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Neon Moon
chapter two

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❛ on this lonely island, i'll share
all my toys. under this blanket,
we'll escape from all the noise. ❜
— Two Kids, David Keenan

                    "A BANK ROBBERY GONE WRONG. The victims were four Texas rangers and two officers. Sources say that a bank teller was also taken hostage."

          Her foot pressed harder against the gas pedal. Abilene, Texas. What were the brothers doing in Abilene, Texas? Cars whizzed past her as she raced over the highway. She was so close. She had a whole plan on what was going to go down. After a quick nap in her backseat, she had mustered enough courage to head over to the prison. It would be a six hour drive, but it was worth it. It would have been worth it if things had gone the way she had planned it.

Her mind was racing. Richie wasn't alone anymore. Seth was out of prison, and they were up to no good. They were no longer common thieves. No, they decided to upgrade to cop killers first thing. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened until her knuckles turned white. Her teeth ground together with a force that made her gums hurt.

The ringing of her cellphone pulled her out of her rage fueled haze. It buzzed against the upholstery of her passenger seat. Her fingers brushed it for a moment, angling it toward her so she could read the caller I.D. Dread sunk inside of her chest.

Elena Rodriguez.

She could send it to voicemail. If she doesn't answer, there would be no way for her to triangulate her location. But why would she do that in the first place? Marisol had never told anyone her ties to the brothers. She had never overshared at a New Years Eve party, nor did she trust anyone in her department to unravel the mess of her teenage years on. They couldn't tie her to them; she was safe.

Her eyes flickered from the buzzing device to the road ahead of her. If she just ignored it, she would save Elena from trouble in the future. She knew that when she got to Richie and — hopefully — convinced him to turn himself in, there would be questions. Her past would be forced out, but she had time. She had time before things crumbled at her feet.

But Elena. No one has shown her familial love like Elena. When she had first arrived, Elena welcomed her with open arms. She showed her the ropes, spent the night in the bullpen when Marisol was too invested to quit. She had taken her home for dinner on several occasions, introducing her to her family. She loved Marisol more than anyone ever had.

She snatched the phone from the seat and flipped it open on the very last ring. She pressed it tightly to her ear with a shaky breath. "Elena," she greeted. "How's it going?"

"Marisol Mariyah Rojas. Será mejor que no estés persiguiendo a esos hermanos locos."

She flinched at Elena's harsh tone. "They're not that crazy," she tried to argue. She focused her sight on the road ahead, switching to check her speedometer every once in a while. Her foot was beginning to turn to lead the closer she got to Abilene. "That's not the point!" Elena snapped.

The hand dryers in the bathroom were running. A breath escaped Marisol. Elena was hiding. "I'm okay," she sighed. "You don't have to check up on me, alright? Save yourself some trouble."

"Trouble?" Elena scoffed. Her voice wavered. "Mija, listen. You can still turn around and come back. You don't have to do this." Marisol's chest ached. She bit down onto her bottom lip, a habit she had begun right after the fire at the Gecko's house. Her eyes squinted against the harsh sunlight.

"Marisol," Elena called out to her. "What is this about? Why are you doing this?" Answers. Everyone had always wanted answers. Answers, though, had a habit of destroying everything instead of solving it in Marisol's life. Her head thumped against the head rest, knocking a few strands of hair from her bun. "I can't give you an answer," she replied sadly.

          Her breath hitched. Tears began to well into her eyes. There's always a possibility that things could go wrong. Regardless of their past, Seth and Richie are dangerous and unpredictable. She could set them off and get herself killed. She knew that too well. "What did you eat today?" she asked, trying to lighten the tone.

          "Burger King," Elena admitted ruefully. "I'm stuck in the office tonight to help piece together this case." Marisol snorted. Her tongue felt big in her mouth. Her fingers were starting to cramp around the steering wheel. "And you picked Burger King?" she teased.

          "You know how these things go. The majority goes." Her tone was lighter, breathier. Guilt swelled inside Marisol's chest cavity. "Have you eaten?" She hummed in response. She had stopped and gotten a box of chicken tenders from a gas station. The breading was weird, but it wasn't anything honey mustard couldn't fix.

          She swallowed thickly. "I'm sorry, Elena," she whispered breathlessly. "No, no," Elena muttered, "don't start that now. Just get back in one piece, okay?"

"Of course. We still have a date in the Bahamas, sipping sangrias." A single tear trickled down her face. She sniffed reluctantly. Elena sniffed, as well. "I'm holding you to it," she explained. "So you better be careful."

A silence fell over the line before there was a small whisper. "See you," came from Elena. Marisol grimaced. "See you, 'Lena." And the line died. She tossed the device back into the seat and replaced her hand back into its first position. She squeezed her eyes closed for a moment to rid herself of her tears.

Abilene, Texas, she repeated in her mind over and over again. I'm coming to get you, Richie.

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She peered over the slide curiously. Her tiny hands found purchase on her hips. Sitting at the very end was a young boy, his hair wild and face scratched up. It looked as if he had taken a tumble in a gravel patch, resulting in red, irritated wounds high on his cheekbones.

There was a line behind her of annoyed children. She stood at the very top, toes tapping away at the sheet of metal. His eyes were closed, hands propped beneath his head. One foot shook as he rested happily in his place, ignoring the constant reminders of the hoard behind him.

"Move!" a child shouted angrily.

"Just slide down!" another demanded.

Marisol turned sharply, caramel pigtails whipping around her face. There was a slight pink tinge to her nose from a previous sunburn. It crinkled with her expression of annoyance. "Shut up!" she fired back at the kids behind her. "I'll get him to move, okay? Stop pushing me!"

For a moment a pair of green eyes flickered open and took in the beautiful blue sky over his head. His sense of smell filled with the scent of freshly watered earth. His face absorbed the warm kiss of the sun. The world appeared peaceful, until he noticed the shadow over him.

His neck craned to catch sight of a girl wearing a lavender dress. It puffed out at her knees, white ruffle adorning the hem. The corners of his mouth quirked upward in amusement. The frown on her face only made matters worse.

Her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Move, please." Her voice was as light as bells. It made his eardrums tingle. He scrunched up his face when his heart did a dance inside of his chest. "Why?" he responded innocently. "There's plenty of other things to play on."

"There's plenty of other things you can nap on, too," she retorted. The toes of her tennis shoes rapped against the sheet metal. He lifted his head just a bit to observe the world around him. There was a merry-go-round, swings, seesaws, monkey bars. There was a basketball court with two hoops void of nets, and a field just on the other side of it.

Several kids had started up a game of kickball while others occupied the swings. A majority, though, were in a line to go down the slide. He sat up straight, leaning over the side to get a better look at the queue of kids.

          "You're in the way." His head snapped back to find her sitting now. Curious, his head tilted to the side. Would she slide down regardless of if he moved? Would she actually run him over? Her brows bounced almost as if she was challenging him to stay in his spot.

          After a brief pause, he reluctantly climbed off of the slide. The gravel moved under his worn shoes, the sun no longer blocked by the roof over the slide. The children became more antsy as she braced herself.

          His eyes followed her down the slide. A bright smile overtook her face. Her arms flailed out to the side, her hair fighting against the motion. She squealed gleefully until she reached the bottom and landed on her feet. Her smile didn't fade as she rushed away from the bottom, brushing past him to rejoin the line.

          There was a bit of hesitation in his step. He followed after her, sliding into the line right behind her. His small hands took hold of the railing. Child after child slid down the warm metal, giggling at the breeze that hit their faces. Their shoes clonked over the metal steps, their breathing heavy with excitement.

          His heart hammered away in his chest. What part of a slide made her look so happy? What made this contraption so exciting that children lined up to go down? He couldn't wrap his head around it, not until he stood at the very top.

          He looked down at the gravel, eyes wide. Marisol had finally reached the bottom, laughing wholeheartedly with gasping breaths. His knees wobbled beneath him.

          "Go!" a kid behind him snapped at him. He felt his hands pull at his clothes. He jerked suddenly, surprised at the action. His stomach dropped as his footing slipped for just a brief moment and he braced himself with the railing. Angry tears welled in his jewel stone eyes.

          "Just sit down!"

          Her voice tore him away from the panic filling his senses. He glanced down to find her standing by the slide. Her small hands were folded behind her back. Her eyes twinkled with excitement. He did as told, taking a seat at the top of the slide.

          "Close your eyes," she directed him. He followed instructions easily. His eyes screwed closed, hands pressing the platform. "Now, push off!"

With shaky hands, he pushed off. His body slid over the warm metal. The wind caught in his wild hair, slapping against his reddened cheeks. His eyes screwed tightly together until he felt the ground under his feet. Marisol cheered from the sidelines, excited for his reaction.

It took him a moment to stand. His stomach felt unstable. His legs felt like the bones had been replaced with half chilled gelatin. He turned onto his knees, eyes wide and full of surprise.

          He didn't look up even when he recognized her shadow hiding him from the sun. She gripped his arm tight and pulled him up, helping him stand.

          "Are you scared of heights?" she asked, ignoring the way he stumbled beside her to match her stride. He didn't answer. He didn't want to admit to any kind of fear, no matter how rational it may be. She took his silence, though, as a yes.

          She lead him away from the slide and toward the vacant basketball court. The shift from gravel to soft earth made him lose his balance a bit. She squeaked as they both tumbled to the ground, his weight too much for her to handle on her own.

          That pretty dress she wore was ruined by the rain soaked grass. Green stained the ruffled hem while dirt stained her hands and knees. Seth stared at her in shock, his own hands wet with dirt and jeans stained by grass.

          He half expected her to yell at him, or perhaps slap him. He awaited for that familiar sting, only to flinch at the sound of her giggle. Confusion swept across his features, setting a harsh line between his brows.

          "It's okay to be scared of heights," she suddenly said, taking him off guard. "My dad always told me that being scared isn't being a coward. It's being strong."

          He blinked. She sat back on her knees and wiped her hands down the front of her skirt. Brown streaked the beautiful purple. "You're messing up your dress," he whined, halting her movements with a hand on each of her wrists.

          A surprised noise sounded from the back of her throat. Her eyes met his, both wide and full of curiosity. "We have stain remover spray," she replied innocently. "My mom will get it out."

There was a silence between them. His hands retracted from her wrists and fell back into his lap. The world around them turned to white noise. Marisol felt her face heat up the longer they stared at one another.

The school bell tore them out of their daze. He stood up first, brushing the grass from his pants and following up with an offered hand. She stared at it for a moment.

"What's your name?" she asked, peering up at him. The sun created a glow around him that reminded her of the pictures of angels in Sunday school. He smiled, a real smile that she had not been expecting.

"Seth," he answered, and she finally took his hand. He helped her to her feet. "What's yours?" She brushed the stray blades of grass from her skirt, a laugh stumbling past her smiling lips. She stuck her hand out between them for a shake. "Marisol."

He took her hand gently, laughing. They shook hands just like they had seen adults around them do. Seth felt grown in that moment, but Marisol felt weird. Breaking the handshake, she instead settled for giving him a hug.

Her arms wound around him tight, cheek pressing to his chest. Seth froze in his spot. That was the first time he'd ever been hugged in a very, very long time.

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          The scent of gas filled her senses. Her car door swung open right as the gas jockey approached her car. "Howdy," he greeted her politely. She risked an awkward smile and climbed out of the driver's seat. "Fill her up, please," she sighed.

There was a heavy buzzing in her calves. The lack of use was starting to get to her. Her back ached from sitting so long. She closed the door behind her, shuffling her wallet and phone in her hands. "Where you headed?" the jockey asked, eyes locked on the woman.

She grimaced at the ache at the bottom of her spine. "Not sure," she answered honestly. "Guess I'm just waiting for a sign."

A sign, a small voice in her head snickered. What are you, twelve? She stepped around the front of her vehicle and made her way toward the small building. The sun was high in the sky, beating down on everything in its wake. A sweat already began to collect at her hairline.

          There weren't many people inside. A couple were browsing the aisles and a young boy stood behind the counter with a red vest on. The air conditioning hit her like a ton of bricks. She sighed, the tinkling of the bell announcing her arrival.

          A television was perched on the back counter. The news was barely audible, but she could see that it was covering the robbery in Abilene. She swallowed, avoiding the screen.

"It's seven more hours," a feminine voice spoke from the aisle over. Marisol scanned the candy curiously. "I know, babe. That's why I'm going to get a Red Bull."

"You're heart is going to end up exploding, you know?" The man made a noise of surprise. The sound of retreating footsteps followed. Marisol glanced over the aisle, curiosity swimming in her mind.

The air conditioner sang from the back. Silence fell over the room and Marisol turned back to the candy. She hovered over a Milky Way bar before stepping back. Instead, she followed the aisle back to the refrigerators.

          "No, mom. I'm meeting her halfway." The fridge beside her closed tightly, a teenage girl holding a bottle of coffee in her hand, the other holding her cellphone to her ear. "Her dad is going to drive my car back."

          She pulled open the fridge door and pulled out a Sprite bottle. The door closed after her. She went to the next aisle and picked up a bag of Ruffles chips. She wasn't too hungry, but a snack couldn't hurt.

          Each step she took, her bones popped. The buzzing in her calves had decreased, but the pain in her back remained. She followed the aisle until she came to the counter. The boy was staring intently at the television.

          She set her things onto the counter with a mild sigh. When he didn't turn around, she cleared her throat. His head snapped toward her in surprise. "Sorry," he muttered, turning back to face her. "How are you today?"

"Fine," she replied. "How are you?" He quickly scanned her two items. "Fine," he mimicked. "That'll be four seventy five." She unzipped her wallet and searched for the bills.

"My parents have been terrified to leave the house today." Marisol's attention peaked. She held out a five dollar bill, which the boy took silently. "Ever since the news hit about that bank robbery, they've been using every excuse to stay home."

The cash register draw slid open noisily. "No, I don't blame them! Mom's friend used that bank. It's a miracle there's only one hostage."

She flinched at the crash of the drawer sliding closed. Her wide eyes flickered up to meet the boy's. "Here's your change." His tone stayed even. It was as if he hadn't noticed her reaction. "Yeah, thanks." She took the change in her palm and grabbed the single, plastic bag.

          She made her way back into the hot desert. The gas jockey remained by her car, leaned against the gas pump. He was twisting a toothpick with his tongue.

          "All good?" she called out to him, hurrying back to her car to escape the heat. He nodded once. "It'll be fifty bucks." She sighed. Their eyes met for a moment before she turned to her car. "Do you take credit cards?"

Before he could answer, sirens sounded in the distance and were approaching fast. Their heads turned curiously to see a firetruck being followed by two police cars. Their wheels sped over the asphalt like thunder.

A breeze tangled her hair as they whizzed past. My sign, she thought. She whirled around to face the gas jockey, face bright. "Credit cards?" she asked again. He nodded his head.

"Here. Hurry, please." She dug her card out of her wallet and held it out for the man. He took it silently.

"You're not one of them crime junkies, are ya?" She crossed the front of the car quickly, throwing open her car door. Amusement flickered in her brown eyes. "Not exactly," she replied. He snorted.

Thank you, she thought, for my sign.

rumi says . . .
we are getting so, so close to seeing
seth. 🌚

how are you guys feeling so far?
i can't lie, i am totally vibing with
this story. i'm liking the whole present,
flashback, present thing. i don't know why.

i hope you guys enjoyed it!
feedback is seriously appreciated!