The Roadtrip

five

Ring!

A phone began blaring at the highest volume. Wiping the blood off his face he reached for the phone in his pocket. Answering it he put it up against his ear. The screen was cracked and it looked damaged, he must have dropped it while we were trying to escape. "Fuck," he cursed. His blood making it harder for him to hold onto his phone. It kept ringing. One hand still on the wheel as we drove down the empty road. He finally answered it putting it up against his ear. "What? I can't hear you," He said. "Wait-get my lighter," He said addressing me. I was still crying. "I still can't hear you I have to put you on speaker," He said. "Get my lighter Maria!" He demanded. I stayed still with tears running down my face. "Hello? Can you hear me? Who is that?" A feminine voice carried through the phone. "Hold on-shut the fuck up and get the lighter!" He yelled. I jumped from my seat, reached for it the cup holder and picked it up, with my tied up hands. He placed another brown cigarette in his mouth and stuck it out with his lips after placing the phone on his lap. I lit it for him.

Taking a puff wiped more blood dripping down his face. "I can hear you, whats up?" He said. "Um, me and Jax were wondering when you'd be back. I thought you said it wouldn't be long," The voice spoke again. It sounded young. "Soon," He said looking over at me. "Maybe another week," He said. "Will! Thats to long! I don't want to be here by myself anymore," The girl whined.

Will. That was his name.

"Your gonna have to. Don't call me again. I already told you I'd call you. Its only another week," He said. He ended the call running his hands through his hair pulling it out of his face. Rolling down the window he blew another puff out.

Will then took the cigarette from his mouth and pointed it at my lips, offering me some. I only stared at it. The heavy smoke was stinging my eyes.

Eventually he pulled it back when I didn't smoke it.

"Dont look so terrified. We're not dead are we?" He said. I was shaking.

—

He had been driving all night. It was dawn and the layout still hadn't changed. We must have been somewhere at the edge of northern Texas by now. I could tell with all the open road.

In the distance was a sign indicating a small town near by. As we drove closer a gas station appeared in the distance. I hadn't slept either. How could I? If I had dared shut my eyes who would make sure he didn't kill us? He turned the wheel pulling into the rickety gas station in the middle of nowhere. Only two other cars were parked in the lot. He parked the car in front of a pump and got out heading towards the bathroom. I wondered if he was crazy. He was covered in dry blood strolling casually across the lot.

I sat in the car, my wrists were raw from the tape and I felt sticky from all the sweating due to the adrenaline. I turned my head.

Tucson Oil

The sign was huge like a super 8 motel sign. And it was really rusty. To be honest, the whole place looked abandoned. I shifted in my seat, fuck it was getting hot. It was 5:30 am and already hot.

I heard a door swing open. There he was, shirtless. It looked like he might have taken a small sink shower. His hair was wet and so was his chest. The water glistened on his sculpted chest and he carried the t-shirt he had been wearing around his neck. His face was free of blood but the small red scar did remain on his forehead. He sit on the curb and lit the same brown cigarette he was smoking the night before, I guess he hadn't finished it.

I watched and waited.

He lifted his head and looked my way. Could he see me watching. He took a puff and smirked a little bit. He definitely could. When he was finished he walked into the gas station and came out a few minutes later holding a bag and a pair of sunglasses. He approached the car strutting across the lot. I could see that he had prepaid on the screen of the pump.

He filled up the car then sat back into the driver seat. Pulling off the lot we were back on the road. This time he rolled the windows down and turned the radio up.

"I just robbed a lil nigga, and took that nigga bitch

I just robbed a lil nigga, and took that nigga bitch"

I rolled my eyes. His arm hung out on the open window. "Pass me a lollipop," He said. "In the plastic bag," He said. I reached down to were he had sat it in front of me. Struggled to pull it out with my hands tied together. I opened it and stuck out a red lollipop. "Open it," He said. I pulled the plastic off. He opened his mouth, I placed it in.

"Get me the red bull," He said. I reached down to get and then I opened it. He took it from my hands and started chugging it. He put the can in a cup holder and reached out to pat me on my head. "So you do know how to listen," He said letting the arm slide down onto my shoulder. "Cause it didn't seem so last night when you were yelling help" He said briefly looking over. "Didn't I tell you what would happen if you tried some stupid shit?" He said as his fingers explored the nape of my neck.

"You didn't listen last night because you wanted the cops to catch us, is that right? You wanted to get caught, me to get caught, thats why you weren't doing what I told you to do. I could fucking kill you right now. I should kill you right now," He said.

Despite his venomous words his tone was calm. Almost breezy, like the idea of my lifeless body truly wasn't something that would bother him. His hand was also gentle, it trailed down my back slowly resting there.

I looked out the window trying to avoid his words, he didn't like that. The hand on my back quickly sprung forward to grab my jaw and swivel my head towards him. "I'm fucking talking to you. Look at me when I fucking speak to you," There it was. The anger he was keeping at bay crawled out, the other hand was now gripping the wheel harder.

"Please," I begged. "Don't kill me," I pleaded. He clenched his jaw. "If I wanted you to beg for your life I would have asked you to do so. Shut the fuck up, you sound pathetic," He said. "I'm loosing my patience with you. Do not ever try to get me caught again because I promise you that before any cop, security officer, or fucking nosy pedestrian you try to flag down for help isn't gonna get to you before I put a fucking bullet in your head, did you get that Maria?" He said.

I nodded unable to speak.

He brought his fist down the the dashboard with a lot of power forcing me to jump. "I said did you get that," He uttered.

"Y-Yes! Y-Y-Yes! I won't try anything!" I sobbed.

"P-Please don't kill me!" I cried so hard. I sobbed loudly. "P-Please!" I continued crying so hard I started coughing. It just kept coming. The tears just flowed out of me. The stress was overwhelming every fibre of my being.

He sighed and put his hand on my cheek. Using his thumb he wiped away my tears.