Athena hopped in her Tesla and purse in hand. She yet again did a mirror check and made sure no one was coming. The place the meeting was going to be held was the Orteat de Dallister. She already had all of her work in a black box. Kind of a blend between a fancy case for carrying papers and a chic box.
And it was here that she decided all the papers were in working order. All the documents tidied up in that black chic box. It did not unnerve her at all but she was calm. Her heartbeat beat through her top. Pulsation and a normal hum of her heart were all in order. Her eyes still drooped a little bit from all the crying. Her palms were very clear and dry. This place Hawthorne had an arid climate and was all to dry for her liking. She loved reminiscing about her time in Michigan on the Derry farm. It was in Puschana Michigan. A dirt road gutted a slew of Derry farms on either side. The trees green swayed in the wind. Orange trees and cranswamps fought for control on either side as well. But it was a contorted willow that she remembered. Devilish in fact. No face to speak of but she remembered running her hand up along the rickety branch and then sliding another hand as if to dance with the tree. And then remembering she was 6 and she lifted her white skirt up and went near that pond. The tree almost guiding her and being useless protecting anyone against the hot sun. The sun guiding her further to the pond. She could hear shouting.
Athena got out of nostalgia land and focused on putting in the coordinates into her phone. Just then her phone rang. "Yeah, so Athena we are still on for 4 p.m. It is about 3:35 currently and where are you?" a voice said. "Yeah, one second Tom I need to uh put you on speaker phone, I am trying to get to Orteat de Dallister currently, and yeah just hold up one second as I put these directions in," Athena said. "Well yeah, I will let you do that. So if you take 22 Cremshon all the way down you will see a tire shop, yeah and the tire shop has a red flag on it. Kitty corner to that is a big and wide asphalt road—follow that one mile and you will see the Orteat de Dallister in gigantic and I mean gigantic letters, got it. a voice said. "Wait, yeah I mean I got the last part but what about the flag? Gold letters ...uh ...huh...uh ...huh. Tom, you are breaking up. But I am on my way. Call you when I reach Orteat de Dallister then...yes...Tom...yes. Athena said.
Her pulse was normal. She was okay in her car. Safe. She checked her back mirror as a blue car was tailing her. "Get off my ass you prick!" Athena said. "Man Hawthorne you are something else, where I am from you'd get an ass whooping if you drove like this," Athena yelled. Her dash clock read 3:42. "Fuck I am going to be late, if I don't make it with the day /night I had I am going to lose my balloons. Balloons, bullocks I meant nuts!" Athena said.
"Okay, there's the red flag," Athena said. As her car drove faster now she had to turn to the right. And a mile or so later she saw it in gold bar letters. ORTEAT DE DALLISTER.
