Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or the song "Riders on the Storm".
There's a killer on the road . His brain is squirmin' like a toad . Take a long holiday . Let your children play. If ya give this man a ride sweet memory will die. Killer on the road, yeah. Girl ya gotta love your man. Girl ya gotta love your man. Take him by the hand. Make him world on you depends. Our life will never end. Gotta love your man, yeah.
"You're a real ass, ya know?"
I rub my face over, feeling every stress line that's buried deep. "Yeah. I've been told once or twice."
"Emily called me crying what after you said all that shit to her! Do you know how long it took me to get her off the phone? Three fucking hours! What was I supposed to tell her? She asked me why I came to Tulsa and what else I lied about."
I click my blade open and rub the edge against my shirt to get the dirt off. "What did you say?"
"What I've been saying since the day I got there!"
I lean back in my chair, making the front legs come up off the ground. I run my blade over the block of wood I found outside on the porch, and think. "Didn't I tell you to get rid of her?"
"You mean like you got rid of Danni?"
The wood pieces fall to the ground like hair. I could really go for a barbeque sandwich right now. Maybe Curtis will give me a discount or something, considering I don't have a dime to my name. He owes me after all.
"What's going on with Dale these days anyway?"
All that sauce with a thick bun and a coke. Maybe an ice cream cone with chocolate syrup to top it all off. "Same."
He grumbles on the other end. There's a commotion in the back ground that he yells about. I don't ask. "Have you ever babysat a kid before? Like a baby?"
"No. Does it look like I've even held a brat before?"
There's a loud bang and then the sound of crying and another person screaming. "I'm never having kids, man."
"Yeah you will," I say, slicking through the other side of the block. "Emily Mathews will make you, wiping boy."
"Danni will make you," he throws back. "Fuck, shut up!"
Maybe Rick will buy me a sandwich. Maybe I can bum two off him. "Whose fucking kid is that anyway?"
It's quiet for a few seconds and he sighs. "It's not one. It's two. It's my roommate's. The mom is out of town or something. I woke up and the kids were just sitting there on the couch staring at me."
A steak sounds even better. Is it Rick's turn to buy groceries? "Have fun, Mr. Dad."
There's another deep sigh and something else broke. "When can I go home, Dal? Don't bull shit me this time either."
Steak, potatoes, green beans, sweet tea, and apple pie. Damn...apple pie. You know who made good pie? Kathy Sutton. "Thought you liked it up there. You're makin' friends."
"It snows every fucking day! I don't leave this shit hole!"
I smirk, it's half the reason I sent him there. There isn't a whole lot of shit you can get into when there's a foot of snow outside.
"Dally I wanna go home."
"Forget it."
There's a silence on the other end. Not even the kids make a noise. "I heard about Dale's car."
I stab the end of the pocket knife into the thick wood. "From who?"
"I hear things still," he says with a slight stutter, knowing full well he's digging himself a hole. "A-Are you ok? Dale didn't come after you did he? You know that was a stupid thing to do, Dal. Dale is gonna kill you."
I pick the wood back up and start carving again. I'm in no mood to fight today. I'm tired. "I'm not scared of Dale."
"But you're scared of Maggot...or so you should be anyway."
I roll my eyes. I hold the knife tighter as I take off bigger pieces. "Just forget it, alright? Do what I told you."
"I am," he says plainly. "Dally I just want to know what's going on. I deserve to at least-"
"You don't deserve anything," I say sternly. "I warned you a long time ago about this and now I'm stuck cleaning up your shit. Just shut up and let me deal with it."
Windrixville.
Out of all the places to look, no one seemed to jump at this place. Of course I didn't originally send him here. That would be too obvious. No one's really looking anymore. That's what happens when you're eighteen and can take care of yourself.
Damn, ain't there some memories here?
Of course there's no church here anymore. They started the construction on a new one but gave up once the story died down and no one wanted to shell out the money.
It makes a nice hide out still.
As I walk through the field, I'm reminded of a summer where we were all just kids, and the biggest news in Tulsa happened. That's been long replaced with a new story of murder. A story no one really understands.
No one but me.
"Thank God, I thought you forgot about me."
He snatches the McDonald's bag and starts to dig into the fires right away. "Been busy."
"What's going on back home?" He's got about ten fries in his mouth and he's unwrapping the big mac.
I take a seat on a big rock in the middle of the room. It seems like Johnny got creative with the furniture. "Not much. Everything's real quiet for right now."
He gazes up from his food like a rabbit. "That's about to change, though, right?"
I shrug, touring the place. It looks nice for an abandon shed in the middle of nowhere. "Caught Pony with Dale again."
He silences his munching. "He's in some deep shit, isn't he?"
"I'm not sure," I say. "I don't care. I'll kill him and Dale both if I have to. The kid's always was smart though. Makes you think about why he'd want to get involved in that shit or how he even heard of it."
He goes back to eating but he's slowed down. "Peter maybe? He was around them a lot for a while."
I shake my head. "Nah. That kid's weird too. I don't think he could influence Pony enough. I don't think he knows what's going on either. He ain't with Dale much. It's weird."
"How's Dar doin'?" he asks, filling his mouth back up with grease and lard. "Isn't that surgery coming up? Man, I wish I could be there. I would if Pony wouldn't be there."
I shrug again, wiping off some dust from the walls. "It's tomorrow. You talk to that girl any?"
He's quiet again and for a second, it feels like I'm alone. "No. I-I'm not talking to him either! He's got everything, man. Why did he have to go and get her too? He's changed. That's all I know. I...You should watch him."
Ain't we all changed?
"Are you going to the surgery?"
I could say I haven't thought about it, but that would be a fat lie. I've lied plenty though. What's one more? "Dunno."
Windrixville isn't the same. I can still feel the fire though. The heat and the screams of all the kids. What did they call me? Oh yeah, a hero. Isn't that a joke? Dallas Winston, a hero.
Who came up with that anyway? I didn't save anyone. Pony I guess. But I didn't get any of those kids out. I wanted to just drive away. I was going to let them die. Yeah Tulsa, that's a hero for you.
"Dally," he says. "You ok, man?"
"I killed someone."
His face dropped to the ground ever-so-slightly. He stood for a minute, staring blankly at me with no emotion what-so-ever in his face. He broke away and quickly scanned the room, making sure no bystanders heard a word. Then he slammed down in his seat and payed attention. I had finally caught something.
"Are you a fucking moron?" he hissed, getting angry fast. "You don't show up in a fucking jail and say shit like that! Shut your fucking trap, Curtis! Cut the shit!"
I panicked and things started pouring out. I wanted to punch him. If only there wasn't something blocking us. "I'm not cutting anything because there's nothing to cut. If you'd sit down for a goddamn minute and let me talk, you'd know that."
His face twisted in different shapes and colors. "Listen to what? You going on and on about some dumb shit. This is not the fucking place to bring this shit up!"
"His name was Jason Gibbs. He was a greaser," I started spilling uncontrollably. Word vomit. It was going everywhere. All over this damn place. "Sam was teasing him and-"
"Shut the fuck up!"
Vomit again. Here it comes. "Things went too far. Sam began to play rough and-"
He wanted to grab me. He wanted to beat me over the head. He slid on the table, shushing and hissing at me. "Curtis!"
I was upchucking again. Here it comes. It's overflowing in mouth. "He shoved him and he fell down concrete stairs. Blood went everywhere. We were scared."
"You're going to get yourself killed!" he shouted at a whisper. "Shut the fuck up!
"Sam told us to take him and run in the woods." My stomach turned. Real vomit was forming. "I didn't know what to do. None of us did. Sam threatened to tell on us. We did what he said. We buried him."
Dally covered his ears and blocked me out. He was still watching the people in the room like a hawk. No one could hear me. I was quiet. He could still hear me though. I knew that.
I continued, "I'm sorry. I...I didn't know what to do. I was just a kid and I thought if I just blocked it out it'd be ok. Soon I forgot about it and it didn't seem important. No one brought it up until Sam died. Then everything just came back for some reason."
Yeah, some reason alright. If she only knew.
It's raining hard when I pull up. It's been raining all day and storms are in the forecast.
There are some real losers that work with Rick. Most of them, like Rick and me, have been to jail and or the big house. They all have shaved heads, big bellies, and hard as rock arms.
Rick's always bitching about me working but no one works here. Everyone gets their car fixed at the DX. Everyone here just cleans old engines and watches the little TV in the break room and eat.
It's not a bad gig.
I sit out front, a beer in hand. I'm running the shop while everyone gets lunch. It's just me.
My over confidence and pride is furthering, slowly pulling my senses away as a familiar car pulls up.
He steps out, his cowboy boots hitting the pavement first. People follow him and everything around them stops moving as they walk into the shop and form a circle around me.
Dale smiles, gold teeth flashing brightly. "Dally, how are you today?"
I know what he wants. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. "Dale."
He looks over the shop as if he's never been in here before. "You don't talk much about your personal life, do you? I had no idea you and that Curtis girl were an item for so long. So in love."
I don't answer. I don't need to. I don't want to.
"My boy Peter was her friend," he says, snorting. "She's quite a girl from what I heard. You know, I met her. Not a bad looker. Why did you call it quits?"
I shrug. I pull out a smoke and offer him one. "Stuff happens I suppose."
He takes the smoke, observing it before lighting it up. "I like her brother. He's a good kid."
I don't jump, though I feel the need to. If we were alone, there'd be blood. "He's done. Got me? Stay away from him. He's only a kid. He doesn't have anything you want."
"Oh but he does."
I don't ask, though maybe I should have. "Curtis and I are done. You know that. Leave them alone."
"Well you have lied to me before. I had to take care of...What was his name - Michael? I had to take care of Michael myself because you lied. You're good at that, aren't you. What else are you hiding?"
Again, I just stand, hands in pockets. I can see what he has with him and I'm sure the people surrounding me have them too. Dale doesn't scare me...but Dale's got a gun.
"You're protecting her. I know you are. I'm going to find out who exactly she is, Dally. And when I do, oh boy we're going to have some fun. I'm looking forward to it."
"You won't touch her," I spit. "I'll kill you on the spot. She has nothing to do with this."
He scratches his chin. "Oh, I'd bet she does. You know, I head something the other day. Your little girl, oh, sorry, ex girl - she dated Randy Adderson. Sam's best friend, no? They were old pals."
"I gave you what you wanted so leave me alone and her alone, I mean it. Don't go near her. We have a deal. I work for Maggot. Not you Dale. We have a deal, remember?"
"Oh but you do work for me. Sure, you were once the big dog. Maggot's right hand man. You started this business Dally. But see, you have a temper. That's always been your down fall."
My senses get foggier as anger starts to cloud.
"You fell from your thrown...and I took over. You ran like coward. But here we are now. I gave you a lot, Dally. I paid your brother's bail. I got you that big time lawyer. Without me, you'd be doing life right now. I gave you everything you asked for and you can't even do that for me. That's really sad, Dally."
"Listen," I hiss. "I work for Maggot. I got the memo the first time. So let's just call it a day and go home because let's be frank here, I'm never going to work for you Dale. You can't control me."
He sneers a cocky sneer. He tips his head back and smiles at the sky. "Dally, I can do what I want. I'm in charge here. That's something you need to learn. I control this story. Not you."
"Maggot is in charge, dip shit."
His goons circle me but he calls off the dogs. "Did you know Jason, Dally?"
"No."
"He was a good friend of ours. He worked for Maggot. But you wouldn't know that of course. You ran off like a wuss just a few years before that even happened. He was a good guy though. Didn't deserve what happened to him."
I look around at who he brought with him. He's usual's are among them but some are new.
"Sam and Michael got what was coming to them though," he says, walking around me in a circle. "Jason didn't deserve to die. They did though...Did you hear what happened to my car, Dally?"
I cock an eyebrow. "No."
He cackles like a girl. It's haunting but like a witch's laugh. "Oh, I bet you did."
"What do you want Dale?"
"Just to talk," he says plainly. "It's come to my attention that you are having problems deciding whose side you are on, I'd just thought I'd help you out with that some."
An eerie silence settles over the crowd. No one laughs or makes a sound. Most of the guys around me have never been my friends, but they are who they are because of me. I made them. And they are here today because of me.
Without warning, I get punched in the face. Attempting to stand up straight, my arms are grabbed and held down. I struggle and snarl like a dog on a chain.
It's one thing to fight when you know you can win. It's another to fight and know you have no chance.
Another hit happens, this time in my gut. I spit and chock.
As I catch my breath, Dale's eyes pierce me.
He struts to me, lifting something under my chin to hold me there. A Remington Handgun. "You're nothing. I own you, Dallas Winston. Remember that...I'll be back. I'll find out what you're hiding, and I might just bring your girl with me, just for kicks."
I fall to the ground as the people holding me let go. Everything's black but I can see those boots as they go through the front door, smoking, satisfied of his deed.
No one owns me. They never will.
It's a battle. And those are the gun shots.
Off we go.
"Oh, and Dally," He turns around, his smile wide and dark. "I know Danni killed Jason. You know, she's home alone tonight. Keep her close, my friend. Wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her, would we?"
He flicks the gun out, easily sliding it into his pocket and driving away.
It's war.
Riders on the storm. Riders on the storm. Into this house we're born. Into this world we're thrown. Like a dog without a bone. An actor out alone. Riders on the storm. There's a killer on the road.
A/N: The next chapter is a pretty big one so get excited! I'm just going to go ahead and say that it is my favorite out of every chapter I have ever written. That goes for LUTF and LTWYL.
Thank you for reading a please review!
