Picturesque storm! The Maria incident Pt. 2 Epilogue.

After the brunt of the storm had shifted and the fury of the deluge relaxed. A small buggy rips through the pooling water a large tuff of dark brown hair with a reddish tint wafts in the wet winds.
"We should take advantage of this letup and swing around to get some gas before we get stuck out here. Ol' Mother nature's mighty pissy today, huh?" An older man with a long beard says as he tactfully steers around the massive puddles and ebbs.
A sweet and silky voice pronounces the roar of the electric motor and the symphony of rain. "Must we honestly consort with the . . . less than thoughtful cohorts of this godforsaken suburb." The young dark-skinned woman says her face- buried in a book. The old man scoff. "Hm still reading old Papa Karl's diary huh? What is this 4th or 5th time this week Dahali? The books fall from her sight and shift closed as she sits tenderly on her lap. Dedestra's icy, docile glare trails over to him. "It is a fantastic read! I'm quite enamored with it!" The old man snickers. "Turned into you into a regular old bolshevik in no time didn't we?" Dedestra scoff. "Well, I have developed a deep disdain for the burgeoning elitist aristocracy and the stipulations and biases of capitalism so yes I am quite the . . . filthy Commie I suppose."
The old man lets out a hardy laugh and slaps his knees! "Ah, girl! That fancy talk always gets me. But, alas, my swarthy comrade until we can weed out the Romanovs, we must contend with Uncle Sam and Aunty Yamako!" The old man turns the corner and pulls into a local Charging station. Dedestra sighs "Well, I suppose I can pick up some snacks for Pumpkin." Dedestra grunts as the small car stop abruptly. "Mr. Bassora!? Why the sudden stop(!?)"
Ben stares off befuddled "What the . . .!?" Both their eyes dart to the convenience store of the gas station fixated on the hulking hole of caved in and shattered glass. They look at each other in concern. The two comrades exit their vehicle and tentatively make their way into the store. Ben pries open the glass door and a rush of air rushes through the opening. DINK DINK! Dedestra scurries in shielding herself from the wind.
Ben follows and shuts the door. "Good Christ!" He sats as her surveys the damage. Dedestra scans the small store, combing through the large smatter of glass and blood on the floor the broken shelf, thick, cracked class at the counter, the disoriented frazzled customers, the bruised and wounded man tending to himself with an ice pack, a building black wallet on the table next to him. A murmur sprouts from the aisle "Fucking Jesus, More freaks!" Dedestra, graciously strolls down the Aisle, sweeping through the lanes plucking specific candies and toaster pastries from the shelf with no hesitation. A conservative hand full of carbohydrates and bottled teas are set carefully situated on the counter. They look around for an attendant. Their eyes fixate on a woman eviscerating a bottle of sanitizer, slathering its contents on her face.

Ben shuffles around Dedestra. "Uh, excuse me, ma'am, Is everything alright? Yall look like you've been through Hell." A disembodied voice mutter "Yeah, a fucking demon . . ." Dedestra's ear perks. The Woman riles and reeves. "OH God! This vagrant, this ruffian, came in off the street and started harassing people! She muddies and soaked the floor, My little boy, Gocha nearly slipped in it. She started screaming obscenities and curses then spat in my face! I swear they should lock people like that up and throw away the key."
Some shy Japanese national chimes in "She was crazy! I thought I was gonna get, like, mugged or something, man!" Dedestra's brow rises. "What do you mean? You all seem in good health. Save for one of you, I'm assuming the store was robbed." The Woman scrunches and delineates, a sigh of uncertainty slips, "Well, no she didn't steal anything technically. But she was accosting us and she assaulted that poor man and took his money!" The woman points to the leading bruised burly man. Dedestra's hand traces up to hook her index finger around her own chin. "Really? Define technically." The women scoff. "She beat that poor man took his money and bought ice cream." Dedestra turns to her. "So, she randomly accosted a single man and was so strong to do so. And yet had the integrity to buy the ice cream as opposed to simplify stealing it? Quite a feat for your run-of-the-mill vagrant." The Shy Japanese man chimes in again. "Well, she was screaming about a fight. She . . . put her body on the line for money and that dude stepped up and . . ." The burly man sneers at the national causing him to cower behind the chip aisle! Dedestra turns to the man. "So, The evidence points to she beat you fair and square, sir." The man turns his sneer to Dedestra.
She replies with her own icy glance. The man stifles himself. "That . . . That bitch was talking 'bout openin' up the coochie, yo! Shit, I was bored as a motherfucka in this coma; so, you know? I was finna to get a little somethin'. I got a good look at that booty and Whoo! She dragged me out in that cold ass rain and I was ready homes! Then . . .shit . . ." The man shakes his head while holding the bag of ice over the bruises on his face! His voice shakes.
"She got the drop on me, man! It was one, two, one, two! Boom, boom, boom!" He imitates boxing "Then she threw me through a motherfucking window! She fucking threw all my cash on the ground and shit, Nig'! Fuckin' crazy bitch!"
Dedestra intercepts "Wait, wait, wait! Let me just clarify, she threw your money on you? H-how much money exactly did she steal or, win . . . from you?" The man scoff! "Shit, I ain't recount this band for you, fuck out my face!" Dedestra rolls her eyes "Riveting . . . Where's the clerk?" Ben jumps back "Woah, Woah, Woah!" Dedestra turns around an older, gruff man carrying a shotgun over his shoulder peeling from behind her over the counter. "Calm down, calm down!" the Clerk says, "I'm just putting this away." Dedestra turns to him. "Sir, what can you tell me about the young woman that . . ." Her wrist twirls as she tries to muster an appropriate word ". . . accosted your patrons." The clerk shakes his head and scoffs as she stores the shotgun under the shelf. "That girl. Look I-I don't know if she was on something or running from the cops she had . . . one of those metal bands around her neck for a prisoner so . . . I don't know!" Dedestra rubs her chin with her finger. "Well, start from the beginning."
The Clerk sighs. "She came in from the rain, soaked and cold. She didn't say anything for a minute just looked off to the side. I called her a couple of times, no answer. that's when I thought she was on something. After a while, she asked for food. Free food!" He scoffs and limply shakes his head shrugging. "What was I to do? I thought she might be a runaway or homeless or sumthin'. Then I saw the collar. That's when I knew she was some kinda criminal; so I-" "Wait. Stop! Yellow flag- graciously thrown on the play! Dedestra tightly massages her brow with her fingers, her arm propped up on her alternate forearm wrapped around her. "Eres un imbécil implacable! What were you to do? Why not just give her food?" The Clerk Scoff "Well . . ." Dedestra intercepts, "Well? So, you thought she might be homeless or a runaway and you couldn't even offer her a sample or a portion."
Dedestra points over to the neatly packed hot food display; chicken wings, nuggets, pizza, and tacos galore! The copious wrapped snack foods burgeoning behind her. The clerk collects himself. "Well . . ." Dedestra intercepts! "And that gentleman claimed he feared he was going to be mugged. Mugged? But she resorted to an honorable duel for capital? that doesn't sound like a mugger . . ." The women scoff. "That young lady was trapesing around, staring daggers at people asking for money in a demanding and frankly violent way!" "Was she asking or demanding?" Dedestra inquires. The woman stammers. Dedestra points over to the Japanese man.
He flinches "Huh!?" "How did she demand money for you?" The man scratches his head. He slightly raises the pitch of his voice, putting his hand in his pockets. "Well like "Ay yo, man! Can I get a couple of Shegii?" then she got kinda mad when I uh. Ignored her . . . I uh . . . she scared me." He gulps in embarrassment. "She mentioned she was walking to Shinetown and then she yelled at me and went to the lady . . ." The Woman Gasp clutching her purse as he points at her. Dedestra raises her eyebrow. The woman clutches her pearls. "She could've been some druggy or scammer. I'm not gonna waste it away on some vagabond to indulge in their drugs and perversions!" "Yes, we're all well aware how serious a hard drug ice cream is, ma'am" The older woman scoffs. Dedestra crosses her arms and looks at the Clerk.
"If I was a poor, homeless, runaway convict with nowhere to go drenched in a storm, I'd probably do drugs as well; Menthols Extra Lite." She points at the rack behind him prompting him to fetch her brand. Dedestra turns to the burly man. "And you?" He sneers. "Man fuck some poor ass niggasu!" It ain't my fault you fucked; I'm flashing! Get'cho'r bread game up!" Dedestra points at him. "The lonely, poor, homeless convict, is supposed to just magically manifest money while you seem to have money to spare. Have you known empathy or goodwill!? Even after she did get her, so-called bread game up by firmly beating you!?" She glares at the Clerk! He flinches! "And how much did she spend in this store!" The clerk stammers. "A fiver . . ." Dedestra scoffs with her icy glare tightening "5 Shegii!? On what?" The Clerk points over to an advert for a 3.99 special on GochU Ice cream.
"On 4 Shegii ice cream! She even had change left over!" The Clerk's eye drifts down. "Well, she threw it on the . . ." Dedestra turns back around to the burly man! "Don't tell me she threw the change at you!" The Burly man sneers and promptly picks up one of the blood-drenched coins and throws it at Dedestra striking her shoulder. "Again . . . Very charming! And sir how much money did you come in with this evening?" The burly man spits blood on the floor, "More money than you man's bitch(!)" Dedestra scoffs. "Oh please you're the exhibit A of why I don't engage with men anymore, I'm practically a Lesbian damsel in waiting! Give me a ballpark fig're!" The burly man scoffs "300 hundo, bitch! Fuck outta-!" "AH HA!" Dedestra's fist slams down into her hand! "Leaving you with pitiful 296 Shegii with change and a Lonely, depressed, homeless, runaway, convict got to eat. Hark! Judgment day is nigh! And who else did she ask!"
The Clerk adds "Well, most everyone in here . . ." Dedestra looks out at the 5 other members on looking and sitting. "She asked all of you and know could spare a single Coins?" One of the congregates protests! "Hey! I didn't have anything to give." Dedestra acknowledges her without looking at her. "My deepest condolences; and what did she say when you told her that?" The woman scratches her head, "Well, uh, she sighed and said it was all good . . ." Dedestra turns to the congregation, "Ah! So an understanding and humble vagrant? Oh, you must have been absolutely terrified!" The woman looks away defeatedly. "Anyone else?" Dedestra thumbs through the embarrassed and detached looks. She rubs her chin and closes her eye tightly in chin stiffly. The Clerk tries to speak. Ben shushes him. A moment of silence GASP! "Eureka!" the finger on chine shoots up. The congregate collective raises an eyebrow. Her hand thuds in her fist.
"You're all terrible people . . .(!)" A collective tightening in the concession. Her arms cross, She turns to the Clerk," A greedy capitalist that would rather see a one-off lonely, poor girl go starved and cold for the sake of profit!" Then to the women, "A paranoid, woebegone, entitled, elitist, house frau, that thinks those beneath her status are but dirt!" To the young man! "A milquetoast, cowardly cur that watched a strong young woman be maligned!" To the burly man "Some disgusting, gluttonous, pig-headed, misogynistic cretin! And all of you are sadistic, compassionless, contemptible, impetuous, gossip whores without an ounce of empathy or courage in your fat, hedonistic bodies! Your souls are void and vapid and cold, completely and utterly content with leaving desperate women to despair to the point where she had to wager her life and sex for some damnable ice cream(!!!)" She violently grabs the damp 20 spot out of her pocket "And if she dies in this storm, I hope you all feel proud of yourselves." She slams it on the counter! The Clerks disenchanted eyes look down at it.
"I am so unfathomably, dismally revolted that I may run out of detractions if I go on any longer so I'll punctuate by saying, may God have mercy on your souls. God bless!" Dedestra concludes facetiously as she grabs the bags from the counter, unphased by the befuddled, ashamed, angry and shy denizens staring at her, ignoring the soft weeps, protest, and mutters; she makes her way to the door, The clerk leans on the counter.
"Look! I didn't . . . I just . . . I didn't think of it . . ." Dedestra scoffs "Save your haphazard hackneyed apologies, actually ruminate on your actions! The least you can do describe her in detail so I can look out for her. The Clerk sighs defeatedly. "She was short and pretty athletic looking, couldn't be any much more than 20. Wearing a sweatshirt, She had . . . long hair about shoulders length pretty bushy with a red band on her head, Two little red horns" Dedestra's heart skips! He continues "Her hair had a-" "A reddish tint if you looked closely!? And a scowl with crimson eyes that cleaves through your every single vulnerability you dare show to her!?" Dedestra says frantically in hushed tones as her hand quivers on the door handle. The Clerk stares befuddled "Wh-Yeah! How do you-?" "Ben! We're leaving! I hope you all burn in hell!
DINK-DINK Dedestra rushes through the door bags in hand, she trudges to the buggy, the pooling rain splashing beneath her. Ben exits behind her. "Hey! Hey! Dahali! What's the rush? You know that girl?" "She's . . . My knight, And she's in peril! We must find her." Dedestra rushes to the buggy, carelessly tossing the bags into the back and buckling herself in. "Benjamin! Make haste!" "Okay Okay!"
Dedestra glances up at the scowling swirling sky as she bites her naked, haggard nails.
[ Please okay, Symown. I know you're angry, but please, Just be okay! Is it me your angry at? Is she searching for me!? I'm sorry . . . How can I calm you down how can I . . .] The buggy swivels and jerks to avoid the large puddles and falling branches. His heart crawling out his chest; he looks at Dedestra's determined expression with a gulp and a soft pant before turn back to the road. Dedestra bristles at the crackle of lightning. Heart jumps as the return strokes run in the same direction one after another. "ShineTown! That's right! Ben! Towards ShineTown!" She says as they come up on the Exit;
Konzu HWY InterCont 93-11 To South ShineTown.
Her heart drops as that bright yellow sign flies past them falling to the side as speed down the adjacent junction. Click! Ben feels a freezing metal ring on his temple.
"Ben, for All that is good, holy, and loved in this world, What. The. Hell. Are. You. DOING!" Benjamin lifts one hand off the wheel in surrender and says with icy calm. "Dahali, It's dangerous out here, we need to be getting to the camp and-" CLICK " The hammer pulls back "And what pray tell gives you the right to make that decision(!?)" "The fact that it's my car, first off, and my responsibility for your safety. If we die out here, I won't be missed but you? Think about the kids Dahali! Think about your Boy. If your little girlfriend was strong enough to take that thug, she can handle a walk home." Dedestra shakes and snarls! she lowers the gun. "You don't understand! If she can't calm down you may have body bags instead of broken windows!!!" Her voice starts to shake; she grits her teeth.
"She's immature, petulant, peevish and she needs someone right now! She needs someone to caress her silly, silly little head, reprimand her, and tell her I'll be okay. She needs me!" Tears run down her face, meshing with the beads of rain on her cheek. She holds the small revolver in her lap tightly "As she did for me, all those years ago!" She looks out to the side. They sit in silence for a second, "You know, I've neglected to even call her for quite a few months now . . ." Her hand smears her face, whiling the moisture from her eyes. "Maybe your right, maybe . . . she's going to see someone . . . someone she trusts. . . at least I hope. Perhaps someone less a Damsel than I." She sheathes the gun. slowly and spends the next half an hour looking out to the rain, remembering days past.