This chapter was really fun to write! Hope you enjoy it :)
Chapter 3
Scared to Death
My hands start to tremble. Breathe Chloe, breathe. I force shaky breaths in and out of my lungs. Snap, snap. My eyes dart around the woods, searching for the offender. I creep towards the source, fingers fumbling for the switchblade in my jacket pocket. I crouch down, certain I've found the spot."What the hell...?"
Four sticks, each broken neatly in half, ly in a row. And there are no footprints.
My necro radar starts to flash warning signals, confirming that whatever is out here certainly isn't alive.
I stand, knees slightly bent, and turn aroun-
"Boo!" I jump back, screaming and slashing my knife in the air, only to be met by a familiar Minnie Mouse nightshirt and giraffe socks. I turn bright red.
"Liz! Why did you scare me like that? And what was with the sticks?!" As glad as I am to see her, how can you not be upset when your deceased friend scares the living daylights out of you?
"I'm glad I'm not still alive, because I definitely wouldn't be after that." She giggles, looking from me to the still outstretched switchblade in my hands. I flush and hastily put it away. "Oh, sorry 'bout the sticks, it's just I kinda missed the feeling of making footsteps, and I thought it would be less scary if you had some kind of warning that I was here..." Liz looks up at the canopy of leaves, eyes holding a dreamy quality as she reminisces about sounds. "So, how's the gang?" She snaps back into the world of the living (quite literally) and tilts her head to look around, searching for people that aren't here.
"I'm out on my own now, y'know? Decided to go camping...had some plans..." like not losing my mind and getting them all killed, is what I don't say. My voice sounds hollow, and I try to plaster a smile on my face to seal the deal. She's not convinced and doesn't hide it; it's not the best lie I've ever told. Thankfully, she doesn't press for details, but I know it's only a matter of time before she does. I rub the tender spot on my belly absently, thinking of what I'll have to do. Oh God, I'll have to show her. I push those troubling thoughts out of my head. A devious smile graces Liz's face as her eyes follow the wisps of my hair.
"What?" I suddenly feel self-conscious. Did a bird poop on my head?
"Well... I was thinking... since you're on your own now... how about a whole new look?"
...
I push aside the branches so I could get a good look outside the forest. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" I whisper.
"Of course it is!" She's practically yelling in my ear. "You just run acro-"
"Shhhhhh!" I viciously interrupt, reminding her to be quiet. She raises her eyebrows as if to say, "Ghost, remember?" She clears her throat and looks at me, waiting to continue. Heat creeps up my neck. I nod, ready to listen.
"Okay, so you just run across this itty bitty highway, walk to the truck rest stop welcome center (it's a nice one with showers and little souvenir stores), and I'll meet you by the cash register." She looks at me, practically squealing with delight. "And then you're going to get a whole new make over!"
"Okay, yeah, but... how much will this cost me?" I'm still hesistant about the plan... so much could go wrong. I check to make sure my hair is all tucked in my hoody, and I finger my dark sunglasses for the hundredth time. Butterflies flit around in my stomach. Is it really worth the trouble?
"Don't worry about it!" She shoos me away, cutting off my objections as she leaves in a blur of light. Ugh... poltergeists. I take one last peek through the vegetation before heading out. The plan unfolds.
Stage One: The Crossing
This was the most straightforward part of the plan. I emerged from the forest and onto the yellow grass by the road, and looking both ways like a good girl, crossed the deserted highway. I mentally check the box in my head. Done.
Stage Two: Teddy Bears
It's still early in the evening, so there are no trucks parked in the rest area yet. Good, less people to see me. I manage an awkward cross between running and walking (it looks more like a limp) to the welcome center. I'm finally at the entrance, and I pull the glass double doors.
No luck.
I pull harder, but it still doesn't open. Part of me panics as I silently freak out. The doors can't be locked! It's open 24-hours! Where's Liz? As my fears play ping pong in my head, something shiny catches my eye. In glossy black letters I read:
Push
I swallow and wish I could bang my head against a wall. Duh! I push the door open, looking behind my shoulder, wondering if anybody was there to witness my complete and utter failure as a human being. I am the reason blondes have a bad rep. I take a breath and shake out my humiliated thoughts. The plan! I look around the tiled indoors of the welcome center and whistle. It really was nice in here. Food counters lined the back, an obviously good restroom was tucked in the corner, and a cute souvenir store was on my left. I headed in that direction.
"Teddy bears, teddy bears, teddy bears..." I mutter to myself, scanning each aisle of randomness. "Found it!" There, lying next to the biggest teddy bear in the store, was a shopping basket already stocked with supplies and a ribbon tied around the handle. I bask in the glow of my small victory. If that wasn't what Liz was talking about, I don't know what is. Another box is checked off in my head.
Stage Three: The Cash
I take my basket up to the front, worried about the substantial dent this is going to make in my funds. Mixed in I can see one sweatshirt, a necklace, granola bars, fruit leather, a bottle of water, and a keychain teddy bear, and that is only what I can see. True to her word, Liz is there to meet me, but she is literally by the cash register. Confused but trying not to show it, I gingerly place the basket on the counter. The cashier is a gruff guy, large in both height and width. His red shirt barely makes it past the basketball shaped lump that is is his stomach, and his matching hat hangs precariously off his head. Liz looks absolutely evil as she grins, and I can tell she is enjoying this way too much. She puts her fingers to her lips and then points to the basket, mouthing out "Look away," as the guy unloads the stuff. Whatever is in here, she wants it to be a surprise.
"That's it, you're total is-" Liz knocks his hat off and onto the floor. She kicks it for good measure. Without his hat, his thinning hair and glaring bald spot are exposed, and I find it hard to peel my eyes away. He seems to know what this does to people too, because in an instant he is on the floor with an agility unforseen in a man of such magnitude. I distantly hear Liz clicking away at the machine, but my attention has shifted to the pursuit of the red hat. In a minute, he emerges, head firmly in hat, and avoids my eyes. "Okay... you're total is... five dollars," his voice rises at the end, more like a question, and the confusion in his eyes mirrors my own. He doesn't say anything else though, which is kind of odd. I know he knows it's the wrong price, but he clearly doesn't want to spend another second with me. I wordlessly hand him the cash, take the receipt, and leave with my items. He even let me keep the basket.
Stage Four: Fabulous!
Done with the souvenir shop, I see Liz wildly gesturing me towards the bathrooms. By now, I am burning with curiosity. She still hasn't told me what happens from here. I follow her, and after the door closes behind me, I hear the turning of a lock. "Don't want anyone else coming in here," she explains. I nod my head in agreement.
"Liz?"
"Yeah."
"Do you realize we just robbed a souvenir store?"
I get a real look for that one. "The way I see it, we're just evening it out. I watched that guy charge a girl ten dollars for gum. Ten dollars! This makes up for all the people he's screwed."
I'm not fully on board, but a thought strikes me. "How did you get all of the stuff in the basket without anyone noticing?" A bunch of floating items stacking themselves in a basket...that's going to raise alarms.
"The guy took a smoke break. Five whole minutes to myself in a store!" She sounds delighted. She's rummaging through the basket, and after finding what she's looking for, points me towards the showers. "I thought we could dye your hair. That way, whoever you're running from won't recognize you." Her reason surprises me... I never told her I was running away!
"H-how did you k-know?"
She looks at me with sad eyes. "Chloe, I've helped you escape before. I know when you're running."
And with that, I let her lead me towards the shower.
...
When I emerge, I practically run to the mirrors. What color, what color, what color? I stop dead in my tracks.
My hair...
It's a dark, dark brown, so dark it looks black, until the last four inches or so... Oh my gosh, I have light blue ends!
I'm unrecognizable. The blue ends bring out my blue eyes, and the darkness of the brown is perfect against my skin. I'm almost glad Liz messed with the price, because color of this quality would have cost me a fortune.
"So, what do you think?" Liz is trying to sound indifferent but I can hear the pride in her voice. She should be proud; I look fabulous!
"I love it!" I'm glowing with happiness. I feel warm inside; Liz didn't just color my hair, she gave me a new identity. She helped me distance myself from what I'm running away from without asking why. She helped me forget about what I've lost for a whole day.
And for that, I will always owe her.