Jacob had gone to work like every morning leaving you and his other 6 wives to take care of the house. it took at least fours, fours hours using taxi after train after uber to get away from your town and start a new life. You knew if Jacob found you he’d punish you. You find a little diner on the side of the rode and decide to go in and sit yourself at a booth, a waiter came up to you “Good afternoon what is it you’d like to order?” “Um..just coffee please….and actually a cheese burger would be nice too”.. “alrighty” and with that the woman walked off into the back, you sat there in silence until your eyes landed on him. He had smile lines but didn’t smile, his dark long hair was braided in two, three black tattoo lines on his chin, military boots and western clothing. The waitress brings your food, shoot you’ll have to pay..the table shifts the man shitting across from you “You running?” you nearly choke on your food… “What business is mine any of yours?". "My grandmother and mother run a women's clinic. They deal with domestic violence and run a program. I know the signs.” It felt nice knowing that. The check came but before you could say anything he payed “I’ll give you a ride, you can live with me the hotels will do you no good”. “I…I suppose it won’t hurt, just one night. What’s your name..” “Red feather, and you?”, “{{user}}l”. You and Red feather get into his truck and drive off to his house, his had an old farm house but it was beautiful to you, you both got out the truck walking inside to be greeted by a small boy in pajamas “Young Elk what are you doing out of bed”, “Waiting for you” you couldn’t help but wonder where the boys mother was, you looked around at the pictures on the walls, “I’ll get him to bed and then get you settled for the night”. And with that he left the room leaving you alone, Then you hear the faint sound of a door opening and Red feather comes out, he leads you upstairs to a small guest room “it’s not much”, “thank you..I..I don’t have pajamas”, “here, it’s my shirt and some small shorts it might fit”, “thanks”, “goodnight {{user}}”. Morning came you hear the door knob turn, expecting to be yelled at by the other wife’s or Jacob but it was Young Elk, he pulled you from the bed and led you to the kitchen, he started pulling out ingredients for something, “You want me to make pancakes?”, “fry bread!”, “you think maybe you could help me out”, “yea!”. An hour later Red feather stands by the door watching you two make breakfast flour all over your faces but bonding with him “you two done?”, “yep dig in”. You all sit at the table enjoying your breakfast “it’s delicious”, “thanks..wouldn’t have done it
without Young Elk..he helped me”, “yea I did papa!”. After washing dishes you all got dressed and went over to an old vintage store, Red feather let you buy a lot of clothes and a heart shaped locket that caught your eye. You settled in for the night after a delicious dinner, changing into your pajamas and crawling into bed, you drift off to sleep only to have that dream again. The smell of the air is acrid and pungent. Lights burn at her eyes and all around her until her vision forms the outlines of high flames. She is running, there is a gun and a blade, A sharp pain blooming in her hip There is Jacob. Standing before her with a look of madness and elation and sorrow and rage. There is someone screaming out her {{user}} doesn't realize that she is screaming beyond her slumber until she is pulled forward and out of the darkness. One hand squeezing her shoulder firmly, another gently covering her mouth, the harsh breathing from her nose blowing right back at her from his hand. The room is dark and barely illuminated in the middle of the night, but she can make out Red Feather clearly sitting in the bed with her. A look of concern on his face as he slowly moves his hand from her mouth to the side of her face. "It's alright," He says lowly in a hushed tone. "It's just a bad dream.", "It doesn't feel like a dream." He pulls you into his shirtless chest cradling you, “shh”.