The Devil's Backbone

7. Barton Hallow

Miles and miles in my bare feet

Still can’t lay me down to sleep

If I die before I wake

I know the Lord my soul won’t take

 

Jason

            The original trip to Aurora took me about two days running at a steady jog with minimal provisions and a sleeping bag. However with my siblings and all of our possessions it was taking us quite a bit longer. Adam couldn’t carry much except his own things and roll the cooler behind him. Alice and Joi had learned to carry a lot of weight; over the years both of them had gotten very muscular and toned, a product of living on the run. I had to carry most of it, but this really wasn’t working. We had stopped for a break when I realized that we weren’t really making any progress.

            “Guys I think something needs to change.” I sighed and started walking in circles, thinking about our options.

            “Like what?” Alice spoke up. Since I had decided to go back to Aurora, she was like my biggest fan. She agreed with everything I said and if I needed help she was right there at my elbow waiting for instructions.

            “I think I need a truck.” I looked through the forest, listening for a main road close by.

            “Well go get one.” Joi answered simply. She was currently doodling pictures in the dirt. To her everything was so simple, so easily achieved; I envied her of that trait greatly.

            “Yep I think that’s what I’m going to do but I need you guys to sit tight for awhile. Alice is in charge, so don’t be terrible.” They all laughed and I picked out a couple of things that I wanted and then took of at a jog towards the main road, which I could finally pinpoint in the distance. I came out of the forest near an off road and saw a rest stop at the top of a hill. I needed a truck; anything else would get cramped quickly. I would also love to buy it. I didn’t have a lot of money but I wanted to stay on the up and up now that I had decided to go after Harley. It wouldn’t erase all of the things that I’d done in the past but it would help moving forward.

            It was starting to get dark, which was good; I figured if I had to steal one, at least I would try not to get caught doing it.  I waited for the owner of a blue truck to go inside a restaurant, and then I approached his car. I placed 200 under the vehicle then opened the door. I knew it wouldn’t cover the cost but hopefully he had insurance. He had to, if he always left the keys in the cup holder and the car open. There was no way this was the first time his car had been stolen, he needed to learn from his mistakes.

            I made it back to the place I had left the forest; I pulled off into the trees and got out. Running around back I pulled off the license plate off the back and placed it in the back window. That way I couldn’t get pulled over for not having a license plate but it also made it harder for them to read when the owner reported it stolen. I threw the stuff I had left on the edge of the road into the bed of the truck and high tailed it into the forest. I knew they were getting cold and would want to set up camp and sleep and we really couldn’t afford to do that.