hide.
her mind went on incessantly with the thought. startled and weary with all that had happened she sought shelter. hard reaching, unforgiving, even desolate places were all she searched for. somewhere far away. arletta was scraped up, sore, and tired; her mind pained by the remorseless and thieving strangers and she'd ran far, far away.
find some stupid place to die. ain't nothin' out here for me no more.
her mama might've told her she was being silly, that she'd always had a touch for the dramatics. the woman was right, arletta only had a few scratches and sore limbs. inconveniences had usually been the end of the world for her but now, she surely thought it couldn't get worse. everybody was fucking dead and she was alone.
her avoidance of others ended in failure. her head lifted from the stony ground where she lay curled up and pitying herself beside the pool. dusky ears swiveled each direction and attempted to tune out the bird song. someone was here.
what the fuck? is he like- posing?
that was a thousand yard stare if she'd ever seen one. he was draped in mahogany and dusky, earthen colors; arletta even thought he looked a little beat up. she gazed upwards at him, eyes narrowed at the harsh sunlight behind him. she remained laying down, scowling and afraid. arletta had absolutely corned herself. how could she be so stupid?
"listen, mister, i don't want no trouble but i'll give it to you if you don't get on yer way!" she shouted upwards, believing he'd already seen her.
he was scary alright, dramatically tall and dark.
like a frightened feline she shied in on herself and her lips pulled back to reveal a ready set of teeth. regardless if he'd meant any harm, she didn't know who this was! this land was new and she'd placed herself in a cavern of little exits.
the stranger seemed just as avoidant of conflict as she was. she blinked harshly into the sunlight as he spoke.
does he have a bird? on his shoulder...?
arletta leveled out her unsteady breaths and moved to stand. he meant no trouble, clearly. it didn't mean he wasn't weird though, or at least arletta thought so.
"no- no it's alright. just thought you were... ya know." he likely didn't know.
she simply didn't want any teeth to her skin and she'd threaten and argue with all her might to avoid it despite the possibility that'd only encourage the events. arletta didn't understand such things. she shook the dust and stray twigs from her coat and hoped the raised hairs of anxiety would settle as well.
"i'll be on my way, mister, uh?" his name and conversation. yeah, that's always polite, right? right. nice and calm greetings, or exit. yeah, exit.
the girl was still rather uncomfortable and decided her size would not match his. if it were a battle of speech, she'd always had a fire under her tongue. arletta did not for see any situation where that would turn out in her favor. especially now, with her attitude making a turn on itself.
when he'd turned his back with calmness and trust anger had bubbled up within her. she wondered how nice it would be to have the privilege of it, security.
"thanks, you're?" she trailed off again, a second attempt at his name.
arletta knew of the exit, moving towards his direction slowly and dividing her attention to scaling the stone and watching him carefully.
she'd relaxed a bit, thinking his oddness was sort of endearing. they walked up the treacherous exit and it was there his fur was lightened by the sun showing rich touches of red. her brows and nose furrowed at his name.
he only gets weirder.
"that the name yer mother gave ya?" she responded, hints a smile pulling at her lips through wrinkled confusion.
"n' yeah me too i guess. everything's... ya know- big and scary when you don't got yer whole crowd." arletta worried it was a bit to much to say, but if the enigmatic man had ill intent she decided it would have been acted upon already.
when he looked at her in the span that silence had settled, her eyes pulled away from the exit and she stared back at him. his eyes scared the shit outta her, but they held a gentleness of sorts when they each rested in each others gazes.
"i got somethin on my face er what?"
arletta didn't want to answer. she wanted to prolong the moment.
"i don't where i'm goin... what you doin here?" she pulled her gaze away from the distance.
teekon wilds seemed friendly to her. a place to give her everything. a place that could have given her family everything.
"was supposed to be goin there. things uh- things changed mister dreamer." arletta answered, finding herself unable to keep his eyes in view and looked outwards towards far places.
"who's waitin on ya?" she should be going, like she'd said but the question left her lips rather fast.
the meeting of this stranger was soft enough to ease her mind from the cruelty that she believed all held here. it was something to convince her to back away from spiteful words towards those unknown.