Chapter V: „Escape"

Stephan had searched for the shaving utensils. Having finally found what he was searching for, he used the bottom of an old can for the mirror and started. He tried to cut his hair with the only little scissors he had, but failed completely and ended with shaving his head, too.

Tessa was sitting in the corner on a staple of firewood, not certain what to think about all this. The psycho wood-dweller slowly changed into a half way normal looking man. And she was dressed in a too-big shirt of Stephan. I look like one of these baggy-pants-dumb-asses… So shit!

„Tessa?"

She made a face meaning 'What the heck now?'

„Your hair. It is too eye-catchy. People will look."

„O… NO WAY, man!"

„Come on! You have already done half of the work anyway! It will grow again!"

"NO! Give me a fucking base cap or something!"

Early afternoon, they left the cabin, heading north and looking like father and son on a wilderness-tour. In the distance, the sound of a chopper could be heard now. The search party was underway…

At sunset, they reached the area where the avalanche had buried the street. Stephan slid down first, dragging Tessa behind. When they had managed the worst, their clothes were dirty and their hands full of scratches. It was too late already for moving further towards the village; the first stars showed up between the canopies. The two unlikely companions took refuge in an old picnic place. The chopper had turned south long ago.

„Tell me about Juliet," Stephan asked, while the night began folding around them completely.

Tessa snorted. „Told you everything I remember already four times, man!"

„So … tell me about you!"

„There's nothing to tell. Only fucking bullshit!" She tried shielding herself against the cold by rubbing her arms and hands. „ You get it? Bullshit! Everything sucks!" Suddenly, exactly this 'everything' felt like a really nasty thing inside, which she only could spit out – for the first time in life. She did not care if he listened or not! She just wanted to get rid of it now! „One of my girlfriends was raped, and no one did help her! And afterward, people called her a whore! In one of the shelters I was in, the supervisor took kids to make porn stuff and put it on youtube! 'Course, on the outside the gazed about caring and love! Fuck it! And do you know how it looks when somebody dies because of mixed Crack? Just shit!"

Tessa bundled all her feelings in a loud „I hate THEM ALL!" and wished at least someone of them – her parents, her teachers, supervisors, police officers – would hear the cry. But a howling wolf in the far distance was all that answered her. She sighed exhausted. "I hate them all..."

„You hate me, too?"

Shit, for a moment she had completely forgotten this moron! The question caught her off-guard. „Don't know! … I don't know you, man!" From one second to another, the girl felt even colder. If he was up to something… searched an excuse to DO something – so she had just walked in his sweet little trap! I poke this hook right through your head, believe me! I do it! But then, he has saved my life. He would not kill me now, would he? „Why do you ask?" Better to keep him talking, perhaps.

A weird sound, something between faint laughter and a sigh, answered her, then Stephan said: „I… don't want you to hate me." Silence again. The various noises of the night filled the air. Eventually, he stood up, went over to the girl, and took place right next to her, putting the blanket around them both. Scared, Tessa attempted to get away.

„Don't be stupid. I won't harm you. It is far too cold, and I have only one blanket! There are more than 8 hours until there's sufficient light to walk further, I think. Try to get some rest."

They sat there for a while, Tessa wide awake and soon every muscle aching because of exertion; Stephan asleep and dreaming about Juliet…

Ecstasy…

Her legs were wrapped tightly around his hips, her body pressed against his.

He had his eyes closed; sense was enough.

Deep into the darkness … ecstasy … oblivion. Everything, the whole world condensed in one spot of flaming lust…

Juliet… Juliet, my love…"

„- Hey! Wake up! Hey!" Tessa had grabbed his shoulders and shook him. „Wake up, man!"

„What…?"

„You are talking things in your sleep!"

Stephan blinked and shot a hasty glance around, then stared in the girl's face.

„You had quite a big thing with my mother, it seems!"

„I love her… love her still… She was the only woman I could love." He watched Tessa as if not completely back in reality again, and the girl decided she would be far better awake and freezing sitting up on the picnic table than down and in his arms. While he dreamt about her mother!

Around midday, they arrived in the village. Tessa pushed her base cap deep down after she discovered in a displayed newspaper the last news about the 'Search for missing girl is going on'. While Stephan was checking out a parking Ford on the next corner, which had a huge paper 'FOR SALE' in the window, Tessa read the whole article. Uh… they have already searched the cabin with dogs, good we were gone already! Yes, it was good! Maybe she was still with a creepy ex-lover of her Mom, but she was free, too. However, they had to hurry. The dogs had lost their tracks perhaps, because of the rain. Nonetheless, the police and the people from the children's home would not give up that easily!

Stephan called for her. The girl crammed her hands into the trouser's pockets and crossed the street. The Ford he had picked up was in really bad shape, at least 15 years old, dirty and rusty and the rear window was broken. But considering they wanted only 130 bucks, it was a fair deal. Hopefully, the clunker would make it up to Fresno and then… maybe down to the Mexican border as well…?

„You are interested in this one?" The voice came from a fat, colorful dressed Hispanic woman, which just left the house.

Stephan was about to answer, but suddenly could not speak. He glared at the arms of the woman, which were decorated with cheap metallic bracelets. When she moved to lighten a cigarette, the bracelets made a tingling, piercing sound. An ugly one, a painful one. Stephan squeezed his eyes. He had evaded temptation very carefully the past years – and now it was there, without any possibility to escape…

„Hey, pal, what are you staring? I'm not for sale, the car is!" She laughed, and her bracelets tingled. „Never seen a woman or what?"

He wiped over his forehead. Would the devil come back? Because… because it was his nature?

„Do you want the fucking car or NOT? Haven't time the whole day!"

His heart was racing and he felt bad. He had no weapon to do her any harm – but if… would he? The thought let him panicking more, and trembling.

„Hey, are you stoned or what?"

Tessa took the initiative. She wanted to be away as soon as possible. „'Course we take the car! – My … uncle is just a lil' tired. Our van broke down and we walked for miles! And he… he needs his medicine! She grabbed the money out of Stephan's pocket and handed the woman 100 dollars.

„130, can't you read, brat?"

She flipped her off, opened the car's door. „This is enough!" They still needed some money for gas! "Stephan, get inside, man!"

„You little-"

The door was shut.