Whisper

Chapter 38

"Can I help you with anything?" The nervous store cleric was suspicious of Whisper the moment she walked in the small hardware store.

Young women like her - especially outsiders - don't come into this humble hardware store. But she was also not dressed like a few of the outsider girls she's seen. And this girl was her age, and there are barely any women who are her age in this town.

"No I'm good," Whisper was curt, though she knew what this girl wanted and thought of her. Whisper picked up all the stuff that she needed, a strange array of items that could vaguely be used to fix a car. "Though I think I can help you."

"P-pardon?" The cleric was already on edge from some changes she felt in her body, seeing how her period was quite irregular it was safe to say she wasn't pregnant.

"Loralie right?" Whisper eyed her up and down, almost like she was gauging her appearance.

Loralie DeClarren was a rather tall girl, nearly 6 feet tall, with raging brown - borderline red - curly hair and deep brown eyes that seem like it can they can pierce into your soul. She is built like an Olympic runner, only having lean muscle meant for long distance, and had the talent for running if she wasn't stuck running her family business. Light freckles danced around her face and shoulders giving her an appearance of innocence but she was anything but.

"What did? I mean -How? How do you know my name?" Loralie definitely was not wearing a nametag, as most of her customers were locals.

"Some people would describe their menstruation symptoms as burning pains but I guess that's more literally for you." Whisper chuckled to herself, picking up the last of her items, "Though I don't think your home remedies are healthy for you in the long run."

"How do you know these things?" Loralie was eerily calm, but inside she was a raging panic. "I-I've never told anybody."

"My gift is to just know things," Whisper put down the basket she carried as it was getting heavy and this conversation was going to take a while, "Yours is to set fire to things with your blood."

Loralie's blood curdled at the truth. For someone to say it so bluntly to her face it made her whole body turn upside down.

"It's only a matter of time before you accidentally cut yourself on one of these sharp objects and burn down this establishment." Whisper spoke like it was plain as day. "Your father wouldn't like that very much."

"I- you - he-" She didn't know what to say, her mind was spiraling into borderline madness, "D-do you know the future?" She scoffed, laughing at the absurdity of the thought.

"Yes."

"Oh."

The two were stuck just staring at one another. Loralie awkwardly shifting from one foot to another. She was debating running away or just passing out. This was so much in so little time. And this little town 'so much' happens in like a span of 2 months not in the span of 2 minutes.

"So I'll give you a choice Miss Reese," Whisper began, crossing her arms, "You can close up shop, leave a little note for mom and dad, and come with me and my friends. Or you stay here and soak your tampons in any non-flammable liquid you can find."

"W-wait what?" Loralie was stunned, unsure what is going on anymore.

"If you stick around, Mr. Golbush would've tried to force himself on you and you would've set him on fire," Whisper's stomach churned at the vision of what he had planned for poor Loralie and Loralie knew exactly what she meant.

Golbush had been eyeing Loralie for years since she was in middle school. Despite being 3 times her age and could be her grandfather he always flirted with her and had been holding himself back for her until she was 'ripe.'

"And do you think they would be sympathetic to you? Golbush is your father's most frequent and best paying customer and your mother only really cares about the money. And you? You're some freak who's blood catches fire when it gets exposed for oxygen."

"And what are you?!" Loralie pushed at Whisper, making her stumble backwards over her basket, "S-some bitch who just wants to ruin my life?!"

"I want to help you Loralie," Whisper reached out her hands cautiously, caringly, "You aren't safe here, you know this, so I want you to come with me."

"And where are you going?" Loralie felt like she wanted to cry, all her life spent in this shitty town with shitty people. Her parents couldn't afford her one escape - college - and now she's a freak of nature. "Some oasis for people like us? Like that exists."

"I'm going to make it," Whisper stood proudly, knowing the future, "I'm going to make a utopia for us and people like us."

"How?" Loralie may only have a high school diploma but she's clever. Always was clever. "You clearly are homeless and probably running away from some authority, and your friends? Equally homeless and on the run?"

"I've got plans," Whisper picked up her basket, motioning to check the items out, "And I've got cash so decided soon Miss Reese."

Loralie fell silent, considering all her options as she scanning the items. This woman seems to know what she is doing and what her situation is. If anyone could possibly help her it was this small woman right here.

"You're total will be $44.21"

Whisper just handed her a 50 dollar bill and began collecting all her stuff, trying to hide her smirk. "Thank you Loralie."

"Lora," she interjected, "I go by Lora."

"Whisper," she smiled as Lora gave her a confused look, "I go by Whisper."