2/3

            Another slow week had gone by and Mama could tell Cypher and Ret were struggling badly. Ret was losing his temper quicker and you barely saw him through out the day. No one really could figure out where he'd go. He'd just disappear for hours on end then come back as night approached. Cypher was often blacked out at the table when Charlie was gone. They had been in the town for 2 months now and Cypher just wanted to leave. She hated it there but couldn't bring Ret to leaving. She talked to him a few times but he wanted to stay with the group.

          Mama was at their house everyday from the night her and Ret buried Jet. She would stay and talk to Ret and hide the bottles from Cypher. She often took some back for Lasso and X to drink. Charlie often helped Cypher cook since she was most of the time hungover if Ret wasn't around. Cypher didn't dare drink anymore if she knew Ret was around but he wasn't at the house often so that left Cypher free rein. In the town Cypher became more feared then hated ever since she got into that fight two weeks ago. No one saw Ret anymore so they didn't bother him.

         It was late in the afternoon and Mama came in. "Cy? You here sweetie?" She looked around. "Yeah!" Cypher yelled from the kitchen. She heard glass shatter and she speed walked to the kitchen. "Is everything- Cypher.." Mama saw a shattered bottle on the floor and a heavy whiskey smell filled the room. "Sorry-" Cypher started to clean it up. "Where'd you find this?" She asked while helping and Cypher shrugged. She couldn't remember where she found that bottle but she tried to hide it when she heard Mama's voice. "What were you doing?" She asked. "Trying to make something to eat- Charlie should be back in a few and Ret is in his room at the moment." Cypher explained and Mama nodded. They talked and made dinner when Charlie came through the door. "I'm back!" He went to the kitchen to get water. "Hey bub, we're about to eat so stay inside ok?" Cypher told him and he nodded. "Could you be a dear and go get Ret out of his room?" Mama asked and Charlie jogged to Ret's room and knocked. No answer.

         "Hey Cy! He's not answering!" Charlie yelled to her and Cypher chuckled. "Poke your head in and tell him!" She instructed. Charlie slowly opened the door and poked his head into Ret's room. "Hey Ret-" he froze.

         From the kitchen Mama and Cypher heard Charlie scream and run to the kitchen. "What's wrong." Cypher stopped what she was doing and quickly went to him. The boy was in tears and couldn't speak. He just mumbled gibberish trying to get his words together. Cypher held him close and listened trying to make out what he was saying. She couldn't understand a single words so she let him ramble on. Mama then heard the soft shuffling of uncoordinated feet. "What the?.." she walked out into the small living room and looked down the hall and felt her heart shatter. Ret was slowly shambling down the hall. Used to be Ret at least. His skin was starting to grey and his eyes were cloudy white. Blood slowly trickled from his neck. A rope that had a frayed end like it was snapped was tied around his neck. Mama stood there frozen. Watching the monster anyone becomes when they die but this time it was another good friend of hers.

        "Easy Charlie...sh sh sh..." Cypher held Charlie tightly, trying to calm him down but he was frantic. He gripped onto Cypher's shirt and held her tightly. "What's scaring you?..." she asked gently. She couldn't hear the soft drag of Ret's feet over Charlie's rambles so she kept trying to get him to speak actual words. She looked up and saw Mama frozen in the doorway. "What is it?" She asked but got no reply. Mama just shook heard head and stepped around the corner, pulling a knife out of one of her sheaths on her belt. No matter where she went she always kept at least one knife on her. Just in case.

         Cypher heard a heavy thud then looked at the door again. All she saw was Ret's big, greyed hand in the doorway. It was still attached to his body that was hidden behind the rest of the wall but she didn't investigate. Her grip simply tightened around Charlie. She stared at the motionless hand in the doorway in shock. Mama eventually came back into the kitchen with her head down. Her knife was already resheathed and tears were streaming down her cheeks. Cypher didn't need to hear a word from Mama and she didn't want to. She didn't want reassurance. Both of her brothers were dead and that was that. "Cypher..." Mama started but stopped when she saw her shake her head no then lay her head on Charlie's. "Shh..." was all Cypher said as she gently stroked Charlie's hair, trying her best to calm him down. His mumbled stopped and just turned into sobs.

Cypher had hid her face in Charlie's poofy hair to avoid Mama seeing her cry. Mama Williams went to them and held them both. She laid her head on Cypher's shoulder. "I'm sorry..." she whispered. The moment Cypher heard that she yanked away from both of them and stormed out to the back porch. Charlie tried to follow but Mama held him back. "Let her be..." she sighed and hugged him. Cypher went out a side gate and started walking to the empty area of town. People who saw her quickly got out of the way. They didn't dare bother her. When she got to fence she sat down and pulled her knees to her chest. She sat there and quietly sobbed for awhile.

She eventually heard soft footsteps behind her but didn't bother moving. She kept her head on her knees and heard someone sit next to her. She heard a deep almost annoyed sigh and felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. When she didn't look up she felt whoever was there pull her against them and wrap their arms around her. Cypher finally opened her eyes and her head was on the person's chest. Since her head was tilted down all she could see was the man's waist down. On one of his hips she saw a 9mm Ruger holster and she got curious and turned her head. Her eyes widened when she saw the lasso on the man's other hip. She felt him gently stroking her hair and she moved her head to his shoulder. Cypher wasn't ready to look him in the face yet so she kept her head down a little. She was still softly crying and finally gripped onto him.

He saw her storm through town earlier and knew something was wrong so he went to investigate. He figured out what happened and headed to find her. When he did she had been curled up crying and rocking herself. Girl looked crazy to him but he didn't leave her there like he normally would. With Shiny close behind him he sat with her and held her. He would talk when she decided to talk but he just held her for now. Shiny sat down by them as well and just rubbed her back. He didn't say a word either. Cypher didn't move away. Admittedly she did want to be held but was so fed up with the "I'm sorry for your losses" from everybody that she just had to leave for awhile. Lasso had never said a word to her and Shiny was often warded off with a glare. This time they were the ones that calmed her down for now.