Magda was walking along the side of the road. There was no sidewalk along this stretch, but that was alright. Hardly any cars drove down this road at this time of day. Magda looked down at her slender wrist, on which sat her watch, and verified the time at 3:47 in the morning. She shivered as she clutched at her thin sweater.
Magda saw the hint of light coming up behind her, and turned around. As she turned, she stuck out her thumb. She didn't think the car would stop, and she didn't care. It's not like she had to be anywhere. As the car slowed down, Magda stopped walking. She recognized the car as a Dodge as it approached.
"Where are you headed?" the stranger asked. He looked to be about 21 years old, and had a gorgeous set of hazel eyes, topped off with a curly mop of light brown hair.
"How far are you going?" Magda asked. She flipped her long auburn hair over her shoulder in a flirty way. She wanted to get as far as she could with him. He was only at most, 3 years older than she was.
"Well, I am going into the next town, and then a little farther. Are you just looking for a ride into town?" The stranger asked.
"Well, if you wouldn't mind taking me with you as far as you're going," Magda said. He looked Magda up and down, as if looking for anything that she may be carrying with her. Luggage, a purse, any weapon. He couldn't see any on her.
"Get in," he said to her, while unlocking the doors to the car. Magda got in, and closed the door.
"So, what's your name?" Magda asked the stranger, eying him up and down.
"Ben," he answered. He looked at her for a couple of seconds, and then back at the road. "What about yours?"
"Magda. Short for Magdalene, but I hate that name…" Magda replied. She mentally smacked herself. Why did I say that? she asked herself. It's almost like I am nervous. Magda, when she got nervous, started chattering, telling people information they didn't need to know.
"I like that name," Ben said. "By the way, I am 22, and I actually live a couple towns down this road, back the way I came from." She nodded, and looked around the car, noting what in the car. There were a couple of sets of clothes lying on the back seat, CD's lying all around on the floor and the dash. Magda continued looking around until Ben started snapping his fingers in her face.
"Oh, sorry," she said, distracted. "What do you want to know?" She just looked at him until she saw he wasn't going to say what he wanted to know. She sighed, and decided to tell him a brief summary.
"Fine, I'll tell you some tid bits of information, if that's what you want," she said while smiling. "My name is Magda, I am 18 years old. I live back down the road a couple of towns too. Well, lived. I don't really live anywhere anymore." She sighed, and brushed her auburn hair out of her pale blue eyes.
"What about your family?" Ben asked, blandly.
"What about them?" Magda asked. She looked at him and he looked at her. "They kicked me out. My parents found coke in my room and kicked me out." She looked at her watch. It was 4:05 now.
"Let me guess, you were holding on to it for a friend?" Ben asked.
"No, it was mine. I was trying it with an ex boyfriend of mine. I tried it once, and decided that I didn't like it. He dumped me soon after, but I forgot about the coke." Magda shrugged and shifted in her seat so that she could look out the passenger window.
"Really?" Ben asked. Magda didn't answer. She sat quietly looking out the window. He hoped he would just drop the subject.
"So, where are you really headed?" Ben asked.
"I don't know. I am just headed wherever I end up, I guess," Magda answered.
"So you have no where to stay, do you?" Ben asked. Again, Magda didn't answer again. They rode in silence until they got into the next town.
"Here's a deal," Ben said, and Magda turned to look at him. "You need a place to stay, right?" Ben waited for a answer out of Magda. Magda simply nodded her head. "You seem like a nice girl. How about if you come and stay with me for a little while?" Magda didn't answer.
"Why would I come and stay with you?" Magda asked. She looked at him suspiciously, trying to decide whether or not he was lying.
"Look, I have to go to work today at the factory. If you can wait in my car until I am done at 2 this afternoon, you can stay at my place. If you decide not to, just leave when I get to work." Ben looked at her, and tried to decide if she looked happy about this, or indifferent. He decided that she looked more indifferent.
"Well, I guess we will have to see," was the answer that Magda finally said. They drove in silence until Ben pulled into the parking lot of the factory.
"I am going into work now," said Ben as he turned off the car. "If you want to come with me to my place after I get off work, you'll meet me here at 2." He turned around in his seat and grabbed his lunch box. "If you aren't here when I go to leave, I will assume that you decided to go somewhere else, and if I don't see you, good luck." He opened the door, stepped out, and closed it again. Magda sat in the car, thinking of her options.