Alone Together

[Tamissa Pines]

How long have I been walking? In all honesty, Josie wasn't sure. She hadn't bothered to keep track of the days, but she must have been away from home for at least a week now. It felt like much longer, her aching feet and shivering body screaming that she had been alone in the wilderness for months, though her mind repeatedly reminded her that it didn't logically make sense for her to have been gone for that long. She'd have died due to dehydration, or maybe even starved, long ago if that was the case. She'd run out of money far faster than she thought she would, and her backpack had been stolen while she was inside a small store using what was left of her money to buy food, so she'd lost almost all the resources she'd brought with her. Fortunately, she was smart enough that she didn't keep anything she really cared about in the bag. Crimmy had been tucked into a hidden pouch inside her sweater, and she never took off her bracelet, so she hadn't lost either when the bag was taken, and they were all that really mattered to her, though she supposed it would have been nice to still have access to her water bottle. Considering she was still alive and not a dehydrated corpse in the forest somewhere, she could assume the bag, and the water bottle, had been stolen less than three days ago.


Not for the first time, she found herself wondering what she was doing. Why was she out here? Why was she putting herself through this? Back there may have been bad, but at least back there had been certain and predictable. Why was she running away, throwing herself into potentially life threatening situations, when she could have survived at back there, at least until she was old enough to get a job and provide for herself? Then she'd glance down at her bracelet, and the reason would come racing back. Unfortunately, while looking at her bracelet spurred her to keep going and gave her motivation, it also made her incredibly sad and gave her a rush of fear. Every now and then, the sudden onslaught of emotions would push her to tears, but for the most part, she managed to hold them back. She couldn't go wasting energy crying. She'd already gone a few nights without sleeping - she had to spare all the energy that she could. Of course, she would have slept at night if she could, but a combination of nightmares and stress made it impossible to do so. Whenever she tried, she'd find herself tossing and turning in the forest floor, the bark of the trees around her twisting into malicious faces and every sound turning into the very people she fled from closing in on her. After a while, she stopped trying to sleep. Walking through the night was better than dealing with that torture.


There was a loud crackle in the bushes a short distance away from her and Josie froze in place, suddenly aware of how much her vibrant sweater stood out from her earthy surroundings. She stuck out like a sore thumb. If anything was pursuing her, whether it be a human or a creature, they'd see her in an instant. There was another crack and Josie took off to escape it, but the noises followed her through the dense forest. She wondered briefly if there was really anything there at all, or if it was just paranoia and sleep deprivation affecting her mind. Despite the likeliness of the possibility, she didn't dare stop in case that wasn't the case. Her foot caught on a root and she stumbled, landing hard on the ground. Pain flared in her knee, but the noises grew closer, so she got to her feet and kept running despite the pain. She wasn't sure when she started crying but suddenly tears were blurring her vision, her heart beating so hard in her chest that she feared it would crack her ribs. She burst out of the trees and onto the road, bright headlights nearly blinding her. It took her a split second to register that a car was coming straight at her and as shrieked, jumping backwards and slipping on the wet pavement. Landing on her back knocked the wind right out of her, and she resigned herself to her fate, assuming the car would plow right over her, but with the squeal of old brakes, it jerked to a stop. Josie pushed herself up into a sitting position, panting and glancing back at the forest. It appeared nothing had followed her out. She must have imagined it after all. She heard a car door open and turned back to the vehicle before her, sniffling and rubbing the sore back of her head.

 

[FragmentedPhosphor]

How long have I been driving? Levi couldn't honestly guess. It wasn't as if it mattered, not really- he'd been driving everywhere like this for the past seven years, and remembered times when he would drive for sixteen to eighteen hours straight, just so he could evade whatever new enemy he had made this time. Of course, this hadn't been one of those times- in fact, he hadn't seen any debt collectors, drug dealers, or other criminal types he knew in nearly three weeks-, but it still felt like he had been driving for ages nonetheless. Must just be one of those long days, I guess. God knows I've got plenty of those in the past, too... He glanced in his rear view mirror briefly, checking the completely empty road out of pure habit. It had been three weeks since he had been sent on the run again, after all- the stillness was making him uneasy, even as he drove along the forested and abandoned-looking road.


He was used to running, which was probably why this prolonged absence of things to chase him made him so wary. He was used to hiding from the cops, from the debt collectors, from the drug cartels, and although this absence gave him hope that maybe, just maybe, he had lost them all for good, it also made his paranoia go into overdrive. He kept expecting someone else to roar past him, guns blazing, or for the blue-and-red lights to start strobing behind him, or any of the other hundred things that his mind painted out as a possibility to happen.


What he hadn't expected, unfortunately, was a flash of color to dart out from between the trees, one that he was given a half a second to recognize as a little girl. "Jesus fucking-!" He slammed on the brakes, jerking his wheel to one side in an attempt to avoid running the kid over. The Yugo's brakes complained bitterly and the car itself fishtailed- but he managed to make the vehicle stop in time so as not to hit the kid, or so he hoped, even if his sudden parking job was less than impressive. Worried that he had failed, and had just not noticed the sudden thump over the squeal of the brakes, he wasted no time in unbuckling his seatbelt- criminal he may be, but that seatbelt had saved his life many times over- and getting out of the car to check on her.


She seemed to be alive, if lying on her back in the middle of the road, rubbing the back of her head and sniffling. He made his way over to her and knelt down besides her, taking in her appearance and breathing out a sigh of relief at her evident lack of injuries. "Hey- you okay?" He asked. A hundred other questions hovered at the tip of his tongue, chief of which was what are you doing out in the middle of nowhere?, but for now he focused on the one he had just asked.

 

[Tamissa Pines]

Josie scooted back when she heard feet hit the pavement, pushing her damp matted hair out of her face to try and get a better look at who the person was. Was it a policeman? A potential murderer? Or, worst of all, one of them? Her heart pounded in her chest at the thought, not wanting to imagine what would happen if her they found her out here, alone in the dark where no one would hear her scream. She wanted to live until at least thirty, so she prayed from every god from Zeus to Buddha (despite not believing in a single one of them) that it wasn't either of them approaching her. The person stepped into the headlights, and she couldn't help but let out a breath of relief when the person proved not to be anyone she knew, and most definitely not one of them. It was a man a good couple of years older than her, with dirty clothes and bags beneath his eyes. Josie didn't suppose she looked any better, mud staining her hand knit sweater and fraying skirt, her hair greasy from at least a week without a shower and dirt on her childish face. There was always the possibility that the man was a murderer, but something in Josie's gut told her that wasn't the case.


"I-I'm sorry," she stammered nervously, giving a tiny hiccup as tears continued to pour down her flushed cheeks, "I didn't mean to jump out in front of you. I-I was just running, and..." She hiccuped again, reaching to wipe her eyes with her sleeve. Her knee was bleeding. She didn't have to look to know that. She could feel the warm blood trickling over her skin, pouring down her leg and beginning to stain her socks scarlet. The same warmth was running down her forearms, starting at her elbows and leaving thin trails of crimson in their wake. She was tempted to grab herself a few band aids, but then remembered that her bag had been taken and she didn't have them anymore. Why was the world so mean? It wasn't that way in the movies. Of course, even at her young age, Josie was smart enough to know that movies weren't entirely truthful, but she'd hoped that she'd meet at least one benevolent stranger along the way. She supposed that was just wishful thinking. Since when was her mind such a dark place? She needed to sleep, and then she'd be happy again. At least for a while.


Sniffling softly, she got to her feet despite the throbbing pain that started in her knee as soon as she put weight on her leg. What was she supposed to say now? Surely, a child her age emerging from the woods in the middle of the night was a concerning matter, especially when said child was in as deplorable of a state as she was. In the daytime, she had a multitude of excuses. My parents are just outside. Mum's in the bathroom. My house is just down the street. What was she supposed to say in this situation? Was she supposed to tell him that her parents were waiting for her just beyond the tree line, apologize for the trouble she caused, and head back into the woods where her imaginary monsters lingered in the shadows? She'd almost made him crash his car, a simple apology certainly couldn't make up for that. "Yeah, I'm - I'm fine, just -" she began softly, glancing at the trees before shaking her head, "Well, never mind. I'm okay." She sniffled once more, wiping the tears off her face with her sleeve.

 

[FragmentedPhosphor]

Levi looked at the sniffling little girl, with her mud-stained clothes, matted hair, and tear-streaked face, and knew he didn't stand a chance. Sure, he could stand up to drug lords and lie at least somewhat smoothly to police officers, but little kids? No matter what common sense dictated, he melted like hot butter to kids. "No, no, it's okay." He reassured her. "It's dark out and there's forest for as far as I can see- that's reason enough for anyone to be running." He gave her a smile, hoping with his own disheveled appearance it looked more reassuring than it did anything else. "He-" he faltered for a minute. He shouldn't be cursing around a kid, and even something as tame as 'hell' was not something he was certain she should hear. "Ah- heck, I'd do the same thing."


He glanced down to see her socks beginning to turn scarlet at the tops, and quickly reevaluated his judgement of whether or not she was hurt. In his own defense, he had been looking for big injuries, and a scraped knee- and elbows, now that he was looking for it- didn't exactly fit his description of big. But still, a wound was a wound, and since he had almost run the kid over he figured he could at least give her a couple band aids- even if they were the last in his medical stock-, and offer to drive her home. "Here-" he said, his words echoing his thoughts, "I can get you a couple band aids, clean up those scrapes for you. I have some in the car." Realising just how much of a creep he sounded like, he quickly clarified. "I mean, I'd go and get them, you wouldn't have to go to my car or anything like that."


He stood as she did- he didn't exactly think kneeling by a standing kid would make much sense- and looked over to her again. He had no idea where the kid had come from, but he knew one thing, at least- he wasn't going to just give her a couple bandages and leave her on the side of the road. "And I can drive you home, if you want. It's not exactly a good idea to stay out in the dark like this..." Of course, he knew he could very well be categorised with the rest of the 'dangers in the dark', but at least his intentions were in the right place, and the kid could just as easily tell him to screw off. "Where do you live?"

 

[Tamissa Pines]

Josie nodded slowly at response, giving another tiny sniffle and rubbing her eyes. Though she'd managed to stop crying, the messy display of drying tears was still obvious around her eyes, making it clear that she'd been weeping recently. She hated crying. Something about feeling the thin streams of water pour down her cheeks unsettled her, making her feel weak and helpless, like a tiny little baby. She supposed she really was nothing more than that, was she? A little baby with a stained sweater in a dangerous situation. The thought made her stomach churn and she quickly pushed it away, taking a deep breath to calm herself. As the man pointed out that they were surrounded by forest and it was enough to make anyone run, Josie's head shot up to meet his gaze and she nodded furiously.


"There are monsters in there," she informed him with a shaking voice, "The crackling kept chasing me, a-and when I tripped, it was right behind me, so I kept running. I didn't see it, but it sounded really big." Warning him was the right thing to do, was it not? What if he'd been planning to go hiking in the woods the next day and the monster got him? (Though if the monster was nocturnal, like she was suspecting due to how she very rarely heard it in the day, that wouldn't be an issue, but better safe than sorry.) Now he knew that there was a dangerous monster in there, so he'd hopefully refrain from going in those woods any time soon. She ran her fingers over the tear in the elbow of her sweater, feeling the bloody scrape beneath, and frowned to herself. She'd have to sew the sweater later, and rinse out the scrapes as soon as possible.


"Some band aids would be really nice," she admitted quietly, reaching to rub the back of her neck and timidly meeting his gaze once more. She felt a little bad asking for a stranger's help, especially since he owed her nothing and she was in no way his responsibility, but she needed to get them covered before they got infected. Then came the dreaded question, the one she'd known was coming but didn't want to answer. She bristled, beginning to toy with the hem of her sweater and suddenly finding it very difficult to look him in the eye as she had been just moments before. "Um...really far away," she replied slowly, an anxious tone present in her voice, "But I...I can't go back there."

 

[FragmentedPhosphor]

Levi listened quietly to her words, nodding safely and looking for all the world like he believed the kid's story about there being monsters. He had no doubt that there was wildlife in the wilderness, of course- but if something hostile had been chasing the girl, he doubted she would have made it to the road. However, he didn't want to upset the girl, and since she was already so shaken up, he don't want to do anything that might result in her running off. So, he tried to make everything just that little bit better with a lighthearted comment. "Well then, it's a good thing that I'm just passing through here." He said, giving her another smile. "I wouldn't want to live near a patch of woods that has monsters in it, after all."


He watched her sudden shift from timid to anxious at his question, and at her words a bad feeling began to form at the pit of his stomach. He had an idea of where this was going, and didn't like the direction- but so far he had no proof, and tried to chase the thought away with other words. "I see... Are you staying with your grandparents then? Aunts? Uncles? I don't honestly mind driving any distance; I'm not really going anywhere in particular, so I don't mind taking a few detours..."


He glanced down at her scrapes and shook his head, realising he still hadn't gone to get her bandages. "Gah, look at me, focusing on all the wrong things... Here, stay here, I'll go and get the band-aids for you." He stood and made his way to his car, opening the passenger door and popping the glove box open. Inside the glove box was several false IDs and driver's licenses, some fast food wrappers, and a small medical kit that, by now, was almost completely empty. After rummaging around in the kit for a moment he pulled out three bandages- leaving only two in the box- and some antiseptic towelettes. The heat inside the car reminded him of the fact that, although not freezing, it was uncomfortably cold outside, and he sighed again. He could invite the kid into the car, to get her into a warmer and better-lit environment- but he figured he seemed like enough of a creep as it was, and so he wasn't going to invite her into the backseat of his car until he had a destination given.


He took the supplies he had pulled from the glove box and shut it, then stepped back out into the relative cold of the night, turning to head back to the girl in the rainbow sweater, worrying about the answer he hadn't given her time to give.

 

[Tamissa Pines]

Josie worked her bottom lip between her teeth as he rattled off the different family members she could have been staying with, peeking up for a moment before looking down at her dirty sneakers once more, rubbing the toe of one of them against the ground. Fortunately, she was spared from answering for the moment by the man turning back to his car, most likely to grab the band aids he'd mentioned earlier. This was confirmed by his next statement, and she obediently stayed put, squirming slightly and eyeing the stranger's back. How coincidental that she'd just been mourning the lack of benevolent strangers she'd met on her journey, only to meet him. He seemed nice enough, offering her band aids from his own supply and showing concern for her despite not knowing her. That was more than she could say for many of the people who did know her.


It was such a tiny sound. A little crackle from beyond the tree line, so soft that it was barely audible, but it caught Josie's attention and she whipped around to face the noise, peering intently at the trees. They wavered before her eyes, but that fortunately stopped after a few blinks. Maybe she should go to bed. Sleep deprivation was beginning to affect her vision. She wasn't going to sleep in the forest, though. No way. She'd rather curl up in the road and risk being run over then go back into the forest and deal with the contorted and all too familiar faces forming in the bark of the trees. She didn't want to spend another night fearing the monsters that hid in the bushes. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She'd make do.


Upon hearing movement behind her, she turned back to face the man, trying not to look like she'd been doing anything odd. For a moment, she titled her head at the expectant look on her face, before remembering the unanswered question. The tension returned in an instant and she began to twist the hem of her sweater once more, trying to find a way to phrase it that wouldn't make it sound like she was searching for pity. Although she supposed she could use the pity of others to her advantage, she hated the feeling of being pitied. Truthfully, she hadn't been pitied too many times. Most of the people she knew in her life merely looked down their nose at her, but when she had felt it, it made her feel sick. It made her stomach lurch, as if she was going to vomit, and she wanted to avoid that feeling if she could.


"Uh...none of those, either," she told him quietly, deciding it was in her best interest to be honest for now, "None that I know, anyway." She'd only start telling lies when it seemed absolutely necessary. (And no, lies by omission didn't count. She told those all the time.) She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to fend off a chill that threatened to sneak through the fabric of her sweater. Her vision wavered again and she wobbled, quickly catching her balance once more and adjusting her stance so that she could stand a little more steadily. Obviously, her lack of sleep was catching up to her, and at the worst possible time, too.

 

[FragmentedPhosphor]

Levi returned to see the girl who he had almost run over looking intently into the woods surrounding the road, and for a momen his paranoia came back in full force. She had said he was being chased by monsters... But what if those monsters had been human? What if she, like himself, had been fleeing from enemies of her own- and worse, what if they were still around? For a minute he glanced into the woods himself- but his instincts and sight both told him there was nothing there, and so he suppressed a sigh and turned back to the girl, looking at her expectantly.


From her reaction, once she realized what he was waiting for, he could tell his asking of where she lived and who she lived with was making her tense- which did not bode well for his theory, since it proved it correct. So for now, he decided to ease off the questions and focused on her scrapes. "Alright, well..." He trailed off, seeing her wobble on her feet for a second before catching herself and shifting slightly. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked. "We can go back to my car- it's a lot warmer than out here, and you look like you could benifit from sitting down for a little while..."


Again he realized just how much he sounded like a creep- but the girl looked like she was about to collapse right there on the road, and the only thing more difficult to explain than having a dirty and unkempt child in his car was having an unconscious, dirty, and unkempt child in his car. He held the bandages and towelettes absently in one hand, all still unopened and sterile- although there was a slight food stain on the outside packaging of one of the towelettes.

 

[Tamissa Pines]

Josie hesitated for a moment at the offer, glancing from the man to the car. Her school's warnings about stranger danger flashed briefly through her mind, images of children tugged from distracted parents in the arcade or the super market, and for a moment, she was tempted to simply turn and run. She could push herself for a while longer if she tried, she was sure. She wobbled again, and her faith in her abilities wavered. With that, she brushed off her reservations. She knew going by gut feelings was not generally advised, but her gut feelings were generally correct, and her gut was telling her that he was somewhat she could trust. At least for now.


"I'd really like that," she told him quietly, reaching to rub her eyes. Now that she had let the talons of exhaustion graze her skin, they'd found something to grapple with and had dug into her, infecting her with sleepiness. She followed him back to the car and climbed into the back seat, but didn't buckle herself in yet, stretching and giving a small yawn. She glanced down at her legs and frowned, gaze following the trail of scarlet from her knee to her sock. She licked her thumb and leaned down, rubbing away the line of dried blood with ease. The front of her leg in general looked a little red, but at least the blood itself wasn't blatantly obvious anymore.


She was tempted to lay down and let herself drift off to sleep, but she wanted to get her injuries tended to first, though she was hesitant to ask. She leaned back against the worn out seat of the car, taking a moment to appreciate the warmth. She'd been able to handle the cold, but now that she'd gotten a taste of warmth, she didn't want to go back out into it. She would if she had to, of course, but she'd put it off for as long as she could. She played lightly with the fraying hem of her skirt, head bobbing every other minute as she threatened to drift off.

 

[FragmentedPhosphor]

At her words Levi nodded, and went with her back to the car, glancing down both ends of the road and he did so. With how he had stopped his car, he was blocking one lane completely and somewhat in the other one, and for a moment he was tempted to move his car. However, nobody seemed to be driving up towards then yet, and they were on a flat and straight stretch of road that would give drivers plenty of time to stop and honk at him. Plus, the kid was already climbing into the backseat of his car, and that pretty much nixed the idea of him getting into the driver seat for a while yet.


He glanced over the kid for a couple seconds as she stretched, noticing in the light from his one-and-a-half interior lights that she looked like she had been out in the woods for a while, and hadn't slept for most of that time. He guessed he didn't look much better- he hadn't been affording himself much time to sleep, these last few weeks, trying to find a spot his enemies couldn't-, but a pang of sympathy and pity went through him at the sight. He could definitely relate- but she couldn't have been older than ten years old, and he shouldn't be able to relate to someone that young. She shouldn't even be out here--


His attention was drawn to her knee as she leaned down to rub away the line of blood, and Levi refocused onto the problem at hand. Sure, she was out in the dark and had emerged from the woods with almost no warning, and sure, she seemed to be evading answering his questions helpfully- but he had promised to help, and so help he would. "Here, let me get that." He said, ripping open the first of the towelettes and folding it out. The towelette itself was lukewarm from its time spent in his hand and in the glovebox, and he cleaned up her leg- making it look significantly less red- before moving on to the scrape. He wiped the towelette over the scrape, knowing the alcohol in it would make the wound sting but hoping she wouldn't complain too much, and when he was satisfied that scrape was clean he opened up the bandage and applied it to the wound.


Then it was on to the scrapes on her elbows, and once he was finished with those he tossed the trash into a bag that hung from the passenger seat's armrest. Then his attention was focused back on her, and with a mental sigh he got back to the subject the kid seemed to so avidly want to avoid. "Listen, it really doesn't matter who you're staying with- just go ahead and tell me where you're staying, and I'll be more than happy to drop you off there."

 

[Tamissa Pines]

Josie raised her gaze when he spoke, scooting forward a little bit to give him access to her knee, wiping her red-tipped fingers on her filthy purple skirt. She bit her lip as the towelette was pressed to the scrape, biting back a small whimper. Having tended to wounds of a similar kind on her own more than once, she had developed a high enough pain tolerance to avoid having too severe of a reaction. The sting admittedly wasn't very pleasant, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it could be, and the thought alone was enough for her to be able to swallow back the pain and keep a straight face as he cleaned off the injuries.


Once her wounds were treated, she watched with big hazel eyes as he pulled back, easily dropping the now used towelettes into a small plastic bag that dangled from the armrest of the passenger seat. She bristled at the question and hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out what her answer should be. She couldn't just give him some vague answer and see how far he would drive before making her get out, because he clearly wasn't going to drive until she gave him an answer, which complicated her situation a bit. She played with her fingers anxiously, finally coming to a decision and taking a deep breath before answering.


"How far away is the next town to the west of here?" she asked him, tilting her head and feeling the waterfall of tangled brown hair slither over her shoulder, "If it's not too far, then anywhere over there. It's okay if you don't wanna drive that far, though, just anywhere between here and wherever the next town is will work, really." She pushed her hair back over her shoulder, fighting off the urge (not for the first time) to cut it all off, and she may have if she wasn't sitting in the back of someone's car with no access to scissors. Considering it reached her hips, it could be extremely inconvenient, especially now that she had no way to care for it and keep it clean, which made it disgusting the majority of the time.


"I can walk from there," she finished absently, turning her gaze out the window as she reached behind her head, fingers weaving through her dirty hair as she braided it. It was frizzy and she couldn't tie it due to the lack of a hairband, but if she wrapped it around itself and tucked it in, then she may be able to get it to stay for a while, which would keep it out of her face. She glanced back at the man as she began to twist the braid around its base, winding the tip through the rings of hair.

 

[FragmentedPhosphor]

Levi paused for a moment when he heard the girl's words, thinking for a moment about locations and directions before the full meaning of what she said hit him. Then he had to do his best to suppress a curse, because if she had no actual direction then it most likely meant that she was homeless or a runaway, and even if he did drop her off in the nearest city he wouldn't be driving her home. He would just be dropping her off in another foreign location, with the same amount of supplies he had found her with and most likely no idea of the landscape. No matter what he had done in the past, leaving a kid out in the cold was just something he didn't do.


But what else could he do? It wasnt like he could just take her to the nearest police station- he had a track record with the police longer than the Nile, and if he walked into the police station looking like he did and with her looking like she did,even if they didn't recognize him from his several warrants, they would arrest him on sight for suspicion of kidnapping- and if she was missing, it wouldn't exactly look good for him. In fact, the only viable option was...


No. I can't take her with me- I can barely support myself, let alone a runaway kid who is probably more trouble than she seems... He looked at the kid, half asleep in his car, face still dirt and tear-streaked and clothes grimy from who knows how long of travel through the woods. No, no- I don't even have a house. I dont even have a steady income! He saw the lack of backpack, or any reasonable way of carrying supplies. Her eyes held circles under them- not as deep or as dark as his, but it was clear she had gone a few nights without sleep. No, no, for chrissakes, no! I have dangerous enemies! If they catch up with me, she might get hurt! She doesn't deserve that- she's just a kid!





He looked at the kid's face again, and let out a breath before speaking. "You know..." NO, Levi, don't do this, "If you don't have somewhere to go home to," Levi, you damned fool, don't do this, there's no way it will end well, "I can take you with me, for a little while, at least." Realizing how much of a creep he no doubt sounded, he quickly added, "If you want to, of course. I won't take you anywhere you don't want to go."

 

[Tamissa Pines]

Josie tilted her head as the driver paused for a few moments to think, but didn't push him for answers, not wanting to seem impatient. His hospitality was the only thing keeping her from being trapped outside in the cold with monsters, so she didn't want to overstay her welcome and make him kick her out. Therefore, it would make sense that she wouldn't pester him unnecessarily and risk annoying him. She hugged her hands to her chest at the mere thought of being thrown back out into the wild, taking a deep breath. She knew she couldn't stay with him forever, but she was going to enjoy it while it lasted. Then, when it ended, she'd just continue her journey as though it never happened and be thankful that she had been spared a bit of walking. She knew what she was getting herself into when she left, so she had to face it head on.


She turned her gaze down to the knitted animal, and from there it moved to her wrist, peeking from her sweater's sleeve. The bracelet had dried mud on it, and upon noticing that, she sharply sucked in her breath, quickly licking her thumb and beginning to rub it off. As her most prized position, she tended to be very on edge whenever anything happened to it, even if it was just a bit of mud. Considering the way she felt about it, one would think she'd keep it tucked away for safe keeping, but she refused to take it off for even an instant. It was what pushed her forward, what gave her comfort, and she wanted to have it on at all times.


Josie looked up when the driver began to speak, blinking a few times at his words. After taking a moment to register, her face lit up and she sprung forward without thinking about, leaning over the divider to give the man a hug. (She'd always given good ones, as one of her dear friends told her.) After sitting like that for a moment, she pulled back and folded her hands in her lap, trying not to seem too hyperactive and annoying mere seconds after he offered to let her tag along. "Thank you!" she exclaimed eagerly, bouncing in place in spite of her obvious exhaustion, "I won't be any trouble, I promise!" And for the time being, she wasn't.


Then again, it was a lot harder to cause mischief when you were dead asleep, as Josie was less than an hour later, curled up tight in the backseat. She'd pulled Crimmy from her pocket when her eyes began staying closed for more than five seconds every time she blinked, and now the stuffed fox was wrapped tightly in her arms, her nose buried in the top of its head so whenever she inhaled, she breathed in the familiar scent of salt, rosewater and pomegranate tea, an odd combination but a pleasant one. It made her think of comfort and security, and thus brought forth good dreams, some of the first she'd had in weeks.

 

[FragmentedPhosphor]

Levi let out a small and startled yelp when the kid jumped forwards and hugged him, arms jerking back slightly at the sudden and unexpected contact- but after a few moments he manage to pat her back, somewhat awkwardly, before she pulled away. It was the first time the man had had a hug in... Well, in some time, and the gesture from the kid had surprised him slightly. However, it wasn't unwelcome, and he gave her a smile before shutting the door once he was sure she was situated, crossing over to the driver's seat himself and getting in. The car had never been shut off, so he didn't have to start it, and simply shifted gears and began to drive after glancing back at the kid in his backseat, whose eyes were already beginning to droop with exhaustion.


It was only after about an hour of driving west- after all, he had had no real direction to begin with, and so he figured west was as good a way to go as any- that the reality of the situation hit him. He had the sudden urge to slam his head against the steering wheel of the car a few times, to see if that would knock any sense into his clearly addled brain, but as he was driving at the moment he didn't think that was overly practical. A runaway kid. I swear to god-- what am I even going to do with her?! I can't feed myself regularly, most days, and just because some damn kid stumbled out of the woods didn't mean I had to take her with me! Of course, there was little else he could have done, and knew it- but what kind of life have I brought her into now? I'm a goddamn criminal; running from fucking everybody has been my occupation for the last seven years, and it isn't about to miraculously stop just because I let some kid hitch a ride! He breathed out a curse under his breath, angry and frustrated at himself- then glanced at the girl in the backseat to make sure she was still asleep.


Luckily, she was, and he turned his attention back to the road after only a few nanoseconds of checking. He had gotten good at checking so quickly- after all, with his lifestyle, it was either be quick or get shot, and Levi didn't prefer the latter. However, the glance had already done it's work, and he felt his frustration at himself... Well, it certainly didn't vanish, but it did fade ever so slightly. Maybe it isn't all that bad. He thought to himself. After all, she's a kid- people are more likely to pity kids, right? Maybe she can help me run a couple distractions while I get enough for both of us to eat... A few years ago, it would have surprised Levi, how quickly his thoughts turned to criminal activity- but it had become just another part of life by now, and one he was relatively used to.


Right. Run a few distractions, help me blend in a bit if I need it... It's not all bad. Fortune within misfortune and all that. He chuckled a bit at his own motto- although heavily ironic, it seemed to fit his life perfectly. He could have the life beaten out of him- but lying on the ground would show him a twenty he would have missed. He would run into a policeman who recognized him- but the ensuing chase would show him a good place to eat later, where food was cheap. I almost run over a little kid- but hey, now I have a distraction.





Levi kept driving for a little while, heater still on and cranked to a comfortable temperature. He was lucky the finicky thing still worked, with the age of his car and the amount of beatings it had taken- but it did, and Levi wasn't going to question it. Just as he turned onto the highway, the already-dark skies turned darker, and rain started drumming down- certainly not the fierce roar of storming rain, but enough of a deluge to soak anyone outside to the bone. Christ. He thought, flicking on the windshield wipers. And I certainly wouldn't have left her out in that kind of weather.

 

[Tamissa Pines]

Josie wasn't sure how long she slept, but she awoke in the back of an unfamiliar car with her back facing the driver seat. For a moment, she was terrified, laying perfectly still and trying not to draw attention as she tried to figure out the situation. Then the events from earlier came rushing back to her and she relaxed a little bit, rolling onto her back to stare at the roof of the car and hugging Crimmy tighter. Now that she had a moment of quiet, rolling along a pretty flat road, she decided it was time she tried to figure out just how long she'd been away from home. She just needed to try and figure out how many times she'd gone to bed, and she'd figure out how many days had passed. Or at least, she'd get close to the right number. Josie took a deep breath and closed her eyes, thinking hard for a few minutes before deciding finally thinking she'd figured it out.


Day one: they were at work, and I snuck out the backdoor and into the woods. Days two, three, and four: everything was running smoothly, and I traveled pretty consistently. Day five: I was in the forest. I ran out of food I packed and had to find another town. Day six: Still in the forest with no food. Day seven: I reached another town and bought food. Days eight and nine: everything was okay in the day, but night time started to get scary. Day ten: I ran out of food again. Day eleven: I could only afford a few granola bars - my backpack was stolen. Day eleven: I headed back into the woods and walked straight through the night. Since I couldn't afford much food, so I ran out fast. Day twelve : I found a blueberry bush, but mostly just kept walking. Day thirteen: the monsters came, and I went out into the street. I got picked up.


Judging by the time flashing on the clock embedded into the dashboard, she was extremely early into day fourteen. She was a little hungry and absolutely parched, but she wasn't about to ask the man to buy her sustenance. Speaking of the man, what was his destination? She supposed that he was willing to bring her along with him and that was all that mattered; she should be grateful for that much, at least. Then again, he could secretly be bringing her to the police. Maybe she should just get out and run while she had the chance. She turned her gaze to the window on the other side of the car, biting her lip. She didn't want to go back out there, didn't want to throw herself into the maw of the monsters. She'd stay with him for now, but if it looked like the situation was going to end poorly for her, she'd take off. As guilty as doing so would make her feel when he'd been so hospitable, she'd have no other choice. She needed to get to Oregon. She had to.


Josie pressed her nose into the top of Crimmy's head, inhaling the familiar scent he carried with him. He smelled of salt and rosewater, a combination she'd always found very comforting. She knew why that was, of course, but she didn't want to think about that now. All it would serve to do was make her sad, and though she supposed she could really use any pity she got to her advantage, she didn't like the feeling of being pitied, so she didn't want to cry again. Not now. She pushed the thought and hugged the stuffed fox to her chest, taking a deep breath. She was out of the woods. There were no trees with contorted faces or hidden animals that could pounce on her at any second. There were no monsters, and she was being driven farther from them and closer to her destination. The thought was soothing, and she glanced down at her bracelet, a warm feeling spreading in her chest instead of the stab of fear and sadness she normally felt. She was fine, for now.


A little while passed, and the rain remained just that: rain. She let out a long breath and closed her eyes, listening to the reassuring tap tap tap of the droplets on the roof. Y'know, I think rain is just the clouds crying tears of joy because they get to be near each other for a while. Isn't that cute? The offhand comment rung in her brain and she hugged Crimmy closer, fending off a sudden wave of homesickness. Not for the place she fled, no. For one of the people she'd lost.

 

[FragmentedPhosphor]

Levi had been driving since he had picked the girl up, moving steadily west, mind too absorbed in his own thoughts to do much more than that. He hadn't pulled off into a parking lot to take a few hours of rest yet- even though he knew he probably should do so soon-, and although he was far from his limit it was beginning to show how tired he was. He had been driving for quite a while before he had picked the girl up, and to continue on like this into late morning- his clock was a few hours late, and although it was frustrating at times Levi supposed he should be grateful that it was only the hour that was off, instead of the hour and the minute- was taxing. However, the man simply kept his foot on the gas pedal, driving the speed limit on the 46.


His thought circled each other almost viciously, a cycle of 'Why did I do this?' and 'How will I be able to do this?' and 'I couldn't have left her out on her own...' that left him feeling as drained as he no doubt looked. He knew he was soft around kids- having been around them for most of his life, before he had been kicked, he knew his weakness to them quite well-, but this was above and beyond his normal level of stupidity. At least with animals, he could take them to a local shelter to find a new home-- But a kid is a whole new barrel of fish. God, this is the stupidest decision I've ever made- maybe I should just drive her to the next town and drop her off, once the rain lets up. There's no way--





His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a sigh, and glanced up into the rearview mirror, tilting it slightly with one hand so he could see the backseat. The kid was lying on her back, eyes closed and the stuffed fox that she had seemingly procured from nowhere when she had been drifting off hours earlier nestled in her arms. She didn't look like she was asleep, just laying there with her eyes closed, and although Levi knew he could be interrupting the kid's sleep he decided to speak up and offer her what little food he had left in his car. It wasn't much- the remnants of a pack of water bottles he had bought when he had nabbed a particularly rich man's wallet, which held around a dozen bottles left, one of which was empty, a few bags of chips, two granola bars and a can of baked beans he hadn't been able to open in a couple months because he had lost his can opener when he was fleeing one of the many people who was after him because he owned them money-, but she looked like she could use some food, and her lips were chapped, a sure sign that she at least needed water.


"Hey-" He began, not all that certain how to address a disheveled kid who had darted out from a forest, but figuring the usual approach would probably be the best. "If you need food or water or anything, there's a pack of water bottles under your seat, and some chips and granola bars in a bag that should be hanging off the headrest." Another stupid decision- but hell, I'm not going to starve the poor kid. He knew the amount of cash left from his last venture into the criminal world wasn't impressive- no more than twenty dollars-, but he figured anything she ate he could replace easily enough at the next gas station.


Speaking of... He glanced down at the gas gauge, and grimaced at the position of the needle. Yeah, I'm gonna have to hit one of those soon.