Disastrous

Chapter 1: An intricate Beginning

The truck came to a halting stop as it pulled into the garage. Bo and I looked at each other, unsure of what to do when whoever was driving stepped out. The door open and we audibly took a deep breath and held it.

The first thing we saw, was a set of long slender legs, then as the door closed, she was revealed. I didnt think it was possible to hold any more air in my lungs, but I gasped. She had bright auburn hair, a more-than-average looking body, but her face was different. As she walked towards us, it was apparent that she had a big scar down the side of her face. I was a little confused, and a lot interested in this very different individual.

"Hello there boys, I dont suppose you know how to fix this, do you?" Even her voice was different. She sounded old, as if she had lived way longer than her actual existence. Bo and I glanced back and forth, between her and each other. He made a small nod towards me and I shook my head subtly. He glared at me and I let out the air I had been holding in.

"This is the town garage, so Im sure we can do something for you." I let out, with a little, tense smile. Unexpectedly, she beamed at me. Her teeth were as white as the painted picket fence in front of the town library. "Do you have any idea what is wrong with it?" I asked.

"The braking system will not work, and it was making that god-awful noise, I am quite sure you had to have heard it." She spoke slowly, as if she was tasting and testing every word that she let out. I nodded, but Bo interjected before I could tell her we had indeed heard it, and the whole town as well.

"Well, Ma'am, sounds like your uh-brakes blew out on ya. We can fix that uh-no problem."

"Good, I do not mean to be any trouble, how long do you think it will take? "

"We have uh-lot of projects going on in our shop right now Ma'am." Bo told her, genuinely. We did too, nothing that came in ever got finished. "But, we can uh-try to get it done as soon as its uh-possible." Bos stuttering voice continued. The woman looked displeased but nodded courteously. "Why don't ya take 'er to get the paperwork." I waved my hand for the woman to follow and I walked myself into the office space in the garage.

"I recommend getting a room in Miss Ann's Motel," I pulled out the paperwork and handed it to her. "its a good place for livin'." I looked up at her from the desk chair and found her studying my face. She seemed so careful, calculated, which did not make any sense to the danger she had put herself in when driving the truck. I felt a quick sense of insecurity as she looked me over. It was as if she knew just by looking at me, exactly who I was.

"I do not plan on staying in this town very long." The way she paused before saying town made it obvious she hated where she was already, and it was even more obvious when she gave me a pointed look. It all but screamed you better finish my damn truck quickly or else. I nodded, quickly looking away from her scarred face, turning to our computer. Bo had gotten the computer from the junkyard when he first added the office to the garage. He hadn't wanted to, but he was convinced once the paperwork for his Benz got covered in oil one afternoon.

"I just need your name for the records ma'am." I kept my head down, feeling her persistent gaze.

"Estelle McKinley." The hair on the back of my neck stood up as she told me. I had heard that name somewhere before. Where I had was the question. "Is there a problem?" She asked, and I quickly shook my head, realizing I had been blankly staring at the screen in front of me. I entered her name into the database and printed out the tag card we needed to put on our pin board. "I will be going into town now to see about the motel you recommended. Can I swing by around 8?" She inquired as she slid the completed paperwork across the counter.

"Yes ma'am, here is a key to your rental." I placed the key in her palm. I forced another quick smile, and she returned it with a skeptical one of her own. She turned to walk out, her movements were graceful, confident even, but she walked slowly, as if she was savoring every step she took. Finally, as she closed the door, the tension in the air subsided. The encounter left me exhausted and wondering why her presence made me so damn uneasy.