Wandering Through Horror land

"So what are we doing here?" Wichita said as everyone got out of their cars, and started to walk over to the Native-American inspired rest stop. it held a small bar, gift shop, and casino. It was also looked completely abandoned save for the still working lights. 

"I was feeling a little cooped up," Tallahassee said, "Needed to stretch my legs and smell some fresh air."

"Amen to that," Nora said as she flexed her back after such a long ride in the car. She never could get used to sitting still for so long, even after twenty-plus years in this world. It was probably why she enjoyed hiking now and again whenever she had a chance for a vacation during her younger years. "Buck, you stay close to one of the adults, okay?" she told her nephew, only to see that the young boy had run off to go look at the two-story-tall statue landmark that was lit up by lights. Thankfully Leah has followed the boy while holding a frown on her lips at the clear signs of a business using her people to sell crap.

Seeing the two wander off, the rest of the group walked over to the gift shop, as it had both fully open doors and a rather inviting presence. As the remaining group lined up at the entrance, Tally looked at everyone. "Anyone wanna step up to the plate?" He asked the group. Columbus seemed to pause as he looked to the open doors, then to Wichita, and finally back to Tally with a shake of the head. The Texan looked over to the others, who all waved him on to go first. Smiling, he walked up to stand directly at the threshold and pulled out his new Desert Eagle. Raising it up, he tapped the literal handing door bell and then took a side step to the left.

This caused him to be hidden as, sure enough, the guttural growl of an undead screamed out as it barreled it's way into the eyeline of the gathered group. With a scream it ran full sprint at everyone, making Columbus jerk his gun up in fear at the jump scare. He didn't have to worry for as soon as it took its first undead breath of fresh air, it's head fully exploded as a .50 AE round slammed through it from the side. This, of course, caused the group to flinch and close their eyes while looking away, as they were in the splash zone. 

"Woah Wee!" Tally said as he brushed off the black, bloodied brain matter from his jacket. "Now, that has to be the zombie kill of the week, no?" he asked the group, who were brushing off their coats. Unfortunately for Tallahassee, the zombie kill of the week goes to sister Cynthia Knickerbocker in a small town in North Carolina. With an expert display of planning and timing, she was able to lead a zombie right to her front door. Only to then flatten said dead with a hanging grand piano, all on her Monday morning supply run. Still, the universe agreed that his entry did come in second place, with Gallagher giving him a ten out of ten for the excess viscera. 

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"Are you good?" Logan asked as he stood next to Leah inside the gift shop. Both were perusing the knick-knacks and honestly just taking the moment to stretch their legs like Tally wanted. Around them were the others, mindlessly perusing just as much as they were. Nora and Akane in the small clothing section, Little Rock babysitting Buck near the snow globes, Wichita trying on cheap hats, and Columbus hovering nearby Wichita near the perfume section. Tally was mostly just walking around without really caring, as he truly just wanted to get out of the car. 

"I'm fine, just don't enjoy the appropriation," Leah answered as she picked up a Russian doll in the style of a Native American. "Though I'm not too but hurt as I'm sure this store's been around long enough that it wasn't considered in bad taste when it opened."

"Fair," Logan chuckled as he grabbed a minute dream catcher. "You know, you haven't talked about your past much?" he hedged. Leah froze at the question before taking a deep breath.

"I guess I didn't, just seemed... unnecessary given where we are now," she said while putting back the doll. Logan started to say she didn't need to talk about it, but Leah beat him to it. "But at the same time, keeping hidden won't allow me to truly let it go to fuck off and die." Closing his mouth, he waited and gave her his full attention. Chewing on her cheek, she took another breath before nodding. "Honestly it's not some deep drama filled thing, it's just another shitty dad treating his child more like an object then a person." She looked up into Logan's eyes with a familiar coldness that reflected his own. "Like you, I was raised with certain expectations: be the good little Native girl, find a good Native boy, marry, have kids, bla, bla, bla." 

"Traditional values," Logan said with an emphasis on the smokescreen those words meant, making Leah chuckle darkly. 

"Yep, but not exactly as you think," she said without mirth. "I was raised traditional, like one with the tribe kind of traditional," Leah stated. "When I was younger, it was great. My dad was a retired hunter and, amazingly, an honorably discharged soldier. He taught me everything he could when he could. How to fight, how to hunt, how to survive. It wasn't until I turned thirteen that things went bad," she said while looking down at the ground. "See, he hated the 'white man' in God's honest truth, and when my aunt married one and left the reservation, he just...changed. He went from raising me to be a warrior to raising me to be a submissive woman who would find a good man in the tribe.

 Of course, I had already been taught to fight, not submit, so I tried to fight it. Which, like most traditional parenting stories, is when things got abusive. When I stated I wanted to be my own woman? I got the belt. When I wanted to get a job to pay for things, and create a way for my freedom? I got put in my place after mom was smacked around for not keeping a better eye on me." At this point, Leah has shifted to hold herself, gripping her arms tightly at hidden rage and fear. "It got worse after Mom abandoned me for greener pastures during one of Dad's longer shifts at work when I was sixteen, as he blamed me for her leaving and not her black eye and broken bones he caused," she said, shaking now as her breath got heavier.

"The most fucked up part though? He didn't even drink. He knew exactly what he was doing, he liked what he was doing given the FUCKING SMILE he always had when he would..." she shivered as she recalled a longer beating then most after she had tried escaping herself. She could feel the tears in her eyes starting, but soon found herself pressed into Logan's chest as he held her. His eyes flicked to Akane and Nora, who had clocked the emotional shift in Leah. Akane gave him a look that told of possible understanding, which turned into complete understanding when he nodded at the two.

Nora looked lost, and Akane started to walk her through their thoughts on Leah's past, given a few of her slight reactions over the short time they had been with her. It didn't help that she had wanted to be completely subservient to the two in their relationship, as that told of a past of being broken down into thinking yourself worth nothing. Leah took the time to steel herself as she had cried enough about it during her more private moments, and with weak hands, pushed back enough to allow her to speak again.

"Anyway, you get the gist of my life before eighteen," she said while rubbing away the small streaks of tears she had fought off. "I never really and truly broke down due to the abuse. I just let it toughen me as I kept practicing what he taught me before things went to shit. So by the time I hit the age of legally 'getting the fuck out of my dad's house' I ran with just a bag of clothes and five hundred bucks I squirreled away from doing other's people homework. Got a shitty job, got the needed therapy, and...then I got struck by lighting and ended up in racoon city." 

Logan looked down at his lover with a look of rage at the unnecessary pain she went through, but also a smile. He didn't have any words to make it better, and they both knew that. Instead, he leaned down and kissed her, allowing her to feel the newfound love that she had lost from the people you should usually trust the most. Pulling back, he saw her now returned smile and nodded. "You were right," he said while raising a hand and cupping the bottom of her cheek before rubbing his thumb across it. "it doesn't fucking matter anymore." her smile grew wider as she took those words to heart.

*CRASH*

At the sound, everyone looked over to see Columbus stumbling back to his feet, Tallahassee standing in front of him with a grin. The twiggy nerd had just knocked over some ceramic piece of crap, and was looking at the one who made him stumble. 

"Go on, break another" Tally said as Columbus look down at the mess he just made. Feeling bold and seeing Wichita looking at him he leaned over and pushed a cheap pot off the table the ceramic had fallen from. 

*SHATTER*

"Nice" Tally said before Looking over to see Wichita sliding another crappy pot of a display counter, and on to the ground. "Doesn't that feel good!?" he shouted before turning around and kicking off another cheap ceramic off of a nearby table. Logan nodded as he looked at the ensuing destruction and looked to Leah. 

"Why don't we put those memories to rest with some good old-fashioned mayhem, in a store that already pissed you off" he said and found Leah's sinister grin rather lovely.

#####

 Cutting to a view outside the store, one would hear the sound of crashing, smashing, and most kinds of destruction as nine people "Enjoyed the little things" by wrecking a crappy gift shop in the middle of nowhere. It was about an hour later when those nine people walked out looking refreshed and giddy at just taking the moment, and started to get back in their cars. They were stopped, though, as Leah, now finding her mind more at peace than it had been in a long time, stopped and decided that it had gone on long enough.

"Wait" Leah called out, making everyone stop. Looking over to Akane with a pleading expression she nodded to the two grifter girls. Akane looked at them and then to Leah, seeing the submissive girl looking to wipe away more then just past trauma. chuckling Akane nodded to her before pulling something and tossing it to Wichita. The rather frightened woman instantly caught it and looked down at it. First, she looked puzzled before growing wide-eyed and looking back at Akane. 

"I'd say the joke is done with, and you two can finally wash away your sin of attempted murder," Akane said while turning and walking to the Humvee without a look back. Little Rock seemed puzzled before Wichita dropped the thrown object, allowing the girl to get a look, as she dashed to the Caddy and her bag. Leaning down, Little Rock saw a black marker with the words "Washable" written on the side.