The Run

176

I-55, Mississippi.

The road is long. Emmie can't see the end of it. She's not starting to get sick of this road trip just yet, but she definitely needs to spice things up. It gets boring fast when all you do is drive and think about the feelings that you hide, sitting in silence, waiting for a sign. Granted, at least she can drive now. Her situation was far worse when she was bound to the passenger seat. She could have died of boredom there, she swears.

Emmie sighs, again, looking in the rearview mirror. There's not even a sign of another car around. It almost feels like they're alone on the planet. A ghost country. She glances at the shape of him next to her, curled against the window. Asleep. Her eyes land on the car radio before finding their way back to the road, and she's so tempted to press the ON button – she could do with some music. She could get away with it if she kept the volume low enough, right?

She thinks about it for a few minutes, then decides she'd rather die of boredom then die from another one of his anger bouts. He's kind of scary. Also, she remembers that scene in that Britney Spears movie and she really doesn't want to have to pull up and give him back the keys. Driving is much more fun, even in silence. So, she keeps driving. She keeps driving until she reaches the intersection and leaves Interstate 55. She doesn't know if that was his plan, probably not, but they haven't decided on an itinerary, so technically, he has no reason to get mad when he wakes up.

Joshua finally stirs awake more than an hour later. She can feel him stare at her for a moment, as if surprised he has managed to fall asleep with her at the wheel. She glances. His eyes are all puffy. He could really use some more shut-eye.

"How long have I been asleep?" he croaks. His voice sounds incredibly... No. Emmie forbids that thought to enter her mind.

"Long enough," she smiles enigmatically, knowing fair well it will piss him off. He's probably rolling his eyes right now, she thinks. She's not wrong.

Silence makes its way into the car again as the road keeps passing by. She knows he won't talk, and she's learned not to start a conversation, especially when he's not driving - although talking might also be dangerous when he is behind the wheel. He's a constant minefield, ready to explode any moment, and Emmie knows she's got to be careful. Right now, he's starting to get nervous. His right leg bounces up and down, adding to the dull vibration of the motor, and his hands are fidgeting. She kind of wants to make fun of him – it's not easy being in the passenger seat, huh? – and she's opening her mouth to do just that when she hears the sound coming out of his.

"What the f-"

She turns to him for a second, then follows his stare to a road sign that says "Welcome to Columbus, MS".

"Where are we?" he asks, although he's got the answer already. His voice is low, trembling almost.

"We're in Mississippi," she says softly. She knows better than to fool around just now. "Don't worry. It's Columbus, Mississippi." She insists on the last word, then adds, "I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"Good thing I'm not driving, right?" he puffs nervously, and she's taken aback by his sudden boldness. Is he making fun of himself? Now that's an improvement!

"You know," she retorts, "if we stay on this road until Montgomery, Alabama, then turn onto the US-80, I'm pretty sure there's a Columbus there too! Wanna try?"

He shoots her a dark glance, burying his two hands in between his knees to keep them from shaking. He's nervous, she can tell. He's short of breath, and as much as she enjoys messing with his head for the laughs, she doesn't want him to experience yet another panic attack – although she wished she knew why he was so afraid of anything relating to his hometown or his loved ones. "I never knew there were so many Columbus cities," she says, trying to keep his mind from wandering on its own.