Alice: Oblivion

S E V E N

So Elijah was, in fact, alive and prosperous- and he wanted me contained. I sat in the tree with Adam. We thought silently for a few minutes about our next move. If Elijah was tracking us, then he's probably still lurking around. I wondered how long he'd stick to this area before moving on.

I decided to take a chance- despite Adams opposing pleas. "We'll never get you back to your own body if we don't get to New Mexico, dick." I argued. 

"Hey, name calling is not appreciated, sweetheart." We trekked through the rest of the half dead foliage in silence. I honed in on the occasional rodent or deer living out their daily life. 

Soon, we were able to come to a clearing on the side of a long road. It was a desolate highway; empty, lonely. Every truck driver's dream come true. Both sides of the highway were surrounded by dense forestry and the Rocky Mountains. My sense of direction kicked in. We needed to head south to reach New Mexico. I started walking on the side of the road, weaving in and out of the trees to stay partially hidden.

I started thinking about Adam and wondering what he was going to do once we found his body. 

"Quit thinking about me, that's creepy." 

"I was just wondering what you were gonna do when you get back into your own meat vest." I retorted. His witty side comments were enough to make me pursue the place I hated most.

"I have no idea. I'm not getting my hopes up though." Adam said, "We'll burn that bridge when we come to it, I guess." I scoffed at his smashed together idiom. "I wouldn't be laughing, you're the one who blows shit up." I rolled my eyes and smiled.

I walked in silence some more. "What do you mean you don't want to get your hopes up?"

Adam sighed heavily, "You never stop thinking, huh?" He paused, "I just don't want to get to New Mexico, all ready to hop in my body- and it not work, or something goes wrong. I mean face it. With our luck, something's bound to go wrong."

"That's completely understandable." I agreed with Adam. I'm really tired of walking, and would much rather drive. "How long do you think it's gonna be before someone drives by?" I ask openly. Adam hums quietly, "I'm not sure. I don't even recall what highway this is."

"I have a plan to get us to New Mexico faster, but it involves a vehicle of some sort," I say, "So we might be waiting a while."

Adam scoffed, "And what might this genius plan be?" 

"Oh, you'll see."

I slowly walked alongside the empty road for about an hour or two. The sun was setting and quickly dipping behind the trees. The air was becoming colder and the sky grew darker in color. Stars shone magnificently, screaming their existence from the heavens, while the moon stalked us through the trees. It was night time. Owls hooted in the distance.

I had been straining my ears for the duration of our walk for something in particular. And then, after a long and agonizing wait, I heard it.

The loud engine grew near, and I quickly sprawled myself out onto the asphalt. I hope they see me.

"Are you actually playing dead?" Adam asks in disbelief. 

"Yes," I say with apprehension, "I hope it's just playing, or we're going to get run over for real." The vehicle was speeding closer, and I could hear the rotation of the wheels on the asphalt. The headlights of a truck burned intensely through my closed lids and the tires screeched to a halt. I heard a mans breathing pick up as he opened his driver side door and got out. The truck driver must have either been old or out of shape because as he waddled over to where my 'lifeless' body laid, he wheezed violently.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" He asked from afar. Once he realized that something was wrong, he came closer. All it would take would be for him to touch me. Then he'd die within hours. I held my breath with ease. I was probably just mere roadkill to him- like an opossum, but larger. 

"Well shit." He knelt beside me and shook my shoulder. Of course I was 'dead'. I didn't react to this. He began to dig in my jacket pockets. This piece of shit was mugging me. I opened my eyes and with lightning quick speed, kicked him square in his chest. The man catapulted backwards. He lay sprawled out in the grass on the side of the highway. I went over to him and checked his pulse. He was stunned- but he'd die later from touching me. 

I went, took his wallet and checked for cash and pictures. He had no pictures of family, and forty dollars. The truck was still running, headlights beaming brightly. Adam had been silent through all of this, but when I sat up in the red Ford F-250, I caught a small chuckle from Adam. 

"What?" I ask. A large map was laid out in the passenger seat. Score! We had made our way into New Mexico, right past the northern border from Colorado. 

"Nothing..." He sighed, but I could tell something heavy was on his mind. 

"No," I pressed, "Tell me what's up?" I put the truck in drive and it lurched forwards.

Adam chuckled lowly and after a moment of silence, said, "You sure know how to work a man."

My cheeks went beet red, and I chuckled in unison with him. Chuckling turned into full blown laughter as I hunched over the wheel, and then tears began streaming down my face. I then realized that it was crying I'd been holding in. For a very long time. Tears of remorse, guilt, apprehension, and love.

"Why are you crying?" Adam asks suddenly on the defense. 

"I just really want this to work, and I really want you to get your body back." I huffed out between sobs, "And I don't want you to leave me after it's all said and done."

"Alice," Adam cooed, "I'm not going anywhere."

"You're my best friend." I sighed.