Chapter Nine-New Beginnings

Chapter 9

            Carmen had come to by the time I had carried her to the house and she had yelled at me through her puffed lips, even though she still needed my shoulder to lean on since her leg had gone numb.

            Lucky, Rick, Danny-boy, Jim, Don, Carmen, and I all sat around the house caring for our wounds. Lucky and Danny-boy only had a few mere cuts and bruises, while Don and Carmen’s earlier wounds had opened up along with more. Jim had broken two of his fingers, and still refused to go to the hospital, all he did was tie the two together with a piece of cloth. Rick had a long gash in his leg that seemed to be from a knife.

“Hey rick did one of em’ pull a knife on you?”

“No, one of them had a switchblade with a broken safety and he fell on my leg.” He put a wad of wet gauze on his leg and tied a strip of cloth around it.

            Most people would have been cheering for the victory. But here, the house was solemn. As a few of the others moaned in pain I sat down on the floor with a grunt. If I hadn’t have been inside I would have thought it was raining. But it was just the thick red blood running down my face.

“Milo, go clean the blood off of you.” Carmen said, she threw me a rag and I put it to my face already feeling it begin to dampen.

            I heard the door open and someone swore, “You guys look like you just got back from a blood bath.” I flinched at the voice. Kirk.

“That’s exactly it.” I said rudely.

“You okay Carmen?”

“No, but I don’t need any help.”

“Not you too.” He said.

“No, she hates getting help.” I told him.

“Milo-“ he started.

“No! Just stop!” I stood up, “You’re the one who started it in the first place! I’m not the one in the wrong, you are!”

            There was a silence in the room as he let it sink in, “You’re right, I just want things to change, I don’t want to live my life with this weight on my shoulders.” He left without another word.

“What’s wrong with you Milo?” Carmen said.

“You know why.” I said to her.