Mrs. Falls a lot's Arc

Chapter 3 of 8

Nuts led her out of the clearing and stopped at the mouth of a trail. It ran narrow through the trees, all twisted roots and broken stone. A cracked sign hung above it. THE TRAIL OF TEARS, it read, the letters dripping like they bled. "That's the way," Nuts said. He blew smoke. "Only I know it. You wander off it, you don't come back." Mrs. Falls a lot squinted at the roots. "No map?" "No map. Just me." He flicked ash. "And you're too drunk to walk straight, so stay behind my tail." She took a swig and followed. The path fought her. Roots grabbed her ankles. She fell three times, and three times her body cradled the beers safe as she hit the dirt. Nuts didn't slow. He hopped root to root like they weren't there. Halfway up, a second sign made her stop. Bold letters. NO BOOZE ALLOWED. STRICT ENFORCEMENT. Beside it, another warned PHAT GIRLS BEWARE. "That one for me?" she asked. "Both are," Nuts said flat. "Told you the walk was ugly." She raised a bottle at the no-booze sign and drank on purpose. "Nobody's takin' these." "Good," Nuts said. "You'd need 'em where we're going." The trail opened onto flat rock. A squirrel waited there. Dark fur, a cape hanging still, a fedora pulled low. A cigarette burned between his teeth. He looked like Nuts turned inside out and left in the dark. Nuts stopped cold. His cigar drooped. "Bolts." "Brother," the dark squirrel said. Same face. Colder eyes. Mrs. Falls a lot looked between them. "You two kin?" "Twins," Nuts said, and the word came out sour. Bolts Nutworth stepped forward. Smoke curled from his mouth. "You've been busy, brother. Filling a bag. Making friends." His yellow eyes slid to her. "She the muscle?" "She's nothing to you," Nuts said. "Someone took what's mine," Bolts said. "I traced it here. To you." He tapped ash off his cigarette. "So I'll ask once. Where is it?" Nuts didn't answer. His paw tightened on his beer. Bolts smiled without warmth. "You always were slow." He turned and walked back into the trees. "I'll be close. Both of you." Then he was gone. The rock went quiet. Mrs. Falls a lot drained one bottle dry and let it drop. "That the place?" she asked. "Where I get permadrunk?" Nuts pushed his shades up. For the first time he looked shaken. "The place is past him," he said. "And he won't move." He stared at the trees where his brother vanished. "Wasn't supposed to be here. He's after my stash. My beer. My smokes. All of it." Mrs. Falls a lot looked at the dark trail ahead. She'd crossed a whole cursed path for the secret. Now a caped squirrel stood between her and it, and Nuts had gone stiff with fear. "Then we go through him," she said, and cracked open her spare beer.