Charlie was hypnotized by the tunnel like vision her cars headlights cut through the dark Georgia night. There was nothing on this stretch of road, nothing but the occasional exit sign that gleamed bright when the car lights hit it. There were beautiful open fields and patches of forests running along the side of the road that were out of her vision, lost in the dark. It was 2:30 in the morning and she was almost there. Just a few more miles to the exit. She pressed on the gas, eager to get into town. She doubted anyone in little Hazzard County was awake at this time but she knew her way to her grandmother's old house well enough to navigate herself. She saw the exit sign for Hazzard and turned to leave the highway. She was almost home, a place she knew no one and no one knew her. Sure a few people probably remembered her grandmother and father's side of the family but that would be ok. They didn't know her or her background and that was all that mattered.
A few miles away in the backwoods, Luke Duke lay awake in the dark bedroom he shared with his younger cousin Bo. It was late and usually he was the one out of the two to be early to bed, early to rise but tonight it was different. He was paranoid. The news wasn't reporting about the typical small town crime that usually took place in Hazzard. No sir, things were heating up and Luke would be damned if he didn't feel like a Shepard guarding livestock. A killer was on the loose in Georgia. Whoever it was had been cutting through Northern Georgia for a few weeks now, leaving a line of kidnapped and murdered women in his or her wake. Yesterday, the first reported body was found in Hazzard, and while no one had yet to be kidnapped inside the county, the body was identified as girl who had been taken from the county over. Luke felt it was his responsibility to keep the others safe. Uncle Jesse, Daisy and even his Bo, although he knew that for the most part this kid cousin could handle himself, despite some of his immature mannerisms. Together they were an unstoppable pair, and no one was going to harm their family with them standing at the gates.
Wide awake, he gave up on sleep and quietly got out of bed. He walked into the kitchen, the only audible sound the ticking of the old grandfather clock in the living room. Perhaps he needed some fresh air. He carefully unlocked the door and stepped out onto the porch. The night air was cool on his bare chest and he took a seat on the steps. Although he couldn't see and all he could hear were crickets chirping, he could see the beautiful expanse of field in his mind, stretched out before him in the dark. He couldn't ask for a better life than the one he was living here and now. He, Bo and Daisy had been living with their Uncle Jesse since they were 2, 5 and 8, Bo the youngest and he the oldest. He had the most recollection of their parents, Daisy only slightly and Bo had no memories. Their fathers had been brothers, and back in the day they were the ones giving Hazzard County a run for their money, running shine and fighting the system. Their wives, his mother and aunts, despite marriage and babies, didn't lose their wild streak, often in the car when their husbands would race or run from the police. It would be the last thing any of them would ever do, losing their lives in a devastating car accident. His two clearest memories were his happiest and saddest. His happiest of the times he went fishing with his father down Hazzard River. His saddest when the police had pulled up to the farmhouse and broke the news of the accident.
Little Luke Duke was doing his best to pull his two little cousins around the yard in a little red wagon.5-year old Daisy sat in the back, holding onto little baby Bo. They were both giggling as they watched him struggle to pull their weight. He heard Daisy say
"You ain't very good at this!"
"I'm tryin'," he said, as he gritted his teeth and pulled harder.
"Faster Luke faster!" Getting annoyed with her demands he had an idea. There was a small dip in the ground around the other side of the house. If he pushed them down that they'd definitely pick up speed. He turned the wagon around and pulled it towards the dip. "What are you doin' Luke?" Without answering her, he went around to the side of the wagon and hopped in with them. He picked up the handle and gave one good push with his body. He felt Daisy scream as they went over. She grabbed onto his back, sandwiching Bo in between them. It felt like they were going at the speed of light as the wagon rolled down the hill to the bottom. When it finally came to a stop Luke stood up and said
"That was awesome!" Bo was belly laughing while Daisy was still getting over the shock. He turned to her, thinking she'd be mad but instead she was smiling and said
"Let's go again!" Their Uncle Jesse must have heard the commotion and he came running around the house, expecting an accident to have taken place. He sighed with relief when he saw they were all safe and said
"You three better be behavin', you're parents'll be back real soon." Uncle Jesse had agreed to watch the kids that day, while their parents took a rare and much needed day out together without the children. They had decided to go to a local race at the Hazzard racetrack. Daisy smiled and said
"We'll behave Uncle Jesse, just one more ride down the hill? Please!" Luke smiled at his uncle whose stern expression went soft.
"Alright, but just one more, then come on in to have some lunch. It's almost ready!" Uncle Jesse pulled them to the top of the hill. As he was getting ready to send them back down the sound of a fast-approaching car caught their attention. It was then-deputy Roscoe P Coltrane.
"Now what could he want?" uncle Jesse put the wagon handle down as the cruiser came to a screeching halt at the front of the house. Roscoe climbed out, looking distraught. He seemed as if he was about to go off about something but then saw the three kids watching him in curiosity. He held his tongue and seemed to try to keep his voice from shaking as he said
"Jesse, I gotta talk to you 'bout somethin'." He paused and took a shuddering breath before saying "It'd be best to discuss away from the kids." Jesse knew something serious was going on. Roscoe looked to be on the brink of tears. Jesse looked at the kids who started to pick up on his concern
"Just hold on kids, I'll be back right back." Luke felt a creeping sense of dread as Jesse walked over to Roscoe. The two men turned away from them and spoke in hushed tones. Bo suddenly broke out in a shrill cry. Luke picked up his baby cousin and held him close as he and Daisy climbed out of the wagon. Luke had seen his aunt comfort Bo by simply rocking him but it didn't seem to be working and his high pitched cries seemed to shake his entire little body like he was afraid or hurt. He looked at Daisy for help but she was focused on Uncle Jesse and Roscoe. Jesse now had his face in his hands, his shoulders shuddering as Roscoe put an arm around him in comfort. When he finally turned around Luke could see there were tears in his eyes. Seeing their Uncle Jesse cry gave Luke a sick feeling. He had never seen him nor any male authority figure in his life cry. It made him feel truly unsafe and gave him a cold feeling of fear. Bo's increasing cries were now drowned out as Uncle Jesse slowly came towards them and then lowered himself down onto one knee so he was on their level. Daisy was the first to speak.
"What is it Uncle Jesse? What's wrong?" He put his hands on their shoulders and looked them in the eyes.
"There's been an accident." He paused and looked up at the sky briefly before continuing. "Your parents, they got into a car crash on the way back." Despite being the tender age of eight Luke knew what that meant. "Bo's mother, your aunt Caroline, is the only one who-who-," He seemed to be at a loose for words as he swallowed hard but continued on. "She came out of it. She's in the hospital." He clutched a wriggling Bo tighter to his chest as he felt an awful numb feeling spread through his body. He couldn't cry, he couldn't breathe, he was numb. The fact that he would never see his mother or father again hadn't sunk in. Bo had stopped crying now and was trembling in Luke's arms, his little face turned into Luke's chest as he took shaky breathes to calm himself down. He felt Daisy link her hand into his and hold it tight. Life would never be the same again. There was a long road ahead they'd have to face. But at least they had each other.
Luke would hold out hope that his blonde-headed, sweet, gentle-spoken aunt Caroline would come out of the crash and come home to see them, that'd she'd come through the door with her usual beaming smile and pull them all into a hug into which all of their worries would disappear. But it didn't happen. He never even got to see her again. She was so beaten up and unrecognizable Uncle Jesse didn't allow them into the hospital room. She lay on life support for two days before passing away.
The wakes had been closed casket and all done together. The Hazzard funeral home had only had three small rooms, each room containing each couple. The funeral was miserable. He stood with Uncle Jesse, Daisy and Bo in his arms as the caskets were brought down in between the long line of people who had all turned out (which was the entire town). They'd been buried together, all lined up next to their spouses. He remembered Bo's tiny hands clinging to him and his soft cooing in his ear. Bo had not wanted to leave his older cousin's arms since the day their parents had died. The only other's he'd allow to hold him was Uncle Jesse and occasionally Daisy. Anyone else and he'd start screaming.
Luke would later learn their parents had been racing with some rivals form the town over. They'd been in the lead when they'd taken a sharp corner. They swerved to avoid an unexpectant car in oncoming traffic and at about 70 miles per hour, gone straight into a large oak tree. The car looked like a crushed tin can when Roscoe had pulled onto the scene, a goddamn bloody mess with only his Aunt Caroline intact.
They went and visited their parent's graves at least a couple of times a month. Despite the fact that the tree they had hit had been cut down long ago Luke knew the location of the accident. He almost would have preferred to have never found out but it was unavoidable in such a small town. Every time he drove past it he shuttered, feeling the weight of the tragedy on his shoulders. He knew Daisy felt it too, but Bo, not as much. Instead of mourning the parents he knew, he instead had to grieve the absence of the parents he never go the chance to know. Uncle Jesse took them in right away, raising them as his own. Their own grandparents, Uncle Jesse's older brothers and sisters had passed on before that, leaving him responsible. Not that he minded, he loved them and wouldn't have had it any other way.
Charlie came into town and wasn't at all shocked to see that it was completely dark with no sign of life. She almost felt guilty when her high beams flashed on house front windows. Would the people of Hazzard be suspicious about someone rising around this late? Hopefully no one would come out waving a shotgun. Growing up in the suburbs of Boston she'd never lived in such a rural environment. The only exposure was when she came down to visit her family who all lived in Savannah, Georgia except for her grandmother. She'd gone hunting a handful of times and knew a bit about the way life was down here. Even so she was a long way from home. It was scary and exciting all at once. She knew no one and around these parts. She'd probably meet people in her classes once the semester started. She'd be attending Laughlin University in Atlanta for her Masters in Marine Biology. She had two weeks until then to settle in and route her half an hour drive from Hazzard to Atlanta every morning. She could have lived in an apartment in the city but she wouldn't like it there and with her grandmother's old home open and free of rent charges, she couldn't pass it up.
Her past was behind her now and what had taken place over the past two years was gone. At least that's what she tried to tell herself. Painful memories still bubbled just underneath the surface and a couple shots of vodka usually calmed her down but tonight she couldn't do that. She wouldn't let it happen tonight. She needed a good night's sleep so she could get up bright and early and start getting things together. She wasn't sure how much furniture was still inside the house. It'd been standing uninhabited for four years now. Every once in awhile her uncle would come up from Savannah and mow the yard, make sure the roof wasn't leaking, etc. minimal tasks to keep the house from falling apart completely.
Following the roads at night in Hazzard was a difficult task but she had a map drawn out by her father who knew the way. He had grown up in Hazzard and it had been his childhood home. Paved roads quickly turned to dirt and if there were any houses along the road it was too dark to see them. She felt as if she were the last person on Earth as she drove along. A couple more turns and a short ride down a thick, overgrown, narrow road and she was there. It was how she remembered it, a cozy looking two-floored light blue farmhouse with a wrap-around porch. Although now the paint was peeling a bit and it looked quite a bit sadder, sitting there all alone. Much like herself, the house had seen happier days. All she could see was what her headlights were illuminating. Keeping the car running, she stepped out, the key to the front door in hand. Most people would find the whole situation creepy. But she found it peaceful. Hazzard had never been a dangerous place. All she could hear were crickets chirping and it brought her back to the old days when she was a small child. The last time she had been here she was ten. After that the family decided to meet in Savannah instead, picking up her grandmother and bringing her down to stay in her uncle's house for the week.
The stars shone brightly overhead and she inhaled the sweet summer air. Walking up the front porch she slid the key into the lock and turned it. The door opened with a creak. A strong musty scent hit her nose instantly. It wasn't awful but it certainly couldn't stay. Turning on the kitchen light she got to work in opening all of the first floor windows to air out the smell and let the fresh night air in. She was relieved to see that most of her grandmother's furniture was still there. She then went upstairs and opened those windows as well. It was a three bedroom home and she had her pick of the rooms. She assumed she'd take her grandmother's room which was the biggest bedroom. But upon walking in and seeing all of her things neatly set up as they had been before she thought better of it. The room was like a time capsule into the past and she didn't want to disturb it. She'd feel as if she'd be violating her grandmother's privacy, despite the fact she'd been gone for four years. If her Uncle Dale didn't want to clean it out then she'd let it be. She shut the door and moved onto the next biggest bedroom, her uncle's old one. Unlike her grandmother's, the room had been stripped of all distinguishing characteristics to indicate it had one been a young man's room. There was the simple bureau, an empty closet, a desk and a bed with nothing but a mattress. It would be perfect. She ran back outside and brought in only what she would need for the night and next morning. She'd bring in the rest tomorrow.
My first try at a Dukes of Hazzard fanfic :) Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know in the reviews!