Road to Arcadia: the Path East

Chapter Thirty-one: Lost Friends

Kai wasn't a huge fan of Jey's insistence on getting plenty of rest each night. Kai wanted to keep driving into infinity, no rest until he was standing on the doorstep of his family's house, but there was something about the request he couldn't overlook.

He was out of shape. Not in the obvious, physical way, but mentally, too. His road senses had dulled in his last three months on Arcadia.

It was like this at the beginning of his journey, too. Back eleven-some months ago, he would take a lot more breaks, spend a lot more time getting into trouble in whatever town he stopped in. But eventually his feet on the pedals and hands on the wheel became a motion the same as breathing was, involuntary and natural.

The most egregious culprit of atrophy was time, but he would push some of that blame onto the vehicle as well. For as much as the van didn't deserve it, it was no Selene.

"Why did you sigh forlornly just now?" Jey's voice pulled him from his spiral.

"Oh, didn't realize I did that out loud. Was just thinking of an old friend."

"Okay."

"Her name was Selene."

"Okay."

"I just miss her a lot."

"That's great."

"We spent a lot of time out on the road together, you know?"

"Aweso--" Jey caught himself. "I thought you said you were solo on the road?"

Kai nodded, not missing a beat. "I was. Selene was my Jeep."

"The one without doors or a roof?"

"The very same."

Jey sank further into his seat, forefinger on his temple like he was about to incur a massive headache. "Oh my god." He went to say something, but his words were delayed. "Alright, now I'm curious. What happened to the car?"

Kai shrugged, memories fogging up his peripherals. "I had to let her go to get my friends to Arcadia."

"Ah." Another awkward pause. "Do you feel bad about that?"

"Terrible."

Jey only offered a flat, obligatory, "Why."

"Well, you know. We spent so much time together. She was the only consistent thing I had since leaving the coast. We had been through everything together. She really was like a best friend to me. I haven't stopped feeling guilty about what happened even though I know it needed to happen." He took a deep breath. "You think I'm crazy."

"Absolutely," he answered without reservation. "But it makes sense. You spend so much time alone that you'll personalize anything to keep from getting lonely."

Kai sewed his lips together. He wasn't exactly a fan of the psychoanalysis. "So, what was it for you? Stuffed animal? Volleyball? Taxidermied coyote?"

"I'm not answering that."

"Oh, come on," he teased. "I'm opening up and making myself vulnerable, I fully expect you to do the same."

"Yeah, I didn't ask you to do that."

"You could at least appreciate it."

Jey's lips flatlined. He shook his head. "I don't think I will."

Kai let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. Then at least make yourself useful and let me know what our ETA is."

The passenger didn't protest. He pulled out the map he had been keeping wadded up in the door of the van. "Uh, if we're doing the math right, should be about ten hours until we reach our location."