Feathers That Won't Fly

Chapter IV Maybe We Are the Monsters Part I

Thick trees of different shades lined the sides of the road. The only things separating civilization from vegetation were thick metal rails. The group was just passing into Virginia: home of several dead historical figures. The place even smelled like the breeding ground of America.

There was nothing much to say about this place. Not until they got into the farmland and countryside of southern Virginia.

"Well guys, welcome to southern Virginia, home of--well, you'll see," Azlyn announced.

"You know this place?" Haddix asked.

"Not well, thank The Lord. I lived with my biological family up in Northern Virginia until I was 8. Up there is where people are very, um--clean, nice, and civilized," Azlyn explained. She had that funny voice which people take on when they are avoiding saying something offensive.

"And people aren't civilized here?" Lisa asked. She was so curious that her respectful personality could not avoid asking the question.

"Virginia is weird; you go north, you're in the nation's capitol, you go south, you're in freaking Mississippi," Azlyn explained. Lisa and Haddix suppressed giggles.

As the car drove along, the landscape transformed. The road lost its protective metal strips at the sides, the land lost its trees, and the road grew blisters. Red powder made up the ground around them, surely the kind that will leave a stain. Patches of dried grass attempted to decorate the powder, but merely succeeding in bothering it. The road was littered with grass, dirt, and blisters. It hadn't been maintained as needed; the road was a light gray color and had fell victim to weathering. The road paint was chipped. The whole thing gave off terrible vibes. It was unspoken, but everyone was eager to move further up north.

"HUNGRY! OLLIE I'M HUNGRY AND I WANT POTTY AND I WANT MOMMY!" Lilly screamed suddenly. Mr. Haddix swerved a bit, but got back on track.

"Lilly, there are no places to potty or eat. You have to wait, okay?" Haddix told Lilly in a soft voice.

"What about Mommy, Ollie? When is Mommy coming back?" Lilly asked. She clearly did not understand the concept of death yet. Funny, the child was six years old and didn't know death. Azlyn had known death from two years old.

"Mommy is somewhere else right now, Lilly. You'll see her one day, but you have to be good," Oliver replied. He looked down at his feet. Knocking them together, harder, harder, harder.

A little rickety house appeared at their right. It was an ancient country home. There was a porch with sunken boards, a couch swing, and dead plants. The awning was a once-white, sagging cloth of sadness. The paint used to be paint, but it could never be called that now. I mean, how could you call a few pieces of white peels littering a sad old house paint? But wait, it got stranger. The house wasn't a house, for a sign on it read: "Rucker's Hamburgers." A picture of a chubby cartoon pig accompanied the words.

"Mr. Haddix, stop!" Azlyn yelled. The car screeched to a stop.

"What is it, Hunter?" Haddix asked, happy for a diversion from deep thought.

"There's a restaurant! Maybe they have ingredients left! Ready for lunch guys?" Azlyn asked, a cheerful smile painted on her face.

"Yummy! Yummy!" Lilly bounced up and down on Azlyn's lap.

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The pink, juicy, plump rounds of meat sizzled on a hot stovetop. Azlyn and Haddix flipped them over, showing a brown meat on the top. Lettuce, tomato, onions, and cheese were lined up on the counter top. Six plates were laid out nearby. The place smelled like grease, but it was a welcoming smell to the hungry party.