If you go deep enough in the woods no one can find your secrets.

so I have lived in the the blackwood for 15 years. Chop wood, hall water, hut. Long days with hauntingly longer nights.

once a year I go to town trade my wheres get more supplies, make One phone call.

This year the wrong person answered.

“Vie?"

“No but I have a letter for you, I’m at “the bus stop” in the woods I’ve been here 6 hours and no other bus has come…” 

Sampsons first thought was ‘it’s a trap! but they sound so young and kanda scared, I have plenty of ammo… just driving by shouldn’t be a problem. “I’ll be there in an hour…”

Driving by Sampson saw it was just a kid! late teens maybe, scrawny with mop of straight black hair with one purple streak, in bangs that somehow the kid was reading through. the kid didn’t even look up when Sampson drove by.  there were no cars or other people for miles. what did Vie get into now? He thought to himself turning his old truck around to parking at the bus stop. 

 every sense on alert he demanded “Letter.” holding out his hand inpatient for this situation to be over with.

the kids dug in oddly heavy duffle bag “Oh sorry um here” pulling out a blood sealed letter. the kid handed it over looking with anticipation.

the familiar smell of Vies blood cascades from the envelope. taking the letter Sampson ferrowed his brows tucked the letter in a pocket started to his truck. 

The kid witless to the situation followed. 

Sampson turned on them and growled. Sampson was   blockade of impressive muscle and size he towered over the twig of a kid looking back at him.

“Sorry mom told me to stay with you till you read it.”

Mom! what was that supposed to mean.. Sampson kept a low tumbling growl starring down this ridiculous kid..  

The kid stared back, behind large glasses somehow unmoved by Sampsons great hulking size and natural intimidating spirit.   

pulling the letter out glaring at kid the whole time, as Sampson broke the seal, sent memories flash back. toddler Vies skinned knee, kid Vies blooded knuckles, Teen Vies blooded lip and black eye. Sampson steeled himself from her first clear message, this was Vie and she needed him to pay attention. So he looked down

opening the letter and read:

 “Sampson this is my kid and as I am not living by the time this letter reaches you, its now your responsibility to hid them.” 

could Vie really be dead?

the Kid seeing Sampsons face drain of some of its color, realized that this was not a good situation. so looked down and kept quiet. Vie was known to make big asks to get what she wanted.

Sampson after long minutes of no communication grabbed the kids collar and put them in the cab of the truck. hefts the overly heavy duffle into bed of the truck and drove off.

They passed through a few small towns, as it gradually got dark. Sampson thought the kid must have been tired as they were asleep within the hour of setting out. It was chilling how unaware of danger they were. Sleeping beside an obvious threat like it was a normal Tuesday. 

The long night of travel ended with a long poorly cared for dirt road with single cabin at the end. Kyu sat on the steps holding the duffle as the sun slowly rose.

Sampson “I need to check your bag for tackers. any tach you don’t want fried lay out here, after I check it I’ll lock it up.” 

Kyu pulled out a cell phone and a couple of other small devices from the side pack of the duffle obediently handing them over. still quiet and a bit groggy by the earliness of the morning.

Sampson takes them sets them in a large gun safe. then unceremoniously dumped the duffle bag out on the porch the majority was books with a small mound of clothes at the bottom none folded just a ball of mostly black and gray of differing textures.

Sampson unloaded the truck with long practus and efficiency setting everything on the porch. Once emptied he moved the truck down the road and around a hill and slowly walked back. 

the kid watched all of this mostly unfazed but did tuck some of their cloths deeper in the pile then search and emptied the many pockets of the duffle bag. 

Sampson thought as he waked back ‘the blood seal was Vies. she had asked some years back if she need to get a package to him where to leave it and they had agreed on the bench of that bus stop. It was so like Vie not to tell him she had a kid and what Alfa would claim such a pitiful bata. look at em such a runt…’ 

Sampson walked up the porch and into the house then brought out a odd electrical box wound it and hit a button it mad a high pitched whine then stoped like nothing happened. “Pack up we are leaving soon.”

Kyu looking at their feet “C-can i see the letter?”

Sampson “you can read it when we arrive.”

Kyu “I need to know what to do now, I don’t know where to go this was the last stop.”

Sampson not wanting to explain what little he did know ended the conversation “you stay with me.” 

Sampson thought ‘the Kid looked like he had been kicked a lot, not a defiant bone in his body but that is how it is for batas, neuter them young and they will be your pretty obedient lap dogs for life. humph as small as the kid is whoring would be their only option. no wonder Vie sent the runt to me if she is dead then so is Yuki her owner…that thought alone hit almost as hard as thinking that Vie could be dead…  so the eldest daughter of the Silver clan is removed…” 

Kyu slowly packed the duffle taking care with the books but just shoving the clothes in with force.

Sampson loaded a big pull cart then started pulling it into the woods Kyu sulked after.

They walked for a long time every once and a while Sampson would stop and pick some fruit and toss it into the cart. once tossing an apple to Kyu it hit them in the chest and Kyu fumbled to catch it like a cat with a ball of string. 

At dusk Sampson pulled a bow and quiver out of the cart held perfectly still for a long moment the shot. a fat raccoon fell from the tree. Sampson made quick work of skinning it, setting a fire and cooking the coon.

Kyu sat staring at their boots “do, do I belong to you now?”