Family Takes Care of Family

“Run!” Felicia stared at her mother as her body trembled. “Go! I can’t hold him back forever!” The chilly night air shook in Felicia’s throat as she inhaled. “Mom, I can’t leave you here.” The mother shook her head as she held the knife to the man’s throat. In the scuffle, he dropped the pistol he had been carrying during the hour-long chase away from their campsite. Felicia searched the ground with her bare hands. The dirt and twigs buried under her fingernails as she found the gun and picked it up. Her mother noticed and nodded at her. “I love you, mom!” Her mother said with a smile, “I love you, too, and I’ll see you soon.” Felicia’s feet pounded the cold wet earth as she ran into the woods.

She came upon an old fence. She jumped over it as the edge of the post caught her pants legs and scraped her calf. Even though she was in pain, she ran until she found an old barn with a warm glow emanating from its windows. It looked like a lighthouse in the forest’s sea.

Gasping, Felicia knocked on the door. “Help! Help me!” Her legs were shaking under her as she leaned on the doorframe for support. An elderly, gray-haired woman carrying a blanket around her shoulders opened the door. “Yes? What can I help you with?” The woman paused and ushered Felicia to a small stool inside the barn.

“My mother is outside with a dangerous man. He ran us off the campsite. Can I use your phone? My phone died and…” The elderly woman held up a hand. “Was it a tall man with brown hair and glasses?” Felicia’s eyes opened wide, and she nodded her head. The woman laughed. “That’s just old Mel. Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it. Stay still.” She said as she left the barn. Amber hugged herself in isolation. The elderly woman soon returned with a dark-haired young woman with emerald green eyes.

“Grandma, Uncle Mel is acting up again?” The young woman said. “What’s your name?” Felicia just stared at her. “My name is Felicia. Please save my mom,” she said as the tears flowed down her face. The younger woman smiled at her and reached into her shirt pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. She wiped Felecia’s tears and handed it to her. “Don’t worry, Felicia.” She said as she grabbed a hunting rifle from the side of the barn. “I’ll save your mom. You’re too pretty to cry like that. I’m Amber, by the way.” She said with a wink. As Amber ran across the barn, she said without turning around, “Grandma, I’ll be back soon.” She threw an old rag off a pile to reveal a shiny red motorcycle. She flung one leg over the side as she climbed on.

Amber whistled and a large white wolf and a red-tailed hawk came into the barn. Felicia gasped in fear. Amber turned to them. “It’s Uncle Mel. Lead me to him.” Her wolf sniffed the air, and the hawk took off as Amber revved up the motorcycle, following them. Their collective sounds faded off into the distance. The aged woman sat in a chair next to Felecia. “Mel always had his problems. I did what I could for him. But, you know what they say, ‘family takes care of family.’” She shrugged her shoulders. “Would you like a cup of tea, Ms. Felicia?” Felicia held her head in her hands. “I need my mom to be safe,” she said as her voice trailed off. The grandmother nodded. “It won’t be long.”

As Felicia surveyed her surroundings, she noticed the texture of the ground. This barn held lots of animals in the past, as there were empty pens and a musty hay bale in the corner. The elderly woman grinned. “I realize it’s not a luxury building. We have passed this old barn down through the generations. When I was a girl, we had horses and cows here. Amber said she wants to fix it up and restart the farm back. All power to her with that.” The old woman looked away. “I hope my mother’s safe.” Felicia glanced at the straw-covered ground. The mature woman placed a hand on Felicia’s shoulder, “Listen.” Felicia closed her eyes and listened. She waited. Then she heard the single loud gunshot. The mature woman smirked. “They should be back any minute now.”

A little while later, Amber rode in with Felicia’s mother clenching her waist. “Mom? Mom!” Felecia ran to her mother and hugged her as she got off the motorcycle. Amber smiled and took off her helmet. “Thank you so much for saving my mom. If there’s anything I could do for you, please tell me.” Amber leaned closer to Felicia and touched her chin. “How about a kiss?” She asked with a sly smile. Felicia turned bright red as Amber pulled back and laughed. “Don’t worry about it. I just wanted to cheer you up, unless you want it.”

The old woman stood. “What are we going to do about the body, young lady?” Amber grinned. “Just like we planned it, the pets are taking care of it. He didn’t have any friends left. So, no one will look for him. Even if they did,” Amber smirked. “They wouldn’t have much left once they feed. Family takes care of family.” The old woman laughed. “You’re my favorite granddaughter for a reason. Now, we’ll have peace and not have to worry anyone else dealing with our insignificant problem.” Amber hugged her grandmother and kissed her on the forehead. “It’s been a long night. Let’s get you two in the house so we can corroborate this story and charge your phones. You need rest.”

The tale Felicia and her mother concocted will live on for generations after they left the barn.