Our Sick Inheritance (editing)

Ch 108 (jake)- Wicked Way to Make Your Mark

The smell of skunk was overwhelming. Jake opened all the windows and turned on his heater so he didn't freeze to death. Even after he got his car washed the strong disgusting smell didn't go away. If anything, it seemed even stronger than ever especially when he had his heater on or drove faster so he turned his heater off and tried to huddle even deeper in his jacket. Even keeping the window open or not was no longer working and Jake started to get a headache so he shut them. He had driven for an hour and just couldn't get rid of the stink. Jake stopped at gas station to fill up, get caffeine pills, and a few energy drinks to keep him awake on the long drive.

A blue car came into focus as he stared at it across the lot while he tried to see who was behind the wheel. From the description Brittany gave, he was sure in assuming Anna was in that car. The stop was good enough to have a chance to spot Anna but the smell was offending everyone besides himself. He had already gotten wicked looks from people inside the store because the clothes he was wearing had absorbed the fumes of skunk from his truck. But even outside, nobody bothered to park next to his truck in the busy lot.

After talking to his father this morning, Jake felt less secure than he had already. Before pulling out into road Jake decided to leave another message for his sister and he dialed Stacy's number. It went directly to message.

"Stacy don't worry. I hope you're ok. We love you. I love you. Everyone is thinking about you and we are going to try to find you. Just hang in there. I love you, bye Sis."

The drive through the coffee booth was an experience Jake was getting used to as the offended expressions on people's faces told the truth. Trying to hurry, Jake ordered extra shots to a hot coffee that already had an abundant amount of caffeine in it. The two girls working the booth objected to the smell as they made his coffee quickly. He apologized several times and tipped them twice the amount he normally did.

After swallowing a caffeine pill Jake got back on the road and headed home. His stomach was clenching but he could only take a few bites from one of the pastries that were in the bag. Even though the snow was thick, the roads were clear and wet. He imagined that skunk fumes were coated to his windshield because he'd hated to think the film of piss filth was layering eyes creating the blurry vision. It only felt dangerous because the roads were busy with people heading to work and there was no room for accidents.

Jake saw through his rearview mirror that the blue car had followed a few cars behind him each place he went to so he was positive it was Anna. If it had been any other week he would have been able to stay a few days at Brittany's then head to school like every normal trip he had taken. He couldn't believe how abnormal this trip was to his routine and his life. Jake wondered if Anna would have hung around the whole time causing trouble or if she would have headed home since she was supposed to go to her island the coming weekend. Jake knew when he ignored her first message it was going to make her even angrier. On one hand, he couldn't blame her for being mad, because he misled her by not telling her the truth, but for her to follow him was out of the ordinary situation.

An hour after being on the busy freeway, he was on a road that was nestled by red rolling mountains and lack of communities. There weren't as many people on the road as they had turned off towards their destinations. He shared the road mostly with truckers and travelers. Jake tried to focus on the breathtaking scenery, but he couldn't enjoy it because of the pounding of his head from the smell. He felt punished and he couldn't keep his mind distracted from worrying about Stacy or fearing Anna.

In one week, his whole world had turned upside down. Jake had gone through his coffee and energy drink. His hands shook on the steering wheel, partly from the caffeine, partly from his nerves being tight. The cold air rushing through his window helped keep him awake. Since he put on his ski jacket and gloves, he stayed warm.