“So, I'll tell you what Roadkill, I'll make you a deal. You're going to hop in the trunk of my car and ruminate on all the mistakes you made leading up to this moment. If you're a good boy, I'll let you out somewhere, and you can walk home! If not, or if I hear even a peep out of you, I'll crush this car with you inside. Deal?” She didn't have to ask me twice. I nodded profusely, and I would have bowed, juggled swords, and kissed her feet if she would have let me. Climbing inside the cramped quarters of the Mustang’s dark cargo compartment, I’ve never been so happy in my life!
And so, here I am. Locked up in the trunk of this Mustang, going God knows were, and going there in a hurry. I think Stella's big cowgirl boots must give her quite the lead foot, as we were cruising along at a pretty good clip judging by the drone of the engine and the rapidness of the expansion joints in the road. Inside the car, I could hear the girls talking just barely through the back seats. It sounded like the parents on Peanuts to me, but I could only assume Stella was telling her raven haired friend her version of last night's events.
Wherever they were going, I was now too. But honestly, I was okay with that as long as I was still breathing. I wanted out of the trunk of course, but I wasn't about to push my luck with Stella Star.
Time, kinda only, sort of, exists in darkness. Many things are constant, the heat, the sound, my desire for water, and to escape. But generally speaking you realize quickly there isn't much you could do about any of those things other than lay there and try to get comfortable. At least I wasn’t competing for space with luggage or worse a shovel. Occasionally, I would get thrown around, thrown forward as they brought the car to a halt swiftly for a light. Thrown back as the tires screeched and the engine roared, the driver shifted through gears, accelerating back up to the speed limit and likely beyond. Thrown around corners and exit ramps. It was always a surprise, and not always a welcome one.
The only respite I got was towards the drone of the engine during fuel stops. I could hear the ding ding as they rolled to a halt beside the pumps, and shortly after the smell of gasoline started to fill my nose. I was basically sitting on top of the fuel tank after all. However, maybe 3 fuel stops into the journey, I heard a click and a clunk, and mercifully the trunk opened again. It was safe to say, we weren't in Chicago anymore. Now out in the middle of nowhere, not a building to be seen except this service station and a billion miles of potato, corn, and wheat fields. The sun hung low in the sky, it was now evening again, and the sky was now a brilliant shade of red.
“Where… are we?” I asked, looking past the girls at all the scenery.
“Welcome to Oklahoma Roadkill. Hop out!” Star ordered. My legs were so used to being crammed up into the trunk, it took a moment for me to even remember how to stand. It was only then did I realize how badly I needed to use the bathroom, but that could wait.
“Star tells me you tried to carjack her, is that true?” Asked the raven haired girl, all the concern on her face now replaced with suspicion. She held a coke in her hand and leaned casually against the fuel pump off to my left, as Stella stayed just to my right. Her eyes truly were something special. They almost had a warm glow in the evening sun, and I found myself struggling not to stare.
“Yes, I did,” I answered honestly, looking away in shame.
“And you learned your lesson, right?” She asked.
“Yeah, don't try to carjack a badass,” As the words left my mouth, Star busted out laughing. The joy in her expression was only matched by the twinkle in her eye that wanted to turn me into fertilizer.
“How about, I won't carjack anyone ever again?” The Raven said, crossing her arms as she looked at me.
“I could live by that. I think... Look, I'm genuinely sorry…”
“Bullshit. You're sorry you got caught and almost put in the grave. Don't lie,” She said, her voice lowering to an angry hiss. She took a sip of her coke and pushed off the pump to stand up properly.
“Yeah… Maybe you’re right?” I muttered.
“It’s 650 miles back to Chicago that way. That's about 4 weeks or so worth of walking. So if I were you, I would get started!” She said casually as she walked past me.
“Wha… what?” I hadn't really realized just how far Oklahoma was. Hell, I had never really been here at all, only seen it on a map back when I was in high school.
“650 miles, there's no way in hell I could do that!” I spun around, now facing both of them as I plead my case.
“Sounds like a ‘you’ problem,” Star laughed cruelly before continuing…
“You're lucky to be on this side of the ground at all right now, count your blessings,”
“You can't just leave me here!” I protested, but Star’s smirk returned as she sat on the deck lid of the trunk.
“Why can't we? It’s that or we bury you over there! Unless you want to ride all the way to California in the trunk?”
“California?” I had always wanted to head west. Back when I was a kid, before I dropped out of school, I remember reading books about the pioneer’s and gunslingers of the old American west. It was the oddest thing to think about in that very moment, the opportunity that had suddenly presented itself.
“Forget it Star, let's go!” The Raven ordered, as she opened the driver's door.
“Wait! Please!” I begged. There really was no way in hell I’m going to walk 650 miles, especially not back to the shit hole in which I lived. But California? That place offers new opportunities, new dreams that could be fulfilled, a second chance?
“Take me with you!” Both Star and the Raven stopped dead in their tracks as I cried out to them. Amazement, pity, I don't have a clue, but as I dropped to my knees, I realized I truly was begging.
“I'll ride the whole way in the trunk, I don't care! I just don't want to go back to my old life! I’ll do something like this again! I want to change, I swear!” I continued.
“Seriously?” Star grumbled, more to herself than anyone else. The Raven meanwhile laughed as she gracefully spun around again. She walked back to me, as I slowly turned into a sobbing wreck.
“Do you get off to being kidnapped or something?” She asked, half sarcastically. I shook my head.
“No, I just… I made a lot of mistakes, and I've done a lot of stupid things. I don't want to live that life anymore. California could be a new start, you know?” I tried to explain as best as I could in as short of a way as I could. Star rolled her eyes…
“Oh brother, and you thought ‘YOU’ were going to be able to shoot me.” She muttered as she too walked over to me.
“Fate works in weird ways, Star. Maybe it was dumb luck he ran into you last night?” The Raven chuckled to herself.
“More dumb luck I didn't slit his throat.” Star growled in reply.
“Please, I'm on my knees here, begging you to forgive me, and begging you to take me with you! I don't want to be just another freeloader thug, I really don't!” I couldn't believe I was saying that, but it was true. Chicago had long been the home of America's criminal enterprise, since the days of Al Capone and the mob. There was no legitimate way of making a living and escaping the urban jungle with your soul fully intact. Instead, you were just trying to get screwed over less than the other guy, hoping you survived all along the way. Some people get used to that sort of life, I almost did. But what Stella Star delivered was a clear and concise wake up call that I was not cut out for that sort of life.
Stella rolled her eyes and shook her head, clearly unamused. However, her friend had a much more merciful look on her face and tone in her voice. She looked down at me with an apparent kindness I hadn't felt in a long time.
“You're lucky I'm a sucker for helping people...”
“You can't be serious, McClaire? We're seriously going to take him with us?”
“Yeah, why not? Forgiveness is a skill you need to learn Stella Star, especially if we ever want to fix the paradox you created.”
“McClaire?” Where have I heard that name before? It instantly rang a bell, but I kept my mouth shut seeing as I was suddenly winning over some favor with these two.
“Ugh, fine… But he is staying in the trunk…” Star reluctantly agreed, turning around again to get back in the car..
“I'm fine with that! Just… Can I use the bathroom first?” I requested.
“Sure…” McClaire started to say, but she was quickly cut off with an ominous warning from Stella.
“You have five minutes until I change her mind.” Trust me, that was not an issue at all…
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