Korova Avenue || ONC 2022

Chapter 4

"Dominique, hold up! Is that you?"

A million questions raced through Crow's head as he stared at the tree in front of him. Pinned to its trunk, was a small poster. It had a picture of Dominique, and the word "WANTED" written across the top.

Dominique spun around and glared at Crow.

"No, it's my identical twin"

Crow could almost touch the sarcasm that dripped from her voice.

"What are you wanted for?"

"Mostly robbery, a little bit of alleged murder."

"MURDER?!"

Crow took a few steps away from her and prepared to run.

"Relax, I didn't do it. But I was a criminal without an alibi, so naturally I was framed."

"You're still a thief, so I don't trust you."

He wrapped his arms around himself in an act of protection.

"If I wanted to hurt you, I would have already. We've been alone for hours."

Dominique was right. About thirty minutes after they left Auntie Rosa's, they reached the end of the small village. Since then, the two teenagers hadn't seen another sign of civilization.

Dominique promised Crow that they would reach the edge of the next city soon, but the night was drawing to a close. The sun would be up in an hour or so.

"There's the campground."

Dominique pointed to a small clearing in the distance. A mountain rose up behind it.

"We can't sleep in there," Crow observed.

"You're right, we'd be spotted easily, but once we're in, we climb the mountain. There's a small cave a few feet up that we can hide in for a couple hours."

"Okay."

The two of them trudged up to the gate that surrounded the property. Crow jiggled the lock, but it wouldn't budge.

"Wait here."

—

Dominique sprinted off to the left, and started making her way around the perimeter of the camp.

She ran her hand along the chain mail fence, counting the poles. When she reached the twenty-third one, she bent down and rang a small bell that was attached to the bottom.

She heard a rustle nearby, and a twig snapped. Dominique's heart leapt into her throat.

What if it was a stranger, or worse, an enemy?

"Dominique!"

A tall girl emerged from the bushes and leaned over the fence to greet her friend. Her dark hair was braided down her back, and she wore a tattered dress with a blanket tied around her shoulders.

"Clio." Dominique smiled. "Can you unlock the gate?"

"Of course!"

Clio was overly chipper especially compared to Dominique. She smiled and urged her friend to follow.

The two of them walked along the fence, with Dominique on one side, and Clio on the other. Dominique took the opportunity to inform her of the situation.

"Let me get this straight, you and the most important person of the century are traveling (unaccompanied, I might add) to the castle, so that you can save the world?"

"Something like that," Dominique grumbled.

"Dominique! That is so cool!"

Dominique shrugged. She could see Crow a few feet away. He was sitting on a log with his back to them. He didn't look all that important to her.