𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐢 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐞

Chapter Five

An Angry Aries

3020 words

"Gotta figure this was our pilot. Now, sir, I don't have a great feeling about where you are right now, but the shit you left behind will not be wasted." Dot stared down at the card in her hand that held the man's information. "Dottie, don't be morbid." Dot sat down with a slight roll of her eyes. "Uh, well, sorry, but this is a haul. Pain pills, disinfectants...basically a whole medicine cabinet." "All right, down the hatch." Shelby brought a few pills to Martha. "You, ma'am, are gonna ship-shape in no time." Ana sat down on an empty rock staring out at the sand in front of her.

"I've only ever had the store brand kind before." "She didn't buy them for you. She had some dumb fucking luck." Ana took in a deep breath squinting up at the sunset smiling at its beauty. "Hey, um, give her one of these, maybe on and a half, but make sure she takes it with food." "What is it?" "Oxycodone." Dot shrugged looking back down at the bag. Ana picked up a notebook that Dot had given her to pass time with beginning to write down a small log of what had happened that day and the day before, just in case, she thought. Suddenly Toni appeared at her side sitting down beside her silently, a sense of frustration practically steaming off of her.

"What happened this time?" Ana asked quietly, still writing down a few sentences. "She acts like Shelby robbed a store just to get her medicine. She had some stupid fucking luck." Toni grumbled looking over at what Ana was holding. "She's just trying to be nice Toni, if we're going to be stuck here together we might as well get along, who knows maybe we'll be friends after. They do say traumatic events can bring people closer." Ana scribbled down before stopping, pulling back to read what she wrote. "What are you writing?" Toni then asked leaning in to see what Ana wrote down but was too slow as Ana pulled the notebook back. "My secrets." Ana whispered with a smile before shutting the notebook.

"I thought we told each other everything?" Toni smiled reaching down to poke at the sand and rocks in-between her legs still looking up at Ana. "We do. Which is why you already probably know everything I wrote down so bug out or you'll make everyone else curious." Ana hushed her bringing the notebook to her chest. "Fuck, fine." A moment passed in silence, Toni stared at Shelby and Martha while Ana stared at the sinking sun before finally she spoke.

"I didn't have a nightmare last night." Ana then muttered, still staring at the sky. "That's the first time I haven't had a nightmare since...since it happened." She continued feeling Toni turn to look at her. "It was nice. It was so fucking nice not to see her...her face. To hear the...the..." Ana trailed off looking down at her feet fighting back the urge to cry. "I should've been there." Toni then whispered bringing her arm to rest around Ana's back. "Toni..." "I should've. You wouldn't have been there if I wasn't such a stubborn fucking idiot." "Toni it wasn't you fault, she still would've...it's not your fault I was a bitch to you that day. I understand why you didn't want to come over." Toni shook her head moving so Ana could lay her head down on Toni's shoulder.

"He fucked you over and so did I." Ana shook her head looking up, meeting Toni's dark brown eyes that brought her so much comfort despite the anger that dwelled behind them. "He fucked me over...you were still there. You were always there, even when you wanted to be mad at me, you were still there. He left me, you stayed. Janie was right, it was a goddamn red banner." Ana smiled along with Toni both then moving into a comfortable silence.

-

The storm was sudden, no one really expected it since it had been calm that entire day. Shouting, lightning, thunder booming. Ana could barely see in front of her as all the girls sat together at their makeshift camp pleading to make the storm stop. Toni sat beside her holding her closely, both shaking from the wind the storm brought along with it.