Passion

Chapter 2

Ellie woke up facing the cloudless sky with the afternoon sun shining in her eyes. All the bright colors caused her to groan and roll over as far as the seatbelt would allow her. This amounted to facing the cars roof.

"So how are you feeling now?" the stranger asked.

Ellie looked at the roof with squinted eyes in an attempt to adjust to the light. "Still no urges to jump out of the car," she commented, turning her head to face him.

Ellie looked around and noticed that they were parked in a rest area full of travelers and their pets. There was a large building with a lobby inside, and a concrete patio in front that was full of benches. The rest of the area was rocks and sand with a few paths running over it.

The stranger had his seat pulled back to where he was lying down. He had both hands under his head, using them as a pillow, His legs were bent and his knees where propped up against the steering wheel.

His eyes were closed as he spoke. "Waking up in a resting area with a stranger isn't worrisome?"

Ellie looked out of the window and blinked a few times as she looked at two little girls running after their hyperactive yorkie. "Ever heard of the stages of loss?"

"You didn't lose anything." he cut in.

"The first stage is denial," she continued, "and I'm in denial."

"Did you happen to lose your brain?"

"So now you’re a funny guy." Ellie laughed, quickly wincing when her head pounded, causing red dots to jump before her eyes. "But why do you expect me to be worried? If you were going to do something, I doubt you would have waited this long." she waved a hand towards the window.

In truth Ellie really wasn't afraid; worried? Maybe, but if anything this guy would be giving her a free road trip. And cute guys are never bad; they just end up making a few bad choices... In the movies.

"How's your head." he said, dragging her out of her thoughts.

"I'm alive, so I'm sure I'll survive," Ellie said, grabbing the hem of her shirt and pulling it up so she could see her stomach. "I'm just worried about my tummy." When she bent over to look at her abdomen all that seemed out of place was a thin white line that stretched completely across her skin. She clicked her tongue in annoyance. "You have a little explaining to do."

He sighed. "Just in case you’re curious; although I doubt it, my name's Danny."

"Ellie," she said thoughtlessly, "So what’s going on?"

"What happened yesterday?"

Ellie tried to ignore the stab of pain that began when she remembered the earlier day. “I was shanked," she pointed at the scar. "And it hurt."

He released a sigh of frustration, "What did she say?" he urged.

"She told me that…that...” she stopped when her train of thought slipped. “That I…” she attempted again in vain.

Danny opened his eyes, revealing black orbs. He lowered his legs, lifting the lever to make the seat straighten. When he was comfortably adjusted, he started the car. "This isn't good."

"What isn't?" Ellie's eyes widened when her thoughts cleared.

He put the gear in reverse and sped out of the area, spinning the car roughly before changing to drive and accelerating down the road. He reached the empty highway and began to speed down it. The dry land stretched for miles around them, Foot Mountains containing the only vegetation.

Ellie chuckled and looked out the car, observing its body through the rearview mirror. Black tundra? Typical."

Danny didn't reply to any of her comments, he was too intent on searching for the right exit. Ellie rested her head on the seat, enjoying the powerful hum of the car. She fingered the seat seductively.