Durkio Krazy (Short Story)

5

Arizona.

     I made my way to the bench outside of the airport. I sat there for a minute, taking in the new scenery. It was sandy and hot but, not as hot as it was back home. I took out my phone and stared at the screen. I knew that if I turned my phone back on, I would find missed calls and text from Durk. I did, however, give Orlando my phone number so that he could reach out to me. Now that I'm here, I don't want to respond to anybody, really.

     I turned it on, ignoring the missed texts and calls that popped up on my lock screen that I had already predicted. The first thing that I did was block Durk's number and anyone else's number that was associated with him. I turned off my location services as an extra safety precaution. It was finally time for me to figure out my plan. I got on the web and searched for a taxi service near me. A few options came up, but my thumb led me to 'Flagstaff Taxi Co.' I opened up the keypad and typed the 10-digit number in.

     "Flagstaff Taxi Co, how may I help you?"

     "Hello, I was calling to see if there were any drivers available near the airport."

     "Yes, I have a guy about a mile away. I'll send him over."

     "Thank you, have a good day."

     "You as well."

     While I was waiting, I decided to go through my messages. 154 unread messages from Durk. 1 unread message from an unknown number. I deleted Durk's message thread; I couldn't stand to see his name in my phone any longer, nor did I want to see what he had to say. I opened up the message from the unfamiliar number, knowing that it was probably Orlando. I was right. I saved his name in my contacts before reading his message.

          Orlando: Hey, it's Orlando. I just wanted to make sure you got there safely. Text me back when you can.

                    Tyla: Hi, yeah. I made it here safely. Thank you, again, for your help. xx

     The taxi arrived, parking right in front of the bench that I was sitting in front of. I grabbed my luggage and tucked my phone back into my jacket pocket. The cab driver opened the trunk so that I could place my bags inside of it. I shut the hood of the trunk and sat myself down inside of the taxi.

     "You know where you're headed?" The taxi driver turned his neck, shifting his position to face towards me in the back seat.

     "Actually, no." I strapped the seatbelt across my chest and plugged it into the latch. "I was hoping you knew of a cheap motel that I could stay at around here."

     "There's a little motel in the downtown area." He shifted his position so that he was facing the windshield again. "It's nothing too fancy, but it's clean and has everything you'll need for the duration of your stay." He was talking to me like I was a regular tourist, so I went with it.

     "That sounds good enough to me." The driver nodded and changed the car's gear from park into drive and we made our way into town. I relaxed my body onto the seat and shifted my gaze towards the window. I took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled it out. It was getting late, and the sun was starting to set. It took less time to get into the town than I had expected. It was a small, quiet town which made it feel even more at home the further we drove into it.

     "Here we are!" The cab came to a halt and the driver switched the gear into park. "Welcome to Flagstaff." As he popped the hood of the trunk open, I stepped out of the car and adjusted my outfit before maneuvering myself to the back of the vehicle to grab my belongings.