Red Roses

Chapter 25- Places

Molly had been walking for a while now. To Molly's luck, there was a sidewalk that followed the entire road.

She was exhausted. She hadn't taken one break yet. All she needed was a taxi! Or a phone! Was that so hard?

She had the urge to cry again but forced the tears not to fall. She was too busy thinking, that she did not realize she was walking right past a row of stores. Maybe one of them would let her use the phone?

She stepped into a random one and shivered- it was freezing!

She glanced around the store and found rows and rows of clothing that looked like stuff old people would wear. An older lady soon made her way over to Molly.

"May I help you?"

"Um...I was wondering if I could use your store phone."

The woman looked her over before smiling. "I'll ask the manager." She led Molly to the checkout, "and you wait right here."

Molly nodded and watched her step into a back room.

A man soon walked out of the same room. He smiled at Molly and scooted the phone she hadn't even noticed over to her. "There yah go."

"Thank you." Molly had her hands at the dials before she realized she had no idea what numbers to punch. She still didn't know where she was either.

She looked over at the two, who were already looking at her with worried faces. "Uh...do you possibly have a phone book?"

The manager hesitated. "No, but next door does."

"Ah, thank you!" Molly ran out of the nice little store and walked over to the next one.

The door was hidden by a picture of a half naked lady covered in tattoos. She crinkled her nose and walked inside.

She then gasped. There were tons of people covered in tattoos and piercings. She counted three that were holding shot guns out in the open and six smoking. Inside!

She slowly made her way over to the front desk. The girl didn't pay any attention to her. She was looking at a magazine and held a cigarette between her teeth.

"Umm..." Molly spoke up quietly.

The girl continued to stare down. Molly leaned over the counter to be closer to her.

"I was told you have a phone and a phonebook."

She still did not even glance at Molly. Molly just leaned back from the counter when another man walked up next to her. He banged on the counter, causing even Molly to jump.

"Marie!"

She glanced up at him and blew the smoke from her cigarette at him and stuck it back in her mouth then returned her focus back to the magazine.

Molly looked back to the man. He had brown shaved hair and tattoos up and down both arms. He looked to be about twenty eight and was a tad chubby.

"Dammit, Marie!" He leaned across the counter and grabbed the colar of her shirt and pulled her close. She didn't expect this, and the cigarette went flying out of her mouth and she gasped at him. "Listen, I have been nice enough. You need to do your damn job or I'll tell Phil! You understand me?"

She only grumbled and knocked his hand off of her.

He glared at her before walking away. Molly wish he had stayed.

The girl finally looked at Molly then smirked after looking her over. "What you here for?"

"A-"

"Tattoo? Awh, you wanna get a little pink butterfly?" The girl laughed.

Molly glared at her. "No. I don't want a tattoo. I want a phone and a phonebook."

The girl pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Who you gonna call? Mommy?" She chuckled.

Molly wanted to hit her so hard but decided that was a bad idea. "Please, can I just use it?"

The girl rolled her eyes but placed a phone in front of Molly followed by a phonebook.

"Thank you."

She gasped when she read what the title of the book said. It read: Virgina Phonebook.

She was in Virgina?! Wow.

She flipped through the phonebook for a taxi number. She eventually found one and dialed it. The driver said he needed to make one more stop then he'd be there for her.

She gave the phone and book back to the rude and obnoxious lady and thanked her then quickly hurried out of the place.

She found a bench outside and waited.

She must have dozed off there considering she woke up to a car horn. It was honking lightly and when Molly finally woke, she noticed the noise was coming from a yellow car in front of her. Her taxi!

She jumped up and ran over to the car, climbing in.

There was a redhead man in the front, smiling back at her. He didn't seem to be angry that she had fallen asleep and had made him wait.

"I'm sorry, I must have dozed off on that bench," Molly said with a chuckle.

"It's quite alright; no worries. I was just nervous you weren't the right person! Where would you like to go, ma'am?"

"Well. I'm trying to get to Kentucky. And I know that is a long ways from here. Isn't West Virgina close?"

He paused before nodding. "That's fine. I am on duty for five more hours, so I can take you to West Virgina."

Molly beamed. "Thanks so much."

He smiled and took off.