The Drifter

Chapter 13: Back On the Road

The next morning was my last in the motel hallway. After I woke up, I drank some water from my can, brushed my teeth with my overused toothbrush and the last of the toothpaste I currently had, grabbed my bike and walked into the snow-covered street. I had decided it was enough waiting around, and it was time to get back up on my feet. I also decided I wanted to visit Miss Carol and Crystal one last time, but I wasn't sure how I'd explain to them why it'd be the last time I saw them.

Eventually I came up with an excuse and approached their porch. I knocked on the door, and soon enough Crystal opened the door. "Joel? I thought you were leaving," she said quietly. "I am. I just came to say 'bye'." Carol appeared from behind Crystal and opened the door up wider. "Hey, Joel. You need something?" she asked. "Uh... my parents are back, and we are going on vacation. I won't be back for a while, so... I wanted to say goodbye," I said nervously. "Oh. Okay. Where are you going?" she asked. I didn't think I'd get to this question. Or at least I had hoped. "San Francisco," I said off the top of my head. Miss Carol nodded. "That's nice. Well, I appreciate you coming by and telling us. Seems everyone is leaving me," she joked. "Crystal will be graduating soon and going to college." I smiled and slid on my beanie. "Well, I should be going. It was nice to meet you," I said. "You, too," she said back, then she disappeared into her home. "Thanks for the lighter," I whispered to Crystal, who was still in the doorway.

I wanted to ask how she got it, but I figured to respect her wishes and didn't ask. Ah, who am I kidding? It wasn't any of my business. Crystal waved goodbye as I approached my bike and began to push it through the snow. I turned and started toward the edge of town, and I figured I'd go to the town a few miles away. No reason why, just my next stop. Soon I approached the ridgeline that marked the end of the town, and I spun around for one last, quick look. And then, I set off into the snowy street.

As I strode down the street on my bike, I pictured what was ahead of me. What would I encounter next? I also thought about, as usual, my life before all this. All the things I used to love before this, and hate, like fishing. I used to enjoy things like roasting marshmallows over a fire, or having fun with my dad, or reading comic books. I had always loved comic books. Especially the older ones with the flatter, two-dimensional art style and vibrant colors. I used to have a pretty impressive collection of comic books, too. I loved to collect them any chance I got, especially on Free Comic Book Day. I had around three hundred by the time my parents died, and then my uncle ended up selling them away for some money that I didn't even get any of.

Anyways, I continued down the street and saw the sign that said Now Leaving that town. I looked up to see the sky was beginning to grow dark, so I parked my bike in a ditch and found a nice, small patchy spot in the woods. I reached into my bag for my lighter and put together some sticks. I had nothing natural for a fire starter except my clothes, so I pulled out some cotton balls from my medical aid kit and used them instead for tinder. Then, I used my convenient gift of a lighter and rubbed my hands together as a bright flame lit up my small area. In the light I could see my current T-shirt had a large hole at the bottom, so it wouldn't be long before I needed new clothes.

That morning, I was energized for whatever reason, so I drank some water from my now refilled bottle and approached my bike. I pushed it out of the ditch, dropped my backpack into the basket, and set out down the road. Soon my legs got tired, so I took a small break and pulled out my journal for today's entry. Once my legs were ready to go again, I took a chocolate bar from my bag, ate it, and continued to pedal down the sleek road carefully.

Eventually I came up to a fork in the road. I saw no street signs, so I pulled out my now worn map and checked it to see which way to go. I realized it was the path to the right, so I put up my map and turned to the right. Eventually I came up to the town and parked my bike in an alleyway outside of a restaurant. I went inside and spent the last of my money on the cheapest item on the menu, a burrito. After I was done, I realized I had no tip, so I left an apology note on the table and left. I had no emergency cash hid away left, no pocket change, nothing except a few quarters.