Chapter 6: Challa Moves in the Neighborhood

Gazoo came to me just before dawn. “Will all your hunts be that exciting?”

“I sure as hell, hope not! That kind of excitement constantly, can age a man.” I said.

“Well as you humans say ‘ya done good yesterday’. And you helped that camp out as well. You were told that Challa is very smart, well she is. I saw you trying to watch her as you removed your chainmail last night. You saw that she quickly noticed immediately what the other women have yet to notice. Challa is no threat to you. You will soon find out why she is not a threat to you. It is her story to tell so I won’t say anymore.”

“Please remember even though she is your mate, she is special. And may need help from you to settle in to this camp to the best benefit of this camp. She is still reeling from the fact you completely outclassed her in front of the men who could not defeat her. I will leave you with this, she is much more than she seems. Until we speak again goodbye Alex.”

I woke up the next morning long before I was answering my own questions to myself about Challa watching me undress none of the other women had notice the chainmail, but I know Challa did. I had no intention of flat out lying, but I couldn’t tell them anything about who I really was. Or how I ended up here. I couldn’t do anything but go with the flow. I just got dressed.

When I came out Challa was putting bacon in the skillet. When she used a fork to turn the bacon just after it started cooking. As Malta was just coming out of the bedroom I knew she had not shown her what to do. When Challa opened the refrigerator, and pulled out a dozen eggs, Malta pulled out two more dozen Challa began cracking her eggs like a professional I knew then this was not her first rodeo involving eggs. Now I knew how she was feeling last night. Challa showed them all the best way to crack the eggs as her skill at this was better than mine was. I knew something was up when Challa seasoned the eggs with the same knowingly shakes I would have used.

When Challa had the eggs in the skillet, and used the spatula to get as much of the eggs out of the bowl, I just kept saying can it be? It just can’t be. When she knew when they were done and moved the skillet of to the table, I just quietly set down. Milta asked Challa. “How do you know how to cook like Alex did?”

“Alex told me right quick this morning. I knew with everyone out here, who knew how to cook like this so I knew I couldn’t go wrong.” After hearing what she said, I made sure my face was busy with putting food into it. Because if asked I will have to lie, Because what Challa did wasn’t luck. It was know how. I know that there is a story that I am itching to know. Gazoo’s chat with me earlier had let me know Challa is someone who belongs here.

While the ladies tackled the kitchen I went to check on the horses. I saw several extra stalls that I knew wasn’t there before. I had big two barrels of smelliness that needed to be elsewhere. Challa came out where I was, and began helping to finish cleaning up the barn. Clyde and company knew by now to move over by the doors while I cleaned the stalls. I saw Challa pick up the Pine-Sol I used to clean the floors. “Do you pour this in the water or some straight on the floor?” Challa asked me.

“A little straight on the floor then poor a little water to the floor then used one of the small push brooms in the stalls. There are small drain holes in the back under the water dishes.” I said.

“I have not smelled Pine-Sol in years.” Challa said. Enough of this shit! I thought. “Obama” I said.

“I was a Palin girl myself.” Challa said.

“I presume you will be going with me to hunt this morning?” I asked.

“Most definitely.” Challa said.

“Good. We need to be alone. As I am sure we both have more than a few questions for each other. And I would prefer we not be interrupted while we are chatting,” I said. Challa smiled. “Let’s go see what the rest of our camp wants to do today.” I said.

When Challa and I returned to the main cave Malta was rearranging furs preparing to wash them as she said. I need to make some new clothes for ladies within the camp. I would like to send Malla, Sherna, Sherna, Challa, to gather more foodstuffs if no animals can still not harm them. I want to keep Milta, and Malba, with me to work on the furs. Cleaning them and preparing them for clothes.” Malta said. “While we were cleaning up the horse cave, Challa asked to go hunting with me. And as Challa has a few issues that she and I need to work out between us. Mostly about her fitting in here and I would prefer she and I work it out alone.” I said.

“We won’t be all that long though. As I need to work in the other cave. Putting together a few things.” I said. Challa and I got into the truck, after I put the pack saddle on Bonnie, who was happy to see Malla again. And loaded up the two barrels of smelliness. Challa instantly fastened her safety belt. Letting me know this woman is somehow from the 21st century also. Challa turned on the Radio / CD player the song that began to play was ‘What About My Love by Johnnie Taylor’. “I never heard this song before it is not too bad though. I am into country music myself.” Challa said. “Challa that is the late Johnnie Taylor.” I went on to give her a quick overview of ole JT, she did remember hearing ‘Disco Lady’ before though.

I drove to the new incinerator that Gazoo let me know was in place to dispose of items to help keep our pritine, to dispose of the horse apples Clyde’s group had made. I had got the horses to try and put the horse apples all in same area away from their stalls so they wouldn’t be walking on and smashing the apples. I still rinsed down the stalls to keep them smelling good daily.

“My name was Abby Mills in my old life. And I would not care not to hear any ‘Knots Landing’ jokes please. I was a true tom boy hunting, fishing and the like. I thought I could field dress an animal, the women in this time period showed me I was a rank amateur. I quickly adapted to their ways of doing the job. I was a part-time carpenter, mostly as a hobby. I was an engineer, and a machinist, as far as my everyday job was concerned. I died in 2013 in Montana. I was 63yrs old then and I had breast cancer. I had long since retired. When it looked as though I wouldn’t live, I tried not to have a pity party, I failed often. I was a fitness nut most of my adult life, I had moved to the back woods with my wife. Yes I was a lesbian then and now. I was raped as a teenager, and the few other experiences with men were just short of disastrous.

“I was pretty enough the boys started after me before I was completely through with puberty. A group of three boys decided I was a girl they just had to have. They drugged the Gatorade that I was drinking. When I woke up I had been redressed but I knew I had been violated. All three had this shit eating grin locked upon their faces. When I went home I told my Mom what I thought happened. She took me to the Hospital where they took pictures, and had a rape kit done. The three wise idiots couldn’t keep their mouths shut though. Less than a week later the rumors started. Followed by guys telling me what they could do for me. I was offered more Gatorade than I could drink in months. It became the worst kept secret around town what happened. As well as exactly how it really happened to me.

“They claimed that the sex was consensual, the bruises came from us having played football earlier in the day. They claimed I said that ‘one wasn’t enough for me’, that is how supposedly I ended up having sex with all three of them. To add insult to injury, one of these guy’s parents were pillars of the community. These pillars of the community swore their angel of son couldn’t possibly involved with anything like this.

“I was just a gold digger sniffing around for a way to get at the family money. While my family was barely in the middle class. Needless to say, that only me, and my family were the only people pushing this case. They tried me in the press as not more than a common whore. And I got what I was asking for. And now I was crying foul.

“After the prosecutor declined to charge them do to lack of evidence, I was told by the prosecutor these things sometimes happen to the best of girls. All the while hinting to me I was far from being one of the best girls. While he didn’t laugh in my face, strongly advised I get some counseling. Because if somebody had not told somebody else, making this common knowledge I wouldn’t have been able bring charges at all. Plus to add to the drama it was never disclosed that the prosecutor was an Uncle to one of the three rapists. When hunting season came along I got lucky. My three rapist’s and their father’s all liked to go hunting together.

“Let us just say I also went hunting that year. I killed them all out in the woods. They were all killed with arrows from a bow. I had been keeping a low profile since the scandal broke. Only a few people knew that I could shoot a bow. I would have gotten away with it if I had stopped with the people in the woods.

“But I wanted the prosecutor too. He was trying to build a case against me for the murders. He felt I had to be involved as I was their only known enemy. When I could no longer stand it I calmly walked in the prosecutor’s office recording all that was said in that office during our impromptu meeting. He went on to freely admit he knew what his nephew and friends did to me. But that was my problem. They were just boys being boys. Nobody got hurt as I was asleep when they did what they did. like that made it all ok. Plus the fact my reputation was ruined was my own personal problem. I would be ok eventually.

“That I got an STD, (Sexually Transmitted Disease.) from them didn’t matter at all. The prosecutor said it couldn’t be proven that I was a virgin at the time we had sex. Or that I did not pass the STD to them.

“I shot him to death seconds after that admission. In my mind he wasn’t caring about the law. I was really afraid of what other bullshit justice he had handed out to other victims, whether they were innocent at the time of the crime or were just plain victims. The police were waiting for when I got home. I went willingly. I was not ashamed of what I had done. I knew I would be able to sleep at night, as well as in the day if I chose to.

“I was ultimately given life (20 years) before I could be paroled for murdering the prosecutor. As I killed him in front of witnesses that knew I was inside his office when the shooting occurred. I pleaded guilty as I got what I wanted. My life and good name back. Even though I ended up killing my tormenters, the facts about my case came out. While the public didn’t approve of my methods, I was no longer the whore who got what she deserved. But I was now the vigilante. While no better, it was certainly seen better than a money grubbing whore.

The prosecutor was wrong, and had changed the facts so the case wouldn’t look nearly as strong as it really was. That way his boss was less in inclined to prosecute the nephew. After being in jail nearly 20yrs the reasons for me being in prison had long since deserted me. The pleasure that drove me to get even left me shortly before year ten was over. In the decade since women had come and gone, most being either paroled, or had served their time. I would get a little sadder with each woman leaving. I had slowly begun to want to be the one leaving prison. I had begun to think that I would be there the rest of my life.

“I now wanted to be free. This was something nearly 20yrs ago I never thought I would ever care to be free again. I was released though. I worked hard as a machinist daily, as well as a carpenter part-time and weekends, for just about 20yrs when I developed cancer. One day while I was commiserating on the waste of my life, both by the actions of others as well as my own actions.

“Even though I wouldn’t change a thing about what happened after they did what they did to me. 20 years in jail is still a waste of a very long time. One night I was reading romance novel, and wished out loud I wished I could live someplace other than this cold hard world. Having cancer had changed my outlook as I thought the end was near. When I went to sleep this little green guy named Gazoo asked. “If I really wanted to live elsewhere?” I thought I was in the middle of a very good dream.

“This wasn’t the first vivid dream I thought I had since I had become a prisoner. As a prisoner you can dream up some really wild shit to make life more bearable. When you are reduced to just being a number counted more than a few times daily, you have to find ways to escape your surroundings. After doing those 20yrs, you can take the prisoner out of the prison. But you take the prison out of the prisoner. So when the cancer came along I just stopped caring about life in general. That is why I chose to come on this journey. I was promised youth and good health. Two of the things I no longer had in this life.

“After Gazoo convinced me he wasn’t a dream by telling me I had cancer and would soon find out I wasn’t long for this world. He told me to get checked out he would talk to me when I confirmed what he already knew.

“Three weeks later I now knew I was terminal with cancer I called my parents who never deserted me. I asked them to come to the Hospital. When I gave them the bad news I was terminal the three of us just cried. My parents still had jobs, but they were in fact ready to retire. They were very comfortable between the good jobs they had all these years. And they had settled with what was left of the families to protect their good names after I went to prison to serve my sentence. For what seem to be the rest of my life. We all cried until the visit was over. I was given extra time after visiting hours, as it was no secret that I was dying. I asked my parents not to return again.

“To remember me in better times. ‘I am going to go downhill fast I am told. I would prefer that you remember me as the daughter you raised before our lives were turn upside down so long ago. I want you two to travel and live your adventures in life for me.’ I said. ‘Abby you have never had much of a life to speak of.’ My Mom said through her tears. ‘That is the reason I want you two to live for me.’ I said.

“Because I was a trusted inmate, and had not cause much trouble in the twenty years I had been in prison. Though it was very unusual two of the guards came visit me and to let my parent know if they need anything they can count on the two of them. I escorted my parents to the parking lot. I waited inside the last door with my Mom. My dad went, and got the car.