Across the Tracks

Three

  She was beginning to fall behind on the story. People were avoiding talking to her and she couldn't really blame them. She heard whispers around her about her meeting with Iden, people saying maybe he'd finally given up the fantasy, others said he was just biding his time. She was hoping for the latter.

  Three days later she'd gone back to the garage, looking for him. Instead she found a middle aged man with balding grey hair and blue overalls that he seemed to drown in. He was sitting at a desk at the front of the shop, the garage door was closed and locked. He was writing quickly and didn't notice her come in.

  "Hi," she greeted cheerily.

  His head popped up and he had to push his circular glasses further up his nose to see her. He looked her up and down and seemed to have come to a conclusion. "You're the new girl they're talking about."

  "You're straight to the point, I like that," she commented and wrote this down in her notebook. "I'm looking for Iden-"

  "Not here," he said suddenly and sighed as if it was a relief. "Left couple minutes ago."

  "Do you know where he's gone?"

  "Foxwood, everyday after work he's there. I seen a copy of his map in his locker one time," he sat back unusually. "He'll be 'bout thirty clicks south east of the centre tracks."

  "You were in the army," she reasoned.

  He nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

  "Thank you," she said after making a final note.

  He watched after her for a moment then sighed and leaned forward again towards his work. "They're gonna burn the whole town down, I reckon," he marked his own words.

                                     **

  She had to remind herself the pacing system of clicks and began making her way toward where she estimated he'd be. He seemed to hear her before she saw or heard him.

  "Farren?" he called tentatively.

  She jumped out from behind a dead tree and smiled then saw his face drop. "Nope, just me," she told him and made her way over a fallen log into the clearing beside him. "You weren't kidding, they're all dead," she glanced at him, "the trees, I mean."

  He nodded and looked at the dirt below them. Autumn was coming and by now leaves of orange and red should have covered the forest floor, but nothing grew here to fall. "What are you doing here?"

  "What are you?" she countered.

  "I asked first," he replied and watched her eyes assessing the naked trees.

  She shrugged. "Looking for you."

  "Why?"

  "Nuh-uh, mine first."

  He stared at her for a moment. "Walking."

  "Sure."

  "Why?"

  "Why, sure?" she looked at him evenly and half-smiled.

  "Why are you looking for me?" he replied as calmly as he could.

  She half shrugged. "You seem to know what's going on, I want to know, ergo I find you to tell me."

  "Who says I know?"

  Her eyes turned on him again and almost sparkled. "Everyone."

  "They're wrong," he said simply.