Rage, Love, Lust

Journey

Her eyes lazily fluttered open, her sleep interrupted by the bumps of the road. She had her eyes fully open. She got up and adjusted herself so that she wasn't slouching in the seat.

"Have a good sleep?" The familiar deep, raspy voice of Joel greeted her awakening. She turned to him with tired and squinting eyes.
"Yeah. Yeah it was alright." She put her arms out, stretching her back. She looked through the window and up at the sky. The subtle but gleaming stars covering the dark sky.

"We'll find a place for tonight then head back out in the morning." He spoke while keeping his eyes on the road.
She turned back to him. "Aren't we almost there?" She questioned him.
"Yeah. Almost." He let out a half laugh. "Must've miscalculated the distance. Or we're just lost." He joked a little, being half serious. She let out a small giggle.
"I trust your instincts." She joked with him, smiling. Until her thoughts started rushing. The smile slowly turning into an emotionless pair of lips.

He gave her a quick glance, noticing her swift change of expression.
"You alright?"
His words made her snap out of it. She turned to him and let out a heavy breath.
"Yeah. Its just-" She rubbed her eyes as her mind started adjusting due to her sleep. "My mind takes a while to get in the moment after I sleep, you know?" She laughed a little. "I keep forgetting that everything's gone to shit for a few minutes." She slumps back down into her seat and twiddles her thumbs.

He nodded and let out a hum in agreement.
"Yep. Best time of the day. You forget about everything bad." She didnt reply, instead she stayed silent, knowing this was true. So so true.
"You think you're about to wake up and start a brand new, normal day. Go see your parents. Your family." His voice got quieter with a lump in his throat. "Your kids."

Her head turned towards his. He had his eyes on the load but she could see his lip quivering. Her hand twitched at the thought of touching his, debating whether or not she should comfort him or leave him with his thoughts, but she knew which one she would prefer.

She lifted her hand and placed it on his while it was on the steering wheel.
"I know." She nodded while staring at their hands. "Id do anything just for it to be normal again." He looked at her and gave a half smile.
"Just to see everyone again just once more." She removed the hand and rubbed her eyes.
"Its weird, isnt it?"
"What?" He asked her.
"You'd think after all this time, what, a year? That we'd be used to it by now." She sighed. "The loneliness, nature taking over... all that shit." She shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. "But no."

Joel stayed silent. He knew she was right.
"Do you think we'll ever get used to it?" She turned to him, asking with genuine curiosity.
"Maybe eventually." He shrugged. "Maybe one day you'll wake up and you won't have those moments anymore. The moments where you forget." He speaks in a sad, low tone without taking his eyes off of the road.

Eleanore faces the road again, pondering about the future. By now, most people had given up on the idea that someone would be there to have them one day. Over a decade in, who would still be trying to come up with some sort of cure?

After a while of neither of them talking, Joel broke the silence.
"There." He pointed to a sign on the side of the road that read 'JACKSON: 20 MILES'.

A smile appeared on his face, just as a smile appeared on Eleanore's.

"Oh thank God." She spoke with a huge smile.
"Just hope we make it there in time." He pointed to the flashing symbol that represents low fuel.
"Shit." Her smile fades a little. "It's fine, either way we're almost there." She slumps back in her seat and kicks her legs up on the dashboard.
"At least we know we aren't lost, huh." She giggles a little at his joke.

She ponders about how he's already opened up a little more. Maybe the conversation about their families was what they needed. She didn't particularly like Joel, but she could put up with him. Not like before. At least he had finally eased up on her, for now.