Sleeping At The Wheel

This Car Was Made For Cruising

CHAPTER 1

Juniper's Point of View

You don't have to read my mind, to know what I have in mind
Honey you oughta know
Now you move so fine, let me lay it on the line
I wanna know what you're doin' after the show

The engine roared as I cruised down the road and belted out the lyrics to 'Hot Blooded'. I rolled down the window, letting the wind blow my hair in all directions, and for that small amount of time, I felt invincible. I was free in that moment, free to feel alive.

But the moment quickly passed. Before I knew it the song was over and I found myself rolling the window up again, taming my tangled hair with one hand.

I was headed to New York all the way from Indiana with a possible lead on a case. Empty stretches of endless roads have gotten me about halfway there, but I still had a long way to go.

And the worst part was that I would be worrying the entire way. My sister, Jade, lived in New York. She worked as a policewoman in Manhatten, and had done so almost as long as I had been a hunter.

It had been almost two years since I had talked to Jade. She calls all the time, but I never answer. I can't bring myself to, especially now. Two years ago, the last time I saw her, she had wanted an explanation for my previous disappearances. How was I supposed to answer her? She had no knowledge of my hunting life, and it wasn't like I could throw that on her and then leave her to worry.

To be honest, I'm surprised she hasn't assumed I'm dead. Two years of complete silence from me, and Jade still assumes that I'm totally fine. I'm honestly worried about proving her right. If she catches wind of me, and I'm almost positive she will, I'll never get a chance to lie about where I've been. She'll be talking enough for the both of us. Which might actually be a good thing for once...

I couldn't totally blame her. Jade was my older sister. She had spent her entire life watching me grow up, helping me through hard times, and just watching over me in general. Then, as soon as I turned 19, I jumped up and ran off to become a full fledged hunter. I left her in the dust without giving her a reason why, because I figured it would be easier.

I glanced down at my phone, which was lying in my lap. She hadn't called yet today, but she was probably home now, ready to pick up the phone and dial my number. I was wondering if it would be better to finally answer a call and let her know I'd be coming through, or if I should just try to finish the case without seeing her.

My headlights cast beams of light over the pavement ahead of me, stabbing through the darkness. I had been so lost in my thoughts that I forgot how late it was getting, how tired I was. I grabbed the road map lying in the passengers seat and pulled over to figure out where exactly I was.

I figured a cheap motel with crappy, uncomfortable beds and the smell of cigarette smoke hanging in the air would show up soon. With that hope in mind, I folded up my map and tossed it, along with my phone, into the passengers seat and pulled back onto the road.

And, just for the hell of it, I decided to listen to 'Hot Blooded' yet again.

Well, I'm hot blooded, check it and see
I got a fever of a hundred and three
Come on baby, do you do more than dance?
I'm hot blooded, I'm hot blooded

~~~~

I dragged myself into my motel room for the night, my duffle bag thrown over one shoulder. The room was small, but I didn't care, as long as I could move around a little. My duffel bag was tossed into a chair in the corner, and I collapsed onto the bed.