The New Millenium

Chapter Five: Easy come, easy go

Days and weeks past as we continue to journey deeper into the unknown, stopping occasionally for food and gas. I had no idea where we were going and I wasn’t convinced Braxton did either.

“Do you know where we are going or are you as confused as I am?” I blurted out almost unaware, must be the bloody hormones.

“Tianna… sweet heart relax I know exactly where we are going” Braxton said reassuringly, but I wasn’t convinced. We finally arrived to a tiny village where a few hotels and shops existed. The place looked like a bore.

“Stay in the car” Braxton said sternly. I decided being pregnant and in a strange village that it was probably the best idea. But I don’t play by the rules.

Braxton entered into a dodgy corner shop, which looked deserted. There were a few cars scattered around the village but not enough to classify this godforsaken place as a town. I waited as long as I could before releasing the door handle, but the car door is locked. Braxton isn’t stupid. A few painful minutes later he appears with a handful of supplies including soap and food staples. He was walking fairly quickly and seemed to look like he was a wanted criminal. As he approaches the car I can see the panic on his face and he quickly enters into the car.

“Seatbelt” he muttered quickly. There was an unnerving urgency with his tone of voice so I rush to put my seatbelt on. A man, possibly in his mid-30’s comes racing out the corner shop with a gun. The man is yelling out at us and swearing at the top of his lungs. I am just frozen. I have never seen this since I was living with my mother. After the official shock I entered reality again, what did Braxton do?

As soon as the car started Braxton took off at the speed of light. Racing through the alleyways of this small town even though no one was chasing us. Why could he be in such a hurry? I start to panic as Braxton hasn’t said a word since he told me to put my seatbelt on, I start to feel nauseous.

“Braxton, could you please drive a little slower. I am starting to feel nauseous” I whimpered as he sped around another corner.

“Sorry love there is no time. Please just trust I am doing the right thing and do not question me!” he said sternly to put me in my place. It’s funny how someone’s tone of voice could make you seem so irrelevant.

It was a quiet trip as we passed each village until sundown. We didn’t slow down until we reached a deserted camping ground interstate. There was no one around and it looked like someplace people tend to avoid and not travel too, maybe that was the point. Braxton parked the car under the tree, refused to answer questions or start a fire. That was even more suspicious.

“Seriously, I feel sick, I am hungry, I am pissed at you and I just want to go to sleep. How is that difficult for you to understand?” I blurted without thinking. He must have seen the immediate regret on my face because he ignored me.  Being the stubborn person I am, I decide to go to sleep before I cause more trouble between us. There wasn’t much of a bed or a tent for that matter. Braxton had managed to find an old swag tent that was tattered and torn for me to sleep in. I began to stumble as the fatigue was getting the better of me, this dodgy old swag is better than nothing. As the night continues, I struggle to sleep. I run every possible thought of what could of happened to the institution through my head. My mind races between the fire, Braxton, my mum and the pregnancy. Nothing is making sense at the moment, not even my thoughts. Every passing minute is a minute I spend awake. Another hour of sleep lost and another opportunity to dream goes with it.

I miss having dreams. Everyone dreams every night of course but I’m talking about the rare dreams that you get. The ones that make you feel amazing, that you can accomplish anything or be anyone. The ones where you fly, defeat evil, marry your dream guy or are the happiest person you have ever been. I miss those dreams.

I woke from what seemed like a minutes dreamless sleep to another day being lost. Braxton was cooking canned food over a smoky fire- at least it was an attempt at breakfast. For the first time, I look into the horizon and see where we are. We are on a mountaintop overlooking amazing terrain and scenery. There are mountains for kilometres but just on the edge of the horizon you can see the coast. I love the beach. The freedom, vitality and openness of the sea appeals to me. The possibilities of what man could achieve in the wide-open sea.

Unfortunately man chose to set up life on land millions of years ago. I wonder if there was an official vote or if one person decided. I would have voted against land and voted for the ocean. Man could live in peace with the seas predators instead of declare war against them. Sea creatures use their instincts to protect their loved ones, which is more than can be said for some humans. Sea creatures protect each other where as when it came down to it; it was every human for themselves. Humans are selfish animals. I believe the biggest liability humans were given is intelligence. Most people take it for granted and obviously somewhere in the past someone very smart took it too far. He must have had no idea the damage he would of caused but thankful for him, he is long dead now. I wonder if he considered the possibility of a cold-blooded massacre of most of the population of Earth or it would of just been another ‘dream’. Well as they still say, easy come easy go.