Trek Into Silent Hill

Chapter Twelve

"Tom?" I happily chirp when my boyfriend answers. For the next half an hour we share loving words and I tell him the gist of the experience. He isn't sure what to make of everything, but promised to speed over the second I hang up. After a few reassuring words that I'm safe, he finally lets me go. It is almost surreal to hear his voice when I thought I'd never be with him again. I hold the phone to my chest and smile.

"It sounds like it went well. Is he a worrier?" Derrick half-jokingly asks.

"Oh, I used to be worse. You should have seen me before."

"You really have changed then?" he murmurs.

Derrick stands up and stretches. "Let's walk you to the gas station along the main road. No one misses it coming into town."

We spend the next half an hour walking towards the gas station, laughing and swapping life stories along the way. Our conversation is so natural, and we purposefully focused on the positive before I had to go home. As sad as I am to say goodbye to Derrick, I'm eager to see Tom.

The same gas station that started the events stands before us. I opt not to go inside. I glance through the windows, and it's not run-down and demented anymore. It's still dusty with cobwebs in the corner, but it looks exactly as a gas station should. Instead, we kick rocks around as we chat.

A low rumbling is heard, and instead of having to squint through damned fog. I watched my boyfriend's rusted navy truck approach. Tom waves his hand out of the window, speeds up, then skids to a stop in front of us with a giant squeal of the brakes. He throws the door open and steps out. I'm tempted to make a joke of the sun beaming off his is shaved head, yet the words almost don't come forth.

I run into his arms bawling. All of the emotions and exhaustion slammed into me. My legs give out, but he holds me in his arms. I still didn't want to go into the details of what I endured at the moment.

"You alright?" he asks worryingly.

"Just so tired. I wanna go home."

Tom and Derrick talk briefly about how we are going to be friends. Tom half lifts me into his truck, but I slide out of the seat.

"Derrick. Here's the cell back. Keep it so you can call me anytime." I put in his palm, and our hands clasp tightly over it for a moment. Maybe this is a permanent goodbye, or it may not be. But I won't not let him feel alone without the phone.

I also scribble my number on a piece of paper from an old receipt found on the bottom of Tom's truck. He smiles for a minute, then puts both the cell and the paper scrap in his pocket.

After our final parting words, I slide back into the seat of the truck. Tom closes the door for me, then turns to shake Derrick's hand one more time in gratitude. He jumps in the truck as well, and starts the engine. The rumble of the engine is the white noise that lulls me to sleep at home.

Before my eyes close, I roll my head towards the window and give Derrick the thumbs up. He waves back. I'm happy to see that he doesn't look sad, but instead he seems excited. Smiling, I scoot down into the seat and doze off.

"I missed you Tom."