𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚕 (𝚊𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚗 𝚛𝚞𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚕)

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗

arvin woke up early the next day and finished loading his luger, a task that had been interrupted by the activities of the previous night. he'd been planning to let calypso sleep a little longer, but she rolled over and rubbed her eyes.

"mornin'," said arvin, chuckling at her sleepy expression.

"morning," she yawned. "i gotta pack my shit."

last night's conversation came flooding back to him. he put the luger in his bag and turned to her.

"are you absolutely sure?" he asked. "and don't give me none of that 'life is pointless without you'. we're gonna take a man's life, and if we get caught we're going to jail forever. maybe even gettin' put to death. this is gonna stay with you for the rest of your life."

"i know, arvin," she said. "and i'm in. 100%. now can i please pack my bag?"

arvin nodded. she got up and stretched, arvin's shirt riding up on her to show her white panties, and got to work. she packed a few changes of clothes, a water bottle, and a small canvas pouch.

"what's in the bag?" arvin couldn't help but ask.

she opened the sack. inside were huge wads of cash, more money than arvin had ever seen. "money," she said. she laid out a few rolls on his nightstand. "these are for your grandma. the rest is for us."

arvin nodded. "thank you," he said.

calypso waved it off. "it's nothing."

"i didn't know you made that much. maybe i'd have done it if i knew it paid so well."

calypso laughed at that. "you could've."

she hadn't actually been back to the bar since lenora died. she just hadn't found the time, and it didn't seem important anymore. tony had been a little pissed, but she just told him she'd had a family emergency and would be back in the bar soon. arvin had told her that he fully supported her and her work, but she knew she was needed at home.

calypso finished packing her bag and put on a white spaghetti-strapped sundress with a fitted top and a short flowy skirt. she wore her usual broken-in combat boots and subtle eyeliner and mascara. her hand shook ever so slightly as she was putting on her pink lipstick, and she carefully fixed it with a tissue. lastly, she reached into the little canvas sack of money and pulled out a small black leather thigh holster and a small loaded pistol.

"now we both have one," she said to arvin as she fastened it to her upper thigh, her skirt obscuring it.

"i reckon we do," said arvin, smiling. "here." he tossed her one of his fleece-lined denim jacket. "now we can each have one of those too."

calypso beamed as she put it on, inhaling the scent of smoke and cologne. "smells like you."

"i should hope so," said arvin. "it's my jacket, after all."

"dork," she said, giving him a playful shove.

"are we ready to leave?" said arvin, the mood of the room becoming somber again. 

"yes," said calypso surely, though she couldn't stop her voice from wavering.

"okay. i'm gonna give this letter and the cash to grandma. you go ahead out to the car," said arvin, a waver in his voice as well.

"okay," said calypso, slinging her rucksack over her shoulder. "arvin?" she said, as he got ready to leave the room. "don't wake her, remember?"

arvin nodded and left.

calypso went out to the car and exhaled. part of her couldn't believe she was really doing this, but she'd never been more sure of anything in her life. besides, she'd already run away once, completely alone. it didn't scare her nearly as much to run away with arvin.