Love the World Away

Summer is slow in Brit-Wales. Sometimes, you just have to invent something to do. Muriel prayed this to happen. She sat outside of her house and sighed.

“Muriel?” the old biddy heard beside her. She looked up to see William poking his head out in the doorway.

“How are you holding up?” he asked. The old biddy groaned and fell back on the cobblestone.

“That bad?” William asked. He walked over and looked down at her. Muriel groaned and looked up at him.

“I need to get away from them,” she complained. “If my ex comes back, I will lose my head!” Her neighbor shook his head.

“You need to get out,” he said. Muriel sat up and grabbed onto his leg.

“Please… help… me…” she pleaded. William nervously laughed.

“Okay then…” he said.

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Aisha, Clyde, and Lewis came over minutes later. They found William standing beside Muriel as she clung to his leg like a needy child.

“Thank God you’re here!” he said. “Please help her!”

“What happened to her?” Lewis asked. Muriel looked up and saw her.

“Lewis!” she cried. “I’m so glad to see you!” The old biddy ran over and hugged on her friend. The farmer looked over at their friends with an odd look on her face. Clyde tilted her head.

“‘hat bad?” she asked. Aisha smacked her in the head.

“Ow!” she wailed.

“Yes!” Muriel cried. “I can’t stand this! Please take me with you!”

“Well, we could go help out at the library,” Aisha said. Lewis and Clyde looked at her with big eyes.

“What?!” they cried. Muriel let go of Lewis and walked over to hug Aisha.

“You mean it?” she asked.

“Yes,” the leader said. Muriel hugged her wildly as she cried.

“Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” she cried. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Aisha looked over at William.

“Is it that bad?” she mouthed. The neighbor nodded. All three old biddies nodded.

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Chris walked up to the Sunny Plum and went inside. Tucker looked up when he heard the bell ringing. His jaw dropped.

“Chris?” he asked. “Chris, is that you?”

“Tuck?” the other man asked. Tucker’s face lit up when he grinned.

“How have you been?” he asked. “What are you doing back in Brit-Wales?”

“Good,” Chris said. He walked up to the counter. “I just wanted a change in scenery. Has anything changed around here?”

“Not much, mate,” Tucker said. “It’s always the same. Juliet and Tre came home.”

“What?” the other man asked. “Why?”

“Juliet’s working and Tre’s been divorce.”

“Oh.”

“Tucker?” they heard Annie ask from the kitchen. The men turned to see her walking out into the café. Her jaw dropped when she saw Chris’ face.

“Chris?” she asked. “What are you doing here?” The man in the black clothes rubbed the back of his head.

“I got tired of the city,” he said. “So, I decided to come home for a bit.”

“Is that right?” Annie asked. Her face and her tone made her look like she was about to have a panic attack. Tucker clapped his hands together.

“Isn’t this great?” he asked. “It’ll be just like old times!” All of the color drained from Annie’s face as she fainted.

“Honey?” Tucker asked he whipped around. Chris leaned over the counter.

“Uh… is she okay, mate?” he asked.

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“So what are we doing today?” Muriel asked. “Hm? Hm?”

“Helping the church,” Aisha said. Lewis and Clyde groaned and rolled their eyes.

“For how long?” Muriel asked. “Can it be all day? Please? Please?” The leader turned around with her eyebrow raised.

“Is it really that bad?” she asked.

“Yes!” their friend wailed. “Tres just sits around and does nothing like he did before he went away to university! Jules is fine, but I liked having my house to myself.” She dropped her head and sighed.

“If Evan shows back up, I will go mad!” the old biddy wailed. Lewis rubbed her on the back.

“It’s okay,” she whispered. Aisha gave her a sympathetic smile.

“We’ll work as long as you want,” she said. “And yes, I mean that.” Lewis and Clyde rolled their eyes. The latter even muttered something under her breath. The leader pretended not to hear her. Muriel’s eyes grew big.

“Do you really mean that?” she asked.

“Yes,” Aisha said, nodding her head. She looked over at their friends. “Isn’t that right?” Lewis and Clyde forced themselves to grin as they nodded.

“Thank you!” Muriel said with tears in her eyes. She jumped forward and hugged the leader wildly. Aisha nervously laughed as she tried to push her friend off.

“Hey. You don’t have to do all of that,” she said. “Hey, hey, hey!”

Escape from Home