A Welcome Burden

After leaving the unknown town 2 days ago, I haven't seen another since. Man this state is deserted or at least it feels like it. I looked into the sky as the clouds were turning a dark grey color signaling a brewing storm. I stopped and grabbed my jacket from the duffle bag. It wasn't long after I began walking that the clouds opened up and the rain poured down. The rain came down faster than the ground could hold making puddles on the road. The rain was cold and I rubbed my hands together making them get as hot as Hot Hands before putting them into the pockets of my jacket. The warmth warmed me enough to not cause me to shiver. The rumbling sound of an engine sounded in the distance. I wanted to thumb for a ride to get out of this downpour but I kept my hands inside my pockets. The truck blew by me hitting a puddle splashing mud up onto my clothes.

"Fucking cocksucker!!" I yelled giving the driver both of my middle fingers. My clothes were soaked and caked with mud. Now I'm gonna have to change thanks to that idiot. I hiked off the road into the woods and changed out of my clothes. Thankfully the clothes I was wearing wasn't something I really liked. I left the woods and continued on walking down the road making sure to avoid any puddles I see.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I downed the last bit of my water still feeling thirsty. I really need something to drink. In the distance a flashing light caught my eyes. As I got closer to the blinking sign, I could see it was a bar. I can't steal drinks so I'll just stick with getting some water. My boots crunched on the gravel as I approached the entrance. When I pulled open the door, the smell triggered my mind to my house. That smell of hard booze was unmistakable but I really needed some water. People stared at me as I sat down at the bar.

"What can I get you?" The bartender asked as he cleaned a shot glass with a white towel.

"Just some water please."

"Just water? You look like you need to eat. Would you like something?" He asked as he scooped ice into a glass before filling it from the sink behind him.

"No thanks." He placed the glass down in front of me on a napkin. The water was cold and quenched my thirst. I looked around at the place. It was just a little hole in the wall kinda joint that allowed drinking, a game of pool, and smoking.

The place had faux wood walls with several pictures of just half naked girls to half naked girls on motorcycles and muscle cars. There were a few animal heads in the walls giving it that rustic backwoods look. I took my cigarettes out of my jacket pocket and lot one up with a Zippo lighter I had lifted from some store. Hell I can't even remember the name of it. That's another one of the habits I've picked up while on my own but smoking for me is a stress reliever. Most people do it out of boredom or just because they crave it. I hardly ever crave a good menthol cigarette.

"Need me to top your water Miss?" The bartender asked as he pointed to my half empty glass. I nodded my head as footsteps sounded behind me. Out of natural instinct I looked behind me as a man walked passed and sat 4 stools over with a cigar hanging from his mouth.

My ears picked up on his gravelly voice as he order a Budweiser from the bartender. My eyes took in his features. His face was chiseled with a bit of scruff that met up with his sideburns. He wore a leather jacket over a flannel black and red shirt with a pair of snuggly fitting jeans and work boots. He had something around his neck that looked like dogtags but I was too far away to know what they said. The stranger took a swig of the long neck bottle and glanced at me making me divert my eyes. I turned my attention to the glass of water taking a sip before the bartender came over to me carrying a beer.

"Compliments from the gentlemen at the pool table." He said and I glanced over my shoulder at them. From here I could tell they were drunker than shit.

"They don't look like gentlemen to me. More like a band of fucktards. Give it back to them." I said rolling my eyes. The sound of the stranger scoffing a laugh was music to my ears.

What the fuck? Cheyenne Shelby Winston! You don't even know this guy! For all you know he could be dangerous!

My mind said to me. I slightly shook my head and took another puff from my cigarette.

"Miss, they're being very persistent about giving you this drink."

"Keep throwing them away. It's their money they're wasting." I said turning down another bought beer from drunkards. I do like to have a drink every once in a while but tonight is not that night. Besides who knows what they've slipped into the open bottle before it got to me. I put out my cigarette into an ashtray before finishing off the water. I was about to get up to leave when the men at the pool table surrounded me.

"Hey girly. Why didn't you accept my beers I paid for?"

"Yeah. You come to a bar and then don't drink?" The second man with slightly greying hair spoke as he sat down beside me.

"Excuse me." I began to get to my feet to leave but the third man put his hand down on my shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going? You offended us. The least you could do is make it up to us." He said slurring his words badly.

"P..please lea..leave me alone." I said trying to take the third man's hand from my shoulder.

"How about you come over to our place and we have a little bit of fun." The seconds man's breath swept over my ear and neck making me extremely uncomfortable. The man then placed a sloppy kiss on my neck. I pushed him away and grabbed the glass of beer he sat down and threw it on him.

"Oh feisty little thing. Just how we like it." The first man's hand grazed over the outside of my jeans on my thigh while the third pinned me against the wooden bar. I held my hands up trying to stop him but he was stronger than me. Something inside of me tingled with anger and before I knew it, the first man was propelled backwards and smashed into a coat and hat rack mounted onto the wall. The handles stuck through him in several places. As his buddies went to pointlessly check on him, I made my escape from the bar. Fuck! I've screwed up big time! I didn't get halfway across the parking lot before I felt hands on me. I was spun around fast and I looked into the angry eyes of the other 2 men.

"What the fuck are you! You killed our friend you bitch!"

"She's one of them! One of those fucking mutants!" The second man said angrily. I could feel their nails digging deep into my flesh.

"Your kind ain't welcome in this neck of the woods but after we're done with you, you're gonna be like our friend." The first man pulled something from behind his back as I was shoved to the ground. It was a metal bat. He pointed it at me before swing it down connecting with my head. It hurt like hell and I could feel blood coming from a gash. My vision was blurry as he raised it again before they were pulled away. I tried to focus on the man saving me but my eyes just wouldn't adjust. I could feel myself slipping into unconsciousness as my savior hoisted me off the ground and carried me away. He smelled of a cigar, beer, and Old Spice cologne. The last thing I registered into my mind before I blacked out completely was the truck that had splashed mud all over me.