Journey Of The New Earth

8

<Damon POV>

Four thirty, and almost all the other children were gone from school. Tommy Worth was standing out front, and a long way down the fence from him was some other kid, playing with his phone. There was only one car in the parking lot, and he was pretty sure it belonged to the principal. Three teachers had already come this way, two of them offering lifts, and left.

Both boys heard the car coming from a long way off, and turned to squint into the sunset. When it was close enough to tell, the other boy picked his backpack off the pavement and waved to it. A harried looking woman pulled over just long enough for him to get in, after which she immediately began to apologies to him for being so late – Tommy heard her just before the door slammed shut. The bright red pickup sped right by him and he watched it until it turned the corner, a wake of leaves trailing behind it.

He shivered in the wind and waited. Any minute now, he thought.

Just then, another car rounded the corner and came down the same road as the red pickup. It was a wide, blue van with blocked windows. The driver was a middle aged man with a sour face. He was the kind of person who seems to be constantly chewing gum and squinting at everything.

The van slowed as it drew closer. Tommy didn't pick up his bag, but waited until the van was chugging right next to him and the driver leaned out of the window on his elbow. He gave Tommy a wide smile.

'Hey mate. You right?'

Tommy shrugged and looked at his feet. 'Dad's a bit late,' he said. 'Probably will come later, I guess, or I'll walk.'

The man nodded, seemed to think it over for a bit.

'Sure you don't want a ride home? You live close?'

Tommy looked up. 'That's okay. I guess I could walk.'

He nodded a bit more, then said. 'Bit dangerous round now, mate. Getting dark already.'

Tommy looked around uneasily. It was getting dark, but there was no one in sight.

'It'd be pretty good,' he said. 'I'm not really supposed to get in with strangers, though.'

The man smiled even wider and extended his hand through the open window. 'Well, my names Ken Dallah. What's your name?'

'Tommy Worth,' Tommy said, shaking it.

The man grinned and Tommy saw that not one of his teeth was straight. They all pointed in the different directions, and each one was a different shade of yellow to the others. 'There you go, then,' he said. 'We're not strangers anymore, are we?'

Tommy laughed and went around to the passenger side. He took off his backpack and rested it on his lap. The smell in the van was a mixture between sweat, grease and oil. As he got in, he was aware of Ken Dallah watching him. Not directly – he was staring straight ahead – but he was watching intently out of the corner of his eye. Tommy buckled himself in.

'So... Where to, then?'

'Just up this road, turn left, and then go straight on for a bit.'

Ken pulled out and accelerated down the short stretch of road. For a few minutes the only sounds were that of the car engine and of Ken chewing loudly.

'Might want to call your dad,' Ken said. 'Tell him you're getting a ride.'

'Yeah. Forgot my phone at home, though,' Tommy said.

'Right.' For some reason this made the man smile, but he hid it quickly enough. Tommy was staring idly out of the window, one hand playing with the zip on his bag, but he could see Ken eyeing him every now and again. Quickly scanning him up and down, sizing him up. He pretended not to notice, but every time it happened he felt goosebumps running along his skin.