End of the Road…?
January 19, 2000 8:34pm
Christine
"Give me some cover!" Dana yelled at Cassandra because she had the last blanket and was keeping it all to herself.
"No! This one is mine! Go get your own." Cassandra yelled back. This was a battle for comfort now that the heater was working.
"You have the last one…" Dana started whining.
"Quit your whining. Go talk to Lily over there in her impenetrable freakin fort." Heather interrupted.
"Mmmmhh muuu hmmh" Was all that could be heard from an outrageously large pile of blankets. We all turned our attention towards it. That's when Jenny grabbed one of the cover folds in her mouth and pulled it back. Lily's head popped out. "What did you do that for?"
"You need to learn how to share." Heather said as she scowled at Lily. Dana walked over and took the blanket that Jenny moved. Dentyne seemed to appear out of nowhere and take another cover for herself out of the pile.
The van bounced for a second as two thuds could be heard. One right after another. The road seemed to give off a higher pitched noise then before, almost sounded hollow. I left the comfort of my blanket and decided to take a walk up front. There was another series of thuds again and I almost fell over as the hollow sounding noise stopped. I made my way in between the two front seats and sat down on the floor. I wish I could see out the windows, but all I had was a view of the wall in front of me. Well, at least I could see Rob working the pedals.
"Get over to the right, it's a turn lane." Nathan said as a continuous clicking noise could be heard from somewhere up above. "So… Have you thought about any names for Christine?" Nathan asked.
"Names?" Rob replied.
"When you get her registered, you can change her name." Nathan said.
"Why would I do that? Who am I to change one's identity?" Rob said.
"I was just curious." Nathan responded. "You know, when I had all my Pokemon registered I gave them my last name." He continued.
"Christine." Rob said
"Yah?" I said back
"I was just about to call you up her—How long have you been sitting there?" Rob said mashing his words together a bit.
"For a few minutes." I said.
"Christine, do you have a last name?" Rob asked me. This question was slightly off-putting.
"No… No I don't." I said as I looked down at the floor.
"Well let me know if you think of a good one." Rob said to me, not once taking his eyes off the road.
"Ok…" I said to him. I turned around and starting walking back to the others, as I was doing so I was almost brought to the ground by another shake of the van. There was now a source of light entering the windows and we were now moving much slower.
"This place doesn't look open" Nathan said.
"The lights are on." Rob said. He stopped the van and got out.
I pulled a blanket out of the pile, leaving Lily with one left, and wrapped myself up in it. Everyone remained silent as we waited to see if Rob will officially become my third owner. My mind started to think about Margret and John. How were they doing without me? Would they be alright? Would I be alright? Would everything turn out alright? There were so many questions left unanswered, but I guess only time will tell.
"Are you alright?" A voice said next to me. It was Jenny. I stopped thinking for a second and realized that I have been crying. Jenny sat down next to me. I leaned on her for support before slumping down on my front paw and lying down. She soon joined me and we laid there for a minute before Rob returned.
"The place is closed and tomorrow is Sunday so the administration office will be closed." Rob said.
"But if we leave Monday, that will make me late for my tournament." Nathan said.
"Well, shit…" Rob said.
"What do we do now?" Nathan asked.
One for the Road
January 19, 2000 8:53pm
Rob
"We go for it." I said with confidence.
"Go for what?" Nathan said puzzled at what I just said.
"Go to Canada, it's not like we're staying long." I said as I turned the key in the ignition taking the van off of auxiliary power and starting the engine.
"Now hold on a second! You can't do that!" Christine said from the back.
"She's right, doing so might land you in jail." Nathan said supporting her.
"Well if I wind up in jail then it won't be wasting my time. I am out of work right now." I said as I put the van in reverse and pulled out of the parking spot.
"There is also a stiff fine to go with that." Nathan said.
"That's just the government's way of getting more of my money." I told Nathan as I put the gear in to drive and pulled away and down the row of the parking lot.
"No its not, that's not what it is at all." Nathan said.
"Then what is it?" I asked.
"Well… it's…" Nathan tripped on his words for a second before giving up.
"See. Told you, government money." I laughed a bit as I said that. I pulled out of the parking lot and on to 12th Ave and then an immediate left turn on to Gaffney Road. It was almost a complete U-turn. Nathan just sat back quiet as the headlights guided us down this small alley like road.
"Did you just go down a dead end?" Nathan asked.
"No. This road loops back around and will take us to the highway." I said as I made a 90 degree turn to follow a bend in the road. The main highway could now be seen due to the swift passing of taillights to my left on the other side of a chain link fence. I yielded to a car before making a left turn on to Nobel Street. I got in the turn lane just to get stuck at a red light.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay at a hotel tonight?" Nathan asked.
"Nah, I figure we just get out of town now." I said as I waited with my left turn signal on. I got the green light and turned on to Airport Way east bound and punched the speed up to 40mph, taking the next exit ramp and on to the Richardson Highway to Delta Junction. I pushed the speed to 50mph. The snow had been cleared off the road and pushed to the sides to allow for the higher speeds.
"You got enough gas?" Nathan asked.
"I got three fourths left, we're good." I said.
"Snacks?" Nathan was making sure we had everything.
"I got some in the back." I said, not once taking my vision off the road.
"It's all stale, taste like garbage." Christine said.
"That is the garbage…" I said.
"It still sucks." She said back.
"Stop eating the garbage." I replied.
"Your right, these snacks are garbage." He put down a half-eaten candy bar. "Pick up some fresh ones. And clean up this mess." Nathan said, now in the back with the others.
"Fine. I will stop and get something in North Pole." With the city of Fairbanks in the rear view mirror I tapped on the breaks a little and then rumbled over a railroad crossing then raced back up to 55. I was beginning to sweat as things heated up. That's when I realized that I was still wearing my coat. Keeping one hand on the wheel at all times I managed to get it off and throw it in the back, hitting Nathan with it while he was finishing off the last of the snacks that were in my bag.
"Watch where you're throwing stuff!" Nathan yelled.
"Can't, got to keep the eyes on the road. Pass me the Twinkies." I said.
"Already gone." Nathan said.
"Yall need to slow down back there! You're gonna eat up all the damn food." I said annoyed that my Twinkies were gone.
January 19, 2000 9:23 pm
Christine
"Eat them." I said pushing a box forward with my paw. "All of them."
"All of them?" Cassandra said looking down at the box of Hot Tamales.
"I know two languages, I don't believe I stuttered." I put my claw in to the top of the box and ripped it open. The box was half full. We stared at each other through the darkness for a moment before she spoke up.
"Why me?" She asked.
"Why not." I said, flipping the box over and spilling some of the candy out.
"Alright, I will do it." She said leaning her head down in to the pile of candy. I watched on as she began eating. This was boring, because she was a fire type this was not working.
"Stop, stop eating. Just stop for a second." I said and she looked up.
"There good." She said as a small flame escaped her mouth.
"Another railroad crossing." Rob called out just before everything bumped around hard.
"Hay, Dentyne, come here and try some of this." I said to her
"No thanks, I'm busy." She said back.
"Doing what?" I asked.
"Relaxing. How about you ask Dana." She said never once lifting her head up to look over.
"No." A voice said in my head.
"Now wait a second." I replied.
"How about… No." She said again.
"But you don't ev -" I started.
"I do even, your trying to get someone to eat that candy so you can watch them burn." She figured me out, easy to do if you can read my mind. "Ask Lily." She said.
"Yo, Lily." I said. I heard the sound of some covers shifting around.
"What is it?" She said.
"Are you hungry?" I asked with a flat tone?
"Somewhat." She said back.
"Well I got you something to eat." I replied and she walked over, dragging her blanket with her on her back
"What are these?" She asked. She started to sniff them and I started to smile.
January 19, 2000 9:26 pm
Rob
I got off the first exit for North Pole and there was a Safeway supermarket right down the road. I would need to be in and out quickly before they close for the night.
Just as I turned in to the parking lot… "Leaf! leaf! leaf! on! eon! Eon, lea on le on!" "(Shit! Shit! Fuck! Damn! That's hot! Shit, my mouth, it burnsssss!)" I heard from the back along with laughter.
"Nathan, whats going on back there?" I asked while pulling in to the closest parking spot.
"Lily ate some Hot Tamales." Nathan said.
"I am going to add water to that list of stuff we need to get. Ok let's go." I said as I clicked the engine in to auxiliary to keep the heat running. I turned around and looked on as Lily was pawing at her mouth while the others talked to her. I picked my heavy coat up off the ground and put it on.
"Christine." I said.
"Yes?" She said back.
"Nathan and I will be right back, we are running in the store to get some snacks for the road. Don't let anything explode while we are gone." I said to her.
"Alright." She replied.
I opened the door and joined Nathan outside and we walked to over to the store.