Angus and Lilly 4-revised

Here is another story of Angus and Lilly, kind of a look at their every day lives.  It is another writer's prompt story and served to give information and background on what I hope to merge into a full scale story later.  

Angus grimaced at the grooved path Pilgrims had worn.  It ran from Lilly’s boarding house to the stone pillars that marked the entry to the trail of destiny.  It was called The Apostle’s Pilgrimage; Angus never figured out why since there were no apostles.  


The path wasn’t a religion, it was for people who lost hope that Earth in general could be reclaimed.  They got tired of the continuous dusty, barren survival.  Pilgrims only went down that trail for two reasons; seeking better land in the far distance, or suicide.  Lilly’s boarding house was the starting point, because her home sat on one of the few fresh wells known.  

She was infamous.  She killed the roughest son of a bitch alive who tried to take her home by force.  She’d just dropped him with a rifle, and that was that.  No one has even thought about trying it since.  Lilly never blinked, didn't pause, just raised her rifle during the posturing oaf's monologuing and beaned him between the eyes.  Turned, dusted her apron, and left him to the street vultures without a glance backwards.


Folks were freely given water, and she ran a fair service.   That garnered loyalty with the locals who protected her, and built up her legend to stragglers that came through town.  People brought her food, services, or items that she could use in exchange for water and shelter.  She kept her stores locked up tight, but never begrudged a meal to anyone regardless of their ability to pay.  


Angus' recovery had been slow, and torturous.  Eventually he regained his strength and fighting skill by working each muscle, joint, and tissue fiendishly for hours a day.  Now the odd stiff joint highlighted his ordeal, but what remained was mostly invisible.  He was still deciding if she’d done him a favor by saving him. 

“I have some errands to run in town.  Do you need anything?”

“Thanks, but I have everything I need for now," her stilted words cut into him.  They reminded him why he wasn't worthy of her.  He hurt her with his stand-offish nature, but he was unable to stop the cringes, the withdrawals, the running away.

Angus headed out with the wheel barrow and not another word.  He still couldn’t look her in the eye.  She knew too much.  He was too raw and vulnerable.  He would do what he could for her, nothing would stop him from that.  He’d build a path from flag stone he’d seen in town to prevent further erosion.  It’d serve to make things more official too; make pilgrims think again before embarking on a suicidal dream.

In town people stared, but they didn’t recognize him.  Now that he was on his feet, powerful and could defend himself, they were quick to scurry out of his path.  He strode through ignoring them all.  Angus looked for, and found the shop that had the cut stones and smiled.  Lilly would like this path.  It had all the colors in nature, just like her.  He stooped through the rough hewn door and got down to the business of bartering.