stl: the killers, 'read my mind'
The whole town seemed to be dead already.
It was barely nine.
But, that was how it was in small towns-- they rolled up the sidewalks early, shook them out early. A hard day's work for honest pay was the motto written on every hand, signed in callouses and blood and sweat. No one's family came from easy money, not even hers. She drove on aimlessly through the blank faced street, hands keeping time against the steering wheel with the music blaring from her speakers.
She'd give anything to just get the Hell out.
The expectations and gossip were wearing her thin. Everything about high school politics bored her these days. Once upon a time ago, she wanted to be the homecoming queen, the prom queen with her plastic smile and cubic zirconia tiara. These days, she just wanted a hand to slip into. Settling down had never been part of her agenda but now the cogs in her mind were slowly reversing, changing her thought process. After all, running away from this Godforsaken place was no longer an option but it didn't stop her from driving to the edge of town to stare down the Highway of Forever.
The Highway of Lost Hope.
The Highway of Forgotten Dreams.
When she'd had her fill of the firefly tail lights and absolute emptiness of it all, she would get back in her ancient Buick and lumber it back home where she would fall asleep to another life, another time where she had everything she ever wanted. A place where she hadn't ostrasized everyone who truly cared about her and alienated those who might one day love her. She would wake up in her too small bed to her lackluster life, paint the eternal clown face on and move through the motions, her heart still aching for just one person to see through her.
It was lonely at the top.