The Motel

"Did you see my landing?" Iris exclaimed, "right on the back! He had no clue I was coming! I rode him like a horse." Iris was raving, bouncing in her seat. The truck hummed softly as the wheels ate up the highway in front of me. My fingers tighten around the wheel.

"You really should be more careful you know." I reprimanded.

"Are you kidding? I nailed it. And not to mention, saved your a*s." She swung the pen in her hand around like a sword and jabbed me.

"It was a reckless move and could have easily went south. What were you gonna do if it swung you off and hit the wall? Wouldn't be much help unconscious, would ya?" I jabbed back at her. Her shoulders slumped.

"At least I don't pick up random hitchhikers." She muttered under her breath. I looked in the rear view mirror at Lena, who hadn't said a word in a couple of miles.

We've been driving for almost an hour and we were all still running on adrenaline. Iris especially. That wouldn't last long. We would have to pull in to a town soon and find somewhere to rest. Lena was already struggling to stay awake. I caught her slipping a few times already, though I don't think she trusts us enough not to kill her in her sleep. If I were her I'd be scared too. I mean, we have been listening to Iris brag about her kill for the past half hour.

She's so proud. It comes so easily to her. Too easy. She doesn't think about how it was just trying to live too. She'd laugh at me for even thinking such a thing. Our duty is to humans. That what we have always said. That's what I have always taught her. We save people not things. We stop the killing. But lately, I'm not so sure. I have been doing this for 6 years now. Since I was seventeen. Iris doesn't understand. She was so little and so innocent.

I looked over at her. She was doodling hearts in sharpie up her arm. Her lips pressed together in a tight line as she focuses on drawing a perfect one. My first thought was I need to save her. She needs to get out of this life into a safe place. But the one thing I've learned, these past few years, is there is no safe place. Those missing women, were eaten. They had new clue Manticores even existed until one killed them. That why they needed us. to avenge them, to protect others.

"Whoa!" Iris yelled grabbing the wheel. The car jerked back into the lane throwing Lena in the back seat. "Are you okay?" She furrowed her eyebrow. "We should stop."

"I'm fine. Sorry." I glued my eyes back on to the road. "You okay, Lena?"

Iris frowned, "Take the next exit. We'll find a place to catch some z's." She commanded. I shrugged and switched lanes.

...........................................................................................................

The motel room was okay to say the least. A bit shabby maybe. It had all the fixings: a tv, wifi, two queen beds. Everything appeared burnished in the somber yellow light the lamps gave off. The windows creaked against the wind. It had been blowing over everything in it's path for the last hour at least. I sat my backpack down on the rickety old desk and began to fish out some pajamas.

"I guess I'll sleep on the floor then." Iris said in a taut voice. Lena stiffened in her spot on the bed. She had just sit down.

"Iris, will you calm down?" I walked over and took her bag off her shoulder, " Go to the front desk and ask for a cot."

"Are you kidding? It looks like a hurricane out there. I'm not going outside."

"I think you'll survive." I smiled at her sarcastically. She stormed out mumbling to herself about how controlling and annoying I am probably.

Lena and I sat in silence. She was fiddling with her phone and I was setting up my laptop to maybe brush up on some Greek lure. She was still in her blood stained pants. I pulled out a pair of Iris's leggings and one of my old tee shirts and threw it at her. It hit her in the face and she yelped. " Sorry, sorry!" I rushed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," She chuckled. "Just a little startled. You hit me in the eyeball."

"I just thought you might like a change of clothes, thats all." I gave her a half smile, hoping she would take it.

"Thanks." She said politely and walked into the bathroom to change.

Iris came back and rolled in a heavy looking cot folded up with the mattress hanging out the side.. We set it up together and sat side by side.

"Here" She pushed several pieces of paper into my hands. "Eight missing persons in the past month." I glance over the 'have you seen me?' posters in front of me. "They're all guys. Young dudes."

"You think sirens?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

"There aren't a lot of waters around here. Besides why would a siren be in Irondale, Alabama?"

"Why would anything be in Irondale, Alabama?"

Iris laughed. It was a warm sound. "You always did hate the south."

"Okay, so think. Eight missing people. Wind storms." I trailed off giving her a chance to figure it out.

Her breath sucked in, "A Harpie? You think?" I nodded proudly. "Okay, how do we kill it?"

"Kill it?" Lena appeared in the door way. "Just like that. You want to kill it."

"Well, first we got to find it." I added.

"That's murder." She spat.

"It's justice. " Iris raised her voice.

"Says who?" Lena stepped forward, balling her fists at either side.

"We're just trying to do good." I clarified. Lena and Iris stared at each other. Each to stubborn to break eye contact. Quickly, learning that I did nothing to cool the situation, I tried to ease the tension. "We try to help people."

"It doesn't help the ones who die."

"No." Iris boomed. She stood up and rolled her shoulders back. "It helps those who would have." Lena looked at her feet. "What do you expect us to do? Stand by while innocent people are slaughtered? Eaten even? Killing one thing to save a hundred people is seems a heck of a lot better than letting it kill all one hundred. " Iris was fuming. Lena was shrinking into her self. Giving in.

After a few awkward moments, I spoke up. "On that note," My voice broke the silence," I think we could all benefit from a good 8 hours. I got the cot. We'll research some more of the case in the morning." That was that and we all retreated to our own beds.

...........................................................................................................

TICK, TICK, TICK

My heart pounded in my ears, in time with the alarm clock on the counter. I rolled over and hugged my blanket. Eyes glued shut and breathing shallow, I saw Iris. Not her now but how she was. Small, happy, naive. Barely five feet, she climbed the long yellow slide up and fell back down giggling and squealing. Careful Iris. She clawed at the plastic. A toothy grin shining for the world. Her hair sticking up all around her. She fell again with a grunt. She grew before my eyes. I saw her again. Fighting me. Keep your arms up. She spun around to kick me and I caught her leg and dropped her. "Can we stop?" She asked. We can't stop. You need to be ready. You need to be strong.

TICK, TICK, TICK

Ten more rounds. If you win, we'll get ice cream. That same smile. It spread across her face like a fire. She hit me. Keep your arms up Iris. Aim Iris. Hit the target. She spun a dagger in each of her hands. Aim for the heart. "I know" She tells me. "I'm not a little kid, I can kill a mannequin." You're right Iris. You're not a little kid. You can't be a little kid, its too dangerous. You need to be safe. You need to keep your arms up.

TICK, TICK ,TICK.

"Iris" Hello?

yeah

"How old are you" Who's voice was that?

seventeen

"you're so young."

No. I'm not.

"I'm only nineteen"

Shouldn't you be in college or something?

"Shouldn't you be in high school?"

No.

"How long have you been doing this?"

What?

"Fighting, Hunting, running."

TICK, TICK, TICK

I don't know. Maybe like five years or something

"Just you two?"

It's always been be me and Andrew. He's my brother. Even though he seems like he's my dad at times. 

"Where are your parents?"

Andrew's trying his best. He's scared.

"He loves you." I do.

He doesn't understand. I'm not in training anymore. I'm not twelve years old anymore. I can do this. I can survive.

TICK, TICK, TICK

"You don't like me much do you, Iris?"

No Lena. I don't.

"Why?"

We don't know you. I don't trust you. 

TICK, TICK, TICK

Andrew is sweet and expects everyone else to be. You would think he would learn.

I'm sorry Iris. You need to be safe.

TICK, TICK, TICK