No One Knows

The Road Ahead

The rest of that day flew by in a daze. Lauren made a long trip to a nearby town, ducking her head when she heard a police car, which tended to be her innate sense of paranoia playing tricks on her. The emergency money she had picked up was not what she had expected. Assuming she would have picked about $10, it turned out to be a roll of $20 bills wrapped in a $1 bill. Clever, Lauren thought to herself. She decided on a whole new array of clothes and supplies, she didn't know how long she'd be on the run for, so it didn't hurt to prepare for the worst. She acquired a new wardrobe, matches, food packs, phone credit, whistle and torch, the lot. Making her way back to the motel, she was driving carefully and calmly, almost completely at ease with the mist that surrounded her. She had a feeling that it should unsettle her in some way, but she couldn't remember why.... Like a peculiar sense of déjà vu had overcome her. She would have reacted had she known that someone was watching her.

She parked in the hotel car park, and dragged her belongings back into her room. Cramming everything she now owned into a large duffel bag, it was portable, and had the space for the things she needed. Gathering her things, she headed to the reception and checked out; the sugar coated woman had been replaced by a drunken old man who hated his life. As opposed to thanking her for her stay, she was asked which brothel she worked for. She rolled her eyes and headed to her car. Throwing the bag absently into the back seat, she probably underestimated how heavy it was. With a loud thud, everything blew out of her bag and onto the floor of her car.

"Ugh! Why me? Just... why? Was there any need at all..." she continued her blasphemous thoughts under her breath, and pulled a smaller bag from the floor, and started cramming the bare essentials into that instead. Thankfully it fit, with just a little room to spare. Climbing once again into the front seat, she grabbed her key from behind the stereo, and slid it into the lock. The one thing that Lauren was happy to spend money on was her car. Her somewhat expensive mother and father had made Lauren buy her own car, but its maintenance was down to them. Her car always started on the first rev, it's perfectly updated and tuned engine was of the highest quality. Well, as high as it could be for such an ancient machine. However, once turning the key, Lauren was met with the sound of....nothing. Not even an attempt at an engine start. Her key felt strangely loose in the lock. She sat back in the comfortable bucket seat, confused. Taking an emergency tool kit out of the glove box, she deftly removed the whole instrument binnacle in the manner of a person who knows what they're doing. Her father was a mechanic, a real grease monkey. She could take apart a whole engine, clean it, and then put it back together. It was the same with car and bike engines, it was something she was quite proud of, but not many people knew that about her. Examining the whole mechanism, she very quickly realised that the key barrel was missing, so when she slid her key in, it wasn't sliding into anything so to speak. Groaning at the realization that her beloved car had been maimed, she put everything back in its place and banged her head on the wheel.

"Having trouble are we?"

Lauren sat bolt upright. That voice. She knew it. Looking out of her window, she met the face behind the beautiful voice she had so recently been introduced too.

"Alec! I...er ....thought you were leaving?"

"I'm just about too. Seems you're having a bit of trouble with your car, I noticed the non existence of the key barrel, am I right?"

"Yes! Oh someone has looted my car!" she wailed, secretly relishing his own knowledge of automobiles.

"Well, I'd hate to leave my new best friend stranded in the middle of nowhere, do you fancy a lift? I know you're heading to Florida, but if you want to go nowhere in particular first, you know, if you just want to get away I'd be happy to oblige" he seemed confident when he said it, but an adorable degree of bashfulness was evident in his voice.

"Are you sure? I mean I'm very flattered, but we've only just met, so I'd hate to act like I'm imposing....How old are you anyway?" she finished guiltily, hanging her head in shame.

"Of course not! And just turned 17 last month" he said with a slow smile. Those were the dangerous kind. The kind that made you melt on the inside.

"Well... if you say so. "

"Great! Chuck me your bag will you?"

She handed her bag to him carefully, feeling very reckless to be accepting such an invitation. What was she doing? She didn't care. She was desperate. He handed her a sack, about the size of her head, probably a little bigger. It didn't weight much, but it felt solid in her hand.

"Are you gonna out it on? Or just hold it?" Alec was looking at her strangely, but there was a twinkle in his eye. She examined the sack, and then opened it. Her stomach dropped. Plunging her hand into the bag, her fears were confirmed when she brought out a matt black, full head motorbike helmet. The van that she originally thought they were heading to reversed and pulled out of the park. Behind it, sat an enormous, bulky, masculine, and shiny looking 2010 Triumph Rocket III Roadster. It was absolutely beautiful. A grease monkey such as Lauren could truly appreciate it. The brutish piece of machinery, with an equally brutish 2294cc engine, 43mm dual inverted forks and Kabaya shocks, and brand new Brembo brakes, was simply breathtaking. I'm sure your thinking, "a bike? Beautiful? Per-lease." Let me tell you, if you've seen one, don't tell me you didn't gasp. I'd know you were a liar.

"You ridden before?"

No she hadn't. She was a machinery enthusiast, and as much as she loved driving, the prospect of having no walls around her when going at least 60mpn didn't enthral her as much as it should have.

"C'mon! You're not scared are you? You can hold on tight as you want, doesn't bother me" he added with a wink.

"You sure it's safe?" she asked, trying to keep the shake out of her voice, not quite sure if she had succeeded or not.

"Of course it is, I won't let anything happen to you" he met her gaze at this line, only making Lauren feel as safe as she could be. Then, unexpectedly, there was a little jolt in her chest. Her bag had been strapped to the back of the bike, and he put her helmet on, wondering If her DKNY jeans would be enough to shield her from the tarmac underneath should the worst happen. She scolded herself for even thinking they would. Her father had taught her about road safety, practically drilled it into her before he let her anywhere near his workshop. Mounting the metal monster, she wrapped her arms around Alec, and laid her head on his back, not only to make herself more secure, but being so close to him made her warm inside.

The roar of the engine overwhelmed Lauren. It growled and snarled, bellowing for tarmac to spin its wheels on. They made a right at the car park exit, heading the complete opposite way to which she had come, plunging into the unknown, nervous of the road ahead.