Josephine Blake was born in a time when Greek Mythology was just that; myths. Unaware that Gods and Goddesses walked among men she only came to realize her mistake when it was too late. When she got dragged into it all just because she had caught Zeus’ attention and, consequently, Hera’s wrath. And hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Especially when it concerned a deity.
She could still hear her laughter, still recall the way her lips curved when she sneered at Josephine, uttering words she didn’t take serious back then, promising that from now on she was destined to kill any man that she ever fell in love with. It had been one hell of a night and she had been convinced that the woman had been on acid; it certainly looked and sounded like she was on a great trip. And soon enough the encounter turned into nothing but a faint memory, one that took place months ago until she was forced to remember it one fateful day.
The sound of bird chirping, the gentle brush of the morning breeze, the sun tickling her face … It all brought a smile to Josie’s lips as she woke up, eyes fluttering open while he was apparently still sleeping, causing a smile to tug on her lips. “You’re late for work.” she commented even though she very much approved of the idea of them sleeping in, of calling in sick, of getting to spend the day together. Usually, he was up before her. Usually, he was at work already … Her back faced him and she began to roll over only to notice with a frown that she felt disgustingly sticky, prompting her to look down on herself. Blood. It was everywhere; soaking the once white sheets and the shirt she had been sleeping in, sticking to her skin and filling her nostrils with that characteristic iron scent. Her eyes widened in shock and she turned her head to look at him, in futile hope that he knew what had happened during the night. He was completely still though, covered in even more blood than herself and even though he couldn’t give her an explanation, the ugly gash that blemished his throat spoke volumes. She could swear she even saw the bone.
A gut-wrenching scream filled the room followed by desperate sobs before the life she knew was over, leaving her to run away at the age of twenty, to fend for herself, to settle somewhere no one knew her.
It happened a second time, this time it was a shot in the head with a gun she had never seen before let alone knew how it had ended up in her possession. And once again she was left with nothing, a mere shell of the girl she used to be, finally accepting that Hera’s words had come true.
And losing love twice, knowing that their blood was on her hands … It was reason enough to leave, to head for the edge of the world and never return. That’s how she found herself here, in a town in the middle of nowhere with a population that had an average age of 53, and rising, considering the few young people that still lived here already planned their future elsewhere. Not Josie, though. It was a nice town with nice and welcoming people, most of them elderly that appreciated the help this strange woman offered them. She didn’t talk much about her past and they respected that, knowing that if a woman her age decided to move here she had demons that chased after her and yet would never find her here. And as long as she caused no trouble they would let her stay for as long as she wanted to.
Bob, the owner of the local tavern and himself of pensionable age if the same rules had applied here, gladly gave her a job as a ‘waitress/bartender/anything else that needed to be take care of’, after running the place by himself since two years which was when his wife had died. The people of the little town enjoyed her presence and Josephine was convinced she could live her until the end of her days … if it hadn’t been for the one person that threatened her plans.
At first, she hadn’t even noticed him, considering his dog had all her attention, even tempting Josie to go so far to just take the ball of fur home with her if she hadn’t been told by some of the others that he belonged to the man that lived on a small farm a few miles away from the town. Fair enough, even though that didn’t mean she wouldn’t carry around a few treats whenever Hermes found her.
She only met the man months later who famously came to town on his horse, purposely ignoring the way he looked at her and the fact that she liked it. She knew she couldn’t allow herself to indulge in flirtation, to risk something else ––something more–– to blossom from playful banter. The carefreeness that once radiated off her was gone and Josephine refused to ever let it get the better of her again, to allow her own naivety and hopes ruin another person’s life. She refused to let another soul haunt her in her sleep.
Today was no different. She already heard the happy barks before actually spotting the dog, excited beyond imagination when he spotted her and almost tackling her to the ground if she hadn’t expected his weight to hit her with full force. “Woah, I missed you too, but you really gotta slow down, buddy.” the brunette said when he placed his huge paws on her shoulders. He started licking her face as soon as she knelt down and she let him, laughing wholeheartedly when he began sniffing for the treats in her pocket. These days it seemed as if all the love she had to give she poured into moments like this, when Hermes demanded her attention or when Bob needed help with something or just craved a home cooked meal and some company. In a way, she felt, it made her more open, more aware that love had such great potential and could extent beyond any romantic involvement. For now, it felt as if that was enough and even if she couldn’t help silence the little voice in her head that told her at times that it wasn’t she knew that it simply had to be.
She kept petting the bundle of joy that soon enough rolled onto his back to get his well-deserved belly rubs after plundering her off any and all treats before their togetherness was eventually interrupted when Brennan joined them. “Never apologize for him. I just wished the two of you didn’t come as a package deal.” she told him, still smiling faintly but not as brightly as she just had when it was only Hermes and her. She didn’t want to come off as harsh, didn’t want him to think that she had anything against him but she knew that she needed to keep her distance. That otherwise she’d be walking a thin line.
Finally, Josephine stood up while Hermes was still on his stomach before eventually rolling over again, now laying on the ground as he looked up at them; his two favourite humans. “Good luck carrying him home, he filled up on all the treats I carried. I don’t think he’ll be able to walk anytime soon.” She already knew how lazy Hermes could be and she doubted that permanent condition could be remedied by gorging on treats.
The town by any definition was small, consisting of only a couple of stores, a post office, and the tavern. There were a few homes scattered along the town where tradesmen often worked out of their houses, but other than that, it almost reminded Brennan of his hometown. A simple place so detatched from the rest of society, it might not exist at all. They asked questions but never too many. It was easy to change his name and the way his hair looked every forty years and claim to be a grandson or cousin. As far as they knew, Brennan Walker was the sixth generation of Walker to own his farm.
His own piece of land was hidden among the trees, the main road one might use to drive there barely more than gravel he laid down several decades ago. The truck he had in the stable was more so a pasttime than an actual form of trasportation since the winding road from his home to the town was much more burdensome than the surefooted horses he has trained and loved from the moment they are born. The town thinks he's silly for doing so, but he scoffs it off to tradition and practicality. The children, when there are some, always enjoy the rides he gives them when he has the time.
Hermes, on the other hand, was a happy accident. He was the runt of his litter once and an elder man in town couldn't find anyone to buy him. He was too small and sickly, destined to die eventually. Brennan took him with a determination to make him live and when he finally seemed to act like how a dog ought to, he named him as his own personal joke. He wasn't a very good sheepdog or guard dog, but he still managed to make him smile regardless. Since saving his life, he refused to leave his side, following him no matter where he went and crying if he is ever left on the opposite side of the door. It was because of this clingy attitude that he had met Josephine for the first time.
He took for granted his dog always being at his heels and then when he went to prepare Yellow Jacket for the journey home, he was surprised to see the dog no where to be found. He searched everywhere, whistling for the faithful dog he thought would never even think about running away. Then he returned a few minutes later, pretending as if he hadn't gone anywhere. And that was his tradition for a good few months until he caught his dog running off one day and finally noticed to whom he was running to. The woman he still couldn't help admiring many more months later.
"Careful, Josephine," he muttered at her words. "Some day I might actually be hurt by the shit you say." He grinned brightly at her, always wondering why she seemed to force a smile with him. He's seen a real smile from her, not just from when she spied his dog, but the small handful of moments when he managed to pull it out of her when she wasn't thinking about it. Either that or she was a very good actress.
He rolled his eyes at the lazy dog. "He'll be fine. The only thing he hates more than running is being placed on the horse's back," he said motioning to the tan mare that had begun to eat at the grass. As if knowing what Brennan was talking about, the dog whimpered and put his head down on his paws. "See."
He paused a moment, not wanting to leave but also not wanting to make it seem as if he was there just to see her--even if it was true. He settled for pulling out a cigarette and offering her one. "How've you been? Is Bob finally paying you what you're worth?" he jested as he balanced his cigarette between his lips so he could light it.
