Chapter 7

Robin woke up feeling rested. She did have a headache but her body felt better. She looked around and realized Bucky wasn't in the shed. She got up and walked outside.

The sun was high in the alley and it was hot already. She saw people working in a field close by and saw Bucky holding big baskets over his shoulders. She met up with him.

"Hey! How are you feeling?"

"I'm good. But you should have woke me up."

"Well knowing how long you slept, I should have." He laughed.

"What do you mean? It's only been like what? Ten hours?"

"More like you fell asleep sunday night we are tuesday afternoon."

Her smile disappeared.

"What?"

"Yeah. I had to check on you a couple of time to make sure you were still breathing." He laughed putting the basket on the floor. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, but I don't think it's time to eat. I don't want to bother them into making me something. I can wait."

"Actually we've been keeping a plate just in case. Come with me."

They walked to what seemed to be the main house and he pointed to a plate on the table. Robin threw the food in her mouth, starving. She was almost done with her plate when they heard panic voices outside. Bucky went out first, followed by Robin.

The father of the boy ran to their location, screaming in his strange tongue. Bucky grabbed Robin by the hand and ran followed him to the back of the village.

"Bucky! What's going on?" She asked, scared.

He opened a wooden door, hidden under tall grass and plants. He said something else and Bucky jumped in the hole. He pulled on Robin to get in. She tried to jump in but Bucky put his arms around her and pulled her in faster. The man left them after they layed down in the rather small wooden box.

"Bucky, what's going on? What was he..."

Bucky stopped her by putting a hand on her mouth.

"Don't say a word, don't make a sound. They are not having a friendly visit."

Bucky's stomach tightened up with the horrified look in Robin eyes. He knew she could feel the fear of their new friends.

"What's your favorite song?"

"What?"

"Sing your favorite song in your head. Focus on it."

Shaking with all the fear inside her body, she started to mumble Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows from Lesly Gore, her mom's favorite song. Bucky kept a hand on her shoulders hoping it would help her concentrate.

They heard trucks arriving and more people talking. They could hear what seemed like orders being shouted and Robin felt the fear grow even more in her guts. Bucky realized she stopped singing.

"Why are they so scare? I can't understand what they are thinking... Why?"

"It's their army... They come to collect their due but they dont like outsider... That's why they told us to hide in here."

The cold sweat dripped down her spine, making her shiver.

"It's ok..."

"No... You don't know what I can see... One of the guards is thinking of killing somebody... He's trying to find a reason to..."

"I thought you couldn't understand them."

"When they are imagining things, they are not talking..." A single tear fell down her face.

Bucky knew what it meant, and knew he wouldn't be able to do anything to protect the village. They stayed hiding in the small wooden box for a long time before they heard the trucks leave and even more before someone from the village came to open the door for them to come out. Bucky walked out first and helped Robin.

The father of the boy came and talked to Bucky, shaking his hand. Robin interpreted it as thank you. Maybe because of Bucky's strenght, they could work harder and have better results for the army people than if they weren't there.

Robin was surprised by how fast their fear disappeared as hers was still holding a strong grip around her guts.

While being in the box, something clicked in her mind. Something she would have never thought possible from her peaceful mind. She made a promise that before leaving this place, she would make this tyrany stop.

Everyone returned to their assign work in the field like nothing happened.

The women showed her how to work in the fields. She helped them until it was time to make dinner, the boy's mother asked her to help by making bread, which Robin ruined.

When dinner was ready, the men came back from the fields and filled their plates. They sat around a big fire again, talking, Bucky translating, Robin learning new words. One by one, the villagers went to bed, only a few of the young adult men were hanging around trying to impress Robin who had eyes and ears only for the silent Bucky.

When the last villager left, after realizing the Americans were not going to bed soon, Robin was left alone with Bucky.

"Looks like you got quite the admirers." Bucky chuckled.

She made a disgusted face.

"You don't see their thoughts. It's horrible." She replied as a shiver was running through her body. "I would prefer if we left soon and don't come back. Don't get me wrong, they are nice people but some of them have weird... taste." She added shrugging her nose in disgust again.

"Don't worry. We can't stay not with their army surprised visit they get."

"Can't we do anything for that?"

"No. If we get in the way, Hydra might find us."

"But they are going to kill them for no reason someday..."

"And we might get killed too. Listen, I get it. But we cannot save everyone. If we get involved and deal with the soldiers, others will come. Or even worst they'll think the village did it and they are gonna kill them either way. It is not our fight."

Robin understood his point. There was no real solutions, just temporary ones. She get up and walked to their hut. Bucky followed in silence. They would end up sleeping only a for hours before waking up to work in the fields again.