Moon, Bitten

Chapter Three

And childless. A tiny part of her added somberly.

She bit down on her lip, immediately wincing and releasing it as she struggled against unbridled tears.

You need a good cry. Her sound mind proclaimed of its own accord.

Her eyes swept briefly over the other passengers and she knew now was not the time to give way to the bombardment of emotions that brimmed beneath her unstable composure.

Her last thought before drifting asleep was that of her unborn child and the disheartening notion of never cradling her baby.

Asheville, North Carolina appeared very much a city but nestled within was BlackMountain, the very solace she sought, located just fifteen miles from downtown Asheville and where her late Aunt Mae had lived a seemingly peaceful life of solitude.

BlackMountain was a quaint small-town tucked within flourishing foliage that expanded beautifully in a green spread of grass, dotted with blossoming colors of various flowers. Tall mountain ranges and dangerous peaks beckoned to those daring, giving way to strenuous, narrowing trails and thickening vegetation. Meandering rivers divided steep, rolling hills, eventually finding its way to a fall.

Somewhere beyond those fringes of forestry was her freedom.

The bus rolled to a jarring halt and the suddenness of it brought her injuries to the forefront of her mind.

Gritting her teeth against the slight pain that came with jostling about, she made her way steadily off the Greyhound, avoiding the many unwanted stares.

Once afoot, she unraveled the wad of papers Mr. Danton had given her, noticing particularly her poor manner of keeping confidential paperwork tucked safely away.

Eying the terribly rumbled papers for the address scribbled there, she raised her head and peered questionably around.

Finding her great aunt's estate was proving to be a bit more problematic amongst this grain of a town.

She noticed a diner just on the corner of the walkway and opted to ask for directions despite her unwillingness to do so.

She quite liked BlackMountain. She noticed discernibly that no one in particular watched her.

She crossed the road and entered 'Cook's Diner', a waft of chilly ventilation air catching her on the way in as a little bell chimed above her unsuspecting head, drawing a few collected stares.

Feelingly slightly uneasy, she started for the counter, hoping to deter their curiosity with haste.

Two old-timers with equally matching fedoras lined the counter, one skimming a newspaper and the other sipping gingerly on hot, black coffee.

At her presence they barely nudged in what appeared a daily regimen.

"What can I do you for, honey?" a giddy voice coaxed from across the counter.

Kate peered up and in spite of her defenses, returned the girl's beaming smile with one of her own, "Could you point me in the direction of Mae Channing's residence?" she asked a bit softly beneath her breath.

The girl who appeared no older than Kate's age of twenty-five seemed a bit startled at first by her somewhat disheveled appearance. She had attempted at concealing what bruises were visible but felt in that moment that perhaps she'd failed considerably in doing so.