The Flower Girl, Ellie Anne [the little red hen ebook .TXT] 📗

was coming to a close. I was past grumpy and I could tell Candor was getting there. I needed something to do, or I was going to go bonkers, so I started digging around the car. I opened the glovebox, and found an old wallet.

"I found money!" I shouted, and held up about ten dollars.

"Oh my gosh we'll live!" Candor squeeled, a grin on his gorgeous face.

I checked all the other containers and compartments, and found a total of about forty dollars in loose change and fives. I just about died of happiness.

"Food!" I groaned. "Give me food, or give me death."

"Do we want food or a bed?" Candor asked.

"Food." I answered.

"Fine by me. Where's the closest grocery store?" he asked.

"Why not a resturante?" I questioned.

"We can buy more that one meal at a grocery store, idiot." he smirked, and drove towards a crumbling strip-mall.

"Call me one more name and I swear I will never kiss you again, or let you hold my hand." I threatened, my witts returning to me.

He pulled out some very effective puppy dog eyes, but I just shook my head, and smirked. He got a sly look on his face, and scooched all the way over, squishing me against the door. I tried to shove him away, but he wasn't budging. I harumphed, and decided it was best to just deal, and hide my hands. I tucked them under my arm pits, and tried to shove him away with my legs. That was a very stupid move.

Candor grabbed my legs, and situated me so my back was against the door, and he was facing me. I tried to twist our of his grip, but he just leaned close, and kissed my shoulder. I nudged his lips away, and squirmed. He touched my elbows, and made me sit still, his eyes warm, and stunning, and breathtaking. I gasped, trying to look away, but he was just so captivating.

His breath was was light, and warm on my skin, and he leaned a little closer. I let my arms relax, and put my hands on his shoulders. He moved one of my hands, and slid it over his heart, then he kissed my cheek. I moved my hand up to his hair, and swung my arm around his neck, holding him close. He kissed the tip of my nose, then my other cheek. His lips were sweet and warm on my skin, sending shivers down my spin. Slowly, we untangled ourselves, but Candor still managed to remain a death-grip on my hand as he drove us towards a grocery store.

Fifteen

It felt like it had taken a millenium to find a grocery store, and by the time we got there, I was ready to fight to the death for a sandwhich. I stalked down the isles looking like a crazed maniac, as I robotically shoved bread, jelly and peanut butter into the little hand-held basket. I shoved two cases of water into the cart Candor was pushing, along with a bottle of grape whater-the-name-is soda pop. I stuffed as much cheap food that would last a while as I could into my little basket, and necessary toiletries into Candor's cart.

When I decoded we had enough food to last us until we got more money, we headed toward the check out stations. The cashier slowly checked us out, and I stood there tapping my foot, and impatiently running my hands throguh my serioulsy in need of a wash hair. WHen she finally finihsed ringing us up, I handed her all our crumbled paper money and coins. She glared and slowly counted each dollar out loud. When she finally decided to let us have our bags, I grabbed then, rushed out a thank you, and practically ran to the car.

"Slow down, Tiger!" Candor called as he jogged to catch up with me.

"Must eat food!" I shouted back as I tugged open the car door and started digging throught our bags. I grabbed the grape soda pop, and crackers and starting slowly putting food in my very food deprived belly. Candor finally got to the car and laughed at the purple marks at the corners of my mouth and the crumbs sticking to my shirt.

"Let's go find a place to settle for a while, before you eat the rest of our food." he joked.

"Sounds good!" I mumbled around a mouthful of cracker.

Candor started the car and started driving, and of course, with the luck we have, we ran out of power about twenty miles from everything. I was ready to scream as we slowly rolled to a stop in the middle of a crumbly highway in a rather vulnerable stop near the edge of the 'perfect' little glass buble that protects us. I practically growled and hit the dashboard. I got out and dug throught the trunk, hoping for an extra fully charged battery, but got nothing but a backpack full of questionable whatevers wrapped in old newspaper. I dumped the it out and started stuffing everything we'd bought into the pockets and pouches.

"What are you doing?" Candor asked.

"Well, we can't stay here or a Mute is probably going to eat us, and there is no way I'm leaving my grape soda pop behind. So saddle up and let's get walking." I said as I stuffed hte pack to popping capacity and started walking.

Candor jogged up to me and grabbed my arm. "The sin is going to go down in an hour, tow tops, and you want to start walking now? What are we going to do when it's dark, and the power in the bubble goes down? If we stay with the car, we have protection." 

"No, if we stay with the car we're a target. I've heard stories about this road from Hunters in the area, and they are not pretty. And I am so not going to be another person that gets infected and turns into an alien." I argued.

"Are you saying I'm an alien?" Candor galared, and crossed his arms. 

I stared at him, my mouth flopping open.

"Well? Am I?"

"Are you serious? I know you're a person. You're different than all the other Mutes." I answered.

"Really? It that just because you like me, because you know me? Or because you don't want to admit that you're wrong?" he interrogated me as he rolled up his sleeves to reveal the deep blue scales that trailed up his arms.

I groaned and tugged on my pony tail. "I am not having this conversation with you, this is ridiculous, and we need to go."

"No," he said calmly. "Nope, we're staying."

"You're going to have to kill me first." I snapped.

"Get your butt back in that car, or I will physically plant it there!" he threatened, and pointed angrily at the car.

"Good luck trying." I shouted back, and started walking.

"What are you thinking!" Candor shouted. "You stupid girl, you'll get yourself killed. WHat do you know about Mutes, you aren't one, you've never even really dealt with one other than me! They will tear you to shreds out there! You don't know a thing about how we actually are." 

I had had it. I was going to shank him,  then shoot him, then run him over, then take him to a hospital and get him fixed up, then do it all over again. He knew full well that I had more than my fair share of experiences when it came to Mutes. He knew that I was trained to survive. He knew how much this hurt me. I turned around and walked up to him.

"You better watch yourself Candor. I know more than just about anyone what happens when people get Infected. Don't pretend like you don't know it either. I am going to walk to the next town whether ou come with me or not. I know what I'm doing. I've been on my own since I was seventeen. I know what heppens when a Mute get angry, or have you forgotten that?" I glared with deadly calm.

He didn't say anything and I walked away. I left everyhting that wouldn't fit into the pack with Candor, wchich, quite frankly was most of it, and moved out. I heard Candor shout soemthing, but was determined not to listen to him. I didn't turn around until I felt the familiar cold tingles of Candors ability. It wasn't strong enough to paralyze me this time, but it was enough to make me moer pissed off than I have ever been. I marched up to him until we were nose to nose, and slapped him suare across the jaw. I knew it mad him even angrier, but he deserved it. The only thing was, his anger made the cold whatever it was even stronger and stronger.

Sixteen

The cold tendrils spread up my arms and legs untill I felt them press against my throat. I looked at Candor's eyes, and could tell he had no idea what he was doing. I felt the coldness squeeze the air out of my lungs and poke at my heart. I gasped and screamed his name until I couldn't breathe any more. I fell to my knees, and tried to crawl over to him, to shake him out of this. But nothing worked. I screamed his name one more time as I felt consciousness start to drift away.

Just as I felt my eyes start to close, air rushed into my lungs, and the cold swept out of me so fast it hurt. I caughed, and shoved air into my lungs, and fell onto my stomach. I heard Candor breathing heavily, and what almost sounded like sobs. I heard him land on his knees, and felt his hands on my arms. He lifted me up, and carried me back to the car, which had rolled  back a few feet, either that or in our angry little exchange we walked away from it.

I was so tired and sore that I couldn't imagine walking twenty miles to the next town, Candor or no Candor. I closed my eyes, as he slid me into his lap and whispered sweet nothings into my hair. I turned on my side, and let myself rest against him. I was still pissed as all get out, but I was tired, and he was still so wasrm and soft. He resituated is so we were laying down on our sides on the bench seat, when I just didn't care anymore and started to cry.

I was being a baby again, but heck I had plenty of good reasons