Page 17 of The Pale Rider
“It’s a good idea. The only place I can think of that might have the blank paper is your old apartment, if squatters haven’t moved in.”
“I lived in Los Angeles, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did.”
“Aeron? Was I at that research facility when you found me because my father was experimenting on me again?”
Aeron looked like he wanted to say something, then stopped. Someone experimented on me when I was a child, and I somehow ended up at one again as an adult. Whatever happened there, I lost my memories. Did something happen there that was so horrible, I didn’t just block that out, I blocked everything out?
“They weren’t experimenting on you there, Ariel. Please, don’t ask me more questions. We have to be up early in the morning, and we have a long day of travel ahead of us. Do you think you can get back to sleep?”
“Aeron, I have a million questions—”
“I know. And you’ll get them in time. Please, what can I do to get you to sleep?”
“I don’t know.”
I didn’t. Nothing would help me sleep right now. I was too keyed up. What the fuck happened to me, anyway?
Aeron started singing softly. He had a good voice—soft and smooth with just the right amount of vibrato. As much as I didn’t want to, I felt my eyes getting heavier and heavier. Eventually, I fell asleep.
Chapter 11
A
s gentle as Aeron was singing me some sort of lullaby when I had a bad dream, he was now trying to wake me up by poking the shit out of me and yelling in my face. Why couldn’t he be as sweet as last night all the time? He said people were programmed to act a certain way. Where was his switch to turn off asshole mode?
I kept my eyes closed like I was still sleeping. I let out this groan like I would not wake up, even though his finger jabbing into my ribs had long woken me up. My hand darted out to the pillow. I didn’t think this would work, but I pounced and tried to smack him in the face with the pillow.
Ha! I got him right in the nose. Aeron jumped out of bed and scowled at me.
“Be serious. We’re about to head out on the open road. I need you alert, so you don’t get us both killed.”
“Then don’t poke me like that. It hurts, and I don’t like it. Is there something wrong with waking me up like a normal person?”
Aeron started grumbling, and I couldn’t make out some things he was muttering.
“Get dressed and come out to the kitchen to eat. We need to leave soon.”
I sighed and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. Someone had blacked out all the windows in this cabin, so I couldn’t even imagine if it was still dark out. Was there something wrong with me? I’d seen my reflection the first time I showered. I wasn’t totally gross looking. If you were into tattooed girls with pink hair, I could be considered arm candy in certain circles. Aeron treated me like I was repulsive. I knew he was poking me like that because it was the best way to wake me with as little contact as possible. Was he worried he would catch girl cooties?
Aeron could suck my left nut. If his friends were as bad as he was, they could kill the president on their own. I got dressed and stomped into the kitchen. I wasn’t expecting a miracle for breakfast, but I smelled it as soon as I stepped in.
“No, shit. Pancakes?”
“Yeah. I found a jar of maple syrup in the supply closet. It goes without saying we won’t have nachos again, but as long as supplies last, I can make pancakes over a campfire. You may get sick of them.”
I dug into the syrupy maple goodness and shoved it in my face. I moaned at the taste.
“I have this feeling I’m not going to get sick of these.”
Aeron cocked an eyebrow at me and looked totally uncomfortable.
“Do you always make sex noises when you eat? You did it with the nachos too.”
“What? Who knows when the last time I’ve eaten was? You won’t tell me how long I was at that facility, and I can’t remember.”
“Don’t get used to this, Ariel. I’m good at finding food, but there will be times we are eating out of mystery cans, and that’s it. Sometimes, I find nothing when I’m hunting, and it’s rare I find a cabin like this. Sometimes, I do find a cabin with a generator, but then I can’t find gas.”
