your lies keep you alive

As she drove away from Ila, Beth's stomach twisted and turned and she continually felt like she may barf up all the food she'd devoured. Her mind was racing with a million different thoughts – about Maggie and Glenn in police custody, about the cop she'd killed and the other one who may never wake up, about every crucial bit of information that the police somehow had that could bring Beth down, hard. She had to get away, far away. And fast. But she couldn't risk letting her impatience get her caught. She continued taking backroads, avoiding Highway 85 at a long distance. Now that she knew for a fact that police all over the state were on the lookout for her, she had to be extra cautious. It doubled her time getting to the state line, and her eyelids were getting heavier and heavier by the minute. Gorging herself on food had been a mistake because it made her lack of sleep hit her like a ton of bricks. For the first time since she'd run away from the farm, she was really feeling the physical effects of staying up for over thirty hours straight. She was exhausted and sore and all she wanted to do was lie down and escape into a dreamless sleep where she wasn't running from the police or hearing about her family in police custody from complete strangers. She needed a shower, a soft bed, and a quiet room.

That sounds like prison, she thought scornfully. Maybe I should just turn myself in… Why should my family pay for my mistakes? They're just going to come down harder on Maggie and Glenn if they can't find me.

She was regretting not having grabbed an energy drink in her haste at the market when the car jolted and demanded her attention. She looked around, confused, then heard the tell-tale sound and felt the sensation of driving over huge bumps in the road. Clunk clunk clunk clunk clunk clunk! She immediately pressed the brake pedal until she'd eased the car to a slower speed, then pulled over as far to the side of the road as she could get and stopped. She heaved a dread-filled sigh and turned the engine off, then unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car. She looked down and saw that both driver side tires were normal. She walked around the front of the car and instantly spotted what she had been afraid of – the front passenger side tire was completely flat and almost blown-out from having been driven on. She crouched down and squinted her eyes, inspecting every inch of the tire that she could access.

And there it was: a large nail had gotten lodged into the tire and caused a hole, eventually deflating until it ripped the rubber and rendered the tire useless.

"Fuck."

There was no one around to hear her, and no cars had passed her on the far-off backroad for at least an hour. It was the hottest part of the day and the sun beat down relentlessly. She was surrounded by open fields and trees, but no woods and not nearly enough coverage for her to feel comfortable traveling by foot. She glanced at either end of the road then rushed back to the driver's door. She pressed the button inside to pop the trunk and then hurried to the back of the car, lifting the lid of the small, dusty trunk. She held her breath for just a second, but it was quickly let out with disappointment as she found herself staring at nothing but an old tackle box and an even older wool blanket.

"Fuck!"

Tears welled up in her eyes and the heat was already making her agitated. She let out an angry scream and kicked the bumper of the old Civic as hard as she could, making it rattle. She tried to push back the tears but they were already streaming down her face. Letting out a huff of aggravation, she stomped back to the driver's seat and plopped herself down into it, reaching over to grab the map and unfold it. She looked around and then traced roads on the paper surface before her for a moment before figuring out where she was. There were still twenty miles between her and the state line.

Pretty sure I walked at least twenty miles before I got the car, so I might as well, Beth thought to herself, still angry to be forced to give up so easily. It had been so nice to rest her legs.

She didn't have time to be upset, as much as she wanted to sit down and sulk for a while. She had to keep moving, even if she didn't have the coverage of trees. As she gathered up the map and her remaining half of a sandwich and bottle of water and stuffed them into the black backpack, she figured if she stuck to the backroads like she had been in the car, she wouldn't come across many other people. And hopefully, none of the few people she did cross would think it suspicious to see a young girl walking near a strange road in the middle of the day.

She trekked through the flourishing grass and weeds, backpack securely on her shoulders, sunglasses over her eyes, and the gun she still hadn't removed from the waistband of her jeans. She just couldn't bear to stuff it in the bag – that would make the bag her one weakness. If she kept it on her at all times, no one could bring her down without quite literally bringing her down.

The sun beat down on her fair skin and made her dye-stained scalp sweat beneath her hair. There was barely any breeze and the humidity was high, as always. She trudged along, feeling more tired and weak than ever. She tried to stay out of view of anyone on the road but it was nearly impossible without getting so far away, she wouldn't even be sure she was still going the right way. The sun was inching across the sky, but not nearly fast enough for Beth's liking. She wished it would set already and give her some relief, but the minutes dragged on while she lugged her feet along the ground.

Her bottled water was empty and the back-up bottle in her bag was nearly dry, too. She had to have been walking for a solid three hours, maybe more. She knew she couldn't rely on her body's clock, but judging by how long ago the sun had set and how many stars were apparent in the dark sky, it appeared to be late evening. The humidity was subsiding and a light breeze had picked up. She swayed a bit as she walked, the soft evening air was making her even drowsier and clouding her mind with longings for her bed back at home.

Beth had been wandering closer and closer to the road as she knew she'd have to cross and get to the other side to continue in the right direction, and she was so distracted from exhaustion that she hadn't even heard the RV coming down the road and driving up right next to her. The rumble of its engine and the smell of its exhaust shook her from her thoughts. Her head snapped up to take in the size of the vehicle, and she realized it had slowed nearly to a stop just feet from her. All the sleepiness she'd been fighting with suddenly left her, and her heart leapt. She reached for the gun in her waistband but didn't pull it out yet, keeping her hand hovering over it. She could run, but she didn't know how far she'd get, or how many people might appear from inside the RV to chase her down. And considering how tired and sore she was, she didn't think she could outrun someone a second time. She wondered who was inside as the vehicle finally came to a complete stop and the passenger side window began to roll down. It wasn't likely the cops, but what if someone recognized her from the news, even without her blonde hair? What if it was an off-duty officer? What if it was one of her daddy's rivals and they tracked her down to finally finish off the entire Greene clan for good?

"Hey there! Are you alright? Do you need a ride?!" A cheerful voice came from the passenger side window, and Beth quickly realized it was an older woman sticking her head out from inside, a concerned look on her face as she looked Beth up and down.

She quickly remembered she'd taken her sunglasses off hours ago and had no idea how much of the makeup had stayed despite her sweat and tears. She realized she must look like a mess – dirty clothes, choppy haircut, bruised face. She couldn't think of what to reply with first: "You don't recognize me?" or "Why would you offer a total stranger in my state a ride?" or "What are you doing driving way out here?"

Before she could decide, the older woman motioned for her to step closer to the vehicle. Beth took a slow and hesitant step, then stopped, looking around and eyeing every detail of the RV. What kind of trick was this?

"Oh my – how old are you, little girl? What are you doin' way out here, all by yourself?" The woman proclaimed when she noticed just how bad Beth actually looked.

Beth shrugged, at a loss for words. Could it be? Could this be some kind of angel sent to her? The safety of an RV, a nice old couple who knows nothing of her case, and the means to cross states completely undetected? When would she find out it was too good to be true?

"I… I'm tryin' to get outta the state. My car broke down, but I – "

The older woman was looking Beth up and down knowingly, her lips pursed. She kept staring at Beth's bruised eye – the makeup was definitely not providing full coverage anymore. Finally, she spoke softer, just loud enough that Beth could hear her from less than ten feet away. "Did a man do that to you? Is that why you're tryin' to leave the state?"

Without thinking about her lie, Beth nodded her head and shut her mouth tight, trying to look as innocent as possible.

The older woman held up a finger to signal for Beth to wait a moment and retracted into the vehicle again. Beth could faintly hear a man's voice inside the cab with her, and assumed she was telling her husband the details. A moment later, she appeared again with a large smile on her face and gestured eagerly for Beth to step closer. The door behind the passenger cab door opened, and light poured down the small set of steps from inside. Beth took a cautious step forward, then another. She knew it was risky, but the temptation was too much to resist, and her gut told her there was nothing here to be afraid of. Or maybe she was just so exhausted that her fight or flight instincts were completely off.

Before she knew it, she was ascending the small set of stairs to the inside of the RV. It was cozy inside, a soft light bathing everything and the smell of cinnamon and violets wafting in the air. There was a small kitchen area to her left that lead off to a bathroom and bedroom area, a booth that could seat four or six people across from her, and the cab was directly to her right. In the driver's seat sat an older man, probably fifties or sixties, in what looked like a fishing hat and a Hawaiian print shirt, his hair gray and cut short just like his mustache and beard. He had a large smile on his face and his eyes sparkled as though he were happy to see her, even though he'd never met her before. And beside him, comfortably plopped in the passenger seat, was his wife, who looked to be the same age with similar hair color, though hers was wavy and hung loosely on her shoulders. She wore bright red lipstick and a broad grin like her husband, apparently overjoyed to be helping out a stranger.

"Howdy! I'm Dale, and this is my wife, Irma," the old man piped up, still smiling as he gestured to his wife, who waved gleefully from her seat. He had a friendly, welcoming face and an even friendlier demeanor about him.

Beth lifted a hand weakly and attempted her best smile, but every single muscle in her body ached. "Hi. I'm B – I'm Rosie."

Despite her sleep deprivation, she'd caught and corrected herself before she gave them her real name. Just like the cop and the cashier, she had no idea how much they actually knew, and any little detail might jog their memory and make them recognize her. She'd said the first name that came to mind – from one of her favorite Tom Waits songs.

Dale reached out a hand and Beth took it in a soft handshake, then Irma did the same.

"Nice to meet ya, Rosie," she said, giving Beth a knowing smile. "You look dead on yer feet. You wanna lie down and get some rest? We saw ya walkin' out there and you almost looked drunk."

"Yeah," Dale joined in, agreeing with his wife. "We had to stop and make sure you weren't lost or hurt. You're not drunk, are ya…?"

His eyes had been drawn to Beth's bruised eye and she quickly shook her head. "No, of course not."

Irma chuckled and stood up beside her husband, sharing a look with him that said they were exchanging unspoken words before turning back to Beth. "Dale! Of course she's not drunk, look at her. She's not even drinkin' age. How old are ya, sweetheart?"

Beth thought fast – she didn't want to give her real age but she didn't want to say she was a minor, either. She'd been able to pass for older before, maybe she could now. "I'm twenty."

The couple looked surprised but nodded nonetheless.

"What were you doin' all the way out here, honey?" Irma coaxed gently.

Beth shrugged, giving them the first answer off the top of her head. "My car broke down a ways back and I just… got lost. What are you doin' way out here?"

Her question made Dale chuckle and his eyes sparkled as they met hers. "In all honesty, we got lost, too! Just figured out where we were goin'. Got off track while we were takin' the scenic route."

Irma looked over at her husband in a gaze that emanated love and admiration. Beth thought she might be sick at seeing how in love these two were – and how equally goofy they were – but deep down, she found it more sweet than anything.

"Where ya headed?" Dale inquired, sticking his hands in his pockets and smiling kindly.

She racked her brain for an answer. The only thing she'd planned was getting to South Carolina. Past that, she had no idea where she'd go. Far away – that's all she'd planned for. Her mouth formed a response before her mind could give it a second thought.

"New York City."

It was the first thing that popped into her head that was far away from Atlanta, big enough to hide in, and still inside the country. It was a possibility, but she wasn't sure if she was quite committed to the idea just yet. Moving there had always been a little girl fantasy of hers, but she hadn't given it much serious thought since she'd entered high school and started planning for college.

Both Dale's and Irma's eyebrows rose in surprise, but they looked at each other with glee. Dale spoke first, "Well how fantastic! We'll be drivin' through there eventually!"

She looked at the couple with confusion. "You will? You're driving all that way?"

They nodded in excitement and Irma informed her, "Yeah, we're doin' a road trip of the whole country! We want to see every major landmark we can. We live in Atlanta, so we figured we'd head northeast first and go from there."

Beth's heart dropped and she tried not to panic. They were from Atlanta – did they watch the news? At all? How did they not recognize her right now, even with the shitty haircut? Maybe they just hadn't heard about it yet. They seemed harmless enough, after all. Plus, if they really had gotten lost out here, in their own native home of Georgia, because they wanted to take a "scenic route," they must really be innocent. Nothing about them seemed conniving or misleading.

"Oh, wow. That's – that's great. Thank you so much, I-I really appreciate it," Beth stammered, trying not to let it show how worried she was.

They both smiled back at her and Irma stepped forward, putting a hand on Beth's arm gently. "Okay, you need some rest, dear. We can get to know each other after ya wake up. You can lie down in our bed. It's much more comfortable and quiet back there. C'mon," she said cheerily, guiding her back through the kitchen area and to the curtain that separated the bedroom. She pulled it back and let Beth step through, then stood on the threshold and held it open for a minute.

"Just make yourself comfortable. You can put your things wherever you like. Shut off the light and get some rest," she urged Beth, lowering her voice to add more seriously, "You're safe now."

Beth's eyes widened and all she could think to do was nod and mutter out, "Thank you." This woman had no idea what those words really meant to her, though. For the first time in over a day, she actually felt relatively safe.

Irma gave another reassuring nod before turning and walking back to the cab, the curtain falling over the doorway once more and giving Beth privacy.

She barely remembered setting her bag aside and stripping down to her underwear – shoving the gun safely beneath her pillow, just like at home - because she was unconscious within seconds of lying down on the big, comfortable bed and wrapping herself in the thin sheet. It seemed to mold around her and swallow her down into it, and she fell into the deepest sleep she'd had in weeks.

Beth's eyes fluttered open and she wondered where she was for a second before her brain caught up and the memory of boarding the RV floated up to her memory. The room rumbled steadily around her as they traveled down the road. She panicked silently, sitting up and cursing herself for being so naïve. How exhausted was she that she'd actually agreed to getting on the RV of two complete strangers who were from Atlanta and driving God-knows-where? And she'd immediately made herself vulnerable, passing out inside and leaving herself open to any sort of crazy attack. What if they knew exactly who she was and wanted to drive her straight to the police? What if they'd tied her up while she was asleep and robbed her for everything she had?

But she wasn't tied up. Sunlight filled the room from the curtain-covered windows and she looked to see her bag was exactly where she'd left it, and the gun was still underneath her pillow, where she'd put it. The only thing that was different about the tiny bedroom was that her clothes weren't sitting in a pile on the floor anymore, but had been folded and set atop the bed in the farthest corner from where she'd slept. She leaned over and snatched them up, unfolding them and realizing they were clean. She stood up out of bed and slipped the clothes on, then grabbed her bag and rifled through it. She pulled out her father's pocket watch and checked the time: 11:18. As she stuffed it back into the bag and zipped it up, she wondered how long she had slept. Her muscles still ached, but nothing like the night before.

She warily pushed aside the curtain covering the doorway and stepped out into hallway of the RV. She walked through the kitchen area and stopped beside the booth across from the door when Dale and Irma turned around to acknowledge her.

"Well, good morning! Did ya sleep okay?" Irma greeted her with a wide smile from the passenger seat.

Beth nodded. "Really well. How long was I asleep?"

Dale was watching the road as he drove, and Beth looked out the wide windshield to realize they were driving past the ocean. It was endless and beautiful, flowing for miles and miles into the horizon. "You were out for about fourteen hours, I'd say. No wonder you looked nearly drunk, you must've been exhausted."

She reeled at this information – fourteen hours?! She had never intended to sleep for that long. Not until she was far, far away from Georgia. But by the looks of things, she was thinking she was already far, far away.

"Oh, yeah, I hadn't slept in like… thirty-somethin' hours. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to use your bed that long – "

Irma waved away her apologies. "No, no, it's perfectly fine! You needed it. We've been busy anyway! We got to Virginia Beach around sunrise and strolled the beach, then we had breakfast at a cute little restaurant on the boardwalk. Oh, it was lovely. I thought about wakin' you but you just looked so tired."

"Oh, that's okay. Um, where are we now?" Beth asked.

"We just passed Richmond. Almost to Washington, D.C., the nation's capital! We visited years and years ago, but it's worth seein' again. You're welcome to join us!" Dale said excitedly. "We're gonna take the White House tour, visit the Lincoln Memorial – "

"Oh, Dale, slow down a moment, the poor girl just woke up," Irma said, reaching over and patting his arm lovingly. She stood and faced Beth. "Are ya hungry, dear? I was just about to make some lunch. And I washed your clothes while you were asleep, they were pretty dirty. If you'd like, you can use our shower over there. Oh, and I just brewed some more coffee, I wasn't sure if you drank it but you're more than welcome."

Beth glanced back at the small bathroom area, which consisted of a toilet behind a closet-like door across the tiny hall from a shower stall. She turned back to Irma and smiled. "Oh, wow, thank you so much. I – uh – I'd love that, actually. Coffee sounds amazing, and I'm starvin'."

"Well then, help yourself, then go in and get cleaned up and I'll have lunch ready when you're done. Oh, and there's a pack of new underwear in the bedroom that I left for you. We picked it up at a store while you were asleep. I didn't know how many clean pairs you had with you, but you can never have enough. And there's a new toothbrush sittin' by the sink for ya," the old woman smiled and ushered Beth towards the back of the RV.

"Wow, thank you," Beth said, surprised, as she helped herself to a mug of warm coffee before heading towards the bedroom to prepare to bathe. She was starting to realize that Irma was one of those naturally matron-like women, with the need to nurture others embedded deep into her personality. She was lucky to have come across her at such a hopeless time – if they hadn't rolled up in their RV, Beth could very well be passed out on the side of the road right now.

The water ran black nearly the whole time she showered, and not just from the hair dye. She had been covered with dirt, grime, grass, and sweat, and the hot water sanctimoniously washed it all away as she scrubbed at her skin and lathered soap on more than once. She scrubbed her scalp and momentarily worried that the dye would rinse out, but reveled in the relaxing feel of washing all the grease and oil from her head.

She dried off and got dressed again, grateful to Irma for the pack of new underwear, which she extracted one pair from and stuffed the rest into her black backpack, then checked her appearance in the mirror. She grabbed the hairbrush that was sitting beneath the mirror and ran it through her tangled hair, which had remained just as black as when she'd dyed it. The bruise on her eye was fading, but it left blue and purple spots, and the scab on her lip was still as prominent as ever. She tried to avoid the mirror as she opened the toothbrush lying beside the sink and brushed her teeth for a bit longer than normal.

She had drained the mug of coffee in less than a minute, grateful for the caffeine and hoping it would rid her of the last bits of grogginess she still felt. After placing the empty mug on the counter beside the sink, she crossed the length of the RV to the booth where Dale and Irma sat next to each other on one side, each eating from separate plates that held a sandwich and potato chips. They had parked the RV at a rest stop beside the highway. There was another plate set out across from them, stacked with three hearty BLT sandwiches and a large pile of potato chips. A tall glass of sweet tea sat beside it, and the couple looked up to see Beth and gesture for her to sit across from them in the booth.

"You look like you feel much better," the old woman commented with a warm smile as Beth slid into the seat.

Beth nodded. "A million times better. Thank you so much – for everything. You have no idea how much it means."

Dale swallowed the bite of sandwich he'd been chewing and chimed in, "No problem at all. We love to help anywhere we can. You sure you can stand us all the way to New York?"

Irma chuckled at his joke and Beth gave a polite laugh before replying, "I'm sure I'll manage. I can give you guys gas money, or buy some groceries – "

"No, we'll have none of that," Irma told her firmly, pointing to the plate that sat before her. "Now you eat, you need some meat on those bones, hun. We'll be just fine takin' care of you while you're with us."

A warmth spread through Beth's body and all she could do was grin happily at the sweet, older couple that sat across from her, eating their lunches in contentment. She was regretting ever suspecting them of being a threat to her. They were obviously two of the sweetest people on earth, and she'd had the tremendous luck of running into them during her most desperate time of need. She could already tell they were a bit proud, and probably wouldn't accept any of her hundred-dollar bills as repayment for their kindness. But she knew she'd have to secretly leave them a hearty amount before they went their separate ways. It was the least she could do for how they were practically saving her life.

She scarfed down the first sandwich in her ravenous hunger, sipping the sweet tea and finding herself reminded of the refreshing pitchers of tea her momma used to make. This woman's tea was the first she'd had that actually came close in comparison.

"I hope it tastes alright, it's turkey bacon – we've gotta watch our cholesterol," Irma said as she watched Beth finish her first sandwich and begin on her second.

Beth cleared her mouth before looking up to answer, "Oh, it's amazing! Thank you."

She continued eating in silence until she had finished the second sandwich and most of the pile of chips. Dale and Irma were still taking their time finishing their own meals, apparently amused by the sight of Beth and her surprising appetite.

"So where ya from, sweetie?" Irma asked, trying to start a conversation.

Beth set down her sandwich and took a sip of sweet tea before replying, "Atlanta."

"So ya… didn't wanna get your car or anything?" Dale asked, sitting back in the booth and appearing rather relaxed.

Beth answered without thinking, "Wasn't my car."

She paused and tried to think of a lie when the older couple's eyebrows rose in surprise, but Irma already had an explanation figured out. "Was it… his?"

Beth immediately nodded, grateful for Irma's assumptions giving her a fantastic cover-up story. It almost made the black eye and cut lip worth it. She continued meekly, "It uh, broke down. And there was no one around, so I just walked. He's got eyes all over Georgia and connections to police so… I couldn't really trust anybody."

This was the first really elaborate lie Beth had told so far. She pulled the story from her head as she went, trying to cover her tracks and make herself look as victimized as possible. Irma's eyes had become wide and sympathetic, and she was hanging on every word the young woman spoke. Dale acted as though he was preoccupied with finishing his lunch, but it was obvious he was listening intently, too.

"Oh, honey, that's terrible," Irma said quietly. "I'm glad we found you. Now you're far away from that state, and far away from him… I'm so glad you got out. It's not an easy thing to do."

"Irma's sister was in a relationship like that – wasn't she, sweetie?" Dale added, looking to his wife for confirmation.

She nodded and went on to tell the story to Beth, "That's right, it was about thirty years back but it was just awful. They were married for two years before it started. He started suspectin' her of all these things she'd never, ever do. They'd fight horribly, sometimes the police were called because it was so loud. Then he started isolating her from everyone, from her friends to me and our own mother. We weren't allowed to visit, couldn't call without speakin' to him first, and I'm pretty sure he would stand there and listen to any conversation she had on the phone. He knew what she was doin' twenty-four-seven. Then it got physical. By the time she managed to sneak away and come to my house for help, she had bruises everywhere and even a couple missin' teeth. He had… gotten her pregnant… against her will… And then one night, he beat her so bad, she had a miscarriage. That was finally enough for her. Soon as I saw her, I called the police and, well, she divorced him, thank God. And with lots of help from me and our momma, she got back on her feet. Now she lives with her second husband in Macon and they've got two children together."

Beth's jaw had dropped open and she stared in amazement when Irma finished her story. "Wow, that's… incredible." Secretly, she was relating to the details on a more personal level, and wondering to herself if that could've been her if it weren't for the help of her family.

Irma nodded knowingly and said decidedly, "So it's a good thing you got out when you did. Now he can't ever hurt you again."

Dale made a grunt of agreement as he finished the last of his lunch and Beth tried to change the subject by asking her own question, "So, do you guys have any kids?"

Their faces simultaneously fell for just a moment, but Beth caught it and instantly felt bad. She could sense that something serious had happened and she'd asked the wrong question. But the couple perked up fast and Irma spoke first, holding her head high and smiling despite the sadness in her eyes.

"Oh, no. We wanted to, but – ah, I had a miscarriage when we finally did get pregnant and um… just never really tried again after that. It hurt quite a bit. But it's okay, because we decided there's a lot of life to enjoy together," she explained, smiling and gazing over at Dale, who returned her smile. "We kept puttin' off this darn trip until a few years back, I got cancer – "

"Oh, no, I'm so sorry," Beth immediately said, unable to hold back her shock.

"Oh, it's perfectly alright. I beat it," Irma beamed proudly.

"That's right, I thought I was gonna lose her for a little bit there, but sure enough, she turned around and beat the hell outta that cancer," Dale finished her story for her, appearing to be more proud of it than even his wife was. "That's when we decided to stop puttin' off the trip and retire already, just a couple years early, and hopped in this ol' thing."

Beth felt relieved to hear the conclusion, becoming closer with these kind, old people by the moment. "Wow, that's so amazin'…"

Irma smiled and patted her hand from across the table. "What's really amazin' is how we crossed paths right after startin' our long journey! Fellow Georgians, lookin' out for each other."

The courts would call it 'harboring a fugitive', though, Beth thought to herself as she nodded and sipped the last of her sweet tea.

to be continued…