RESTLESS SPIRITS ▷ ELLIE WILLIAMS

CHAPTER TWO: BIRDS OF A FEATHER

"It's nice to meet you, Ellie," Marlowe stretched out her hand for Ellie,

Ellie shook her hand, and Marlowe noticed how cold they were against her. She spared the other woman a small smile.

"You too," Ellie replied,

"Jesus Christ, Marlowe, is that your blood?"

Despite her age, Evelyn crossed the table with remarkable swiftness. Marlowe tore her eyes away from Ellie and looked down at herself. Blood splattered on her pants and jacket, turning the fabric black and red.

"I-No. It's elk blood. Lyla shot one down before we left." Marlowe stumbled over her words. "I helped her move it, that's all. I swear it."

Marlowe swatted Evelyn's attentive hands away. The older woman exhaled and placed her hands on her hips.

"You're gonna be the death of me, I swear."

Marlowe brushed off invisible dirt from her coat. "And yet you stand here still."

Ellie cleared her throat, and the other two women turned to her. Heat crawled into Marlowe's cheeks.

Evelyn returned to the table and sat back down. "About your dewormer, the vets aren't going to have that ready for another few days. We're still waiting for a shipment of supplies from Eugene. You're welcome to stay here during that time or return to Jackson and come back when it's ready."

"If I'm able to stay, is that okay?" Ellie replied,

"Should be," Evelyn looked at Marlowe, "How's the motel? Is it full?"

"Yeah, I checked this morning. No idea when there will be an open room."

"What about the Hostel?"

Marlowe shook her head. "The Robinsons are still fixing the leak, and they don't have new mattresses to replace the ruined ones yet."

Evelyn sighed, "Shit,"

Gnawing on the inside of her cheek for a moment as an idea popped into Marlowe's mind.

"She can stay with me,"

Both Evelyn and Ellie looked at the redhead.

"You sure?" Evelyn asked.

Marlowe nodded, solidifying the idea in her mind, "Seeley moved out a couple of months ago; I've got a spare room. I just need to move some boxes around."

Evelyn turned to Ellie, "You good with that?"

"Yeah,"

"Great."

Marlowe glanced at Ellie over. Like Marlowe and Evelyn, the newcomer was dressed for the winter weather and wore a simple backpack with a hunting rifle clipped to the back, a handgun at her waist, and a slim knife hilt poked out from her jean pocket. There was a narrow streak of dirt smeared across her cheek, and two bobby pins pushed her hair away from her face. Scabs littered her knuckles, and faint bruises brushed her skin. She was the image of a survivor.

"Is that all you have?" Marlowe asked, pulling her eyes away from the newcomer.

Ellie shouldered her bag, "This is it,"

The copper-haired woman looked to her elder. "I'll take her back to my place. We should be around for dinner. Let me know if anyone needs me."

"Will do," Evelyn replied.

Marlowe walked towards the door and looked back toward Ellie.

"Let's go,"

Marlowe's house was a little way outside the city's main bustle. The small settlement stood below the two-bedroom home nestled into the side of the hills. Its slight wear caused the exterior's light grey paint to peel. Moss covered the roof tiles, and ivy crawled up the rain gutters and the railing of the wrap-around porch. Ellie and Marlowe walked silently to the front door, where Marlowe pushed a small silver key into the lock and twisted it.