Stranger Danger

Part 2

"I'm hungry!" Alex whined from the backseat. Kate winced and for a brief instant took her eyes off the road to glance sharply at the rear view mirror where she knew he would see it. This was the eighth time he had complained about being hungry in the past half hour. She knew it. She had, for some weird reason, kept count.

"Alexander Thomas Greyson", she said in a menacingly measured tone, "You had food not ninety minutes ago. You will stop this shit right now, do you understand me?"

The nine year old stared back at his mother. Kate wished she had an extra hand to reach around and smack him.

"Are we clear?" She said again.

"But I'm REALLY hungry..." He insisted on a whinier note, meeting her eyes with an expression more insolent than pleading.

"I swear! Say that to me one more time and I will pull this car over and come back there and tape your mouth shut! I'm not fucking kidding!" She threatened, hoping he wouldn't call her bluff. Or maybe hoping he would. She wasn't so sure anymore.

"No you won't. You're just saying that..."

"TRY ME!" She said menacingly.

"Can I do it?" Jessica asked with half a smile playing on her lips, and finally looking up from her phone in nearly four hours. Kate looked at her fourteen year old now. For a second, she considered green lighting the sibling on sibling act of war. Then she chided herself for being a bad mother.

"No you may not. In fact, keep annoying me and I'll pull over and kick both your asses. And I'll enjoy doing it, so help me God."

"Whatever." Jessica said, "Just trying to help."

"No you're fucking not and you know it. You're just trying to wind him up."

"Yeah..." Alex added in an accusing tone.

Kate opened her mouth to speak again, but stopped herself. What was the point! There was only one thing left to do now. Kill Rebecca. The stupid bitch.

Kate let herself be amused by the thought of exactly how she would do it. For a second, all those gory thoughts of murdering dear old unsuspecting Becky, so perky and full of advice, drowned the annoyances behind her. Granted she was her closest friend and all, but this really was the final straw. The bitch simply had to go.

"Oh why don't you guys make it a road trip then! It will be so much fun! You know, it might be a great bonding opportunity for you guys. You will get to make some great memories. You hardly get quality time with the kids now, what with their school and your work hours. They grow up so fast..."

Rebecca had said smiling, when she heard of Kate's intended visit to see her in laws on the other side of the country. The kids hadn't seen their grandparents in over two years.

Make it a road trip. She had said it smiling. What a bitch. Kate mused.

Of course, she didn't have to listen to her. Why the hell had she listened to her? The truth was that she had been weakened by a moment of naive optimism, listening to her friend go on and on about all the road trips her perfect fucking family had taken.

Fuck it. She had made the decision, and now she had to see this through. The realization that having begun the journey there in their only car, she had to drive back with her offspring as well, almost paralyzed her spirit. All this, all over again. Damn it all.

Kate sighed. She awakened from her inner monologue and looked in the rear view mirror again, observing both her children this time. They didn't see her looking, having resigned for the moment to stare out in defiant silence through their respective windows.

She found herself wishing their dad was still here. Just to lend a hand with the little things, so that she could take a breather. Robert had been a great husband, and he had tried his best to be a good father to Jessica. Alex didn't have much time with him. He had been an infant still when his father had passed away.

Had it been eight years already? Kate sometimes could not believe that she had made it this far since her husband's death. She had been so lost in the beginning. At first, each day had been a struggle. It seemed easier now somehow. His parents had been wonderful to her and the kids. Rob had been their only son. That kind of love had been alien to Kate, who had grown up an orphan. Not one of the lucky ones who got adopted in to loving families, but one of the more unfortunate kids who spent their entire lives very aware of the fact that they had no one. She had left the orphanage, out into the scary world, at the age of eighteen and never looked back.

Meeting Robert had changed her life, and when they started a family she had been anything but suited to the task. She had to learn on the job, which she supposed all mothers and wives did to some extent. His death would have crippled their little family for life, had it not been the love of those few people.

Becky had been there, helping her find a steady job and babysitting the kids and doing various other kind things she needn't have done. Kate felt guilty about wanting to kill her now. She decided to forgive her. Right then, no killing Becky.

"Mom..."

A hesitant nine year old voice summoned her attention. Maybe she could just cripple Becky.