The Girl in the Elevator (ONC 2022)

4. Commando of Chips

At 10:32pm, Sam finally staggered up the steps of his grandmother's porch.

He paused and looked over his shoulder at the burly Hells Angel-wannabe who had given him a ride. The man looked like he could also have gone into a career as a lumberjack, for he had the great beard, squinty eyes, and shoulders powerful enough to physically take down a tree without an axe.

But instead, as he'd shouted at Sam on the ride over to his grandmother's house, Big Fred had always dreamed of running the road on the back of a powerful steed, and so here he was, sitting on top of a purring beast that spat pollution and roared when her spirit ran high. The way he was talking about his motorcycle made Sam wonder if the man got a motorcycle confused with a cat, but he didn't dare bring it up.

"See you later, Sam!" Big Fred waved a meaty hand that was big enough to crush Sam's head. "I'll take you out on the road sometime!"

Sam swallowed, managed a weak smile, and inched towards his grandmother's door. Big Fred gunned his bike's engine, making it roar like a ferocious jaguar, and he sped off into the night. It left a cloud of exhaust in its wake.

Relieved that his unusual taxi had left, Sam turned to the next obstacle in his path: his grandmother's door. He didn't have his keys anymore. And his phone had died an hour ago. Not that it had been any help – his grandmother wouldn't answer any of the 42 times he had tried calling her throughout the day.

He smoothed down the old pair of sweats and oversized, red-plaid shirt he'd been given. The sweats were quite comfortable, but the shirt – it practically hung to his knees. Big Fred should have kept it for himself and became a proper Canadian lumberjack, in Sam's opinion. Regardless, he was grateful for the clothes. It was better than showing up on his grandmother's porch naked.

Sam knocked on the door. He half expected that he'd have to knock for half the night before she let him in, but to his surprise, the door opened almost immediately. There she stood, his grandmother, in all her five-foot-two glory.

She wore her favorite bathrobe, a baby-blue fuzzy thing that looked more suited to a child than an adult, and her feet were bare. She looked like she hadn't slept in three weeks, thought that could be from downing an entire bottle of vodka as well as not sleeping. Sam never could tell which it was, because he always saw his grandmother drinking and staying up to all hours of the night.

He fidgeted, both ecstatic and nervous to see her. "Hi Gran."

"Sam." She eyed him up and down, her brows rising with every passing second. She lifted a cigarette to her lips and took a drag before puffing out a cloud of foul smoke. "So you're not dead after all. Where've you been?"

He shrugged. Where hadn't he been, at this point? From the crazy bag lady to Big Fred, it had been a really long day.

"Well," she stepped aside, holding the door open for him, "From the looks of you, you certainly found yourself some trouble. Better come in and tell me about it."

Sam felt his eyes well up. He felt the strongest urge to hug her, because he'd missed her so much. There were times throughout the day where he thought he might never see Gran again. He didn't hug her, though, because she'd only shove him away and tell him to grow up.

He blinked back the water in his eyes and went into the house. This day had been awful but he got through it and now he was finally back home with Gran. Everything would be okay now. He was sure of it.

"Oh Gran, a whole bunch of things happened! It was really scary and I met a lot of strange people. There was even this goat named Charlie and he was missing an ear. He tried to eat my hair! And then, there was a-"