"Thorn-Finger," Ivy said suddenly as she popped the last piece of bacon in to her mouth. "I need to use the rest room."
"Go then." Thorn-Finger motioned to-ward the rest-room impatiently, unwilling to leave his delicious food for even a second.
The girl went off, unaffected by his brisk words, and Thorn-Finger was able to finished his buttery pancakes.
Ivy had still not come back by then, but something made him look up and out the window.
Bubba's eyes met his. The huge man was easy to spot, even in the crowded street. He looked tired and beaten. Bubba tossed his knife in the air and traced a line across his throat with his thumb.
Thorn-Finger nodded. He understood. He had to run.
Jumping up, he ran to the woman's bath room. He stopped at the door. "Ivy?" He knocked.
No answer.
A little louder: "Ivy?"
Please let Bubba not have found her, he thought.
"Yes?" Came the little girl's voice.
"We need to go."
"Be right there." The sound of shuffling hands and feet.
Thorn-Finger glanced through the window. Bubba was crossing the street. "Ivy-"
A woman pushed passed him out the door.
"Be right there!" The sound of rushing water.
"No, Ivy. Now!" Thorn-Finger knocked again.
The large man had made it to the sidewalk. He wasn't looking towards the rest-rooms.
"Coming!" Ivy emerged.
She had hardly taken one step out side the rest-room when Thorn-Finger grabbed her hand and ran for the back exit.
"But we have not paid!" Ivy insisted.
Pulling her down the back alley, he huffed. "No time!"
As soon as they made it out of town, they once again took to the trees. They ran until Ivy finally complained: "I am tired. I do not think I could walk another step." And with that she slipped her hand from his and sprawled out on the mossy ground.
It struck Thorn-Finger that the little girl had take all the excitement very well. Most girls would have started to cry. But Ivy was not like most girls. Instead of shying away from anything strange of dangerous, the odd and adventurous attracted this little girl. Instead of pink dresses, this girl wore leather jackets and combat boots.
No, this girl was anything but ordinary.
"Was there trouble, Thorn-Finger?"
It took him a moment to realize she had spoken.
"Yes."
But she was already asleep, even though the sun was still high in the sky.
"Go then." Thorn-Finger motioned to-ward the rest-room impatiently, unwilling to leave his delicious food for even a second.
The girl went off, unaffected by his brisk words, and Thorn-Finger was able to finished his buttery pancakes.
Ivy had still not come back by then, but something made him look up and out the window.
Bubba's eyes met his. The huge man was easy to spot, even in the crowded street. He looked tired and beaten. Bubba tossed his knife in the air and traced a line across his throat with his thumb.
Thorn-Finger nodded. He understood. He had to run.
Jumping up, he ran to the woman's bath room. He stopped at the door. "Ivy?" He knocked.
No answer.
A little louder: "Ivy?"
Please let Bubba not have found her, he thought.
"Yes?" Came the little girl's voice.
"We need to go."
"Be right there." The sound of shuffling hands and feet.
Thorn-Finger glanced through the window. Bubba was crossing the street. "Ivy-"
A woman pushed passed him out the door.
"Be right there!" The sound of rushing water.
"No, Ivy. Now!" Thorn-Finger knocked again.
The large man had made it to the sidewalk. He wasn't looking towards the rest-rooms.
"Coming!" Ivy emerged.
She had hardly taken one step out side the rest-room when Thorn-Finger grabbed her hand and ran for the back exit.
"But we have not paid!" Ivy insisted.
Pulling her down the back alley, he huffed. "No time!"
As soon as they made it out of town, they once again took to the trees. They ran until Ivy finally complained: "I am tired. I do not think I could walk another step." And with that she slipped her hand from his and sprawled out on the mossy ground.
It struck Thorn-Finger that the little girl had take all the excitement very well. Most girls would have started to cry. But Ivy was not like most girls. Instead of shying away from anything strange of dangerous, the odd and adventurous attracted this little girl. Instead of pink dresses, this girl wore leather jackets and combat boots.
No, this girl was anything but ordinary.
"Was there trouble, Thorn-Finger?"
It took him a moment to realize she had spoken.
"Yes."
But she was already asleep, even though the sun was still high in the sky.
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