Mountains. They were surrounded by mountains as far as the eye could see. The soft sound of music filled the car as Marlys and Vinn tried to take everything in. Neither of them had ever been to the mountains – not that they could remember, at least.
The road wound its way up, barely wide enough to fit two cars. The few vehicles they encountered were local, for their driving was both confident and hurried. Once Billie had noticed their awestruck expressions, she had slowed down to allow them to enjoy the view.
Vinn leaned as far forward as his seatbelt would allow, his green eyes wide with amazement as he drank in the sights – the tall yet slim trees covering the slopes on either side of the road, the imposing, snow-covered peaks visible in the distance. Marlys's fascination was more subdued, but no less present. She was leaning against the door and staring down the ravine.
They drove on the outside of the road, where there was nothing but emptiness. They were so far up authorities hadn't bothered to set up safety barriers on the side – no metallic plate would save one from the certain death that awaited them were they to tumble off the road.
Marlys straightened against the door, trying to see as far down as she could. The sights left her speechless. She was no stranger to the feeling in her chest as she stared at the scant trees adorning the steep slope. In fact, it was one she was intimately familiar with: fear.
It wasn't the all-encompassing, debilitating kind she was used to experiencing, however. No, it was much lighter and mixed with another emotion she didn't know as well. One that had her heart beating faster and her eyes growing wider so she could take in even more. One that made her want to stand on the edge of the precipice. It was strangely pleasant and she snuggled up closer to the door, secretly wishing they would stop.
They didn't stop for a long time, not before reaching a small town. The buildings were small and mostly made of wood, with drooping roofs and narrow windows. There weren't that many people around and they all stopped what they were doing to cast curious glances at their vehicle. Some seemed to recognize Billie for they waved or nodded in greeting. Billie greeted them in turn but never stopped to chat.
They pulled into one of five parking spots in front of a slightly bigger building. Its roof was green – the only one of that color they had seen so far – and wooden stalls were set up in front. Marlys's mouth watered as she stared at the fruit. She was pretty sure she liked fruit. Billie unbuckled her seat belt and opened her door.
"I won't be long," she said as she hopped out of the vehicle. "Stay with Mara."
The pair watched her go, the car eerily quiet now that the music was turned off. Vinn leaned down to look at the radio, his small hand uncertainly hovering mid-air. He seemed to want to turn it back on but Marlys didn't know how to do it either. She told him so by shrugging when he shot her a questioning look. Disappointment flickered through his eyes as his hand fell back on his knobbly knee.
Marlys shifted in her seat, watching people pass by them. It was much colder up here, as demonstrated by the jackets they all wore, their zippers pulled all the way up until the collars snugly circled their necks.
Billie had also given them warmer clothes as they began their ascension and though neither had been cold yet, she had insisted they wear them. It had been the right call, for Marlys's cold had steadily gotten worse, shivers intermittently running over her body as she coughed louder and more often as the hours passed.
Though not once had she uttered a word of complaint, Billie had pulled over at the first pharmacy and come back with a big bag of medicine that the pair had warily eyed. Getting her to take any had been an outright battle where she'd actually destroyed half the stock, before finally relinquishing when Billie had furiously asked her if she wanted to die.
Marlys had adamantly refused any pills for though the memories of people with lab coats stuffing tablets down her throat were somewhat faded, they were still present. They had settled on a cough syrup which had turned out not to be an unpleasant experience, the liquid sweet and soothing as she downed it.
Billie exited the store with two heavy grocery bags that she went and stashed in the back of Mara. She came back around and hoisted herself into the driver's seat. She dropped a plastic container in Vinn's lap who promptly opened it to reveal little green beads that were linked to each other by tiny little branches. It took Marlys a second to remember that they were called grapes.
Vinn gingerly plucked one and popped it into her mouth. Marlys carefully bit into it, relishing the sweet explosion of juice on her tongue. Vinn took one as well, his eyes widening in delight. He shot the small container in his lap an amazed look, before turning to look at Marlys, then at Billie.
The older woman chuckled as he shoveled two more grapes into his mouth. Warmth spread through Marlys's chest as he gave her some more, joy written over his features. He shyly offered Billie some but she shook her head with a smile.
"I'm good, thanks," she said as she backed out of the parking lot. "They're all yours."
~ ~ ~
Half an hour later, when they veered off the main road and onto a partially hidden dirt path, the grapes were long gone and the pair had taken up sight gazing again.
Billie drove slowly, careful not to shake them around too much now that they weren't being pursued anymore. Vinn leaned back in his seat to avoid smacking his head against the dashboard while Marlys raised her eyes to see if she could catch a glimpse of the treetops. They were tall with little to no leaves and thin trunks.
Billie was frowning in concentration, her eyes attentively scanning the area. She seemed to find what she was searching for as she took a sudden left turn. There was no longer a visible path but her posture was relaxed and her driving confident – indicating she knew exactly what she was doing. The pair had no choice but to hang on.
Tire marks appeared a short while later and they followed them to a shabby little cabin covered in vines. It had the same large, sloping roof and narrow windows as the buildings in town. Three steps led up to a covered porch.
Billie turned the engine off and remained seated a little while longer. The expression on her face as she studied at the wooden cottage was one Marlys had never before seen on a person and she wasn't sure what to make of it. It disappeared as soon as the woman looked at them.
"Welcome to your new home," she said.
Vinn undid her seatbelt and opened the door for her. They followed Billie up the steps and watched her fish out a key to the front door. They remained outside, listening to Billie rummaging around in the dark.
A couple of minutes and a victorious shout later, the lights were turned on to reveal a cozy interior. The furniture was covered by sheets that Billie was in the midst of pulling off.
"Come on in," she said as she bundled up the sheet from the couch.
A large painting depicting a mountain range with snowy peaks hung above it. Two armchairs were set up next to the couch with a low coffee table made of sturdy wood in the middle. A TV was facing the seats. All around the living area, there were pictures. A frame stood on every flat surface or hung from every wall.
The pair took a careful step inside, curiously eyeing the images. Some were recent, others really old. They could recognize Billie in each, even the ones where she was much younger. It seemed that no matter what age she was, she always carried herself with a poised confidence others lacked.
Marlys stopped in front of a bigger picture that depicted a younger Billie with four other people. Her hair was pulled up in a strict bun and she was wearing a faint smile. A woman who resembled her a lot stood in the other corner of the picture, her own dark curls falling in loose ringlets around her shoulders. She had an arm wrapped around the waist of a tall, muscular man with auburn hair and a goofy smile.
Between them stood two children: a grinning boy who was flashing the camera a winning pose and an older girl with a cheeky smirk. Their hair was the same color as the man's and their eyes as brown as the woman's and Billie's.
Billie's voice sounded from behind, making both of them jump in surprise. Marlys had almost lashed out at her in shock and she turned to shoot her a glare. The woman wasn't paying attention to them, however, her attention focused on the pictures in front of them.
"That's my sister Morna and her husband Oliver," she said, pain flickering in her gaze. "and their children, Zoe and Blaise."
Marlys studied her face, taking note of the sorrow etched across her features. She glanced back at the photo. Had these people died? Was that why she seemed so... sad?
Marlys frowned as she thought of her own family. She must have had a mom too, right? She seemed to remember someone telling her everyone had a mom but she couldn't remember her. Not how she looked, not how she smelled, not even her name.
Did her mom hate her the way her dad did? Her fingers twitched as the memory of a kneeling man calling her a monster flashed before her eyes. She knew her dad hated her more than anyone. Why else would someone call their family a monster?
She was distracted from her thoughts by Vinn gently picking up another frame and curiously showing it to Billie. Marlys leaned closer to get a better look at it.
This picture was a more recent one, Billie's hair cut short with white streaks in it. She was down on one knee with each arm looped around a dog. They were big and fluffy, the left one pure white and the right one a golden brown. Billie chuckled as she took the picture from his hands.
"These were my dogs. This was Vinn," she said with a gentle smile, pointing at the golden-brown dog. "and this was Marlys. They were my family too."
Marlys's eyes snapped up to her face, taking in the loving expression and the gentle smile; the affectionate way she ran a finger over the pets in the picture.
"Family?" Marlys asked, her voice still hoarse.
Billie glanced at her. "Yes."
"And us?"
Billie looked at Vinn, who seemed confused by the line of questioning but was no less attentive, then at Marlys, who was as rigid and closed off as usual. Realization dawned on Billie as the question sunk in and she locked gazes with the younger woman.
"You could be."
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And there you have, the last chapter of Part I. Thank you all for reading and I hope you liked it. I'd love to hear from you, be it as a comment or a vote or a letter by pigeon carrier (ok, maybe not that one).
★ See you soon for Part II! ★