Disclaimer: We don't own the Plumverse! If we did, some people would be (insert dirty thought of your own about Ranger)... we don't own any of the characters. :sigh:
A/N: This is a collaborative effort between Jocelyn and me. Yay! I've convinced her to join the insanity. When I read this it makes me feel less sad, because its like having her here.
I apologize a head of time that this chapter will not be getting us to Trenton, but the next chapter, I promise!
Chapter 1: Road Trip Tal's POV
It was one of those hot muggy days. Where you can feel the humidity and your hair goes crazy.
We were almost out of gas and in the middle of no where so we decided to turn off the A/C to save the gas until we got to a gas station, which hasn't happened in a while. And I think we're lost, but I'm not going to say that out loud… yet.
It was a bad idea is all I have to say. A very bad idea to say 'yay! Lets go on a road trip' and then do it. I had made it to Massachusetts fine and joined by Joz we were going to make our way down to Florida to go to Disney World; then across the country to California to pick up Roz and Eima but at this rate we're just going to end up in Kansas.
I let out a groan at this thought.
"What?" Joz questioned me.
"Oh nothing, nothing." I hurriedly answered.
She narrowed her eyes at me and I stared at the road trying to ignore her. I know I'm going to have to tell her eventually but not yet. I should at least try to find a sign or a highway? I thought we were on a highway, but it just looks kind of like a smaller road. But you never know.
I kept driving not saying anything. I was going at about 70, the wind was blasting in my face, the music was blaring (we were listening to Otep), and I was just about to say something when I spotted a highway some distance away. At the intersection was one of those small towns. Yes! Joz is not going to kill me in a heat induced mania!
I pulled into the gas station like I knew what I was doing and where I was going. I let Joz pump the gas while I ran inside to stock us up on snacks and drinks which we had run out of. And of course to ask the gas station clerk-person which way to go to get to Florida. He told me to take a right on to the highway and I'll be fine.
Now we had a full tank of gas and the right directions, we put up our windows, blasted on the A/C and sang along to the songs that were playing, while munching away at the newly acquired snacks.
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It was an hour later that I noticed the rain clouds that we were approaching. And it was getting dark. I guess we should find a motel or something but I didn't see anything around.
"Uh, Joz?"
"Yea."
"It looks like rain and we don't have a place to stop." There was a question there of what to do.
Joz seemed to consider this and shrugged. "We could just pull over or keep driving, maybe we'll find some place."
"I guess." She was giving me options, I never was too good about deciding things, so just ended up continuing to do what I was and not really making a decision. In this case I kept driving, right into the shadow of the dark clouds.
It wasn't soon after that the rain came down on us in heavy globs that made it impossible to see out the window. We passed by a green sign but I couldn't see what it said.
"Did you see what it said?"
"Nope."
By this time I almost had my nose pressed to the window, the rain was so heavy. The only thing I could see was the lightening up ahead, which was getting too close for my comfort.
I patted Prongs on the dash. "You be a good boy and get us through this storm and I'll give you a whole week of the good gas."
"Bribing your car Tal?" Joz gave me that look that she always gives me when I do or say something stupid.
I gave her a smile and a shrug and continued to concentrate on the road. All of the sudden there was a flash of light right in front of me and I slam on the breaks. The car skids a little and angles off but stops.
"What the fuck was that?" Joz asked obviously surprised by what had happened as I was.
I was cursing. "Shit, fuck! Arg!" Okay so I ended with a random irritated noise. I was pretty sure that was lightening and I'm pretty sure it was close enough that it hit my car! "Prongs!" I screamed at the car banging on the steering wheel. "You piece of shit! Is good gas not good enough for you!"
"Tal." Joz put a calming hand on my shoulder. "Calm down." She said it slow as if talking to a hysterical person, which I might qualify for at the moment.
I took a couple of deep breaths and told myself to calm. "Right. Right." I said out loud to myself.
Joz was now staring out the windshield. I looked at what she was looking at and I could feel my heat rise all over again. I closed my eyes again and breathed in deeply. Clam Tal, calm.
When I opened my eyes, I threw the door open and stepped out while Joz yelled to me asking me if I was crazy.
I shut the door behind me and completely ignoring the rain (which actually felt good after the hot day), I took a closer look at the hood of my car. There was a gigantic black scorch mark right in the middle of the silver hood. I couldn't believe it, Prongs was actually hit by lightening.
"Fuck it." I said under my breath, kicked the tire and got back in dripping wet. I grabbed the towel from the back seat and whipped the excess water away. My clothes were still wet, but no big deal.
"Try the engine." Joz told me and I did. But there was nothing. We heard the click-click of the ignition but that was about it.
"That could have fried the circuits." I told Joz.
Joz fished out her cell phone from her bag at her feet and took a look at it. "No signal."
I checked my phone, but it said 'searching'.
"I think we're stuck here for the night."
Joz's POVWe're stuck in God knows where because Taliya can't make decisions. She thinks that I don't know, but definitely I do. I knew about four hours ago when she was trying to pretend not to be lost. Sometimes I like to humor her and pretend like she actually has the ability to keep her thoughts secret.
But that's not the point. The point is that we're lost, alone, and without transportation or phone access. And all of these problems point to only one solution. And it's a solution that I already know that I won't like. We're going to have to start walking and hope we run into some thing or someone that won't try to kill, maim, rape, or anything else us.
I hate walking. I really, really hate walking.
I'm a lazy bastard. I admit it freely. And since Taliya wouldn't admit to being lost four hours ago (when we could have avoided this outcome) I totally refuse to feel bad for berating her through the whole process.
"Arg! What are we going to do?" Taliya, who has been just this side of hysteria for the past fifteen minutes, finally breaks down and asks me.
She's doing good. I expected her to break long before now. But at least it gave me time to get used to the idea of having to walk.
"We're going to walk."
"WALK! Where are we going to walk to! There's nothing here!"
"Okay…breathe. I know there's nothing around. But, there's also no other real choice."
"So which way are we going to go? I don't remember a lot of markers between here and that Gas station."
"Well we know where we've been—a barren wasteland…So we'll go forward. Maybe we'll stumble across civilization."
"We're going to die."
"Well…yes there is a good chance. But at least we'll die fighting."
"What the hell are you saying!"
"I don't know. I was hoping saying it would make me believe it. Look, I know this isn't the ideal situation. And most movies, TV shows, and the nightly news would have us believe that we are about to die. And yes, I do believe them. But…we've got to try something."
God I sound so much more confident than I feel. But one of us is going to have to be. And seeing as Tal has turned into a lunatic (haha…turned, because she was so sane before) it's going to have to be me. Dammit I hate being the rational one.
"Look Tal, we're both going to pretend that we're not freaked the fuck out and just start walking. I mean after arming ourselves with whatever sharp slash heavy blunt objects we can find."
"But it's night and it's raining."
Hmm…that's true. And we'll more likely to be run over or kidnapped in the rain if horror movies can be trusted….
"Okay so we'll sleep in the car—in shifts—and start out tomorrow morning."
"How am I supposed to sleep?"
"I could hit you."
"Haha"
Oh yeah…that was a joke…