My nerves were shot. I had to keep moral high and keep my sister distracted as we hiked towards the town. Fear keeps one alert, but doesn't help any with blending in. So I prattled on about each plant we passed that could be considered edible or useful. Ashley took more interest in the medicinal uses for certain plants I would point out.
"Are you telling me all of this in case you die down here and I need to try to stay alive or something?"
"No, but now that you mention it, I should write some of this down at some point just in case. Though, I would take great amusment in watching you snag the wrong berries and leave you to shit your brains out for a few days without toilet paper"
I laughed deep before she shoved me again. This time I lost my footing on a raised tree root and twisted my ankle before catching myself on a fallin limb.
"That's what you get for being a sadist, sis".
I sat on the ground and rubbed the sore ankle.
I looked up at her with an indignant scowl she knew all too well.
"It's sprained you ass."
She studied the surrounding path.
"Any of your plant friends around here remedy that kind of thing?"
I stood up with a hiss through my teeth.
"Actually, if you want to go over to that patch of poison ivy there and roll around, I'm sure I'll feel much better."
I grinned as she stuck her tongue out in defiance.
A dull but sharp pain in each step slowed us down but soon we saw the glow of the town lights. We knew this place. We had visited in passing several times while visiting with our Grandpa. Population of a several hundred people, but it wasn't totally uncommon for visitors to pass through and frequent the establishments that resided there. We would stick out like sore thumbs though. We were dirty and smelled like walking armpits.
"There's a lake just west of here. We need to bathe and change into something...cleaner."
Ash looked down at her ensemble and bared her teeth.
"Yeah, looking like we just climbed out from under a rock probably isn't the best mothod of remaining inconspicuous."
*********************************
"SHIT IT'S COLD!"
I could hear her teeth chatter from shore as she waded deeper into the moonlit lake.
I fished out the bar of soap from my pack and eased my way into the black water. I scrubbed away the evidence of the mountains from my arms as a not so refreshing splash of water slapped me across the face. I peered at my mischievous sister nose deep in the water not giving her the satisfaction of reacting to her coltnisness.
"You're boring"
"I'm focused" I countered.
Proceeding to scrub out the filth that matted my already brown hair. Ashley's blonde hair now regaining it's original color as she too lathered away the dirt and debris.
She stepped out of the lake and shook off like a soaked dog. I dipped under to rinse, resurfaced, and trudged out of the water as well. Every other step still aching my swollen ankle as wet mud squelched under every stride.
I pulled the somewhat clean clothes out of my bag and threw my sisters new attire her way. After dressing and giving our best attempts to tame our hair in a presentable fashion, we journeyed forward to the beckoning lights that hovered over the treetops in the distance.
*****************************
We surveyed the movements of those casually walking through the dying activity of the town. Nothing seemed out of the norm other than there weren't as many people out and about as we had been a witness to in the visits we had made in the past.
"The general store is the third building on the left with the red awning".
It looked dark inside. We may have come at too late of an hour. We eased our way down a back alley and into the street. It felt like being on another planet. Civilization now almost foreign to us after being wilderness locked for so many months. It was a welcomed site though. It felt good to see buildings. Roads. Street lights. The clock tower at the end of the block chimed and both Ashley and I jolted at the sound. 10pm. The store was indeed closed. Ash looked at me in silent question of what the move was. I pulled one strap of my bag off and pulled it around my front. I dug around until I found the ziplock bag of cash our father left us in case of an emergency.
"Let's go see what time it reopens and camp out over the hill until morning."
She nodded in agreement and followed my lead.
We crossed the empty street and read the sign at the storefront.
"7am, we have to get here as early as possible to avoid being noticed by the midday crowd."
Ashley glanced over to the hotel next door.
"No."
I said firmly.
"Please, Layla, please. A shower. A bath. Clean sheets. Nobody would see us other than the clerk. It will be just us. Please."
She gave me the worlds cringiest puppy dog eye display. I, too, missed hot showers.
"Fine. But seriously, if anything seems off we take off. Understood?"
Once again she saluted sarcastically.
"Yes Ma'am. Anything you say Ma'am."
I rolled my eyes and nervously led us to the door to the inn.
A small bell chimed over the door as we entered.
A short, stocky lady, with towering auburn hair, and far too much makeup emerged from the back room behind the counter of the lobby. She took a quick galnce at us both before displaying a yellowish smile.
"Checking in for the night Ladies?"
"Yes ma'am. We just need 1 room for the evening. Any vacancy you have available will do."
She giggled and grabbed a key off of the wall. I noticed then, there wasn't a single other key missing from the rack behind her.
"We haven't had visitors in some time, what brings you out to Mellberry?"
Her voice rang with a pleasant enthusiasm that could put anyone at ease.
"We're on our way to stay with our father for awhile. Our mother passed due to...complications."
She placed her hand over her heart and her expression became dramatically sympathetic.
"Oh you poor dears. Babies I know the feeling. Everyone in our family has passed, so now it's just my son and I. It gets easier my loves. The pain never goes, but time does it's hand in dulling the sorrow." She placed her wrinkled hand over my hand that was resting on the counter and displayed a sweet grin that didn't meet her eyes.
"Thank you miss, I do hope you're right. The time past so far hasn't seemed to have healed much of anything."
The woman nodded, still with sympathy in her eyes, and handed me the room key. Then slid a clipboard across the counter.
"Just sign here and we'll get you squared away. You both look like you could use a decent nights rest."
I reached for the pen and began to sign. Before I could write out the false name I deemed acceptable onto the paper, the small woman gasped. I looked up at her and noticed her studying my right arm.
"Is something the matter?"
Gently, she reached over the counter and pulled up my sleeve slightly. The small woman was suddenly very pale.
"Ma'am are you alright?"
She shook her head and her face snapped back to the bright demeanor she had displayed upon our arrival.
"Apologies darlin'."
She gave a raspy little chuckle.
"Could have sworn I saw a spider on you."
I dropped the pen and slung off my jaket. Give me bears, wolves, snakes, I'm fine. But spiders will have me climbing up a wall and squealing like a child. I'm convinced that I would have likely killed my sister by now had I not needed her to play exterminator for me in the cabin on a regular basis.
Ashley laughed as if she heard my thoughts and scooped my jacket off of the floor.
"I think we better get to bed before Layla empties a can of bug spray in your lobby Miss."
She smiled wide once more and bid us both a goodnight.