rock and went to sit and dry off.

I listened to the morning birds and closed my eyes trying to picture myself back on my farm. The warmth of the sun radiating down. The sounds of swaying corn in the fields. The scent of baking strawberry pie. The taste of fresh pea pods eaten right off the vine.

I missed it so much.

And not for the first time, I wondered what everyone was doing back on Earth without me. I missed my family. I missed my animals.

I missed my home.

For a few minutes I just absorbed it in.

But this was my life now. That was some other time.

I let out a sorrowful breath and stood, a new resolve to be better for them filling me. I'd stop moping and just do.

I came off the rock and walked to my pants and boots, placing them over my mostly dried self. Picking up the shirt, I gave a sad smile. Thann was still trying to help me at least.