Girls for Spiders [COMPLETED]

Chapter Three

Three hours later, they pulled into the long dirt and gravel driveway of the country house. Sullen silence drifted through the car. Mia sipped the coffee, then grimaced. "It's cold."

Skylar crossed her arms. "Get the gate." Rain splattered on the hood of the car.

Mia threw the car into park. "No, you get the gate." The car rocked backward and settled. Skylar rolled her eyes and stepped out of the stuffy cab and into the wringing-wet rain. The raindrops glowed like white moths in the light of the headlights.

She reached under the metal plating and lifted the padlock. The combination was still 4321. She quirked a half-smile. She stretched her legs. They ached. She walked the gate forward, shivered, and held the gate open as Mia drove through. Water dripped from her nose and chin when she ducked back into the car.

Mia's chin shook. "I'm so sorry." I got us lost. I ran us out of gas. It's all my fault." The photograph of their dad leered in the shadows. The gas gage pulled toward empty. She plodded the car up the hill.

Skylar patted Mia's arm "Don't worry about it, kiddo. We're doing the best we can. I lost the map, remember? This kind of trip doesn't come with step by step instructions."

Mia burst into tears and the car swerved to the left. The hood grazed the gravel hillside and Mia corrected.

Skylar rested one hand on the wheel. "Easy does it. I should have helped you drive. You've been stalwart. Stupendous. Just hold it together for another quarter mile, okay?"

Tall pines and curved manzanita trees lined the gravel, single-lane road. Dad carved this road out of the hillside with a backhoe. They'd be at the country house in only a minute.

Skylar sipped the coffee dredges. "We'll get help tomorrow morning. It's not too far to John's house. It's only about four miles." She smiled at her sister. "You feeling in shape, baby? Because tomorrow we're going to walk over and see him. But that's only if there's not any gas left in the tank on the property. "

Mia snuffled and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Is he the one with all the dogs?"

"Yeah, honey. He'll be glad to see us."

Mia laughed. "All I remember is how I used to watch his dogs fuck on the side of the road." Skylar chuckled too.

"Yeah, that was distracting." Mia angled the car right and pulled into a wide spot on the road. A curved cement driveway bridged the creek. A long thick puddle slung itself over the top of it, three inches of bubbling current.

The rain pattered on the car's roof as they inched through the miniature stream. Mia pulled the car past the barn and onto the staging area, right up to the fence that encircled the front yard. The tires crunched on the gravel, which sprayed up and hit the undercarriage of the car. The car jerked to a halt and stuttered the last few feet. Empty.

They ducked out of the car and pulled their hoods up around their heads. The rain soaked through their hoodies and Mia squealed and jumped up and down on her running shoes. The rain splashed Skylar's face while she fumbled with the metal padlock on the gate. 4321. Her fingers slipped over the lock, but the gate squeaked open. She scanned the front yard. No mountain lion. No snakes. She stepped in.

She waited for the automatic porch light to sense her and turn on. It didn't. Blackout. Skylar walked by the juniper tree with its tire swing, her tire swing, then paused. She turned and ran her hands down the watery rubber.

Behind her, Mia squeaked. "I just walked into a spider web." She stood between the two poles at the center of the front porch. She pawed at her face. "It's in my mouth." Mia spat on the ground. She rubbed her tongue and lips with her fingers.