"You know it's a real salvation when Baptists use cold water."
― Jared Brock, A Year of Living Prayerfully: How a Curious Traveler Met the Pope, Walked on Coals, Danced with Rabbis, and Revived His Prayer Life
Right out of the gate.
Prison gates.
It was the longest car ride. Mostly in silence. Soon the silence was too heavy, and for a brief period there was music turned up loud enough to almost forget the difference of being caged by either a sentencing or a marital obligation. And with no real direction, until a series of events took place, did a clear path seem to line up for them.
"I love that song, you know? I love everything by Chris Stapleton. He has this really bluesy way, you know?" Tara spoke into the rear-view mirror from the driver seat.
"What do you know about the blues?" Lori mocked heartily seated directly behind her.
"Okay, bluesy country."
"Country music ain't been the same for a long while." Lori sighed.
Lori was relieved Rick's sister Tara was trying to break the ice. The silence was practically unbearable in the blue Honda sedan. Her husband Rick was nearly mute since his unexpected release from Prison early that morning with their 17-year-old son Carl trailing behind him.
Eight hours later, she wasn't sure what she expected from the man she hadn't visited in the last 5 months of his surprising five-year bid in the penitentiary and only then did she realize how delusional she had been to think he would overlook the fact that she was five months pregnant with another man's baby.
"I want to stop at that Honky Tonk."
"Why?" Tara asked. She was surprised by her brother's request. She glanced again in the rear-view mirror hoping to read something from his face that his tone didn't relay in his simple request to finally stop the solar powered vehicle. Rick wanted out.
"I need a drink."
Within seconds, Tara had Lori's sedan parked closest to the office of the Inn instead of the bar. From the badly faded sign, Tara was able to make out it was an establishment that included an Inn to go with the Honky Tonk.
She nudged Carl who rode in the front seat to wake up.
A/N: My apologies for the delay. This story was written while suffering through major insomnia in 2017. I hesitate to post this because this has to be multi-chapter. Almost similar to the length of All I Need. Totally not the same story but this Monster keeps going and going.
If anyone is new to my style of writing you may find this challenging based on the fluctuating perspectives, voice etc...think of it as puzzle pieces or screenshots of certain moments of time. Most of the Chapters are super short. There will be time jumps and recall of incidents from the past.
P.S. I thank everyone who attempt to read this and any of my other stories. Thank you!