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#Post#: 381111--------------------------------------------------
Mattie and Beau
By: Tea Date: December 28, 2014, 3:56 pm
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The forest is peaceful. Only the gentle chirp of birds filter
down from the trees above and the gentle sounds of wildlife
going about their days can be heard. A peace that will soon be
shaken. A flash of light appears in a small meadow, cutting
through the soft mists given by a creek near by. With that light
the meadow goes silent. A new noise can be heard. A cough.
Mattie rolls onto her side on the bed of Bluebells covering the
meadow, a cough wreaking her lungs. Shakily she brings her arm
up to wipe the side of her mouth, a light smear of blood is left
on her wrist. It's still getting worse she inwardly groans. At
this rate, she has no idea how many more times her body can take
this. But she can't stay here. Who knows how far from
civilization she is this time. Or what time she is in. She sends
up a silent prayer that she isn't in a time and place that her
clothing could get her killed. The sooner she finds a dry safe
place to hide the better.
Slowly she attempts to push herself from the ground, her now
dingy 1930s style white dress pooling around her. The attempt
fails though, her body too weak from the recent shift.
Collapsing back into the flowers she coughs into the dirt. With
her last bit of strength fading she rolls onto her back, the
dense tree cover the last thing she sees before her world goes
dark.
#Post#: 381124--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mattie and Beau
By: Genevieve Date: December 28, 2014, 5:39 pm
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“Oi! C’mon, Maximilian!”
With a sharp whistle the bluetick came bounding down the stairs
with a deep bark. “Time fer a walk, ol’ boy.” Once more the dog
barked a bout of happiness, the silver name tag on his red
collar jingling as he reared up onto his hind legs to place his
front paws on Beau’s chest. Max was old, nearing ten, but the
dog was always excited to go for a walk. “Atta boy.” Beau’s
large hands ruffled the blue speckled dog’s ears before pushing
the beast off of him and making his way through the kitchen to
the counter, where a clear jar sat filled with dog bones. Max
let out a bark of impatience, placing his front paws on the
counter as his human companion reached into the jar and pulled
out a bone. “Ay. No paws on the counter, Maximil.” Beau scolded.
Once the dog had its paws settled on the floor he tossed the
bone into the air for it to catch, which the beast did with
ease. “C’mon. Off we goh.”
Beau led the way out of the house. No need to leash up the dog
for the man lived far into the woods. No human neighbors for
miles, though he saw the occasional deer prance through in
search of food. Max rushed around with a gleeful park, his heavy
paws thumping on the ground. Now it was the dog’s turn to lead
the way, having taken the route almost every day with his human
companion.
It was only a short time into their walk before Max’s demeanor
began to change. The dog moved with his nose pressed to the
ground - something Beau rarely ever seen now that it had
mellowed out in its old age. “What is ‘t, boy?”
Max barked and took off in a dead sprint, leaving a baffled
Beauregard in his dust. It took several seconds for Beau to wipe
away his confusion and chase after the dog, calling out for him
the whole way.
“Max! Max, get back here!”
Beau found the dog sniffing a… body. “Holy shit.” Beau was
immediately at the fallen woman’s side, eyes frantically looking
for any sign of injury as his hands remained awkwardly hovering
over her, unsure of what to do. She seemed completely fine other
than the trail of blood that had dried against her upper lip,
and for some odd reason Max wasn’t showing any sign of concern
or sorrow, rather the beast was licking at her cheek with
playful yips. “Whut teh ‘ell is goin’ on, Max?”
As if the dog would answer. After another second of hesitation
Beau placed a hand in front of her nose and leaned down close to
her; the man exhaled a large breath of relief. She was
breathing, thank heavens. Another second passed in which Beau
debated what to do; however he eventually scooped the girl up
into his arms with a gentle strength, not wanting to break her.
She looked so fragile, though maybe it was because she wasn’t
conscious. And on top of that she looked completely out of place
in the dress; as elegant as it was in its just off white color
and old style design, it was dirty from whatever happened that
got her where she was.
Beau carried her back to the cottage with Max jumping happily at
his feel all the while; and after deciding he didn’t want to
make the hour-long trek to town to the local hospital he settled
her on the couch with a fluffy pillow and soft blanket to keep
the cold air from nipping at her exposed skin. It was only a
matter of time before she woke up. Hopefully she wouldn’t attack
him like some wild woman.
[hr]
[spoiler=Maximilian]
HTML http://www.petguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/bluetick-coonhound-2.jpg
[/spoiler]
#Post#: 381148--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mattie and Beau
By: Tea Date: December 28, 2014, 6:31 pm
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In the dark Mattie hears voices and glimpses of her many pasts
flashing before her eyes. The village she grew up in and their
small house made of simple thatch and wood. It's the first time
she has seen it since the time shifts started. Well, other than
in her dreams and the time she travelled there while in the
future. All that was left was rock and overgrown wreckage of the
past. Is this a dream? It's so muddled, mixed in with all the
other places she has seen in the last five years. She yells to
her family, her mother, her brothers and sisters. No one seems
to hear her though. Finally she collapses back into the
darkness, exhausted from even dreaming.
It must be hours later, maybe even days when she finally starts
becoming aware of her surroundings. Who knows how long it's been
since she arrived in her new time. The first thing she notices
is the soft texture of fabric all around her body. A bed? She
then notices a heavy weight pressed against her side. Warm, and
soft. And.. Breathing? Mattie opens her eyes slowly, even the
dim light in the room is enough to make her eyes squint. Her
head throbs in pain, as if her skull could spilt open right
between her eyes. The soft warm body warming her side is some
type of animal, she sees. A dog. Where is she?
Slowly, painfully, she sits up in the bed she has no memory of
entering. How did she get here? And where is here? Moving her
legs over the side of the mattress she pulls herself up using
the tall bed post, clinging to the wood for dear life as the
room spins. This is not good. How long has it been since she
shifted time? Surely the effects should have subsided by now.
Gingerly she takes a step foward the door and away from her
stable crutch. A bout of dizziness and nausea hits her like a
wave onto sand. Off to her side she sees what looks to be a
bathroom. Quickly her bare feet move across the wood floor and
into the small room carrying her immediately to the toilet. She
releases what little is in her stomach before turning to the
bathroom sink before turning the water on cold and rinsing her
mouth out.
A pale woman stares back at her from the mirror, her face looks
almost lifeless and there is still a tiny bit of blood on the
corner of her mouth and at the base of one nostril. Using the
water still running in the sink she scrubs her face with her
hands to get the grime off her skin. Once finished her cheeks
actually have a slight pink color from the friction and she no
longer looks so dead.
Claws on wood make her turn to the door, the dog from the bed
stands there. It's tongue lazily hangs from the side of its
mouth a happy grin almost visible in it's canine expression.
With a bark he practically prances up to her, jumping to put his
paws on her chest. A surprised "oh!" Escapes her lips as she
catches his weight and gives him a gentle rub behind his ears.
Feeling a collar present she turns the red fabric in her hands
and reads the inscription. Maximillian the name makes her smile.
She used to know a dog with that name. Same breed even. He was
only a puppy then, though. And she's never ended up in a time
where the same people are still alive. Still, the memory is a
good one.
Now she needs to find the owner of this home and thank them for
their hospitality. Then maybe see if a hotel or inn is near by.
She is at least in the era of technology it seems, a time she
has grown very fond of. She could possibly hitch hike a ride to
a town if one isn't near. Gently she shifts the dog named Max
off her chest and walks quietly back into the bedroom and then
down the short hall to the main rooms. With a soft clearing of
her throat she speaks into the space, unsure if anyone is even
in here.
"Hello?"
#Post#: 381192--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mattie and Beau
By: Genevieve Date: December 28, 2014, 8:51 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
A minute passed. Beau is stood in front of the couch, looking at
the girl. From a first glance she looks like someone he knows.
Her facial features - that delicate nose, petite lips, round
eyes that he knew would be beautiful when they’re opened - she
looks so familiar, but as he racks his brain for an answer he is
unable to come up with a name. A minute passed, one single
minute, since he placed her on the couch. With a moment of
hesitation, Beau scoops her back up into his arms and carries
her upstairs to his bedroom, the only bedroom in the entire
cottage. It felt wrong having her lay on the couch. She looks so
frail, beautiful even, she didn’t belong on an old couch. So
instead, he placed her on his bed, wrapping that same fuzzy
blanket around her. Now surrounded by more space, Max jumped up
onto the bed, curled up by her legs, and laid down.
The look Beau gave the bluetick was one of confusion. At the
look Max let out a quiet yip as if he didn’t want to wake the
girl up, huffing at his owner. Beau only sighed, reaching down
to scratch behind the dog’s ears. “Who is she, Maximil?” As
expected, the dog gave not a reply, rather he closed his eyes
for a nap.
Beau cast one last look at the girl and his dog before leaving
the room, leaving the door cracked open should Max decide he
needs to go to the bathroom.
Hours pass. Day turns to night. The bedroom remains silent. With
little else to do, Beau busied himself with menial tasks:
chopping and stacking firewood while he had sunlight, and
bringing wood inside and cooking up some food on the fire. Sure,
he had a stove he could use, but cooking over the fire gave it
an extra hint that no stove burner could ever give.
Breakfast for dinner, as breakfast was his favorite meal of the
day. Eggs, bacon, and biscuits, all cooked in a cast iron pan
over the fireplace. By the time he finished the cottage was
filled with warmth and smelled of delicious bacon and eggs. Beau
fixed himself a heaping plate, leaving some for Max when the dog
finally left the girl. “Darned girl. Isn’t even awake ‘n’ she
steals me dog away from me.” Beau mumbled ruefully, sending a
glare upstairs where Max lay.
He was shoveling a hearty slice of bacon into his mouth when a
voice called out to him; soft, angelic even. All motion halted.
The slice of bacon fell from his mouth back onto the plate, the
fork clattered noisily onto the ceramic. It took him a long
moment before he bucked up the sense to do anything.
Beau set the plate on the floor, as he was seated in front of
the fireplace, and made his way up the stairs only to be greeted
by the round eyes of the girl - beautiful, just as he suspected.
His breath caught in his throat with a feeling he couldn’t
place. A silence fell between the two; not uncomfortable but not
comfortable either, an awkward medium that nearly stole his
breath away.
“Uh..” His gruff voice trailed off, a hand scratching through
the long stubble on his chin. Beau was hairy but not too hairy.
A nice middle that gave him a manly, masculine edge that every
guy should have. His brown hair was messy on his head, his
growing beard only adding to the look. His chest was covered
with a button up flannel left unbuttoned to reveal the white
wife-beater that lay beneath. His brown chest hair peeking out
of that as well. Clad in thick blue jeans and white socks, Beau
was the epitome of a well-versed country man that didn’t survive
on camo.
Of course, the isolation didn’t teach him how to talk to people.
Or girls.
Or pretty girls.
The man was left stumbling for something to say, rendered into a
bumbling fool in seconds. Though he was saved by the speckled
beast who finally made an appearance; the four-legged animal
padding out of the bedroom only to stop by the woman’s side.
Beau’s sea foam green eyes narrowed at the beast.
“Ya mangy dog, leavin’ me fer the gerl. Just fer that I’m not
sharin’ any of me food with you.” Beau’s eyes turned to the girl
in an act of defiance as if he were proving a point to the dog.
“Do you want any food? Water? You’ve got to be hungry and I’ve
got plenty to spare.” He shot a pointed look at the dog.
There. That’ll teach him.
#Post#: 381218--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mattie and Beau
By: Tea Date: December 28, 2014, 9:34 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
The floor gives an uncomfortable creak as she shifts her weight
from on leg to another, waiting for the man before her to say
something. He's clearly handsom. Rugged in the best of ways. And
almost surprised to see her standing there before him. What if
he wasn't the one who brought her here? Maybe someone else did
and didn't tell him. Embarrassment blushes her cheeks as she
waits for him to say something. What if he throws her out
thinking she's some strange burglar? Thankfully after a moment
he speaks and it's clear he was the person who allowed her here
after all. She almost gives a sigh of relief as she takes a
small step forward and into the room instead of lingering by the
stairs.
She didn't notice the food smell until he offered her some, but
once he does the smell immediately makes her mouth water. Food..
When was the last time she ate? As if in answer her stomach
growls quietly, her eyes flitting to the food on the plate as
she tries to act as if she isn't as hungry as she is. "Um, maybe
just a little.. And some water, please."
Slowly she walks toward the table, careful to take her time in
case her dizzy spells haven't dissipated yet. Once she reaches
the table she pulls the chair across from him back, the legs
making a grating sound against the floor. The sound sends a
throb of pain shooting through her skull again and she winces
slightly just before she sits. She waits patiently for him to
set out a plate and cup for her, wringing her hands in her lap.
As she sits there, she watches the man who apparently saved her.
His accent sounds distinctly Irish, but she hasn't been in
Ireland in a long time, too many jumps have happened since for
her to remember accurately. She knows she can't be in the same
place though, she never ends up in the same places or the same
times. Somethin about him though.. It's so.. Familiar. Maybe she
met someone like him at some point, though it would be hard to
forget someone who looks the way he does.
Finally, she speaks up. "I want to thank you.. For letting me
stay here. It was very kind of you. I hope I'm not imposing
though.." She waits for his reply before offering to leave. She
doesn't want him to think she will take advantage of him, but
she also doesn't want him to think she is ungrateful. The hound
she woke up with stills sits next to her on the floor, and
Mattie has found herself gently rubbing the dog's head. It's
curious that the animal has taken to her so quickly. She can't
say she really minds though. His presence is calming. Though she
can't say she feels fearful or truly uncomfortable in this
strange man's presence either.
#Post#: 381301--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mattie and Beau
By: Genevieve Date: December 29, 2014, 8:03 am
---------------------------------------------------------
A wide smile cracks Beau’s face. A little? She’s been out all
day with nothing to eat or drink and who knows how long she went
before then without it either; a little wasn’t going to be
enough. Though, it wasn’t like Beau made ‘a little’ to eat. Even
with his heaping portion out of the way there was still quite a
lot of food - enough to satisfy a dog he thought loved him.
As childish as it was, Beau was really torn up about Max
sticking to the girl’s side. He got the dog when it was a mere
pup and raised it on his own. Max never chose anyone over his
loving owner and the fact that he chose to be with the girl was
extremely out of character for the medium-sized beast. There
must be something special about the girl that Beau couldn’t see.
With a lazy nod Beau turned into the kitchen and grabbed a cup
from one of the cupboards as well as a plate, filling the cup up
with water before making his way over to the table she sat at.
He sat the cup down in front of her before taking the fork he
used to cook the food and scraping a large helping onto the
plate he also sat in front of her, saving a little of everything
to feed Max. “Eat up. You look dead.” He didn’t mention that it
was unsettling to see such a beautiful girl like her so pale and
fragile, but that surely was implied. Who she was remained a
mystery to him. Why did Max stay by her side? How did she end up
in the forest miles away from any form of civilization? And why
the bloody hell did she look so familiar? His head was beginning
to pound with his attempts to scour every inch of his brain for
a simple name. But like every other try he couldn’t find any
source of light to illuminate the darkness.
Scowling, Beau took a bite of bacon and chewed it angrily. Once
he swallowed he turned his eyes to the woman, tossing another
piece of bacon down onto the floor for Max. “What’s yer name?
You look so familiar…” Thick brows furrowed with frustration as
he chewed on his lip. “‘ave we met before?” A hand then combed
through his hair, messing up the already unkempt style even more
to the point where thick brown strands were sticking out at odd
angles. “Don’t suppose you know why you were out t’ere in t’e
first place, aye?” The only thing he could offer her was a small
smile, a bit ashamed of his previous frustration. He had no
right to take it out on her when she looked like she had just as
many questions as him.
#Post#: 381311--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mattie and Beau
By: Tea Date: December 29, 2014, 8:53 am
---------------------------------------------------------
The man follows her into the kitchen area, setting a glass of
water on the table for her before making her a plate of
wonderful smelling food. She takes greedy sips from the glass,
the liquid quenching the desert that is her parched throat. She
still has no idea how long ago she arrived here, how long it has
been since the last time she ate. She had been so busy in 1932,
she probably hadn't even eaten breakfast before she jumped time
again.
As she waits for him to finish making her plate of food she
thinks back to that day.
It has been spring, May 12th to be specific. Mattie had been in
1932 for almost six months. The longest she has been in one
place in a long time. It seems with every shift her reaction is
worse and the time spent gets shorter. She worries about what
that means for her future. In this time, she was working in a
library in a small town in the U.S. It was quiet, and she was
able to learn about the current technology and world events
without being bothered or looked at funny, as if she just
shifted to a time she knew nothing about. It had been a busy
day, the monthly book club meeting scheduled had been cross
scheduled with a separate book reading in the same room by one
of the other assistants. The head librarian had left it to
Mattie to fix the problem. She had been setting the room next
door up to allow both events their own space when it happened
again. The tingling sensation, turning into an almost burn that
consumed her whole body until in a flash she disappears. Carried
off into a new time and place.
"Eat up, you look dead."
His words bring her back from her thoughts and a blush flushes
her cheeks. Did she really look that bad? Self consciously she
looks down at her dress, the previously Snow White lace is now
an ugly brown dotted with grass stains and heavier patches of
dirt. She really does look dreadful. Futilely she brushes at the
fabric with her fingers, a weak attempt to make herself a bit
more presentable in this strangers presence.
She looks familiar to him? That's so strange. There is no
possible way they have met before, but she feels a strange sort
of familiarity here too. "My name is Matilda, you can call me
Mattie though. I don't believe we could have met before." That
is an understatement, but she can't exactly say why that is
impossible so she leaves it vague. When he asks if she knows how
she got out there in the forest she becomes focused on the food
in front of her instead of answering for a moment. Bringing a
forkful of egg to her mouth she savors the food on her tongue.
The warmth and taste is heavenly, just as the bacon she tries
next. When she can stall no longer she finally mumbles an
another vague answer. Lying has never been her strong suit. "I..
Don't remember.." Instead of looking at the handsome man across
from her she goes back to eating. Despite how badly she wants to
devour the food on her plate all at once she forces herself to
take her time and eat politely. Old habits still ingrained in
her very being it seems.
#Post#: 381926--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mattie and Beau
By: Genevieve Date: January 1, 2015, 10:20 am
---------------------------------------------------------
A playful light entered Beau’s eyes, his smile growing.
“Matilda? Sounds like ‘n’ old lady’s name.” He teased lightly,
chuckling; however he had to admit the name had quite a lot of
charm - and rang a lot of bells. Mattie? Now that name sounded
so familiar. And as he repeated it in his head he could almost
see a face; the face of a little girl with blonde hair and round
eyes, though those were the only distinguishable features he
could make out, everything else was blurred, his memory tampered
with by the passage of time.
“M’name’s Beauregard, but most jus’ call me Beau. An’ the mutt’s
Max, though I’m sure you already know that.” The dog of name
perked up as his name was said, hefting himself up onto his feet
and padding over to Beau who offered the animal another piece of
bacon; likely only leaving Mattie’s side because the two were
now in close quarters. The fact that Max clung to Mattie’s side
was still unusual and it reminded Beau of when he first got the
bluetick. A little girl was with him then, blonde, round eyes.
He couldn’t remember her name, having blocked out a lot of his
life back then, but he knew they were close - he could
distinctly remember the feeling he felt when he learned she
left. The ache in his heart, the cloud that seemed to hang over
his head for weeks after, even the betrayal that lurked in the
darkest depths of his mind. They were close - she was his refuge
from home - and she left. Left without saying a word. Over time
he cultivated a subtle hatred for the girl, and when he realized
she was never coming back he forgot about her.
A feeling of concern drew his brows together, green eyes looking
over her pale face once more before settling on her eyes. “Don’t
remember? That’s not good. Didn’t get a good one knocked to yer
head, did ya?” Another light teasing to hopefully brighten the
mood and ease her hesitation. She was hiding something, that
much Beau could tell.
With a soft sigh he slipped off the thick flannel shirt he had
been wearing, leaving him in the white wife beater he wore
underneath. Much like the rest of him, his arms were thick with
natural muscle, tanned from working in the sun, and hairy. On
his newly exposed skin lay various markings, scars, and on his
left shoulder lay a birthmark in the shape of a paw print;
ironically enough Beau loved dogs.
He looked to her, running a hand through his messy hair.
“Where’re you from?”
#Post#: 381932--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mattie and Beau
By: Tea Date: January 1, 2015, 4:20 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
“Matilda? Sounds like an old lady’s name.”
Mattie feels the corner of her lips pull up into a light smile
as she looks up from her plate at the man across from her.
Matilda hasn't been a very popular name in any time she has
found herself, so it’s not surprising to find it unusual here as
well. The fact that she should be an old lady or even dead by
now is a joke only she will ever know, though.
Beau.. Why does that name sound so familiar? It’s an old name,
so surely she has met others with the name on her troubles.
Something nags at the back of her mind though and she can’t
place why. She puts the thought aside, not wanting to dwell.
Her past has no place in her present. All the people she has
left behind, they had to move on and so must she. She has met
countless people. At first she tried to create a life in her
new times, start over with new friends, a new life. But every
time always ends the same. She starts getting comfortable and
only to be ripped away to a new place all over again. So she
stopped trying. She started keeping to herself, only getting
jobs to support herself and staying on her own. That way she
never had to get hurt again. Never had to feel the pain of
losing those she cares about every time she let her guard down.
She has finished most of her plate now, and the gnawing hunger
felt in her stomach is slowly fading away into a warm
comfortable feeling. Taking another slow sip of water she shakes
her head gently. “I don’t know. I’m not even sure where I am to
be honest.” At least there were some things she could be
truthful about. She hates lying, even to strangers, and yet her
whole life revolves around them now. Not only has this taken her
ability to a normal life away, but it even strips away pieces of
herself she holds dear.
Any thoughts she had previously were dashed at once, the moment
his shirt came off. Not so much from the now bare skin of his
muscled arms, but a small patch of skin on his left shoulder. In
that moment, her whole world freezes. Her brown eyes lock onto
the mark, trying to explain away it’s existence. It can’t be.
It’s not possible. But it’s there all the same, a paw print.
Beau…
All at once, it falls into place. Max, Beau, his accent, the
birthmark.. It’s him.. She’s back. The metal fork in her hand
clatters to the plate as she tries to take in this revelation.
How did she get back here? Clearly it’s much later, they were
both only teenagers when she ended up here last. Now he is grown
up, a man. Pain lances through her heart as she thinks back to
their time together. The time spent on the lake, the nights of
camping under the stars. Meeting Max for the first time. She had
no idea how much she had cared for the boy with the strange
birth mark until it was too late. And now she is back, given a
second chance she knows is just someone’s cruel trick. As if she
hasn’t suffered enough.
She does not even register his next question. All she can think
about is getting away from here. She can’t go through this
again, can’t leave him a second time. Pushing back from the
table she stands quickly. “I, I’m sorry. I have to go. Thank you
for all your help..”
Without another word she makes a beeline for the door just
around the corner, intending to walk as far away as she needs
to. Her eyes brim with tears as she steps out onto the wooden
porch, arms immediately going up to wrap around herself. Was it
this cold when she arrived? The ground is already covered in a
shallow coating of snow, fat snow flakes falling consistently
from the sky as if to add insult to injury. She doesn't have
much choice though, she has to leave. So she steps down the four
stairs to the frozen ground, her simple two inch heels no match
for the snow as it piles up over the rounded toes onto the
exposed tops of her feet.
Without turning back as she tries to find a road, she whispers
an apology. Not only for now, but all those years ago. “I’m
sorry, Beau..”
#Post#: 382291--------------------------------------------------
Re: Mattie and Beau
By: Genevieve Date: January 2, 2015, 5:22 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Broad brows furrowed even deeper when she admitted to not
knowing where she was from, let alone where she currently is.
How could such a thing be possible? Surely she isn’t a victim of
extreme amnesia. It was unsettling seeing a swan in so much
turmoil. Beau felt compelled to help. “Yer in the woods, quite a
bit a ways from the nearest town if ya ask me.” The burly man
offered her a comforting smile, finally placing his third bite
of his food into his mouth. The food was tasteless on his
tongue; his appetite was snatched away the second the girl woke
up. He felt the need to eat only to replenish the energy he used
up that day, knowing full well he’d have another early morning.
Tomorrow was grocery day and he’d rather get all the traveling
out of the way early on in the day.
A look of shock seizes his gruff features when her fork clatters
to her plate, effectively stopping his train of thought. Beau
gaze her a look of confusion, eyes quickly scanning her over to
make sure she wasn’t hurt and the pain was finally showing after
all the adrenaline left. But there she sat. Well enough to be
considered alive, teetering on the brink of being healthy. She
looked sick before, but now it was a whole new sick. A sickness
of realization - he could see that much in her wide eyes, that
were even wider as whatever she was thinking fell on her like a
tree.
It pinned her under, keeping her stuck there until she had the
inhuman strength to push it off and take action.
Seconds ticked by in silence only to be broken by her soft
voice. For some odd reason it pierced him down to his very core.
That wild look in she had didn’t belong in such caring eyes, and
much like before, Beau wanted to help.
He stood up just after she did, the dog by her side letting out
a soft whine and getting on all fours as well. All three of them
were in a state of startlement; though Mattie was able to clear
it up before everyone else. “What do you mean you have to go?
You can’t go out there. There’s a storm coming.” He warned with
an empty voice, half expecting her to turn back and sit at the
table again. His warning fell on deaf ears as she made her way
to the door, flinging it open and stepping outside. Beau hadn’t
realized the gravity of the situation until she paused just
outside the door.
Ironically enough, his first instinct wasn’t to go after her, it
was to watch. Even from his spot at the table he could see the
fat snowflakes falling around her, a few getting caught in her
beautiful mess of hair. That image - the sight of a timid woman
in a dingy white dress out in pure white snow and wanting to
escape some monster of the past as she was self-destructing
before his very eyes - was positively divine. One look at her
told him she didn’t belong in his time; she possessed this
wisdom in her eyes. She’s experienced pain far beyond her years,
endured a hardship he would never know because he was letting
her walk right out that door. Right out into the storm. Chaos
breaching chaos. It was ethereal.
When she kept moving realization finally sunk in.
Beau dashed after her. Max was the first at her side, running
circles around her feet to prevent her from going any further as
if the beast could sense the danger she was in. When he finally
reached her he scooped an arm around her waist and pulled her to
him, dragging her back inside. “You’re crazy stupid if you think
you can just run away like that. It’s storming, there’s no city
for miles. You’ll freeze to death before you can even reach the
highway.” Which, much like the rest of the world, was far away
from Beau. That was the reason he chose that spot. The
isolation; the silence. It was beautiful.
Once Max was back inside beside the two, Beau flung the door
shut, keeping the struggling woman in his arms so she wouldn’t
be able to leave. “You’re even more stupid if you think you can
weather the storm in those tiny heels and dress.” The chill of
the night sliced right through his bones, the wife-beater he
wore providing no support. He instinctively tightened his arms
around her, pulling her closer. So close his words were
whispered right into her ear. “Yer not leavin’ until that storm
is gone, Mattie…”
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