beyondtheline | Tornadoes and skeletons and nacho dogs, oh my

[The damn torture scenario makes his eyes roll, and he gives Chrissy's hand a little squeeze. He's fine, he's on the verge of being pissed off but not quite there. Just too many people being goddamned cowards about things, that's all. Someone has to shout some sense into them.

And it turns out, it's Chrissy who helps make a real effort to do that. He nods along with what she says, but Cruz speaks up before he can get a word in.]

What, just steal one? Take people in a horseless, driverless wagon?

[He says it like that's ridiculous, but Johnnie nods.]

Yeah. I mean, why the hell not, right? Better than stayin' put, isn't it? We can get the word out, they might see us. We'll be careful, okay? Let 'em know that there's a wagon comin' to pick 'em up, right before midnight. An' some of your guys can ride ahead, make sure the way's clear of cops or whatever you have here.

You'll help us though, won't you?

[She's close to crying, because this is something she's feeling passionate about and desperately wants these cowboys to be the good guys. They need to be heroes, not cowards that just watch terrible things happen around them.

Cruz looks to every member of his little gang before going back to chopping up vegetables. Diego and Oliver follow suit, and no one says anything for a minute until Chrissy speaks up.]

Hey, don't ignore me! You heard me, didn't you?

[She manages to find her voice and shouts, giving Johnnie's hand a tight squeeze.]

We heard you just fine. [Diego insists, and Cruz continues where he leaves off.]

If you two are that determined to get this job done, we'll help you. But we're not doing it without a solid plan, you two understand?

[While solid plans and Johnnie don't exactly go hand in hand, it isn't like he's opposed to the very concept, especially when there's work to do. So he gives a firm nod at that request.]

Fine. But you guys know the land better than we do. You know where to take 'em so they can get somewhere safe. You gotta, right? You must run into people when you're out riding, people who can hide 'em or feed 'em. You guys figure that part out, we'll do the rest.

[That's the hard part, anyway. And giving that to them to plan means he and Chrissy can tackle the easy part - destroying the farm, making a big distraction while everyone else gets away. Of course, they also have to get word out somehow, make sure people know which way to go, but that'll happen.

Cruz, Diego, and all the rest look between each other like they're deciding if that's something they can do. It's Nibaihi who speaks up, this time. The tallest man in the room, but the quietest one so far, his accent is unfamiliar to Johnnie. He stops beating eggs a moment.]

I know people who will take them in. I can scout ahead of the wagon.

[That makes Chrissy grin in satisfaction, and she gives Nibaihi a look of gratitude. That's all she says about it for now, as she pulls away from Johnnie to try and make herself useful. The sooner they have food ready, the sooner they can eat. Which means the sooner they can make a plan. That's good enough for now, and she's glad to hand a knife over to Johnnie to get him chopping up some potatoes alongside her.

eventually Cruz leads everyone and their ingredients outside, so he can set up a fire in an area that looks like an outdoor kitchen of sorts. There's a big wooden stand with a black pot hanging off of it, that's clearly been used for cooking time and time again. Rather than taking over just because she's the only girl here, she lets Cruz and Diego take over. They all seem to be great friends, but Cruz and Diego are definitely close pals.]

Have either of you ever rode a horse before?

[Nibaihi speaks up, looking to Johnnie and Chrissy as everyone else works to cook lunch. He's focused enough on what they want to do, and figures talking plans will help keep them both calm and settled.]

Only a little last night, when Cruz put me on his. I've never actually rode before though.

[That black pot won't do for this meal, apparently. Johnnie watches as a couple of the guys drag a steel frame over the fire ring and lay a big fire-blackened iron comal over the top of it before they get the fire going nice and hot. He sets down his bowl of sliced potatoes as Nibaihi speaks up again.]

An' I sure never have. Dunno where I'd even find a horse in LA.

[The thought is pretty funny, though. Somewhere on the outskirts, probably, but then who knows what goes on in weird places where rich people live up in the hills.

Nibahi's smile somehow seems kind as he sits himself down on the ground to watch the cooking, and waves for them to sit down with him, which Johnnie does.]

It's not too hard, but it'll be good for you to know how. Your... machine, the motorcycle? I would avoid using that for this. I've been told it's loud. We have a few extra horses we can bring by, we'll get them saddled up for you. They're good horses, well-trained. You just hold on, they'll listen to us. They know their way back here if you get separated from the group. I'll give you Niish, [he says to Chrissy,], she's the smart one. She'll keep you out of trouble.

[Okay, she likes the sound of that. She gets her own horse, when she thought she'd be riding with Johnnie. There's a little thrill at being able to independently ride, but with that comes a level of fear because what if she does it wrong? Niish is smart and knows her way back, but Chrissy definitely isn't adjusted to riding horseback. So much could go wrong. The smile stays on her face despite her running thoughts, and she nods.]

So, you'll give Johnnie the wild one that runs right toward trouble?

[She jokes, giving Johnnie a playful nudge with her elbow. It's a good thing he can handle anything, otherwise she might be worried about him with this plan. They won't be on the motorcycle, which will be new to them both. And they won't be riding together, also brand new. It'll be worth it, if they can save some people that really need it.]

That's right. [Nibahi laughs along with her, playing along with the joke for the time being.] He looks like a man that can handle it.

[She has to cover her mouth, her giggles would be too loud otherwise. It might scare the horses.]

Oh, he is. He really likes a wild ride.

Fuckin' right I do.

[He snickers and playfully punches Chrissy in the arm for that. Fuck. He'll show her a wild ride...

The sound and smell of sizzling onions grabs his attention away for a second. Goddamn he's hungry, that piece of jerky didn't count as breakfast. Those onions have him drooling.]

He can ride Nayáwsa'. If I can round him up, that is. The horse, not Redmayne here.

[Johnnie laughs at that too, as he takes out a cigarette to help keep his stomach quiet while food is being prepared, then offers the pack out to the others with him just in case anyone wants one. He's set for a while with all the smokes he grabbed back in New Orleans, that's for sure.]

So how do ghost horses come to be, anyway? We've only seen ghost people so far. Were they yours when you were alive?

Some of them.

[Oliver pipes up, cracking eggs to put on with those sizzling onions.]

Others we found. Couple found us after long days out. They're all family now.

[Cruz adds on, nudging Diego so he can tend to the onions and start adding potato the mix. Chrissy watches this all with mild amusement, and tries to ignore the way her stomach growls. She's been able to do it for almost eighteen years, she can ignore it for another 18-20 minutes.]

Maybe I could help you round up Nayáwsa.

[She offers, and Nibahi shakes his head as the others laugh.]

That's not one horse you should try taming. You're likely to get a hoof to the head.

[Well, that would hurt. She rubs at the side of her head like she's already been kicked, before hopping up on her feet to go investigate the food that's cooking up close. It smells so good, she's pretty ravenous for it.]

We could both just ride on Niish. [It's a helpful suggestion up over the sound of everyone else.] We're not that heavy put together, she'd have to be able to carry us.

[Somehow, that makes all the skeletal men laugh louder than ever, Cruz even patting her head affectionately like she's just said something precious.]

Nah, wouldn't dare interrupt a precious moment between you an' a horse.

[Johnnie shakes his head, then turns again to look toward the food. Hugo, who's coming by with the platter of tortillas to warm once the rest is all cooked, pauses and nods to the back of Johnnie's jacket.]

What's all that mean, anyway? Those letters on the back of your outfit.

[Johnnie brightens at the question, not that he hadn't already been cheery enough anyway. But it's that pride in him, he just wants his gang to be known worldwide and across all of time and space.]

'S my crew, man. The World Enders. Back in California. We're the guys you don't wanna mess with, everyone knows about us back there. Hey, you guys need a cool name though, right? Like, for all of you. Or colors or somethin'.

[Hugo gives a polite, but perhaps, puzzled chuckle as he sets the platter next to the comal with its sizzling onions and potatoes.]

Do we? It's just us.

Yeah, but even just you guys could be a really great gang.

[Chrissy pipes up, like she's an expert on all things gang related. Johnnie's got the right idea though, and she's animated as she gives a bounce and starts pacing a little to think of name ideas.]

You could be the Skeleton Crew!

[Oh no, that's awful. She hates that one. Even she has to groan at it, both hands pressed against her face for a few seconds.]

Hey baby, how do you say skeleton in Spanish?

[He, on the other hand, loves it. It's fucking hilarious for how dumb it is, and for a second he even chokes on smoke as he inhales a little too much unexpectedly.]

Oh, shit. That's good. Uh, el esqueleto? But, man, I dunno. Could be cooler, like the Calavera Crew! Now that's got a ring to it.

[Between them they've definitely earned a few smiles and laughs among those grinning skulls.]

Can't promise we'll adopt it, but I like the spirit behind it.

[That's Cruz, as he sears some tomatoes off to the side of the potatoes and eggplant, and tosses another onion on next to those tomatoes, cut in half only. He lets those blacken while Diego pours beaten egg over the potatoes and onion and gets it all scrambled together. Johnnie's stomach is about ready to jump out of his body and smother it all. It's hard to be patient.

But soon enough, that tomato and onion get seared hot until they start to smoke, and are taken aside to mash into a salsa with some salt while the rest gets cooked, scooped onto a big plate, and the tortillas are set on the remaining oil to puff.]

All right, get over here, time to eat up!

[Chrissy is beyond excited to try what they've made. It smells so good. She lets the men go first, so they don't see what she winds up taking for herself. Eating around Johnnie is one thing, but eating in groups is a total other. She doesn't take quite enough, and Cruz ends up clicking his tongue and piling more on her plate.]

You need the fuel for this big mission of yours.

[And somehow, that skeletal head is able to wink at her. She looks awestruck for a second, but smiles and takes her plate over next to Johnnie to sit and slowly eat.]

I've got a wagon in the barn. [Cruz offers once everyone settles in and enjoys their food.] If you two are willing to help patch it up, we can use it tonight.

[Man, it's too good. He's so ready to stuff his face. And there's plenty, that's for sure - these guys must have healthy appetites for dead people, and then they added more on top for their guests. He bumps his shoulder against Chrissy's and smiles around a mouthful of egg and potato, salsa dripping between his fingers.]

Yeah man, sure thing. Hey, can we decorate it too? You got like, cow skulls around? Man, we could make it look so fucking badass. Actually, shit, I want one for my bike.

[That is such a good idea, he wishes he'd thought of it years ago.]

I bet we could find some, sure. Might as well make this driverless wagon look extra haunted, hm? We'll spawn all kinds of new legends.

[Johnnie beams and raises a fist to the air.]

Fuck yeah, you will! Bet that'll scare some a' these fuckin' assholes off from chasing after it in the first place.

[She looks from person to person, grinning and laughing as everyone gives their ridiculous ideas for making the driverless wagon look extra haunted.]

Wait!

[She calls out over them all, waving her hands to get their attention.]

It's really only the white men we need to worry about, right?

[Which is debatable, because a lot of white women are just as terrible as the men are. Especially in this time period. But she's got an idea brewing, and she wants to contribute to the conversation.]

There's nothing that freaks them out more than women being loud. If people can see me, why can't we make them think that I'm some kind of vengeful spirit or something? I could start the distraction and Johnnie can trigger the fire, and then while I'm busy wailing and being dramatic, Johnnie can start getting the people out to the wagon!

[That plan leaves her alone and in range for immediate danger, and she second guesses herself the second the words are out of her mouth.]

La llorona!

[Guillermo says teasingly, to another round of laughter - which really had already begun anyway, at Chrissy's idea that white men are afraid of loud women. She's right enough, certainly.

Bobby pipes up, then.]

Hell, if my pa had been afraid of loud women my ma woulda laughed that man right outta the house. I swear you could hear her comin' from a mile away.

[To which there's general, jovial agreement. Clearly most of them either know Bobby's mother and her large presence, or have heard some stories.]

Hey Miss Chrissy, what are white women afraid of? In case we run into any. You should see some of 'em out here, they sling shotguns like you wouldn't believe.

They do?

[Color her surprised. That shock shows on her face, and she abruptly pops up to stand like she's going to tell them all exactly what white women are afraid of. But she's just so surprised most women here sling shotguns that she loses track of what she wants to say, turns dark red, and then sits down and stares at her plate and picks at her food for a few seconds.]

I guess most of them are probably afraid of things that are different. Of not being perfect enough to keep their husbands and their comfortable lives.

[At least, that's what her mother and her friends are afraid of. Chrissy shrugs a little, feeling helpless as she mentions it.]

But I think they're also afraid of anything they don't understand. If they can't fix it, they want to get rid of it before it can influence anyone else.

[That's something all the cheerleaders back at Hawkins were guilty of.]

I mean, I'm not afraid of all that! But if they see a pretty young ghost out luring their men away, they can shoot at me and that will keep their attention off of you. But if I die again, I'm sticking around and knocking all of your heads around!

[She gets back her energy at that point, which earns a roar of laughter that gets her to grin and join along with them.]

[Johnnie laughs along with them, but then gives her a smile that's warmer than the usual. He saw how she faltered there, but she recovered real well, and he's glad she can find friends in as ridiculous a group as this one. Hopefully LA doesn't overwhelm her with all its people, and with her having to adapt to not only a new city on the other side of the country, but also a time she isn't used to.

After gulping down another taco, he nudges her with his foot.]

So how is it, real home cooked food? Nothin' like Taco Bell, huh?

[He grins as he reaches for the bowl of salsa and spreads more on the food on his plate. Sure, she got to have stuff at that restaurant in Georgia that was good, but it's like he was telling her, Texas is where the food gets real. He's entirely happy otherwise to banter with the guys until he's too full to move, then flops backward onto the ground, content while some of the rest of them start to clean up.]

It's really good. [She nudges his foot in return as she happily sighs, feeling full and content. When he flops over onto the ground she leans over to kiss at the tip of his nose.]

Are you going to cook just like this for me once we're back home?

[She teases, planting one more kiss, this time to his forehead. She scurries off right after, to go help with the clean up efforts. It would make them bad guests if they just ate and didn't help cook or clean up. She insists to Cruz that she'll wash all the dishes and clean up, and that the guys should head out and start fixing the wagon.

It takes her about half an hour to get everything orderly and clean, but once her hands are dry and her hair is pulled back up into a high ponytail she makes her way out to join everyone.

The sight she's greeted with is Johnnie holding a cow skull and every single skeleton in the room gathered around him, trying to find the perfect place on the wagon to secure it. Even the horses are peering over, neighing and whinnying their approval.]

I thought we were repairing the wagon.

[The scolding is playful, hardly heartfelt at all. In fact, she tries to move on in close to Johnnie to give him a kiss, so she can grab the skull out of his hands in the process. She wants to be the one to pick the right place to put it.]

Pfft.

[Yeah he's not cooking like this, not any time soon. Not that any of this is even hard exactly, probably. Sure. He could figure it out.

Fuck, is he really going to try cooking to impress a girl who's already impressed? Maybe. At least once.

Anyway, the wagon is a way better way to occupy himself right now. The skull is massive, since when do cows have such big heads?]

Guess it's gotta go over the back, here, see? 'Cause then it'll be lookin' at them if they come up from behind. But what if we had six more?

[But, right, Chrissy has a point as she teases them. He lets her take the skull from her, then vaults on up inside the wagon to test the floorboards. They're uneven, a little rickety, but nothing a hammer and nails can't fix, probably. Fuck if he knows, he's not a carpenter.]

Looks like we gotta fix these, patch up the canvas, maybe reinforce this... thing? What's this called, the part where the horses go?

[The others set to finding tools, while Cruz looks over his shoulder at whatever Johnnie is pointing at.]

That's the tongue. Yeah, it got a good crack in it last time it got hauled out. Tried to cross a riverbed but the water knocked it off its tracks and into a rock. Was a real hassle, trying to get that whole thing out in one piece. Might check the front axle, make sure it's still sturdy after all that too.

I'm small! I can do that!

[Okay, maybe she's desperate to be useful. She hurries to hand off the skull to Diego, then darts over to crawl beneath the wagon. Of course, she knows absolutely nothing about wagon repair. But Guillermo talks her through what to look for, and slides on under alongside her to help coach her through assisting with the repairs that need to be done.

After that, he nudges her into going to help Johnnie with the floorboards of the wagon. She climbs and hops up to join Johnnie, helping put boards in place and hands nails off to him.]

How many people do you really think we can fit in here?

[She whispers to him as she takes the hammer from him, so she can have a turn doing some of the work too.]

Uh, well if nobody's that fussed about bein' comfortable, maybe eight? I don't think these things were meant to serve as a bus. But if there's kids, or people who can't walk too far, they can ride in here, an' anyone else can walk or jump on the back of a horse, maybe. If they can see the horses.

[That might be tricky. Can you ride a horse you can't see? Probably not. All the stories he used to hear about ghosts made it seem like they could go right through you.

Another few floorboards get whacked into place, meanwhile.]

Don't think this thing's meant to go fast anyway, walking oughta be all right if it means gettin' outta that shitty situation. I'd do it.

[Well, he'd do a lot of other things too, like slit some throats and set fires, but hypothetically, he'd walk.]

[She makes a soft sound that doesn't necessarily say anything, but shows her concern. This wagon isn't very large, and she's guessing there's a lot of people on that farm right next to them. In fact...

She holds up a hand and passes the hammer over to him, and takes a leap out of the wagon. As soon as she lands, she takes off at a jog to go back outside. Sure enough, the fields are being worked. And yeah, there's a lot more than eight people out there. She knows Johnnie's said other people can walk, but she only hopes that they can work together to buy these people enough time to get away.

Her hand is held up over her eyes as she tries counting how many people there are, and it's then that she spots a woman and two children staring across the expanse over toward her. She waves both arms up high and the children wave back. Gasping, she calls out for Johnnie.]

I think they can see us! Should we try going to talk to them? Or is too dangerous right now?

[Maybe they should wait until after they know how they're going to start the fire, so the people there can help them with pulling it off.]

[He hears his name and comes running, then looks around those fields for any sort of watchman or guard. There, in the distance, looks to be a guy on a horse, and while he hasn't heard Chrissy shouting, any more of that and he just might.]

Now's good while there's only one guard an' he's way over there, but I dunno the patrol. Lemme go see if I can get a closer look, maybe keep him occupied if I have to, while you sneak in there an' see about talkin' to those people. That work for you?

[Now, that means they can't agree on a plan together while talking it through. But by now Chrissy has a good head for how to tackle burning shit, he trusts her to come up with details if she has to. He has to keep her safe.]

[She watches the people for a second or two longer before nodding.]

Okay. I should be able to do that.

[Her knife isn't on her, but he likely has his gun and a knife. If it comes down to it, he'll be able to keep them both safe. She's small and fast, and good at being quiet. With how tall the crops are in the fields, she should be able to stay hidden well enough.]

Be careful. [She warns, voice soft as she pulls him in for a quick kiss. There's not any fear about doing this, but she's still cautious as they make their way in closer toward that farm. They separate about halfway there, and she waits for him to make his way in closer to look for the guard before she starts to sneak in.

She makes her way toward a group of women first, and puts her finger to her mouth to signal to be quiet as she stays low.]

Tonight, there's going to be a fire. A really big one. Run toward that old house out there and -

[One of the women gives her a look of terror.]

That haunted one? No m'am, ain't gonna be -

[Chrissy fixes her with a desperate look and reaches out to gently touch at her arm.]

Listen to me, okay? I need you to tell as many people as you can, so everyone knows. When the fire starts, run to that house. A wagon will be there, and you'll be able to get somewhere safe. Somewhere free.

[She doesn't wait to hear if the women will help. She just moves further into the crops and finds a few other groups to gather and talk to. But it's as she's speaking to the fourth that she hears the sound of someone approaching on horseback. She ducks down low as she can as the horse stops right nearby. Johnnie's not there as far as she knows, and she isn't sure what to do if she's spotted.]

[After that kiss, he pulls away to start trying to creep closer to the guard on horseback he'd seen earlier. It isn't easy - the guy has a vantage point up there, which he's clearly using to scan the fields for anyone misbehaving. He's not keeping an eye at his back, though, so Johnnie sticks to the thin pines and shrubs for cover.

All the warnings the guys had given him keep echoing in his head, which is some bullshit. Mostly Cruz was worried about him being seen with Chrissy, but the root of the matter is that these fuckers will take one look at him and think some really shitty things no matter what. But if that's the case, why do anything but be shitty right back? If they're expecting trouble, he'll give 'em trouble, he's not here to win friends. If they see a brown kid creeping around in the bushes, fuck it, whatever. Better than them finding Chrissy talking to the people they're keeping captive.

One of those shrubs is actually dense enough for him to sit behind and watch for a while. The guard nearest him has a pretty simple patrol, north and south along the field border. There's another he can see now too, making his way down a farm road in the middle of the fields. Sort of where he'd thought Chrissy was headed, but he can't see her from here to be sure. Hopefully she's well hidden.

Or maybe he can get the attention of a few of those assholes at once, keep them from going any farther that way. He's tempted to shoot at a tree just to make a noise, but they'll probably find him too easily. Instead, he looks around and finds himself a forked stick, grabs a hefty rock, loads it onto the fork and uses it as an extension of his arm to throw that rock hard at the nearest dude on horseback, then lays flat and watches.

The rock misses, but it hits the horse instead. Startled, it pins its ears back and crashes forward into the fields, scattering a couple of people in its way while the rider struggles to regain control of it. That ought to get people looking that way - maybe slow down some of the other patrols, as they first figure out what the fuck happened over on this side.]

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