Destination 1974

Chapter 32

| Auld Lang Syne |

~***~

"So, this is the place?" Clyde asks as we pull into the deserted Motel. The same place we started out at the very beginning. If only he never caught me here, we wouldn't be in this position. I look over at him, and my smile falters. I wouldn't change it for anything in the world, but him...I'm not so sure he feels the same.

We walk out of his truck, slamming the doors shut behind us. We have everything we need, but when we approach the door, it feels like we're not prepared enough. I gulp and knock on the door, and it opens as I hit it on my first knock. Clyde shares a look with me before we pull out our guns and ease our way into the room. Then we freeze, lowering our guns when we see a little boy is sound asleep in the bed.

"Shh, you'll wake him, and we wouldn't want that," a familiar voice whispers from behind the door. We turn around as she closes the door to reveal herself in the corner. She has a gun pointed at my forehead, and Clyde waves his hands up defensively.

"It doesn't have to be this way," I whisper as Clyde slowly puts his gun on the floor in her silent order.

"Oh, but it does, sweetpea. This will save our family," she replies with an arched eyebrow. Clyde's form stiffens to an uncomfortably still statue as he stares in bewilderment at the woman. She sits in the chair beside the bed and turns on the lamp.

~***~

Little Clyde runs as fast as he can in the darkness, tears blurring his vision as blobs of light shines by. He stops, realizing he's on the road, and a pale yellow chevy screeches to a halt in front of him. A teenage boy walks out with his female passenger, both dressed in varsity jackets for their high school as they look worriedly at the little boy in front of them.

"Are you okay?" the boy asks Clyde in an alarmed tone.

"Bradley, he's covered in blood," the girl cries in a soft whisper.

"Did I hit you?" he asks as he approaches Clyde. Clyde's hand starts to shake, and the two teens halt when they notice the pistol in his hand.

"Brad," the girl backs away, "oh my god..."

"Please, help me, " Clyde mumbles as he drops the gun with a shivering body. The two teens look at each other and then the boy wraps Clyde in his varsity football jacket. They bring him to the car, and the girl sits in the back with Clyde as Brad rushes to the nearest police station with the pistol on the seat beside him.

"Everything's gonna be okay," the girl whispers reassuringly.

"They can't find me."

"Who can't find you, hun?"

~***~

"Mother?" Clyde whispers under his breath, and I turn and stare at him wide-eyed.

Carolyn stands ups and stares at Clyde, eyeing him from head to toe as she seems to come to a sudden revelation as well. "My little Clyde? Is that really you?"

"Holy sh!t, what the hell is going on?" I ask with a voice crack.

"We looked everywhere for you, sweetheart!" Carolyn starts to cry as she approaches closer, but Clyde steps back, and closer to me.

"I was hoping I'd never see your face again after what you did to me," Clyde growls.

I feel my head spin in circles as I let the situation sink in. All these years, that little boy in that photograph was Clyde? He was the one that got away? I glance over and notice the little boy sitting up, wide awake as he stares at me, and then the window. I nod to him, and the boy slowly eases out of the bed as Carolyn stares at Clyde's face in wonderment.