She wouldn't tell you if you asked, but Elaine Jansen was having a particularly rough time. It was the feeling a suburban parent of 4 gets when driving the kids to an super magical trip to Disney world crossed with the unsettling knot in your throat that someone who once cared about you truly wants you dead.
A lot had happened in the last 24 hours that she wasn't proud of, like locking her nurse in a closet to avoid a family shoot-out, she had bought her weight in slim jims from a TwiceDaily, and worst of all she had chopped her iconic red locks and left them in a random rest stop. Why must beauty always suffer for practicality? She had also stolen a car, but that was beside the point.
The sunset was giving way to a dry, airy night as the full moon grew higher in the sky. It was a typical late July feeling Elaine had grown to appreciate over the years, especially in Texas. There's something unique about having a 90 degree day and a truly chilly 50 degree night. God bless global warming.
Her grip shook on the croco-covered steering wheel as she cruised through the darkening desert, eyes focused on the horizon. If this had been yesterday, the would have admired how the sky turned pink and purple at the edges of the sunset. But yesterday felt like a week ago, things were different now.
She had to be different now.
Midnight - 2 miles.
Half of the sign had been worn away from age, but it still seemed like the best friend Elle hadn't seen in years.
"Close enough," she thought as she pulled the car over to the side of the two-lane "highway" and cried.