Everything is Red [tyrus]

Chapter #5: Riverrun Motel

*Chapter by Smriti*

~

"How much for this piece of work?" TJ asked, lowering his sunglasses to look at the dark blue car before him. The attendant glanced over at the car, noting the excessive dents and shoddy repainting, but the still decently working engine, and sighed.

"Like, a thousand bucks?"

TJ looked over at Cyrus who was holding the bag. He turned back to the attendant. "And if we exchange it for our car?"

The attendant shrugged unenthusiastically. "Still like a three hundred and fifty balance."

TJ turned back with a nod and Cyrus came forward, holding out the balance amount in cash. The attendant looked between the two men, and then down at the money, raising his eyebrows.

"Been a while since someone handed only cash for this amount," He said.

TJ just scoffed. "Just take the fucking money and give me the keys."

"Okay, okay dude. Chill out," He said, holding out the keys and taking the money, heading back into the shack where the office was. "And can I ask who's buying it?"

Cyrus just smirked, climbing into the car. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

TJ turned back, smiling at Cyrus, and within 10 minutes, they were cruising down the highway, the sun high in the sky but the wind still cool. Cyrus opened the window, resting his head against the door, the wind hitting his face as he closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling. TJ removed his sunglasses, looking at Cyrus with a smile as he drove ahead.

"Where to now, babe?" TJ asked, as Cyrus pulled out the road map he had.

"How about," Cyrus said as he glanced over the map, before pointing at a place. "Riverrun Motel, 100 miles away."

TJ nodded, looking ahead as Cyrus gave him directions for where to go. They reached the motel within 3 hours, a decent place, as decent as roadside motels get. By that, the paint on the walls was still mostly there, despite a few cracks here and there. And the poles didn't seem too rusted. The man at the front desk barely threw them a second glance.

"How many rooms?" he asked, not even looking up.

"Just one," Cyrus started, before looking up at the TV screen behind him and stopping short.

"How come?" the man asked, peering from below the brim of his cap.

TJ looked expectantly at Cyrus to continue, but Cyrus just stared at the screen. So TJ cleared his throat. "Um, just, low on funds right?"

Cyrus wasn't just staring into the blank space. The channel was tuned into the news. And the news was of the store they had 'visited' last night.

Seeing the news reports, banners and video interviews of the supervisor, Cyrus could feel his heart start to pick up in rate. He kept his eyes on the screen, letting TJ handle the conversation for that day. He saw some police mill about the background, catching sight of one of the officers.

They looked incredibly familiar? But there was no way he could've known them.

The supervisor was trying to describe him and TJ, but 'two young men, one brown haired and one blonde' was luckily not the most substantial of police descriptions. But that didn't mean Cyrus was calm. His palms were starting to get sweaty while TJ grabbed the keys from the owner, whose only acknowledgement of their existence as they left was a nod, as he continued to play with his Rubik's cube.

As the two climbed up the stairs to their room, Cyrus couldn't help but keep turning back to look over his shoulder, irrational paranoia wrapping its hands around his neck. TJ noticed Cyrus' jittery air, narrowing his eyes as he squeezed his hand. Cyrus smiled at him, but it didn't really reach his eyes.