Assassination

Chapter 3

Brynleigh Pasternack

Brynleigh smiled fervorously as Casey Dupree approached from across the street. It was as dark as the bottom of a barrel as the moon barely lit up the midnight hour. Far too late for either of them to be outside and still be considered safe. But if either of them knew anything, it was that neither of them would ever miss one of these. Not by their own willingness, that is to be true.

“Ruthy…” Casey muttered.

“F.C…” She responded.

The two young women nodded at each other, not daring to mutter any more words to each other before heading inside the building at which they were meeting. Cherry's Bed and Breakfast!’s sign swung along with the quiet bell just beside the door as Brynleigh roughly shoved it open.

Cherry, an old woman who was sixty years her senior, stood up from behind the front counter with a cheery smile on her face. That was until she saw who had just walked into her humble motel like shop.

Her face turned grim as she shook her head, not wanting to believe what she already knew as true. But the two young women's expressions and nods only answered her questions. They just did so in the worst possible way. The most horrible thing, they knew that was just how it was.

The woman hobbled her way around the counter, holding up her brown dress and red robe to get down the one step to the floor before walking over the girl’s and grabbing their shoulders.

She looked at them intensely without a bit of fear in her eyes, though they all knew just how much fear she held in her heart. She sighed before ushering them both into the backrooms of her establishment. The rooms that she never ever let any of her unknowing guests into, no, these were reserved for much more important matters than just whatever travelers showed up at her doorstep on any given day.

Brynleigh looked around at the rustic old wood of the building, even rotting in some places, and smiled just slightly. Even though times were rough, this place still managed to bring her back a semblance of nostalgia and home. More of a home than her own ‘home’ had been a lot of days.

She remembered cold winter nights when, no matter what her brothers did, she couldn’t shake the weather or the feeling of a hollow bit inside her soul. Her brothers were great, but they weren’t exactly parental figures.

She knew that Cherry wasn’t really her mom and that she never would be. But sometimes, especially when she was younger, she would like to close her eyes so tight that she saw little spots.

Then, and only then, she would imagine what it would be like if Cherry had been her mother.

“Ruthy, c’mon.” Casey looked at her expectantly as she was already sitting on the couch in the small room.

Brynleigh sat down next to her old friend and previous lover. Casey looked over at her with intensity in her eyes. A sorry look swimming deep in the dirt brown. She already knew what the other was thinking. They had known each other far too long to be able to hide anything. Much less their worries.

“What happened? What did they do?” Cherry’s words came out choked as she practically sobbed before even having definite news. They all knew that it wasn’t needed to understand the situation.

Casey spoke up first, “Brynleigh wasn’t even there. If you’re going to blame someone, blame me. Please.” She pleaded with the older woman, knowing how much she meant to her friend.

“If I am going to blame anyone, it is the King!” Cherry shouted in grief.

“Quiet down, please.” Brynleigh spoke up.