Chapter 37 - Riot
Play the long game.
Icouldn't stop thinking about the girl.
Eleanor.
I needed to know more. I needed to know... her. I woke up each morning with the name on my lips. Her beautiful, innocent face drifted through my dreams and invaded my waking mind as I worked in the junkyard. All day long I asked myself questions.
What was she like? Did she have a favorite drink, or favorite food? Did she play any games, or read? What was her favorite music? What did her laugh sound like? Every second of the day I thought about Eleanor, and her Daddy, Callahan.
After a week of obsessing, I caught up on all my jobs and took a day off.
"Where are you going?" Cherry asked me as I hopped onto my bike.
"Exploring. I'll be back around sunset." I shifted my backpack on my shoulders. "I have food and water."
She frowned. "You're hiding something."
"I am. It's none of your business."
"Fair enough. Be safe." She waved, knowing there was nothing else she could do.
I nodded and pulled the throttle, zooming off into the wasteland dust toward Bunker 237. I hid my bike inside a barn I'd yet to see the Young Ladies explore, and climbed up to the loft to watch the doors. There was only half a roof left and it was too close to the bunker door for them to explore. If I really wanted to, I could easily shoot them dead from here. As I sat, I wondered why they left the barn here if it made for easy targeting. I was beginning to grow uneasy and paranoid when the door opened with a loud squeal.
I sat up and crawled to the edge to look down.
Was it her?No.This Young Lady was black.And the Young Lady the next day had red hair.And the third Young Lady was of Asian descent.
Each day I left disappointed, but I kept returning, hoping to see Eleanor, and on the fourth day, she finally appeared. I watched with utter fascination as she 'explored' with Callahan. I found it interesting that while all the other Young Ladies were excited and put so much effort into their mission, as clearly they took it very seriously, Eleanor looked utterly bored.
And yet, she came back with bags full of items, while the others had collected maybe half of what she had. Even though the set up was almost identical.
What made her different from the others?
I began a routine. Every morning I rode out to the barn, saw which Young Lady came out, and if it wasn’t Eleanor, I returned to Heathen Heights and worked until sundown, making sure that I kept up with work so that on days she did come out, I could stay and watch her.
It took three full days of observing her and Callahan before I grew brave enough to climb down from the barn loft and approach them. However, just as I was stepping out, Eleanor darted toward an old medical shack, leaving Callahan behind. I almost slunk back into the shadows, but he saw me.
"Who goes there?" he belted. I heard him cock his gun and I froze. My fingers twitched, wanting to grab the gun at my hip, but I put my hands up instead and moved further from my hiding spot.
"I'm a wastelander. Don't shoot."
"A what?" I was only able to see his eyes through his mask. He glared at me, pointing the gun at my chest.
"I live a few miles away, above the ground. Have my whole life. I'm not here to hurt you."
"Then why are you here?" He didn't move his gun.
"I--" My mind went blank. Why was I here? "I am interested in Eleanor."
A low growl came from the mask.
"Why?"
"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I-- I think I met her mom once."
"Eleanor is an orphan. She didn't know her mother."
