《Poison Studios: Don't Cross The Bridge》


 CH1: The Bridge

    Chapter One


    The Bridge


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    Cap licked his split bottom lip, and spat blood on the dirt road, refusing to take his eyes off the teenagers that decided today was the day they put a snot-nosed brat in his place, specifically because he stole a pack of their cigarettes. Of course, realizing far too late that the kid was tougher than he looked. Instead of crying or running away after being pushed like any other kid his age, he stomped his worn-out right shoe into the crotch of one of the big kids. That¡¯s when the next few moments after became a blur of obscenities, and violent strikes to the face, stomach, and crotch.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be back,¡± He thought.


    Wanting it more than anything, perhaps thanks to the adrenaline coursing through his veins or because he simply loves fighting. He sat on a big rock sticking from the grass on the side of the road, keeping his gaze forward just in case the teenagers came back for round two. Almost in a trance, he lost track of time for ten to fifteen minutes. With a few more deep breaths, his heart rate came to a crawl, finally able to enjoy the peace. Living in a packed orphanage, he never could get a moment of silence. Sure he was eager to help out here and there, taking on the role of big brother to the orphanages that needed it but still, being outside by the river was pretty much his happy place. Or as he calls it, leave me the fuck alone and I won¡¯t kick your ass, place. Now that he was relaxed, he could feel the aftermath of the fight hit him hard and fast, making him grunt as he leaned to the side. Reaching into his pocket, Cap pulled out a slightly crinkled cigarette he stole in exchange for being battered and bruised. He gave it a once over before placing it between his lips and pulling out a matchbox. Lighting his cigarette, the boy breathed in deeply and exhaled from the corner of his mouth. His eyes watched the small flame eat through the matchstick. His friend was more than likely gonna kick his ass, not for smoking, that was the job of the nuns at the orphanage, more or less. But for picking a fight, and not inviting her. She loved to fight as much as he did, and because she wasn¡¯t very strong the girl made sure every move she made counted. More importantly, Cap knew it was only a matter of time before she got adopted by a good family. She was pretty with a sweet voice and acted like the perfect kid, so any piece of shit would be lucky to have her; Well, that¡¯s what she says at least. Lost in thought, Cap realized he was still holding a lit match once it started to burn his index and thumb. He yanked his hand away, letting it drop next to the rock he sat on. The boy rubbed his index, and thumb together as he noticed a piece of paper slightly wedged under the rock. The thought of something to burn quickly came to mind as he pulled out another match while picking up the piece of paper. He held the flame up to it, lighting the paper with ease before dropping the match, not wanting to make the same mistake twice. Cap twisted the paper, noticing writing on one side. The fire hadn¡¯t spread enough yet, so he could still read it. Not bothering to put out the fire. The paper read;


    ¡°If you want to make some money, keep them from crossing the bridge between five pm to seven pm.¡±


    Cap¡¯s eyebrows scrunched together as he lazily looked from side to side for whatever bridge it spoke about. With soreness in his neck, he grunted as he leaned to the side, looking over his right shoulder, making sure to give the dirt road a small glance lest the teenagers get the jump on him.


    ¡°Well fuck me, there it is.¡±


    Perhaps he took one too many blows to the head because he found it hard to believe he had just now noticed the bridge. It was a light brown bridge that seemed to be made of birch. Whoever built it, clearly didn¡¯t get the wood from anywhere nearby, thanks to there being no birch trees in the area. He proceeded to put out the fire and stuff what was left of the paper in his pocket with the rest of his stolen cigarettes. While it was getting late, he couldn¡¯t afford a watch or anything like that so there was no way to tell what time it was. Not that he believed the note, but he did plan on sneaking back to the orphanage when everyone was asleep. Or at least he hoped everyone was asleep, including his friend. The last thing he¡¯d want is to tell her he got into a fight without her. His stomach began to turn, reminding him that he missed dinner. Well even if he was there for dinner, last night¡¯s backtalk to sister Mary revoked his eating privileges for the next night. Lucky for him he still got breakfast. The sun had finally set, a good sign that everyone was in bed, and by the looks of it, the note was full of shit. He stood up from the rock with a small groan, stretching as he looked around. Somewhere inside hoping that the note wasn¡¯t full of shit and that some wise guy came out of nowhere to slip him a quarter or two. The thought made him tense up, not sure if he wanted some random gangsta to pop up behind him in the dark. After a while, he relaxed and slipped his hands into his pockets. Turning to leave he glanced at the rock he was sitting on only to find a piece of paper. Thinking that it slipped from his pocket, Cap plucked it from the rock only to realize it wasn¡¯t the partially burnt piece of paper, but a stack of bills, hundred dollar bills. Time seemed to come to a crawl as he just stood there stunned. His gaze shifted from left to right, desperately trying to see who placed the money there. Cap immediately turned, making a mad dash down the dirt road, ignoring the screams of his sore body.


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    ¡°Dorothy, why are you out of bed?¡± Sister Mary asked, her suspicious gaze being intensified by her lantern. Unlike the other nuns that ran the orphanage, Sister Mary was the head, the owner, and pretend mother to some of the younger ones. Something the woman seemed to hate being called. She would happily go out of her way to correct any kid who called her such an endearing name. Her reasoning for not liking being called mother or any variation of the name, was because it was special to the woman that adopts them in the future. Dorothy understood the reasoning but still, she didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°Forgive me, Sister Mary. I just can¡¯t hold it any longer.¡±


    ¡°You should have gone before bed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to remember that.¡±


    ¡°Be sure that you do.¡±


    The towering nun seemed to glide past her like a ghost. It gave Dorothy the creeps but she kept her composure like the perfect girl everyone expected her to be. The girl stepped backward into the bathroom, glancing from side to side through the hallway before closing the door.


    ¡°Hey?¡±


    A whisper came abruptly from her right, causing her to let fly an instinctive left hook, straight into the whisper¡¯s ribs. She reached over and flicked on the lights.


    ¡°Oh, hey Capo. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Damn it,¡± He said, wincing. Still very much sore from the fight a few hours ago. ¡°You did that on purpose, and I told you to stop calling me that.¡±


    ¡°What are ya a pussy?¡± She squinted, her piercing eyes looking over Cap¡¯s black eye. ¡°Seriously?¡± She asked as she stepped over to the toilet. She slipped from her bloomers and sat down.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked, playing dumb. He hadn¡¯t looked in a mirror yet but he was sure he didn¡¯t look too good. He winced seeing her mount the toilet. ¡°Aw come on. You can¡¯t hold it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to, you can get the fuck out. And don¡¯t what me, look at your face. How are you gonna explain that?¡± She asked while digging through her bloomers. She pulled out two bread rolls and tossed them to him.


    ¡°Forget all that, look what I got," He said, almost not reacting in time to catch his meal for the night. He held up ten hundred dollar bills with a toothy grin.


    ¡°Fake,¡± She said, rolling her eyes. Giving no reply, he shoved the stack in her face so she could get a closer look. Dorothy was smart even if she was stubborn at times. After looking the bills over she snatched them from his hand and held them up to the light. ¡°This is why you got beat up, you stole a bunch of money?¡±


    ¡°Not even, I took some pussy¡¯s cigarettes,¡± He said, showing her the slightly crumpled box of smokes.


    ¡°Ew, forget the smokes, Capo,¡± She said, while casually taking them and dropping them into her bloomers. She didn¡¯t have any pockets and the elastic of her short bloomers was strong enough to pocket small things. ¡°Go for the candy ones, they¡¯re a few cents.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of cents,¡± With a mouth full of buttery bread, he groaned as the cigarettes he fought two teenagers for were snatched away with ease. ¡°We gotta find a way to split, and hide all this money. If we can just break it somehow.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Capo. I¡¯ve got a plan.¡±

 Ch2: The Message

    Chapter Two


    The Message


    The first half of the new day was spent in class and doing chores. With Cap and Dorothy being older than most, the two helped out where they could. One¡¯s age pretty much told your responsibilities and that was to help those younger than yourself. This wasn¡¯t necessarily said to them by Sister Mary and the rest of the nuns. It was just something the two had naturally started doing. After the nuns noticed this, they coined the idea and began encouraging the behavior. When Dorothy was seen doing it, to be specific. Given how much trouble Cap got himself into, they suspected that he was just up to something.


    The two made their way down the dirt road, while Dorothy counted the money in her tiny cloth handbag. After heading to the candy shop, the two left with not only a few pieces of sweets but also a few quarters more. The shop owner was distracted from the task of counting money, all thanks to Cap seeming as if he were only moments away from pocketing the candied cigarettes. They sat on a wire stand inside the candy shop along with many other eye-catching sweets. Enticing customers to buy an extra piece of something yummy before leaving. Now the candy shop owner began to wonder if he was a fool for making it so easy for kids to steal.


    Dorothy on the other hand was having the man break one of the bills, explaining how her sweet grandmother gifted her a hundred dollars as an early birthday gift, even though her birthday wasn¡¯t for a few more days. As if exchanging that much money wasn¡¯t hard enough, to make things complicated for the man, she also asked for a mix of dollars, quarters, dimes, and nickels. Dorothy sweetly protested when he supposedly gave her the incorrect amount, falsely claiming that she needed a few more quarters before giving him back a nickel for the two boxes of sugar cigarettes. Now on the dirt road, Dorothy finished counting the money before slipping the cloth purse into her sundress and pulling out the note Cap found to study.


    ¡°Why is it burnt?¡± She asked, receiving a shrug.


    ¡°I got bored," He said while placing a candy cigarette between his lips.


    ¡°So you risk arson because you were bored?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a river! Plenty of water," He mumbled defensively.


    She rolled her eyes knowing he just liked to get under her skin. Coming to a stop in front of the bridge, Dorothy said;


    ¡°Keep them from crossing from five to seven," She read over the note. ¡°Who the hell is them, and,¡± She squinted at the bridge, as she pocketed the note. ¡°Is that¡­ birch?¡±


    ¡°Right?!¡±


    ¡°What happens if you cross between five and seven?¡± Dorothy mused. ¡°Where did you find the note and money?¡±


    ¡°Right here," Cap walked over and sat down on the rock. ¡°Right at my feet. I didn¡¯t even notice the damn bridge until I read the note. Anyway, I didn¡¯t know what time it was so I just waited until it was dark. I stood up, and as if it came out of my ass, a thousand dollars, right there.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you should get your head checked out,¡± She teased. ¡°You think more will pop up?¡±


    ¡°If it does then we have a bigger problem,¡± He began. ¡°A hundred dollars is questionable but thousands will have people asking what the fuck. If anyone finds out,¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a big if,¡± She stepped off the dirt road into the grass where a twig sat. Checking for any crawlers, she plucked it up and stabbed it into the soft soil. ¡°It¡¯s about five already.¡±


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    Cap¡¯s face twisted up, both interested and confused.


    ¡°¡­ Looks like you¡¯re the one who needs her head checked.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called a sundial. We just learned about it. Weren¡¯t you listening?¡±


    ¡°Meh, I¡¯m doing this new thing where I keep it in my head for a while, and then forget about it to make room for more important shit.¡±


    ¡°We learned about it this morning,¡± She said.


    ¡°Eh,¡± He shrugged.


    She stared at her friend with a bit of disbelief before her attention snapped toward the dirt road. Following her gaze, Cap did the same.


    ¡°Is that them?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I sure hope so. There are two more this time," He grinned.


    The two teenagers from yesterday were back with two more boys who seemed a bit unsure of the possible fight. They had envisioned a teenager, not some kid with a fake cigarette in his mouth.


    ¡°You boys on a date?¡± Dorothy smirked, bursting with pride that she said it first. With how two of the teenagers looked, she couldn¡¯t help but admire Cap for his handy work. Sure Cap didn¡¯t look so good, even having the nuns, not including Sister Mary, strangely enough, wanting to know what happened to him. Still, the two teenagers looked worse, and Dorothy very much wanted to leave her mark on the other two.


    ¡°Shut it!¡± The boy with the most exposed bruises snapped, not even looking at the girl. ¡°Fork it over Cap,¡± He demanded.


    ¡°Yeah, they belong to his dad," Another boy blurted out in a slightly squeaky voice. He got a cold glare from giving out that bit of information.


    ¡°So your dad likes a good fag huh?¡± Cap teased, remembering that in another part of the world, fag meant cigarette, then again implying that the teenager¡¯s father was gay was all the reason he needed.


    ¡°I¡¯ma beat your ass, Cap!¡±


    The four of them moved closer but paused when they noticed the girl removing her dress. Now only dressed in short bloomers, thigh-high socks, and her boots, she gently placed her dress on the rock before making a mad dash for one of the boys. Slamming her shoulder into his chest, and knocking the breath from his lungs. That signaled the start of the fight, lasting for but a few moments. Once again the teenagers limped away, back down the dirt road. Cap sat in the grass watching them leave as Dorothy lay flat on the ground, enjoying the cool grass on her back. Panting she asked;


    ¡°How¡¯s my face, Capo?¡±


    Cap lost the candy cigarette in his mouth, sometime between headbutting one of the teenagers in the nose and kicking one in the ribs. Reaching into his pocket, he went to take out a real cigarette as he glanced in her direction.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, but you¡¯re gonna have bruises on the rest of ya.¡±


    ¡°The money maker is the most important," She said while waving a hand over her face. Cap knew why she even asked, after all, she was the perfect girl for adoption. The problem being, she didn¡¯t seem like she wanted to be adopted. ¡°The candy ones, Capo," She reminded him. Reluctantly he put back the cigarette and replaced it with candy.


    ¡°May as well throw the real ones in the trash,¡± He groaned.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ no, keep them¡­ just in case.¡±


    Dorothy was fast asleep, while Cap munched through his third candy cigarette. He glanced over at the sundial seeing that they had a bit more time left. His attention fell on Dorothy remembering the first time they fought together and got caught. He ended up taking the fall for the trouble. After all, Dorothy was the perfect girl in the eyes of Sister Mary, and the rest of the nuns. His gaze traveled south to her bare chest. They were much bigger than he remembered. Spacing out, his gaze snapped to her face, only to flinch slightly when he saw she was staring back.


    ¡°You can touch them if you want¡­ I¡¯d rather you do that than smoke. That stuff will kill you, Capo.¡±


    ¡°I told you to stop calling me that, and who the hell cares, we all die someday,¡± Cap said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll die sooner putting smoke in your lungs. I can see you fighting some smart ass and losing because your lungs are messed up.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I get it, damn,¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s head back.¡±


    Dorothy got up with a small whine. Sure fighting a couple of punks was a great stress reliever but being sore all over sucked. She stepped over to her sundress and slipped it back on.


    ¡°Capo?¡± Dorothy called softly as she turned around holding two stacks of hundred dollar bills.

 Ch3: The Cookie

    Chapter Three


    The Cookie


    They managed to make it back to the orphanage before dinner was over. Taking a seat next to each other in the dining hall, they kept their voices as low as possible. Easy to do thanks to the chatter of the other children. Cap and Dorothy agreed not to use specific words just in case someone was eavesdropping.


    ¡°Good idea, we should hide it in different locations,¡± Dorothy said, as she elegantly ate her meal. She and the rest of the girls were supposed to be proper young ladies so were watched pretty closely by the nuns. The boys were watched as well but for different reasons. Specifically provocative reasons, after all in their eyes boys couldn¡¯t be trusted. ¡°Then again there¡¯s just so much, luckily for us it¡¯s pretty easy to get more if it was stolen.¡±


    ¡°Says you, I¡¯m running on fumes already. My sores have sores. If tomorrow night turns out the same I¡¯m screwed.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re screwed, I¡¯ll be there too. More importantly, where do you think it¡¯s coming from?¡±


    ¡°Probably ghosts," He said nonchalantly.


    ¡°Nope, shut up. Ghosts give me the creeps. It¡¯s more likely to be aliens.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid of ghosts but not aliens?¡±


    ¡°Well yeah, ghosts are always creeping around corners, popping up out of nowhere, and watching you while you sleep. You know, acting all creepy. With aliens, you at least know what they¡¯re up to. They¡¯re practically ugly proctologists," She made a single pop sound with her lips as she pointed her index finger up. ¡°A little butt probing, and then they¡¯re gone.¡±


    ¡°Eh, why do I even eat next to you?¡± He said, scanning the room, seeing sister Mary wheeling a tray of food out of the dining room. His mood sank a little when he remembered some of the kids were sick so had to eat in the sick room. ¡°Maybe we should go buy some medicine for the orphanage.¡±


    Dorothy glanced at the nun leaving the room before focusing on her meal.


    ¡°Nah, it wouldn¡¯t work. They¡¯re being poisoned," She said casually.


    ¡°Wha, how do you know that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, nobody truly knows anything a hundred percent but what¡¯s one thing all the sick kids have in common?¡±


    Cap¡¯s gaze traced the table for but a moment as he thought.


    ¡°They¡¯re teens?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± She said, pointing her fork.


    ¡°Okay sure but there¡¯s only two. Who probably got sick from touching ass.¡±


    ¡°The heart wants what the heart wants, Capo. But old Ms. bible-thumper has a problem with it. Anyway, I don¡¯t really knoooow anything, I¡¯ve just read a book where rat poison was used to slowly kill someone.¡±


    ¡°Or they could just be sick? Sister Mary wouldn¡¯t poison us,¡± He said.


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    ¡°Says you. I don¡¯t personally trust any of them. I take that back, I don¡¯t trust anyone older than me.¡±


    ¡°At least they like you,¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t hate you,¡± She cooed. ¡°They fear you. You¡¯re smart, tough and the others look up to you. I don¡¯t call you Capo for no reason.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t call me that at all," He protested while staring at his empty plate where a few cookie crumbs remained. ¡°We should go visit the poor bastards¡­ and take their desserts for compensation," He said casually while rising from his seat.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll take Mabel.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat it though. We¡¯re gonna put both your theories to the test.¡±


    She stared up at him with question in her gaze.


    ¡°Both?¡±


    Sister Mary exited the boy¡¯s sick room where Jack had been kept for a few days. The moment she stepped into the hallway, her sharp gaze darted down towards Cap who stood with his back to the door frame.


    ¡°If you have enough free time to stand there, you should go to the kitchen and help wash dishes before bed," She scolded.


    ¡°Sorry, Sister Mary. Normally I¡¯m first to help wash but I figured Jack could use some company since he¡¯s been eating alone. If that¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°¡­ No roughhousing of any kind, is that clear?¡± She asked as she began walking away.


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    Slipping into the room, he closed the door behind him. The room was large enough to hold at least ten boys if or whenever they got sick. A room Cap slept in a few times over the months. Jack sat propped up in bed with a bed table hovering over his lap.


    ¡°Cap, lost another fight again?¡± Jack asked, giving him a sickly smirk.


    Cap noticed the teen¡¯s face was a tad paler than the last time they spoke and he seemed in desperate need of a haircut. Normally people got better after a few days or at least showed signs of getting better but not in Jack¡¯s case. Cap felt a small sting of pain for Jack even though he didn¡¯t personally like the arrogant prick.


    ¡°Yeah, something like that,¡± Cap answered as he took a seat in a chair next to the door.


    ¡°No shame in losing. As long as you don¡¯t lose the drive to keep trying.¡±


    Cap blinked, using every ounce of willpower not to roll his eyes.


    ¡°Right¡­ What¡¯s up with you and Mabel?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s asking?¡± Jack asked, furrowing his brow.


    ¡°¡­ Me?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Oh I see what¡¯s going on. It¡¯s alright, you can look but don¡¯t touch. She¡¯s my girl, and don¡¯t forget it. To be honest I kind of took you as the type that swung the other way. My girl is an angel after all so it¡¯s understandable that all types would want her.¡±


    ¡°Mabel is an ugly pig-bitch!¡± That is what Cap wanted to say, even if it wasn¡¯t true. ¡°You¡¯re a lucky kid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a lucky man. You¡¯re still a virgin," Jack said while lifting his frosted dessert to his lips.


    ¡°Men eat cookies?¡± Cap asked, causing Jack to pause, furrowing his brow once again.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Kids love cookies. I figure once you become a man you have to act like one.¡±


    ¡°Where does it say men can¡¯t have a cookie, Cap?¡±


    ¡°Calm down,¡± He held up his hands. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to help. You said so yourself, Mabel is an angel, and the last thing I¡¯d want is for you to lose her because she learned you ate a cookie. Men have to look out for each other right?¡±


    ¡°You start being a man once you stop being a virgin," Jack aggressively explained as he placed his dessert back down. He stared at it long, and hard before picking it back up and holding it out to Cap. ¡°Here, don¡¯t say I never did anything nice for ya.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Cap stood and moved closer to the bed. When he reached out to take it, Jack yanked it back.


    ¡°That¡¯s, thank you, Sir.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Thank you¡­ sir.¡±


    ¡°Good, now get out so I can enjoy the rest of my dinner.¡±


    Without another word, he took the frosted cookie and left. Doing his best not to crumble it in his hands, he boiled with built-up rage. Wanted nothing more than to sock Jack in the jaw; Sickness be damned.

 Ch4: The Reply

    Chapter Four


    The Reply


    The next day after their classes, and chores, the two visited a few different shops to break up their money like before and this time buy two sturdy but small metal box containers, including a small hand shovel from a gardening shop. While Dorothy found the place interesting, Cap seemed bored out of his mind. Oddly enough one of many things Dorothy admired about the boy. They went back to the bridge, digging a hole on the side of the big rock before shoving one of the small containers into it. Stuffing it full of their earnings, they closed it and covered it up with dirt, and a patch of grass. Taking out a pencil and paper, Cap pressed against the rock and began to write.


    ¡°Is this cookie poisonous?¡± Dorothy read from over his shoulder.


    ¡°Yep, gonna ask the ghosts,¡± Cap said with an ear-to-ear grin.


    ¡°Or aliens! Most likely aliens," She said, her gaze snapping from side to side, trying to spot a ghost that may or may not be hiding in the bushes or peeking from behind a tree.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah just go hide the other container. We¡¯re putting the cigarettes, and the shovel in that one. Put the extra money in there too.¡±


    ¡°S-sure,¡± She said, hesitantly.


    Luckily it was still somewhat light out as she went three trees deep to the left of the dirt road. Shoving it between the thick roots of a tree, she covered the spot with a few leaves before making it back over to Cap.


    ¡°I put it under some leaves at the base of a tree. The third tree that way,¡± She said.


    ¡°Got it. What¡¯d ya think?¡± Cap asked as he showed her what he had written. ¡°Is this cookie poisonous? Yes or No. And are you a Ghost or an Alien? With check-boxes to make things simple," Placing the paper on the rock, he pulled out the cookie wrapped in a cloth handkerchief, setting it delicately on top before stepping back next to Dorothy.


    ¡°If I see ghost checked, I¡¯m never coming back here," She said as a matter of fact.


    Cap glanced over at the sundial they left there yesterday, showing that it was around five pm.


    ¡°Think we have enough for a watch?¡±


    Dorothy stood there watching the rock intently. Her gaze flickered from paper to cookie a few times as she became lost in thought.


    ¡°That¡­ depends¡­ if we want a good one or not," She replied absentmindedly. The question finally clicked in her head. Placing her knuckles on her hips, she focused her frown in his direction. ¡°A watch? What¡¯s wrong with my sundial?¡±


    ¡°Well for starters it¡¯s a sundial,¡± He said, with raised eyebrows.


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    She grunted, looking back towards the rock.


    ¡°¡­ I think Mabel¡¯s gonna die. I wasn¡¯t able to get the cookie from her," She whispered.


    ¡°You said so yourself, the both of them may just be sick. Also, Jack was bragging about how he¡¯s not a virgin anymore. So I¡¯m partially right about them touching ass.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a piece of shit that got lucky, that¡¯s all. Doesn¡¯t change nothin¡¯," Hearing her say that gave Cap goosebumps. A reminder of why she was his best friend. ¡°The sisters made it clear that I wasn¡¯t allowed to try any of her food. Even asking me if I did after I left the room. How about you?¡±


    ¡°No, nothin¡¯ like that," He said.


    ¡°That right there makes me suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± The familiar voice called out to them from behind. They quickly turned to see only one teenage boy from yesterday but this time he had something in his right hand. The boy slowly pointed it in Cap and Dorothy¡¯s direction. ¡°Give me back the cigarettes or I¡¯m gonna put a hole in your head," He demanded.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t have them on me," Cap said softly, finding it a tad hard to speak.


    ¡°I-In the woods. We put them in the woods," Dorothy said.


    ¡°Take me," The teen said, quickly aiming at Cap when Dorothy turned. ¡°He¡¯s gonna take me. If you take another step, I¡¯ll just shoot him and have my father hide his body. He¡¯s good at that kind of stuff you know.¡±


    Dorothy stood there her head spinning while her legs felt like they were gonna give out any moment. She watched Cap lead him into the woods. It wasn¡¯t uneven ground with lots of naturally grown vines and bushes, causing the two to walk slower. Even when the two were out of sight, the teen¡¯s warning rang in her head, acting as a verbal lock for her feet. It was violently replaced with the sound of a gunshot. She flinched, her eyes immediately filling up with tears she¡¯d been fighting back until now. Gritting her teeth she ran after them, screaming her friend¡¯s name. Another gunshot rang out, as a mix of rage, and fear filled her thoughts, fueling her with an extra burst of adrenaline. Dorothy strained her voice going from yelling her friend¡¯s name to simply yelling. Her shouting tapered off into a small whimper, panting as she came into view of two bodies on the ground. Taking a moment, she saw the teenager lying flat on his face with Cap sitting back on the ground, gun in hand. He slowly locked eyes with her, trembling harder as he fought to hold back tears. In the end, he failed and wept.


    The two of them remained balled up together, embracing one another on the ground for what seemed like hours. Dorothy couldn¡¯t stop herself from trembling. But more importantly, no matter how tight she hugged him, Cap wouldn¡¯t stop either. This was more than just upsetting because she had never seen him like this before, and wished she never did. Enraged because the one that caused this was already dead, and she had no one to take her anger out on. At some point, she wasn¡¯t sure if she was shaking with fear or rage. Dorothy had used the small hand shovel to hide the body, gathering random flora to cover up the fresh soil. She even managed to find the two bullet casings. It took some time to do all that but she was tempted to dig him up and stomp his face in.


    ¡°Come on,¡± She whispered, slowly lifting her friend to his feet, and guiding him from the woods. Back on the dirt road, she tried to guide him back home to the orphanage but felt him resisting her. Still holding his trembling hand, she looked back into his wide empty eyes that stayed focused on the ground as if it was the most important thing in the world. Dorothy¡¯s gaze remained on his face for a bit longer before slowly looking past him towards the rock. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ we almost forgot," She said with a shaky tone in her voice. He finally moved his feet when she began guiding him back towards the rock. The cookie was gone, though the note remained, and like before, two stacks of hundred dollar bills resting on top. Pocketing the money, Dorothy slowly slid the note from the stone, and read it in the moonlight.

 Ch5: Rebirth The Monster

    Chapter Five


    Rebirth The Monster


    Two white hand puppets shaped like bunnies danced around in front of Cap¡¯s empty eyes. Dorothy entertained her friend with his favorite toy. A secret from long ago that she kept close. Jack from the other side of the room couldn¡¯t help himself as he chuckled at the display of affection he found stupid.


    ¡°That¡¯s so childish,¡± He said.


    Dorothy seemed to ignore it, dancing the hand puppets a bit more before finally standing up from her chair and placing down the puppets. She walked up next to Jack and leaned in close.


    ¡°Say one more thing, I dare you.¡±


    A threat she wished she could¡¯ve given to the one she buried. Jack was taken aback by this. While he knew Cap and Dorothy were friends, this was the first time Dorothy had ever confronted him. Still, he was a man now and wasn¡¯t gonna let a kid scare him, let alone a little girl.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of some kid," Jack chuckled.


    Dorothy twisted her body, and smashed her right fist into Jack¡¯s jaw, knocking out the already sickly teenager. She proceeds to take his pillow and place it firmly over his face, climbing on top of his chest to quicken the process of smothering him. After he had finally stopped breathing, she replaced the pillow under his head before slipping back to the floor. Making her way back over to Cap, she proceeded with the bunny puppet show. After a while she noticed Cap giving off an innocent smile, clearly enjoying the puppet show. Dorothy found the look to be the most adorable thing in the world, though she wished it wasn¡¯t coming from him. She checked her new pocket watch with a small sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few hours, Capo. You¡¯re the leader of the bunnies, okay? Make sure they don¡¯t do anything stupid," She chuckled as she placed the hand puppets on his chest. As she left the orphanage, she heard a scream coming from one of the nuns, more than likely she found Jack not breathing. She wasn¡¯t counting the minutes but hopefully, it had been long enough to kill the last few brain cells that bastard had left, she thought. Dorothy made her way toward the bridge and positioned herself on the big rock, this time with a book in hand. The orphanage had a library but sadly nothing that had to do with guns. Lucky for her she was an avid studier so had a library card to a library down the street. Sister Mary helped her get one but warned her not to return anything late or damaged. Dorothy stopped by and found herself struggling to pick just one. An older man, perhaps in his eighties, noticed the girl was trying to decide between three thick books. One about gun safety, one about gun use, and another about gun maintenance & repair.


    ¡°Oh lord, I¡¯ve done seen it all now. What¡¯s got you so interested in the devil¡¯s tool young lady?¡±


    ¡°Hello, sir," She said, giving him a small curtsy. ¡°Well you see, I want to learn every gun inside and out. And someday be the best at using them.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡± He gave a small frown, pondering his next words. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Dot," She said.


    ¡°Well Dot, I¡¯m Mr. Ricci. It¡¯s not easy to take a life. It can be very traumatic. You might be able to pull the trigger, but could you live with their ghost for the rest of your life?¡±


    This sent a chill down Dorothy¡¯s spine, but her resolve stayed firmly in place as she locked eyes with the old man.


    ¡°It depends on who I¡¯m doing it for, Mr. Ricci.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I see," Gazing into her eyes a bit longer, he finally held out a finger towards the book on gun safety. ¡°That one, first. So you at least don¡¯t accidentally hurt yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you," Placing the others back, Dorothy made a mental note to read those two books later. ¡°How does one get over trauma?¡±


    ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t, you simply learn to live with it. You keep moving forward, one step at a time.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Back at the bridge, Dorothy sat cross-legged on the rock, wishing that she brought a blanket so she could sit on the grass instead of sitting on an uncomfortable rock. She got through a quarter of the book before the rumble of a fancy dark green car disturbed her peace. Coming to a stop, two well-dressed men in black trench coats and fedoras got out of the car. The driver seemed to have a pretty easygoing smile on his face. A smile Dorothy immediately saw as suspicious, and perhaps easy on the eyes.


    ¡°Hey, Kid? What ya readin?¡± Smiley asked, seeming genuinely interested.


    ¡°A book about gun safety, sir!¡± Dorothy said casually with a warm smile.


    ¡°Ha, one of them uh,¡± He snapped his fingers a few times before pointing at her. ¡°Lady comedians huh? That¡¯s adorable. Listen, you hadn¡¯t seen a kid almost my height, blonde hair with a black eye?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sir. I ain¡¯t seen nothin, ain¡¯t heard nothin.¡±


    ¡°Startin¡¯ to like you, kid. I wish some of us kept our mouth¡¯s shut," Smiley said, glancing over at the other guy who had pissed off written all over his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me, I¡¯m not in the mood," Angry said to Smiley as he walked closer to the bridge. ¡°You sure you ain¡¯t seen some dumb kid around?¡± He asked Dorothy as he made his way to the bridge.


    ¡°Sorry, sir. I didn¡¯t know you were hard of hearing. I met an old guy named Mr. Ricci at the library. I think he heard me just fine. In fact, he helped me pick out my book. Though I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t know how to read if you don¡¯t know how to listen.¡±


    Smiley¡¯s eyes almost popped out of his head while Angry froze in his step and said;


    ¡°Get lost kid, you bother me.¡±


    ¡°You get lost, I was here first. Besides, I bet your stupid son got himself killed," Dorothy let slip too much info but was desperate to make sure he stayed away from the bridge.


    Angry somehow grew more pissed as he rushed over to where she was sitting and backhanded her off the rock she sat on.


    ¡°Damn it! So we¡¯re fighting little girls now?¡± Smiley asked.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my son you little bitch?!¡± Angry yelled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you," Was all she said before pulling out the pistol kept from the teenager. Pulling the trigger, she realized the safety was on, and so did Angry as he quickly lunged for it. Frantically flicking the safety, she pulled the trigger once again, and with a bang, put one straight into the side of his head. Angry¡¯s lifeless body fell on top of her, causing her to struggle with trying to get up before Smiley could do anything. Frantically pushing, and kicking to get the corpse off her, she accidentally pulled the trigger, sending another flying into Angry¡¯s body.


    ¡°Wooo, kid, relax. Number one rule of gun safety? Trigger discipline or something like that. I¡¯m more of a left hook, right jab kind of guy. Beat em til they can¡¯t move no-more, that kind of thing.¡±


    As she finally got to her feet, she went to aim in the other guy¡¯s direction but hesitated when she saw him casually smoking a cigarette. Hesitating either because he reminded her of Cap or because he seemed far too relaxed.


    ¡°What¡¯d you want?¡± She asked, now full of adrenaline.


    ¡°What do I want? Nothing now, you already did my job for me,¡± He said while pointing his cigarette at the body. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna clean up, and let you get back to your reading, how¡¯s that sound, little lady?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me lady.¡±


    ¡°Sure sure, not a problem.¡±


    She lowered the gun further, pointing it down at the ground as Smiley slowly made his way over toward the corpse. He took hold of Angry¡¯s coat and began dragging him to the back of the car.


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for his son, you don¡¯t need to.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± He said, sounding slightly amused as he loaded Angry into the trunk. ¡°He stole his dad¡¯s gun, the same one in your hand. You killed him too?¡±


    ¡°My friend did it¡­ and now he won¡¯t speak," She said, feeling as if a small valve was about to break in her chest.


    ¡°Shit¡­ Look, I¡¯m sorry kid. This idiot leaves his piece laying around for his asshole son to pick up, for what, a pack of smokes? Hey¡­¡± He closed the trunk and stepped from behind the car. ¡°Are you the girl that beat him, and his friends up?¡±


    ¡°With my friend.¡±


    ¡°Same friend that uhh¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yeah," She said softly, the adrenaline finally gone from her body.


    ¡°Tell you what, you give me the gun and tell me where the other body is, and you can try going back to a somewhat normal life. Flowers and holding hands er-whatever.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± She said bluntly. ¡°I tried that originally, and it almost got my best friend killed. Instead, I¡¯ll pay you to give more bullets for this.¡±


    He stood there staring at her before slowly starting to smile.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Nah. But you finish reading that book on gun safety, I¡¯ll take you to a shooting range tomorrow if you got the cash. Bullets ain¡¯t cheap¡­ and neither is my time.¡±


    ¡°Deal, I¡¯ll be here at three. He¡¯s buried in the woods, the third tree that way.¡±


    Smiley reached into the back of his car and pulled out a shovel. Dorothy felt as if she was gonna vomit, while he simply whistled his way into the woods as if digging up bodies was something he did every day. She wasn¡¯t gonna say it out loud but she desperately wanted what he had, and she wanted to give it to Cap.

 Ch6: Rebirth The Beast

    Chapter Six


    Rebirth The Beast


    Dorothy glanced over her shoulder at the door, making sure it was closed. Thanks to Jack being gone, they were finally alone to talk, even if it was one-sided. In the middle of peeling an orange, she went on with her story of yesterday.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t trust old Smiley,¡¯¡¯ she began, ¡°but I think there¡¯s a lot I can learn from him. I have a feeling he might be pretty high in rank,¡± she leaned in close to whisper, ¡°maybe even an actual Capo,¡± she said with a grin while placing an orange slice between his lips. ¡°Today he¡¯s taking me to a shooting range, as long as I pay him of course. I only got a thousand dollars this time from last night but that¡¯s okay, we¡¯ve got about¡­ six thousand between the both of us?¡± She sat there staring down at the incomplete orange in her hands. There was a piece missing which begged the question, was it still an orange? Lost in thought, Dorothy wondered if her friend was missing a piece of himself, just like the fruit she held. With the way he was, she most definitely felt as if a piece of her was missing. She began to envision what her future would be like from here on out. Like most kids, she¡¯d go on to make new friends, struggling not to end up as a filthy teenager like Mable, then what, grow up to be like Sister Mary? Dorothy¡¯s face twisted up at the very thought of being such a cold bitch. She simply couldn¡¯t see why Cap admires her so much. More than likely because of Sister Mary¡¯s figure, she figured, and Cap was a boy after all, even if he didn¡¯t openly say he was interested in that kind of thing. Dorothy figured her friend simply refused to be anything like Jack, a perverted arrogant teenager. The girl slowly placed the orange down on the table side before wiping her hands on a napkin, she took Cap¡¯s hand and pressed it to her left breast. Her heart began to race though the moment was bittersweet. She¡¯d hoped this moment would¡¯ve been under better circumstances. ¡°There¡­ now you can¡¯t smoke again, okay?¡± She paused, waiting for a reply that never came. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve decided. You¡¯re coming with me. You¡¯ve been in bed long enough,¡± Dorothy said with a grin. Getting him dressed, and ready for the day, she managed to get him out of the orphanage without a problem. Not sure if it was because Sister Mary didn¡¯t care about Cap or because the woman trusted her. Given the fact he needed a haircut, she was sure she knew the answer. Walking towards the dead end of a paved road, there was a dirt road that led further out towards the woods where the bridge was. Just before the dirt road however, sat Smiley¡¯s car with him leaning on the hood. He puffed his death stick, Dorothy noticed.


    ¡°Hey! Uh¡­ Dot was it?¡± Smiley asked.


    Dorothy frowned, and said;


    ¡°I never told you my name,¡± or at least her fake name, she thought.


    ¡°Yeah, word gets around,¡± he shrugged with a smirk.


    ¡°Mr. Ricci told you, didn¡¯t he?¡± Dorothy asked.


    ¡°Maybe, anyway, who¡¯s your friend, oohhh.¡± His smile widened with sudden realization.


    ¡°You can call him Capo,¡± Dorothy said.


    ¡°Ha, nice try kid. I¡¯ll just call him¡­ C.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, let¡¯s get going,¡± Dorothy said.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± He held up his palm, ¡°pay up.¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    Dorothy reached into her pocket and pulled out a hundred-dollar bill. Smiley took one look at it and started coughing uncontrollably for a moment.


    ¡°What the hell, where¡¯d you get that kind of scratch?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business, are you taking us or not?!¡± She asked.


    Seeing the kind of money she was throwing out, Smiley wasted no time. With them in the backseat, he glanced at the two in his rear-view mirror.


    ¡°Must be nice having rich parents,¡± he said, trying to get an idea whose kids these were.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have parents.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m to believe an orphanage is giving out hundred-dollar allowances?¡± Smiley asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to believe anything. I just want you to teach me to shoot.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say, boss lady.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me lady.¡±


    When they finally arrived at an outdoor target range, Dorothy could feel Cap flinching every time a gun was discharged. It was for his own good, she thought. The last thing she wanted was for Cap to be bedridden for the rest of his life. The same thing could be said about her fear of ghosts, she thought. But that was for another time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡±


    She stepped up to the range while Smiley placed a box of 9mm rounds on the table in front of her.


    ¡°Be sure to squeeze the trigger, don¡¯t pull it. Squeezing should be a slow, and steady process while pulling is more of a jerking feeling. You¡¯ll hit your target if you slow down.¡± With a bang, she hit the paper target right in the middle. Using binoculars, Smiley said, ¡°damn, dead center.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Dorothy began tapping the trigger, letting fly rounds that didn¡¯t connect.


    ¡°And now you¡¯ve missed every shot,¡± He said, not even needing to look through the binoculars. ¡°Take it easy, and focus like the first one.¡±


    With adrenaline buzzing through her veins, she gripped the pistol in both hands. Taking a moment to relax, she squeezed the trigger, again and again until the gun clicked, signaling that it was empty. Gently placing it down, she looked towards Smiley for confirmation.


    ¡°Well, not the center but you did hit the target every time. Good job, kid.¡±


    Her face lit up, before stepping over to her friend.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s his turn.¡±


    ¡°You sure about that?¡± Smiley asked with a wide-eyed smirk.


    ¡°Positive, in fact,¡± she turned and pointed at a random man aiming a larger gun. ¡°I want him to use that one.¡±


    ¡°A shotgun? Heh, maybe if he was a little bigger and stronger.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I paid you, so make it happen. Besides, Capo is stronger than he looks.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re the boss,¡± he sang as he stepped away. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡±


    Moments later he was back, immediately getting a frown from the girl when he came back with something small.


    ¡°I said, a shotgun.¡±


    ¡°And I said alright. It just has a smaller barrel. This thing has a lot of kick so you need to be standing just right to properly absorb the recoil.¡± He took a moment to aim down sight, showing the proper stance. ¡°Got that?¡± He asked, expecting a sly remark from the tomboy.


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s good.¡± Placing the shotgun down on the table, he stepped back. Watching the little girl get her mute friend into position, instructing him on how to hold it properly as if she had been an instructor for years. He couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by how fast the girl learned. ¡°You go to school?¡±


    ¡°Technically,¡± she answered while making small corrections to Cap¡¯s stance.


    ¡°Technically?¡±


    ¡°The orphanage home schools us. I bet a real school has better teachers, however.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you take what you can get. I bet you at least got the highest grades, right?¡± He mused.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just second highest.¡±


    ¡°Damn, kid, that¡¯s still better than most. I¡¯d say you¡¯re on the road to becoming a doctor but you¡¯re going in the wrong direction with all this gun stuff. Ah, whatever, the other kid is probably just some kiss-ass teacher¡¯s pet.¡±


    ¡°I think so, on some level, I suppose.¡± She stepped back, and to the side, using Smiley as her point of reference. ¡°Okay, try to hit that paper target. Fire when,¡± Before she could finish he pulled the trigger, the kick causing him to slide back about an inch across the dirt, still firmly on his feet. Smiley didn¡¯t see any real danger, after all, he made sure he loaded it with only one twelve-gauge round. Even if he missed, and went flying back on his ass, he wasn¡¯t gonna accidentally misfire. However not only did the boy destroy the target but his body stayed firm like a statue.


    ¡°Holly crap!¡± Cap turned towards Dorothy, his face glowing with excitement. ¡°This thing is awesome!¡±

 CH7: The Sleeping Giant

    Chapter Seven


    The Sleeping Giant


    Dorothy held on as tight as she could, hugging as if for dear life. Cap was a tad shorter than her so his face pressed against her breast. The girl cared very little that people were watching though Smiley didn¡¯t seem all that interested in being the center of attention. He turned and pretended to check over the shotgun.


    ¡°Alright you two, knock it off would ya.¡±


    Dorothy slowly pulled away a watery gaze, though her hands rested on his shoulders.


    ¡°Cap, I thought¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Cap gave her a concerned smile.


    ¡°Sometimes saying full sentences can help you in life, and sometimes saying nothing at all can be just as beneficial,¡± he said, giving her an innocent smile.


    With how soft he spoke, and how much he smiled, it was clear to her that something was off about him. He had gone from cool to adorable, filling her with conflicting emotions. On rare occasions, Dorothy wondered what having a little brother would be like, however, she most definitely didn¡¯t want Cap to answer that question for her. But at least he was speaking now. Just one of many more steps before he was back to normal, she told herself.


    ¡°The kid sounds like a damn fairy.¡±


    Dorothy slowly turned her wide gaze around to see who said it and to her surprise, Jack was there at the range too. He smirked over his shoulder in her direction, looking as healthy as ever. Seeing the intensity in the girl¡¯s eyes, Jack said;


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you little girl. So turn those crazy eyes somewhere else.¡±


    She was gonna put him down for good this time, reaching for her pistol she stopped when Smiley stepped in between her, and Jack.


    ¡°Easy kid, let me show you something,¡± Smiley said as he walked up to Jack. With just a small whisper a fight broke out between the two men. Jack was twice if not three times Smiley¡¯s size so when Jack¡¯s fist struck Smiley¡¯s jaw his head snapped to the side. Though he didn¡¯t go down.


    ¡°Ya like that?! I don¡¯t care what fucken family you¡¯re from!¡± Jack spat.


    Smiley¡¯s reply came with a flurry of strikes to Jack¡¯s chest. Dorothy noticed Smiley wore something shiny on his knuckles. She was pretty sure he wasn¡¯t wearing rings a few moments ago. He knocked the wind out of Jack and finished with an elbow to the jaw. Jack toppled over to the ground, instinctively putting his hands up while dazed. Smiley waited patiently to see what Jack did next, that being either go for a gun or get back up for round two. Surprisingly after struggling to his feet, he scooped up his belongings and left the range. Dorothy blinked a few times finally realizing he wasn¡¯t Jack when the man walked past them to his car. In fact, he was a large full-grown adult who had far more muscle than Smiley. With that being said, Dorothy couldn¡¯t help but be flooded with emotions. Getting goosebumps from Smiley¡¯s handling of the problem but also trembling at the sudden phenomenon of the strange man having the face of a dead teenager. For a few moments, she saw the boy she¡¯d killed as plain as day and was pissed that the prick was still alive, even though she knows for a fact she snuffed him out yesterday. The haunting phenomenon was almost too much for her. She barely even noticed Cap pick something up off the ground while she stood there frozen with fear. After all, ghosts were supposed to come out at night when you were alone, but here it was in the afternoon in the middle of a wide-open shooting range.


    ¡°I would like to try the shotgun again.¡±


    Cap¡¯s innocently joyful tone pulled her from her thoughts, her crippling fear momentarily fading away. Surprisingly she became more frustrated when she realized this fear could get her killed. Even worse, get Cap killed. Anger pooled in her fist shaking with frustration, refusing to let the thought of some damn ghost leave her for the sake of fighting her demons head-on even if it felt like she was losing.


    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t wanna try a pistol? It¡¯s less likely to dislocate your shoulder,¡± Smiley said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him,¡± Dorothy said with a bit of irritation. She realized her words came out in a way she didn¡¯t quite intend so she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. ¡°Sorry¡­ and thank you.¡± She gave him a smirk, instead of the usual girly smile. Cap seemed to ignore the both of them, no longer wanting to wait. He stepped over to the table where the shotgun rested. He plucked a shell from the table and examined it and the gun closely. ¡°He beat up two teens bigger than both of us, and the next day he did it again, though I was with him for that one.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I might¡¯ve heard something about that. How¡¯d a little girl, and an ankle-biter pull that off? What¡¯d you pay ¡®em off or something?¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°He gets into a lot of trouble.¡± She said, letting years of built-up exhaustion pass through her lips with a sigh.


    ¡°Oh really, him?¡± He mused while starting his hundredth cigarette of the day, Dorothy thought. ¡°Sounds like me back in the day. Then again, I had someone watching out for me. If he¡¯s anything like me, ya might wanna keep him on a tight leash.¡±


    ¡°Capo does what he wants, and I make sure it happens,¡± she said as a matter of fact.


    ¡°Hm,¡± Blowing smoke from the corner of his mouth, he asked. ¡°So ah¡­ you two dating or something?¡± Dorothy¡¯s mouth gaped ever so slightly, caught off guard by the question. ¡°I ask because it¡¯s never a good idea to mix relationships and work. More importantly, it¡¯s okay to play pretend but pretending to be a Capo can get you hurt or worse. Just a little friendly advice.¡±


    She stood there staring into the man¡¯s gaze, feeling his words desperately hacking away at her resolve but with a loud bang, her attention snapped towards Cap who had loaded the shotgun and fired down range.


    ¡°This thing is amazing!¡± Cap said.


    ¡°You idiot,¡± Dorothy began. ¡°At least wait for a new target, you destroyed the last one, and it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Smiley, can we get a new target?¡± Cap asked, turning his innocent smile towards Dorothy.


    ¡°Mr. Smiley?¡± Smiley mused.


    ¡°Perhaps something not paper so the target lasts longer,¡± Cap said.


    ¡°Sure, kid. But it¡¯ll cost yah, wait.¡± He said, just remembering how much she gave him the first time. ¡°Never mind, because if you pull out another one of those, I might shit myself.¡±


    They remained at the range for a good hour and thirty minutes. Trying out all the guns and putting a noticeable dent in the range¡¯s stockpile of ammunition. Specifically the twelve gauges, and nine millimeters. The metal target they paid for had pretty much been turned to slag so the offer to take it as a souvenir was turned down. The employee recognized the man in the trench coat, and hat, knowing full well the guy was practically broke thanks to his life choices. The same life choices that were also keeping the man from winding up dead somewhere. But the fact he was able to pay for so much ammunition, and range time was baffling. Clearly, those kids belonged to some wealthy fuck, and Smiley got lucky enough to be their bodyguard. Getting an idea, the man checked his watch, seeing that it was almost quitting time.


    ¡°Thanks, Mr. Smiley, that was the most exciting thing in the world. I can¡¯t wait to do it again,¡± Cap said as Dorothy helped him out of the car.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Heh, must have never touched a tit before,¡± he smirked. ¡°You two head on home. I think you should find a new place to read for a while.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Dorothy asked, noticeably annoyed.


    ¡°Just a gut feeling.¡±


    ¡°Riiiight, just be back here tomorrow around seven in the morning. Capo wants to go back to the range.¡±


    ¡°Seven?! Look I got a date tomorrow morning. I can¡¯t miss that, why don¡¯t you two go hold hands at the lake or something, I got shit I need to do.¡±


    Smiley deflated in defeat, his cigarette almost slipping from his lips when he saw the girl whip out another hundred-dollar bill. Staring off into the distance, Smiley began to ponder what was more important, his date or getting paid. The thought lasted but a moment as he took it, and drove away without another word. Cap waved goodbye while Dorothy¡¯s irritated gaze raced after Smiley in his rear-view until he was finally out of sight.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± She asked as they made their way back to the bridge.


    ¡°I feel amazing, why?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ how are you feeling¡­ about¡­¡± She stared into his innocent smile, somehow making her change the subject. ¡°Your hair¡­ It¡¯s getting pretty long.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it one bit. Sometimes a new hairstyle can keep things interesting.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± They walked in silence for a moment before a thought popped into her head. ¡°Oh! That letter you wrote, to the one giving us the money. You got a reply, wanna see it?! I¡¯m not sure if you heard me tell you this morning.¡±


    ¡°Mm mm,¡± he shook his head, still smiling without a care in the world. ¡°No thank you. Sometimes the unknown is much more exciting than actually knowing.¡±


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± She erupted. ¡°Since when has that ever been true?!¡±


    ¡°Since now,¡± he said as a matter of fact. ¡°Sure it could be a ghost or an alien but what about a talking spider? Could even be a squirrel that moves really fast. So fast we can¡¯t even see it! Or maybe it really is a rich grandmother but she¡¯s got some invisibility power,¡± he mused.


    Finally arriving at the bridge, she listened to her friend¡¯s childish ramblings. Every word coming out of his mouth made him seem like an annoying little brother she never had, and less like her best friend. Dorothy sat on the rock, staring off into the distance, listening to him talk for about an hour.


    ¡°Hey, Cap?¡­ Could you just shut the fuck up?¡± Just like that, the sounds of nature were back, and all it took was for her to utter words she had never said before, at least not to him. Though she hadn¡¯t even realized what she said until a few moments later. She pressed her hands to her face before running her fingers through her hair with frustration. Not really wanting to believe what she said, Dorothy stayed silent for a while trying to keep down the overwhelming emotion. She finally opened her eyes and looked in his direction. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Capo I¡¯m¡­¡± Her words trailed off, slowly scanning the area only to find him gone. ¡°Cap?¡± Her thoughts immediately started to twist and turn. Violently weaving through the minutes, and hours leading back to yesterday, and the day before. She hallucinated before with Jack, perhaps all this time she was hallucinating Cap as well. ¡°Cap!¡± She screamed, racing into the woods once again, towards the area where she thought Cap died. Even if he was alive, the old Cap was gone, whether she found his body dead on the ground or not. Her dress became covered in leaves, and twigs, ripping here and there. She finally arrived at the spot out of breath, only to find nothing, just the empty grave. Yelling Cap¡¯s name once again, she raced back to the bridge further ruining her clothing to soon find he still wasn¡¯t there. Her dizzying gaze went straight towards the most out-of-place thing there, and that was the sundial she made. Spacing out, she saw that there were still a few minutes before seven. Her legs felt weak as she looked in the direction of the big rock sticking out of the ground. Anxiety knocked on the doors of her sanity as she waited to see whether one or two stacks of bills would appear. She waited, and waited, her heavy breathing, and heartbeat growing increasingly loud. Footsteps on the dirt road tore her attention away from the rock and towards two figures standing over her. Looking up she saw two familiar faces. Jack and the older man she¡¯d named Angry, were there. Angry still had a fresh hole in the side of his head from where she shot him, and Jack was blue. Clearly, she was losing her mind if she was able to see color in what little light there was. Unable to control her breathing Dorothy¡¯s eyes rolled back, and she fainted.


    Dorothy slipped in and out of consciousness, getting a slight glimpse of what appeared to be Cap¡¯s hands struggling to peel an orange for her. He was always bad at peeling properly, and she never could understand why. How could this boy be so intelligent, and be horrible at such a simple task? In a slight panic, she shot up from her pillow only to be immediately blinded by the sunlight. Still, her eyes remained as wide as possible, forcing, demanding them to adjust so that she could finally see¡­ not her friend sitting at her bedside. To be specific, no one was sitting there. With a glance around the room, she realized it was the girl¡¯s sick room, and not even Mabel was there. She was alone though she could hear someone talking outside the door. Slipping out of bed, she walked briskly towards it, noticing the door was ajar. Peaking out, she saw Sister Mary, and a few other nuns, speaking with two officers neatly dressed in their dark blue uniforms.


    ¡°When we found her, she was tied up in a room with her clothing ripped.¡± One officer explained.


    ¡°They raped her?¡± One of the nuns asked, gasping into her palm. The nun¡¯s eyes filled with tears, while Sister Mary¡¯s eyes simply squinted. Dorothy knew the woman had a very strong grasp of her emotions, not wavering even slightly to the best news in the world or the worst. She figured if Sister Mary found out the world was going to blow up, she¡¯d be the calmest person in the world. The problem was, she¡¯d probably make all the children in the orphanage study the future death of mankind. On some level, she could understand Cap¡¯s admiration of the woman but for the most part, Dorothy saw her as a stone-cold bitch.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know that, sister.¡± The officer said with a shake of his head.


    ¡°We do think we were able to find them but,¡±


    ¡°Every last one of them deserves the death penalty, there¡¯s no but about it,¡± blurted one of the nuns.


    The officer did his best to be patient.


    ¡°They¡¯re already dead,¡± he said.


    ¡°Suicide?¡± Sister Mary asked, calmly.


    ¡°N-no¡­ they were¡­ butchered and spread out evenly across the living room floor. We can¡¯t even identify them due to their lack of skin. We¡¯ve never seen anything like it. We only found her thanks to reports of gunshots, and yelling from the neighbors.¡± The officer explained, causing one of the nuns to cover her mouth, and leave down the hall.


    The door quickly swung open, startling Dorothy. She didn¡¯t make a sound and thanks to her natural willingness to fight, her feat remained firmly in place. Her eyes grew wide as she tried to make out what she was seeing, or in this case, who.


    ¡°Dorothy!¡± Cap called out with a heart-melting smile, though his eyes were a tad hard to see thanks to his bangs. He was dressed in a nurse outfit and hat. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be in bed?¡±


    Dorothy remained silent as fear set in. She wasn¡¯t sure if she was being spoken to by a ghost or someone else and she was just hallucinating. If she answered, and Cap wasn¡¯t there, she would surely be on the road to an insane asylum.


    ¡°Cap,¡± Sister Mary began. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be in boys'' clothing?¡±


    Cap gave Sister Mary a blushing smile while rubbing the back of his head. A heavy weight lifted off Dorothy¡¯s chest, feeling as if she could breathe again. Sister Mary had unintentionally acknowledged that Dorothy wasn¡¯t crazy.


    ¡°There weren¡¯t any doctor outfits so I just wore this,¡± Cap explained.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t like it, and you need a haircut.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll change.¡± Intentionally not telling her when he was going to do just that. Cap quickly pointed at Dorothy. ¡°You need to get back in bed so I can feed you this round orange thing.¡± He presented it in the palm of his right hand as if it was new-found gold.


    ¡°An orange?¡± Dorothy asked, not sure if he was simply gaslighting her.


    ¡°Yeah, I accidentally ruined the last one¡­ so I had to go get another.¡±


    He escorted her back to bed before placing himself in the bedside chair. Struggling once again to peel the orange. This time the nuns, and officers were in the room, questioning her for almost an hour. Finally, Cap held up a palm and whispered to Dorothy.


    ¡°Can you peel this for me please?¡±


    ¡°S-sure,¡±


    She reached to take it from him but one of the nuns took his arm.


    ¡°Cap, you need to leave. You¡¯re being a¡­¡±


    The nun tapered off as she noticed Dorothy giving her such a horrifying glare that it could have been the devil in the flesh. Sister Mary glanced at the officers, before speaking.


    ¡°I believe we have some questions for you as well, Cap.¡± She said, giving the other sister a nod that she was free to let go of his arm. When she did, Dorothy¡¯s death glare relaxed as she finally accepted Cap¡¯s orange he asked her to help peel¡­ for her. ¡°Do you know anything about who might have kidnapped Dorothy?¡±


    ¡°Well of course I do. It was the shop guy from the gun range.¡±


    ¡°Why were you at a gun range?¡± One of the nuns asked.


    ¡°Mm¡­ I feel a tad uncomfortable answering that question.¡± He said bashfully.


    ¡°Why,¡± Sister Mary began. ¡°Is it because you were doing something you weren¡¯t supposed to?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± he protested softly. Lowering his gaze into his lap, he went on to say, ¡°Because the question is just so stupid that¡­ I feel like I might become stupid just for acknowledging it.¡± He raised his head, with a bit more energy in his voice, mixed with fear. ¡°For example, what if I do acknowledge it, and I forget how to spell¡­ acknowledge?! I don¡¯t want to be as dumb as Dorothy. She doesn¡¯t even know how to peel an orange.¡± He whispered the last part, even though Dorothy was close enough to hear the slight.


    The nun stood there both embarrassed and enraged by the smart remark. Dorothy on the other hand soon burst out into an uncontrollable laugh that brought tears to her eyes.

 CH8: New Beginnings

    Chapter Eight


    New Beginnings


    The officers questioned the two in length with Sister Mary there as the ever-watchful guardian. They were surprised by how unaffected Dorothy seemed to be, though the sudden death stare she gave one of the nuns a few moments ago had everyone worried if only a little. Cap confessed that he had gone to a shooting range to check out the guns. While it was the truth, it wasn¡¯t the whole truth. Either way, Sister Mary made the two promise never to go back there, if they ever hoped to leave the orphanage again. Dorothy agreed though she was always a respectful girl. Sister Mary was more interested in hearing Cap say it. He never lied but only because he refused to make promises he didn¡¯t plan on keeping. Protesting, he finally conceded, promising never to go there ever again.


    Dorothy checked her pocket watch, seeing that there was still time to meet up with Smiley. Getting the okay from Sister Mary, she couldn¡¯t help but be surprised by how concerned she was for their health and safety but also be relaxed enough to allow them free roam once again. Though today Sister Mary was adamant about them taking an umbrella even though it wasn¡¯t raining. All that being said, she still couldn¡¯t help but have mixed feelings about Sister Mary. When the two were finally alone, making their way toward the bridge, Dorothy finally said;


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ for what I said.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for what?¡± He leaned his head to the side still sporting that innocent smile that both annoyed her, and made her heart melt.


    ¡°Yesterday¡­ I told you to shut up.¡±


    ¡°Hm? No, you didn¡¯t,¡± he said. Dorothy¡¯s eyes opened wide as she wondered how long she was unconscious. ¡°Yesterday, you said, hey Cap?¡­ Could you just shut the f up? But f as in, the f word.¡±


    ¡°What, fuck? Just say fuck.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes you can get your point across without cursing.¡± He said.


    ¡°¡­ Whatever. But where did you go?! I looked everywhere for you. I thought¡­ you were just a ghost, and I was going crazy.¡±


    ¡°Me a ghost?¡± He chuckled. ¡°And you go crazy? I don¡¯t think so. The day you go crazy is the day Sister Mary runs around town in just her bloomers,¡± he laughed.


    Dorothy stopped walking and dropped the umbrella. She reached out and shook him lightly by the shoulders, hoping to shake his brain back into place.


    ¡°Listen Capo, where¡­ exactly¡­ did¡­ you¡­ go?!¡±


    His smile fell from his lips as he scanned her face with slight confusion.


    ¡°¡­ You were being rude so¡­ I didn¡¯t wanna talk to you.¡±


    ¡°WHERE!¡± She roared. ¡°WHERE DID YOU GO?!¡±


    ¡°Yelling at a Capo?¡± A familiar voice chimed in causing the both of them to turn their gaze towards Mr. Smiley, and an older man Dorothy met at the library. ¡°Now I know I¡¯m dreaming,¡± Smiley said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Smiley,¡± she said with a small blush. Dorothy quickly noticed the old man next to him. ¡°Mr. Ricci?¡±


    ¡°A Capo, huh?¡± Mr. Ricci asked with a raised brow. ¡°I might be old but I¡¯m pretty sure no one¡¯s stupid enough to make a baby-faced kid a Capo.¡±


    Cap quickly pointed a finger at Dorothy and said;


    ¡°She¡¯s dumb enough.¡±


    Smiley snorted while Dorothy stood there feeling a tad deflated.


    ¡°Mr. Ricci, thank you for saving me,¡± she said.


    ¡°Sure kid, gun safety is the most important, according to the ball & chain back home.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean¡­ the kidnappers from last night.¡±


    The two men took a moment to glance at each other.


    ¡°Listen, kid, my wife wants you over for dinner,¡± the old man said.


    ¡°How does your wife know me?¡± Dorothy asked.


    ¡°Well when a kid goes around throwing out hundred dollar bills like candy, word gets around. Trust me, kid, my wife makes the finest dishes. It¡¯s why I keep her around. Don¡¯t tell her I said that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be the first thing I tell her if her cooking is bad,¡± Cap blurted out.


    Mr. Ricci frowned before what he said sank it.


    ¡°Ah, I see, pretty clever. You had plans with a¡­ Smiley was it?¡± He mused.


    ¡°We can¡¯t go to the range again. Sister Mary made us promise,¡± said Cap.


    ¡°Mary?¡± Mr. Ricci asked with slight shock. Even Smiley was surprised.


    ¡°You¡¯re both from her orphanage?¡± Smiley asked.


    ¡°You know her?¡± Dorothy asked, seeing her chance to get information.


    ¡°Perhaps the most famous woman in the nation, and let¡¯s just say any boy would be lucky to live under the same roof as her.¡± Mr. Ricci mused.


    ¡°Enough talk, let¡¯s eat!¡± Cap said cheered with a hand towards the sky.


    Unlike Dorothy, he didn¡¯t seem to care about the unknown. She glanced at her friend for a moment before focusing back on the old man.


    ¡°He accepts your offer for brunch but I want the money back.¡±


    ¡°Sorry kid, it¡¯s gone,¡± Smiley said.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, kid,¡± Mr. Ricci added.


    Annoyed, Dorothy didn¡¯t protest. After all, they saved her life and were now inviting the both of them over for dinner. The smart thing to do was ask Sister Mary for permission. But fuck her, Dorothy decided. The drive took about fifteen minutes. She made sure to keep a close eye on her pocket watch when perhaps she should have kept a closer eye on where they were going. Looking outside the car window she gazed over the wide open field that seemed relaxing more than anything. A perfect spot to grow corn, or hide a body, she thought. The vehicle came to a stop in front of a beautiful white, two-story farmhouse. On the porch sitting cozy in a rocking chair was a woman who looked about fifty. She wore a beautiful blue dress with a matching hat that seemed to speak to Dorothy¡¯s repressed femininity. Slipping from the car first she turned around to help Cap from the car. The woman stood up from her chair and stepped to the edge of the porch with curiosity in her gaze.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the two orphans stirring up trouble,¡± she said, with a tone that was both soft and firm.


    ¡°Mary¡¯s orphans,¡± Mr. Ricci said.


    ¡°Mary?! That bible thumper? No wonder you two are causing trouble. Welcome to New Beginnings, children. I¡¯m Mrs. Beatrice and this is my farm. It should be mine and my husband¡¯s but the lazy man acts like he¡¯s allergic to dirt.¡± Noticing the adorable boy looking around a tad confused, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong dear?¡±


    ¡°Well, this land isn¡¯t the proper place to grow rice, Mrs. Rice Beater,¡± Cap said with slight concern in his tone.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re adorable. Mind telling me your names?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s C and I¡¯m Dot,¡± Dorothy spoke up before Cap could.


    ¡°Are those your real names?¡± Mrs. Beatrice asked patiently.


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am!¡± Cap blurted out with his right hand raised. ¡°I think that was a lie because she doesn¡¯t trust you. Can we eat now?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Smart girl, if only you smiled more. You¡¯ll never find a husband looking like that unless you two are already dating?¡± She teased, causing Dorothy¡¯s cheeks to turn pink though her look of annoyance remained.


    ¡°Sister Mary doesn¡¯t approve of that,¡± Cap said as he approached the porch with a smile plastered on his face, the complete opposite of the girl that shadowed close behind him looking as if she didn¡¯t need much of a reason to start fighting.


    ¡°Of course, she wouldn¡¯t. That bible thumper. Anyway, I hope you¡¯re hungry.¡± She gave a warm smile while escorting the two inside.


    Dorothy took a peak over her left shoulder to see Smiley and Mr. Ricci still in the car. Smiley gave her a wave that for some reason gave her goosebumps as she watched their car follow a path around the house. She hadn¡¯t even noticed she stopped walking until Cap said something.


    ¡°I¡¯m kind of hungry, can we hurry up please?¡±


    She turned and glared at him.


    ¡°Then just go inside, damn it!¡±


    ¡°Stop yelling at me! I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re acting like a pussy,¡± she mumbled.


    Cap furrowed his brow before turning to walk through the front door. A gasp escaped his lips causing Dorothy to rush inside reaching for her pistol that wasn¡¯t there. She usually kept it tucked deep in her bloomers thanks to her pockets not being big enough. The guys that nabbed her must have taken it from her while she was unconscious. No matter, his gasp was an annoying false alarm. Looking around she saw no danger but a wonderland of nic-nacs & trinkets. She wasn¡¯t sure if the woman was a collector or just a hoarder.


    ¡°This place is amazing!¡± Cap said, sidestepping along a wall to get a close view of everything. ¡°Look, look! There are two bunnies in a tea cup, with the two others sad that they can¡¯t get in.¡± He cooed, ¡°Poor bunnies.¡± Every word that came out of his mouth, upset Dorothy. But she bottled it up as best she could. They spent some time getting a tad distracted by each decoration. At some point it began to rain, making the cozy feeling the farm gave off even better. It put Dorothy in a slightly better mood that she didn¡¯t challenge Sister Mary¡¯s decision to make them carry around an umbrella. Forgetting that he was hungry for a good thirty minutes, Cap¡¯s nose finally registered something amazing in the air. He followed the smell into the dining room where there were more interesting wall decorations. But more importantly on the table was a mouth-watering meal, with two plates already prepared. Dorothy glanced over each bit of food with suspicion.


    ¡°Bout time you two got in here,¡± Mrs. Beatrice said. ¡°Sit, and eat, children.¡±


    ¡°Eat children?¡± Cap mused. ¡°Cannibalism is illegal so I¡¯ll just eat around the human meat, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Adorable, and funny,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll eat first. Wanna make sure it¡¯s not poisoned, for my friend¡¯s sake,¡± Cap said as he sat down in the wooden chair with a decorative cushion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. Who would cook all this food just to ruin it with poison? Just sit down, and eat,¡± Dorothy said with a clear tone of annoyance.


    ¡°Heh, you¡¯re right, I¡¯m starving. Mrs. Beatrice, how do you know Sister Mary?¡±


    Until now, Mrs. Beatrice remained oddly quiet, Dorothy noticed. The woman was surely up to something, she thought.


    ¡°Why everyone who¡¯s anybody knows Sister Mary. Her orphanage has the highest adoption rate¡­¡± She paused and glanced off to the side deep in thought. ¡°Highest adoption rate In the world and the education she provides is steadily outperforming even the best universities.¡±


    ¡°And you still don¡¯t like her?¡± Dorothy asked, though her mouth was a tad full so her words came out a tad garbled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t, she sounds too good to be true.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like her either,¡± Dorothy grumbled while gazing down at her plate.


    ¡°How long have lived there?¡±


    ¡°Five years,¡± Cap said only after clearing his mouth and whipping it with the napkin. ¡°She¡¯s older by a year but we were transferred from other orphanages at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, there aren¡¯t very many decent orphanages out there,¡± said the woman.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Cap began. ¡°My orphanage taught me how to fight. As in there were always big kids picking on me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. Children shouldn¡¯t have to grow up in such a hostile environment.¡± She directed her gaze towards Dorothy. ¡°How about you?¡±


    Dorothy shrugged, lazily forking mashed potatoes, and turkey into her mouth.


    ¡°Just a bunch of dumb bitches who didn¡¯t know how to fight.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ Mr. Smiles a lot might be able to give you some pointers,¡± Mrs. Beatrice mused.


    ¡°We call him Smiley!¡± Cap said joyfully.


    Dorothy perked up when the conversation changed to Smiley. She shot daggers at Cap for a moment, finding his joyful outburst annoying. Looking back at the woman, Dorothy couldn¡¯t help but smile ever so slightly as she spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen him fight, It was so amazing. There was a guy who was so much bigger than him but it only took him a few seconds to put him down.¡±


    ¡°I think she has a crush on Mr. Smiley,¡± Cap teased, only receiving an eye roll from Dorothy. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you.¡±


    She was just gonna let it go but the last part sent her over the edge. She didn¡¯t want to spend the rest of her life with Smiley. Sure he could fight and he seemed cool-headed but that didn¡¯t mean she had planned on having his baby. What angered her the most was the fact Cap seemed to just accept that unbelievable future.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Dorothy snapped and slammed her fist on the hardwood table. Mrs. Beatrice seemed to ignore it as she ate her meal. Stunned by her own words, Dorothy stared at his blank baby-faced expression. He gave her an innocent confused gaze that successfully pissed her off even further. Recovering from her shock, she clenched her fist once again, finally strengthening her resolve. ¡°You used to be¡­¡± she bit her lip for a moment. ¡°Not this! Now every time you speak I just get more and more embarrassed. You¡¯re an embarrassment!¡± She spat, leaning into her words. ¡°I used to be proud of being your partner, and now¡­¡± Dorothy slowly shook her head as she sat up straight in her chair. Her face was scrunched up, appalled by the very sight of the boy. He slowly slipped from his chair and stepped over to her. The girl¡¯s heart skipped a beat, knowing that he was gonna fight back. Because it would prove she was wrong about him, and because that¡¯s what the old Cap would do. The boy leaned in, and hugged her, now hearing both the soft rain showering the cozy farmhouse and his gentle breathing.


    ¡°You used to be different too,¡± he began with a whisper. ¡°But the only difference is, I¡¯ve accepted you because you¡¯re the most important thing in the world to me.¡±


    Hearing him say this took her breath away but only for a moment as a spike of rage shot through her. Slamming her forehead into his face, he stumbled back with a broken nose. Cap trembled as his eyes began to fill with tears, and his lungs with air. Dorothy lunged from her place at the table and made a mad dash outside into the rain, to try and avoid it. Her hands cupped her ears to try and block out the boy¡¯s weeping. A sound that threatened to shatter her world.

 CH9: Pregnancy

    Chapter 9


    Pregnancy


    It was a long walk back to the orphanage. She didn¡¯t quite know where she was but after making it back into town, Dorothy was able to figure out the rest. The tomboy did well in her geographic studies so simply finding her way home was pretty much a walk in the park. Though in this case, the ¡°park¡± took about an hour. Luckily for her, the rain had stopped, and being lost in thought had kept her from getting bored. Compared to Cap, Dorothy got bored pretty easily so when they went into Mrs. Beatrice¡¯s home, and saw all of those wall decorations, she had to admit that was pretty exciting.


    ¡°Dorothy, I thought I told you to take an umbrella?¡± Sister Mary scolded the girl when she caught her walking through the hallway soaking wet.


    ¡°I did, the boy has it.¡±


    ¡°The boy?¡± Sister Mary asked with a slightly raised brow. The look of suspicion still firmly in her gaze. ¡°He does have a name.¡± Dorothy simply stood there glaring up into the woman¡¯s eyes, tired, and a tad hungry. Not getting a reply, Sister Mary said, ¡°Since you¡¯re needlessly adding to the mess today, go help Mabel with the laundry after changing.¡±


    Dorothy turned and slowly marched away, leaving more water on the floor. Sister Mary watched her intently before her attention slowly turned towards a little one who slipped on the wet floor. Now in fresh new clothes, and having had her fill of snack, and drink, she stood in the laundry room folding clothes in silence with Mable who looked much better than before. Though she had bags under her eyes that made it clear she wasn¡¯t getting much sleep.


    ¡°How are you doing, Mable?¡± Dorothy asked not taking her gaze from the task at hand.


    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s something I should be asking you,¡± Mable said. The teenager¡¯s voice was perhaps the softest in the orphanage. She seemed so fragile, sometimes Dorothy wondered what would happen if she gave her an uppercut to the jaw. Was it possible to truly knock someone¡¯s block off, Dorothy asked herself.


    ¡°You lost your boyfriend,¡± Dorothy said, causing Mable to stop folding for but a moment.


    ¡°Technically¡­ yes. But he¡¯s not really gone.¡± Mable mused. Dorothy frowned a little, hoping the next words out of her mouth weren¡¯t about him being a ghost. ¡°I don¡¯t think you truly lose anyone. Yes¡­ I might not be able to make new memories with him but¡­ at least I still have memories of him. In my free time, I¡¯ve been studying the human body. Do you know how many bones the human body has?¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Dorothy answered.


    ¡°It varies from person to person for various reasons, but generally it¡¯s around two hundred.¡± She said in a cold calculating tone.


    ¡°Correct, and did you know guys tend to have an extra bone in their bodies?¡±


    Dorothy frowned as she quickly found this to be false, she opened her mouth to call Mable stupid but she cut her off.


    ¡°It¡¯s their penis bone.¡± Mable broke out into a gentle laughing fit into the back of her hand. Dorothy stared up at her with a look of disbelief. Noticing that she was the only one laughing, Mable blushed and went back to folding. ¡°Sorry¡­ I thought it would cheer you up. You haven¡¯t been doing well lately. I know because neither have I.¡±


    ¡°And what the hell does that suppose to mean?¡± Dorothy snapped, turning to face her.


    Mable kept her eyes on her folding, not challenging the small girl¡¯s death stare.


    ¡°¡­ Because we¡¯re grieving. With you being kidnapped, and¡­ molested by those horrible men.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡­ molested,¡± Dorothy said while turning back to folding.


    ¡°Denial is the first stage of grief with anger being the second,¡± Mable explained. ¡°I saw your clothes, they were ripped.¡±


    Dorothy shook her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s just because I was trying to find¡­ find someone. My clothes must have snagged on some branches and thorns or something.¡±


    Mable paused as she placed a knuckle to her chin, focusing on the memory of Dorothy¡¯s torn dress.


    ¡°Oh, I did recall your dress having grass stains, and leaves on it. If nothing worse happened¡­ then that¡¯s a relief.¡± She said, with a palm over her chest. Taking another breath, she went back to folding. ¡°Cap seems to be doing well, maybe. He changed into a nurse¡¯s dress and simply refused to take it off when I instructed him to. He said he was doing it to help you get better. When I tried to stop him, he gave me the most uncomfortably innocent smile I¡¯ve ever seen, it¡¯s a tad hard to explain. He¡¯s most certainly not the same boy from a few days ago. But his heart seemed to have stayed the same, his love for you I mean.¡±


    Her words sank deep into her chest, threatening to slice her open like a fish. Dorothy strengthened her resolve, refusing to turn back on her decisions.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what the fuck you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Dorothy picked up the basket of freshly washed and folded clothes before making her way straight for the exit. She stopped when two officers and Sister Mary stepped out in front of her.


    * * * * *


    Dorothy sat in a stone windowless room, not that she would have been able to see anything due to the lack of light outside. There was one large mirror on the wall that brought some interest to the empty room. She¡¯d read enough to know that mirrors in rooms like these had people on the other side, watching, and studying any unlucky sap that got arrested. Aside from the metal chairs, and table, in the room with her was the ever-watchful Sister Mary who held the same cold stare as always. Not that she cared what the woman thought of her, but she did kind of wish she¡¯d show some kind of facial expression. The door in front of Dorothy opened as a man in a suit walked in. Somewhat like Smiley but brown instead of all-black. He gave a nod to the one woman in the room, almost surprised that she was there.


    ¡°Hello, Sister Mary, I¡¯m detective Martin,¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re accusing an eleven-year-old girl of a crime right after she was kidnapped just yesterday, pathetic.¡± She snapped, causing Dorothy¡¯s eyes to widen. Sister Mary stayed calm as always but her tone made it clear she didn¡¯t fear his badge. A tone Dorothy had never heard before.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sister, but what makes you think she¡¯s being accused?¡± The man asked defensively.


    ¡°If you simply wished to question this young girl, you would have done so at the orphanage. Not in a building full of child murderers who hide behind their badges.¡±


    ¡°I only wish to investigate a missing man, and his son, ma¡¯am.¡± He pleaded, firmly. Sister Mary said nothing else as she kept her belittling gaze locked on the officer. Taking a small breath, Detective Martin sat down across the table from Dorothy.


    ¡°Dorothy, I¡¯m gonna ask you a few questions so I need you to answer me truthfully.¡±


    He spoke in a soft tone that seemed to burn Dorothy. While she didn¡¯t know the man, she for some reason considered him retarded. An unprovoked thought perhaps, but she couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the man¡¯s IQ. Maybe she got an ego boost, she thought. When Mrs. Beatrice had told her that Sister Mary¡¯s orphanage was well-educated, she might have unknowingly gotten a superiority complex or even a god complex for killing a mouthy teen, and a wise guy looking for his piece of shit son. Not that she cared about thinking she was better than others but that level of thinking was something she didn¡¯t want getting the better of her. She frowned when she realized the detective had asked her a question. She took a moment to recall his question.


    ¡°I never said I went to a gun range.¡±


    ¡°Your friend said you did.¡±


    ¡°He said, he¡­ went to the gun range, and he¡¯s not my friend.¡± She said, unblinking.


    ¡°I see¡­ It¡¯s normal for friends to part ways. Sometimes friends become¡­ unhealthy. It does take a lot of strength to notice it, and step away.¡± He paused and waited for a response that never came. ¡°The sisters at the orphanage tell me both of you hang out together even though he was the troublemaker, and you¡¯re the proper young lady.¡± He noticed her gaze squint ever so slightly when he called her a young lady. ¡°Tell me about your friend, Dorothy. What is he like or¡­ what was he like?¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°¡­ He was tough, and teenagers were intimidated by him. But he both loves and respects Sister Mary.¡±


    Glancing over at Sister Mary, Dorothy noticed the woman¡¯s gaze became something she had never seen before. She still wore her cold belittling gaze but this time she appeared to be puzzled by this bit of information. As expected, Detective Martin noticed it as well.


    ¡°Is this true, Sister Mary?¡±


    ¡°Cap is a creatively troublesome child, who has the best grades of all my children.¡± Sister Mary said without hesitation. The look on her face went back to normal as she snapped her gaze toward the man. ¡°He does as he¡¯s told, but always manages to get into trouble. The child will keep his promises but would never promise to stay out of inconvenient situations.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very attentive, Sister Mary,¡± He complimented. ¡°He sounds like me when I was his age.¡±


    ¡°Cap has a higher IQ than most adults.¡± Sister Mary said, almost instinctively. An insult to make it clear she was not his friend. However, the detective took it in stride and chuckled.


    ¡°You¡¯re right about that, Sister. Somedays I feel like I¡¯m working with a bunch of knuckleheads.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ With that being said I can¡¯t currently read minds so I¡¯m unaware of Cap¡¯s feelings towards me.¡±


    ¡°You should give yourself more credit. Not many can do what you do.¡± She ignored his attempt at flattery. With a small smile, the man adjusted himself, sitting up a bit more straight as he directed his attention toward the girl. ¡°So Dorothy, your friend¡­ was your friend, and he was intimidating. I¡¯m to assume he turned over a new leaf after you two broke up? Were you the troublemaker this whole time?¡± He asked in an almost teasing tone.


    ¡°You make it sound like we were dating,¡± Dorothy said with a small blush.


    The detective glanced at Sister Mary noticing that she didn¡¯t even twitch when he popped the question of the two dating. Something he found odd for a woman in her status. Any other nun would have been a tad bit more animated by this situation let alone by a question of a girl losing her purity before marriage. Instead, she sat there cold, and calculating, like a monk who had full control of his or her emotions. He figured after a few questions into the integration, Sister Mary would have to be removed. Perhaps he would try doubling down.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you two dating? Nothing to be ashamed of. Many people go on to marry their childhood sweethearts. I sure did, and now we have a family together.¡±


    Dorothy felt as if she was losing her footing in this conversation, struggling to keep her composure as she lowered her gaze. The man clearly wanted information out of her but was going a roundabout way of getting it.


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡± She whispered.


    ¡°You were either dating or you weren¡¯t.¡± The detective said, noticing Sister Mary directing her gaze toward the girl. Seeing it was working, he figured he needed one more push. ¡°I just hope the troublemaker didn¡¯t get you pregnant.¡±


    The detective watched as Sister Mary opened her mouth to surely chew him out, but the woman was cut off by Dorothy.


    ¡°I am pregnant.¡±


    This took the detective by surprise, barely even noticing Sister Mary closing her mouth to listen.


    ¡°Did he force himself on you?¡± He asked, seriousness draping over him like a blanket.


    ¡°No¡­ It feels more like¡­ I¡¯m the one who forced it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to defend him. Boys like him are,¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± She cut him off. ¡°No one is like him. Most boys and men are retarted compared to him. I suppose I¡¯m the one who¡¯s trying to force him to be someone he¡¯s not, someone he¡¯s not anymore.¡±


    ¡°Sex and pregnancy at such a young age can ruin your life, Dorothy, and the fact that he manipulated you into it is in itself a crime, and can lead to prison.¡±


    Dorothy finally looked up with wide eyes, scanning the detective as if what she was experiencing was a hallucination. In the blink of an eye, her face twisted up, and let out a snort. She leaned over the table and exploded into a laughing fit. The detective glanced at Sister Mary who was now directing her cold gaze on him. The girl calmed down, but just enough for her words to make sense.


    ¡°No, you fucken retard! Metaphorically speaking I¡¯m pregnant, as in mentally, not acutely!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not funny, Dorothy.¡± He said, growing noticeably irritated.


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny!¡± Her laughing fit became nothing more than a chuckle. ¡°Pregnancy sucks because it turns women into bitches, and men into pussies.¡± The detective was stunned by the sweet little girl¡¯s foul language. ¡°I bet you cried when you held your baby for the first time, huh?¡± She asked with a twisted, ugly smirk.


    ¡°Most men do but I don¡¯t see how that,¡±


    ¡°And your wife had mood swings that made her a pain in the ass, right?¡± She asked, switching her smirk to the other side of her face.


    ¡°The pregnancy was difficult for the both of us, as it would be for any couple.¡± He explained.


    Dorothy was taken aback by that statement as she realized something.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, pregnancy can be difficult for everyone, and I¡¯m just now realizing how selfish I¡¯ve been.¡± Regret washed over her as she stared down at the table for a moment. She wasn¡¯t sure how to fix things between her, and Cap but she knew the first step was communication. She popped up from her chair with a burst of energy. ¡°So we¡¯re done here, right? I¡¯ve got somewhere I¡¯ve gotta be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dorothy but there¡¯s still a lot we need to go over.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I can fix that no problem. I¡¯ll just sit here, and not answer any more of your questions until you realize this investigation is pointless, and a waste of time. Wait,¡± She held up a hand, stopping the detective¡¯s rebuttal. Glowing with her newly found conviction, she corrected herself. ¡°This isn¡¯t a waste of time¡­ for me. While you¡¯re questioning me, trying to get in my head, I¡¯ve learned something about myself. A realization I¡¯m not sure I would have discovered on my own. So I sincerely thank you, Detective Martin, and wish you the best of luck with finding the traveling father and son.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Traveling?¡±


    ¡°Traveling,¡± She repeated with a playful smirk. ¡°I¡¯m assuming either of them got into some trouble and fled to start a new life somewhere else. It¡¯s the most logical explanation. If they¡¯re not here, then they must be somewhere else.¡± She explained, pointing her index finger from side to side across the table.


    ¡°Our witnesses say the boy took his father¡¯s gun to the river to get back his father¡¯s cigarettes that Cap stole. One admitted to the fighting by the bridge. He was a tad hesitant to admit that he was beaten up by a girl.¡± He said with a furrowed brow.


    ¡°Cap has been acting like a big pussy lately but he¡¯s no girl. I know, I checked.¡±


    The detective directed his attention toward Sister Mary, with eyes that asked, ¡°Is this how all your children speak?¡±


    ¡°They go everywhere together.¡± Sister Mary began. ¡°It¡¯s been a constant struggle just to keep the two from bathing at the same time. I believe it¡¯s some form of phobia that prevents one from wanting to be alone.¡± Sister Mary said coldly.


    ¡°Nope, I just love him like¡­ extremely narcissistic conjoined twins.¡± She said with a big toothy smile.


    Detective Martin grimaced at the statement while Sister Mary gazed over Dorothy, slightly puzzled.


    ¡°Perhaps the kidnapping has traumatized her more than I thought, and this interrogation seems to be worsening her already horrible condition.¡± She explained patiently. Sister Mary¡¯s gaze slowly slid from Dorothy to the detective. Like a tired mother who had been fighting her little one all day, and the last thing she wanted was to be dealing with another problem. By the look in her eyes, the detective felt like he was the problem even if he was simply doing his job.


    ¡°I¡­ I suppose we¡¯re done here.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡±


    Dorothy marched past Sister Mary as she stood. The girl wore a big smile on her face, seeming to ignore the woman¡¯s studying gaze.


    ¡°Dorothy, I¡¯d like to ask you to stay away from that bridge¡­ to prevent another possible abduction. You got extremely lucky this time, trust me.¡±


    All things considered, the detective sounded deeply sincere. He didn¡¯t have to say anymore, given his line of work. Dorothy could guess the man had seen things he wished he hadn¡¯t. Her smile turned into a curious smirk.


    ¡°I heard what happened to the guys that caught me with my bloomers down.¡± She pondered that for just a moment. Dorothy didn¡¯t seem to care about the act of being kidnapped, for two reasons, perhaps three if she was being generous. One, it was a clear sign that she needed Smiley to teach her how to fight. Two, because she had too much faith in Cap to find her, for better or for worse, she thought, and three, maybe she was just too stupid to realize the severity of it all. At the end of the day, she said, ¡°fuck it¡± to the latter. Admittedly she needed improvement in fighting, but she¡¯d be damned if she considered herself dumb. Wrong maybe, but never dumb. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be trying to figure out who did that? Some kind of serial killer maybe?¡±


    The detective gave her a puzzled gaze. Sure girls matured pretty fast but the fact this one knew about people who took manslaughter as a perfection made him concerned, and Sister Mary seemed to be the root of it. Was it possible she was just too good at teaching the youth, he asked himself. He gave a defeated sigh. Given how he stared right through her, the detective seemed shaken up by it all.


    ¡°I told myself I¡¯d do my best to solve every case that comes across my table. But what I saw isn¡¯t typical of¡­ bad guys. At least not the bad guys that took out the bad guys.¡± He held up his hand to stop her question. ¡°A kidnapping doesn¡¯t warrant death, and the desecration of the body, at least not in these great states.¡± The detective leaned in close. ¡°You either got lucky, and your kidnappers were the targets of some¡­ crazy vigilantes or some cult is hunting you for some kind of indoctrination. Either way, you need to stay away from that bridge. If you can¡¯t do that, Sister Mary will receive a heavy fine, and you may even be moved to a new orphanage, is that clear?¡±


    Dorothy stared at the man, her smile wavering for just a moment. She wondered if the detective had the power to do such a thing. Researching that would require her to head back to the library, and to be honest, she was getting bored of studying. The girl figured she¡¯d run it by Cap, that is if he forgave her. Now that she thought about it, he never said he forgave her in the past. She had dug herself a hole, and now she needed to climb out. Giving the man a pondering gaze, she thought about asking him how best to apologize to a boy. The man frowned, seeing that something was bothering the girl.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked, genuinely interested. Aside from the foul language, Dorothy reminded him of his daughter when she had a question but didn¡¯t know how or if she should ask it.


    ¡°What¡­ do you do if a boy hates you?¡±


    The detective surely thought she was gonna say something rude.


    ¡°Is this about Cap?¡± He asked softly but received no reply. If it was Cap, he couldn¡¯t help but be perplexed by the question. The question seemed to imply that she had wronged him. Perhaps Dorothy truly was the wild child. ¡°Anyone can say I¡¯m sorry, Dorothy. But actions speak louder than words¡­ as long as those actions don¡¯t get you into trouble.¡±


    She listened to him intently, hanging on his every word before her sad eyes snapped to a playful smirk.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get into trouble? What are you a cop, some kind of detective?¡± She asked as she made for the exit.

 CH10: Are We Still Friends?

    10


    Are We Still Friends?


    Dorothy remembered the first time she rode in Sister Mary¡¯s car. Sister Mary had personally picked her up from her last orphanage. To Dorothy, it didn¡¯t really matter what orphanage she lived in. They¡¯re all horrible places, packed full of kids, and teens who were just as retarted as the adults, she thought. It was the same day she considered Sister Mary as nothing less than a cold bitch. However, the orphanage she watched over was like nothing Dorothy had ever experienced. With six floors, it was by far larger than the last place. She couldn¡¯t help a sigh escaping her lips as she knew how much of a pigsty the place was going to be. When she stepped inside her new home, it was not only warm but it also smelled nice. Most notably there was electricity throughout the whole building. She knew this, because she personally checked every room, figuring only the nuns got to reap the benefits of technology. There was even television, though heavily regulated by the nuns. The other children were so nice that she found herself being suspicious of any kid who acknowledged her, even the nuns who seemed to have all the patience in the world. It was all so overwhelming, that she spent her free time in the classrooms. Sure Dorothy got lucky with such a new home, but a classroom was a classroom, and most kids hated school. Stepping into one of the classrooms, she closed the door and went to find, an empty seat to do a little studying. Dorothy hesitated when she realized there was another small kid in there who was also studying, the same kid she now called Capo. He sat there, chin in his palm and elbow to his desk. The boy seemed bored out of his mind, as he read through his textbook. He gave her but a moment glance before speaking;


    ¡°This girl Mable¡­ she says if a girl stares at a boy long enough the girl gets pregnant.¡± He lazily tapped the side of his index on his textbook. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not true.¡± Dorothy snapped. ¡°She sounds re¡­ like an idiot.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I think she was speaking metaphorically. But for the most part, I feel like she¡¯s just a retarted pervert,¡± He glanced at her for a moment as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Sister Mary I said that.¡±


    At that moment, Dorothy became smitten with the boy. Her new home, while wonderful, was still very much strange to her. Luckily for her, the small boy brought familiarity to her overwhelming new life. She wondered what Cap thought of her back then. She wondered what he thought of her now. Dreading the drive home from the police station for many reasons, Dorothy knew that Sister Mary was going to give her an earful about her disrespectful language towards the detective or interrogate her about what kind of trouble she was getting herself into. But instead, she was scolded for something else.


    "The book you checked out from the library." Sister Mary spoke, as she focused on the road. "Don''t forget to return it. If I have to pay a late fee, you will be punished."


    Dorothy knew of the late fees, and internally she scoffed. She had enough money to just buy the damn book many times over. She came close to just saying it but her body jerked away from the door, her head snapping back from the window when she thought a ghost was looking back at her. It was pitch black outside but she could have sworn someone was on the other side. The face of a man she''d killed.


    "Y-yeah." She said with a shaky voice.


    Sister Mary glanced for a moment at Dorothy. She had known the girl long enough to know what scared her in such a way. Not even the threat of more choirs could shake her. Then again Dorothy was never one to get in trouble.


    "Would you feel better if I told you what I was afraid of?" Sister Mary asked.


    Dorothy clenched her fists as she shook, trying desperately not to panic. The woman''s calm voice somehow speared through Dorothy''s wall of anxiety. Not necessarily her voice, while it was quite capable of quieting a room full of rowdy children, what distracted Dorothy from her hallucination was the question. Looking like she had just seen a ghost, she turned her wide eyes towards Sister Mary.


    "You''re not afraid of anything," Dorothy said.


    "... I''m afraid of being alone forever."


    Dorothy''s face scrunched up like she just smelled something foul in the air.


    "That''s the d," For a moment she forgot who she was speaking to. Sister Mary was the last woman she wanted to insult. Sure she didn''t like the woman but Dorothy didn''t wanna bite the hand that fed her. "You can''t be alone forever. At some point, you die. What happens after that, who cares."


    "... Possibilities are as endless as space itself, theoretically. That means at any moment I could wake up from this dream to find I''m stuck in a cage."


    "That''s an irrational fear. Nothing can exist forever. You could at least, you know¡­ turn yourself off like a light switch. That way you don''t know you''re alone." Dorothy explained.


    "And what if someone¡­ flicks me back on?"


    "Then you''re no longer alone. It''s just an irrational fear. Besides, once you''re dead, that''s it. Game over."


    "... How would I overcome such irrational fear?" Sister Mary asked, seeming oddly interested in this conversation, Dorothy noticed.


    "You just do. You take that part of your brain and tell it to shut the hell up. If it''s still being a little shit then you let the fear come and turn it into rage. Then you use that rage on your enemies. You keep fighting until you''re the last one standing." Dorothy gave a toothy grin as she raised her left hand in front of her face before balling it into a fist. ¡°Fear is nothing more than adrenaline, a natural defense for what scares you the most. I think the real problem would be not being afraid.¡± She took a moment to think, recalling the moment she fainted from the supposed ¡°ghosts¡± that kidnapped her. Dorothy furrowed her brow, thrusting her fist through the ghostly memory. It''d be back to shake her up, perhaps for the rest of her life, she thought, but as long as she faced it head-on she would be okay; She hoped. Making it back to the orphanage the lights were out, and everyone was in bed. One of the nuns was there to welcome them both home and inform Dorothy her meal was being kept warm in the kitchen. She was instructed to eat, and head straight to bed. It took every bit of willpower she had to keep in any rude remarks. She decided to keep her mouth closed and walk away. When she was finally alone she quickly went into the boy''s rooms. She cracked the door open and peered inside. Giving the hallway a small glance from left to right, the girl went in, carefully stepping to Cap''s bedside. It was a tad dark but the moonlight''s glow was just enough to see his face. He was fast asleep with a big innocent smile on his face. A smile that was tainted thanks to the bandages in the middle of his face. Dorothy couldn''t help but wonder if he told the nuns about how he got a bloody nose. She couldn''t even decide if that would be good or bad. At least if the nuns knew she did it, she''d get punished. But if Cap didn''t he was more than likely going to ignore it and move on. Maybe just moving on would be for the best. Forgetting it ever happened, and just continuing to make happy memories together.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


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    Dorothy was up bright and early. Having waited in line for breakfast, she grabbed a seat, and an empty space for her friend. She saw him in line with a big smile on his face as he spoke with the other boys in line. The cafeteria was overflowing with morning conversations so she couldn''t make out what he was saying. When he got his food and walked right past her to sit with some of the other kids, Dorothy felt sick to her stomach. The meal before her may as well have been vomit with how hard she stared at it. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and ate the rest of her meal. She''d just have to try something else, she thought. She waited for him to take his dishes to the counter. Doing the same, she met him at the counter and said;


    "Hey Capo, wanna,"


    She trailed off as he placed his dirty dishes on the counter, and walked away. Not giving her so much as a glance. The concerning part was their topic of discussion." One of the other boys asked if he thought Mable was pretty, and Cap agreed. Complementing Mable''s soft voice, and helpful personality.


    "Her personality is nothing but a penis joke!" Dorothy wanted to say, but she kept her mouth shut. There were plenty of chores then, going to Sister Mary she asked; "I want to help with the boy''s laundry."


    Sister Mary was in the middle of writing something at her desk. Either doing business or grading some kid''s papers. Her office was oddly the perfect temperature, something that gave Dorothy the chills. The last thing she¡¯d want to be was anything like the cold-faced bitch, she thought. It was a plain yet cozy room with a window to the backyard. Where in the afternoon children would go out for activities unless a kid was disobedient enough to be kept inside as punishment. The office was stationed far away from the front door, perhaps so adults with hopes, and dreams of adoption had to walk through a wave of children, allowing a touch of fate to guide the new parent¡¯s decision on adopting the youngest of them, surely enough. The same children that realized far too late that they would probably never see their brothers, and sisters again.


    "That''s a surprise." Sister Mary began, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you looked up to Mable.¡± Dorothy immediately scrunched her face in disgust for the girl with a bit of confusion. Noticing the girl''s silence, Sister Mary looked up from her desk. ¡°Mable also wishes to help out with doing the boy¡¯s laundry today.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only because she¡¯s a perverted piss sniffer,¡± Dorothy mumbled.


    She noticed Sister Mary¡¯s skill of writing while looking straight at her. The woman stopped writing and sat down her pencil with a tap.


    ¡°She¡¯s still grieving Jack¡¯s death, Dorothy.¡± She said patiently.


    ¡°For what, he was a d¡­ jerk.¡±


    ¡°One could say the same about you, and yet there are plenty who would mourn your death, specifically Cap.¡±


    Dorothy¡¯s now watery gaze traced the edge of the woman¡¯s birch desk for but a moment as she fought back tears.


    ¡°He¡¯s not speaking to me,¡± She began with a firm matter of fact. As if each word made her winded, the girl took another breath. ¡°And I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    Sister Mary studied the little one on the verge of breaking. Every child there had a specific amount of coddling needed for each specific reason. Variables she¡¯d seem to understand all too well over her years. There was no right or wrong way of raising her little ones however she wanted to make sure all of them made an attempt at problem-solving, for the future held countless obstacles. She asked herself, was this considered a way of problem-solving, and if so, was it merely a lazy form of it? While it was true that simple solutions could solve the most complex of problems she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Dorothy would do if she didn¡¯t have anyone to ask for help. What happens when the girl is truly alone, more so than she felt now, how would she handle a problem then, Sister Mary asked herself; A compromise then.


    ¡°Whatever you decide to do, refrain from going back to that shooting range. I¡¯ll be sending a letter to the owner to make sure he understands this.¡±


    Dorothy slowly trembled with rage, angered more by the fact she sought help from Sister Mary of all people. Then again the nuns were not any better, and Mable was a filthy bitch. Here she was trying to seek help only to be reminded of what she couldn¡¯t do. Strangely enough, the shooting range was the place that helped her friend speak again, and smile again. It wasn¡¯t even an option in her mind until now. With a sudden realization, her overwhelming emotions subsided, being replaced with excitement, and determination. Her face lit up as she rubbed the tears from her eyes, unsure if this was Sister Mary¡¯s intention all along.


    ¡°I have to go return my book.¡± Dorothy lied, but not really. Turning, she ran from Sister Mary¡¯s office, turning right for the front door. She came back and rushed the other away past the door. ¡°After I do my chores.¡± She added.