The god complex (Book one of The Devil's Daughter trilogy)

Chapter thirty.

She sleeps and sleeps, and then sleeps some more until I think she stops breathing but then she coughs and sputters then sleeps some more. I drive all day until we cross the state border and head into Arkansas, and she still sleeps, probably catching up on all those days she missed by being possessed by her demon. I drive for four hours and fifty minutes and she still sleeps, some drool spilling from her mouth. I pull over to the nearest rest stop and leave the car running with her inside, it shouldn't take too long. I just have to pee but just to be safe I lock the door behind me because the sun is setting and a girl like her shouldn't be locked away at night. I walk toward the men's room and enter, shutting the door behind me. I stalk toward the urinal and as I'm pulling my zipper down the car alarm starts to go off. I zip up my pants and dash toward the car. The windows are already bashed out from New Mexico and the radio gone but so is Fire. I turn in all directions to look for her I even leave the car unlocked and unattended to find her. We just got away from Dallas, we're running out of days to find her mother.

"FIRE! FIRE! WHERE ARE YOU?!" I scream out into the open air searching for her but I don't get an answer. I return to the car defeated wondering what could have taken her, when I see her strolling back to the car with an ice cream sandwich in hand.

"Why are you screaming? I had to take a piss. I also had a killer headache and needed some sugar, I swiped one for you too, here." She stretches out her hand with the ice cream in it to me, I look her in the eye and snatch it out of her hand, angry.

"I thought something had happened to you."

"It already did duh," she points to her bandaged shoulder with the stitches closing and reenters the car. I follow behind her and sit in the driving seat but as I eat my ice cream, I start feeling tired and sick. "Do you need me to drive?" I nod and step out of the seat and walk around the car barely keeping my eyes open. "Sit in the back okay? Just in case you puke, you know." I nod and get in the back and flop on the seats. My head hits the cold seats and I feel my dizziness subside but I eat my sandwich in peace and let her drive.

"Thanks." I say in between bites of the chocolate and vanilla goodness but feel my eyes grow heavy as she revs the engine and starts to back the car up when my bubbling stomach makes me groan in discomfort. "WAIT!"

"WHAT?!"

"Stop. Don't go anywhere. Hold this." I hand over my sandwich and exit the car, clenching my butt and running toward the restroom.

I watch him waddle away with his butt cheeks clenched and I cackle the whole time as he sprints toward the bathroom. I know I shouldn't have gotten him the ice cream, him being a die hard lactose intolerant and everything. I didn't even think of it until I bit into the ice cream and it wasn't frozen yogurt. I watch for his return and the clock, timing him until he gets back. It's been fifteen minutes when I turn the car off and close the door behind me to go and check on him. He walks out of the restroom as I'm crossing the small hill separating the restrooms and the parking lot. I watch as he comes about ten feet out of the door then turns right back around and back into the restroom. I turn too and head back toward the car when I hear the sound of laughter.

It makes me stop in my tracks and turn toward the sound. I find a young girl with light hair and an older one with dark hair, swinging on a playground set aside for picnics. I watch the two play and laugh and feel and ache in my chest as they run and jump with happiness. The older one chases the younger one until one of them trips and starts to cry. I see the mother swoop in and gracefully yank up the young one and scold the older one. The mother wipes away the younger one's tears choosing to ignore the older one who has decided to depart with tears in her own eyes.