Forced Autonomy by Lila Felix

Author:Lila Felix [Felix, Lila]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

The next morning, I woke up to a cold RV again. I glanced towards the bedroom but Petra was gone. The door was slightly ajar, and I peeked out, wondering where she was. “Petra,” I called out, hoping she could hear me.

“I’m here,” she turned the corner, way too happy that early in the morning.

“Are you okay,” I asked.

“Yeah, Law. A girl’s gotta pee in the morning. And I’m particular about my trees. Don’t wig.”

Girls pee—remember that, pal.

“Sorry. I’m not used to having anyone with me.”

“No sweat,” she shrugged. The bottom of her black t-shirt was bunched in the front in a bulge.

“I found blueberries and some winter pears. Do you grow them?”

“They were already growing when we moved here. I think this place is on the edge of a farm.”

“Well, they’re delicious. I haven’t had fresh fruit in years.” She popped a blueberry in her mouth and sat on an upside down barrel we used for rain collecting. The joy on her face was priceless. I knew without a doubt I’d do just about anything to give her that joy as often as I could. There was just something about her that made me want to be better—she made me regret who I’d been.

“Come have breakfast with me,” she said between mouthfuls.

I jumped back inside, went to the cabinets and pulled out a beat up metal bowl. I relieved her of the fruit and we ate outside, letting the rising sun warm us. I pulled out my pocket knife and peeled her pear for her. The winter pear’s skin could be tough and sometimes unpalatable.

“Thank you,” she took a huge bite and the juices ran from either side of her mouth. Pulling a bandana from my back pocket, I handed it to her. She finished chewing, smiling the whole time. “Thanks again. I feel like a glutton.”

“Eat your fill. We’ve got tons to do today.”

“You’ll let me help, right?”

“Yep. First we have to make a run for food. It’s not far. The Mexicans trade with us for intel. We should get some good stuff for the tanks info.”

“Ok, give me five minutes,” she bounced into the RV to put a jacket on and grab the backpack.

I was also owed a favor by a man in Des Moines. I’d known him before the collapse. I spent a lot of time hiding out from the cops when I was boosting cars. I also helped get his daughter back when she’d been kidnapped by a drug dealer. He owed me big. And I was gonna call in his favor.

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