Last July

Chapter eleven

Beacon://a fire or light set up in a high or prominent position as a warning, signal, or celebration.

We stopped at another gas station filling the tank and I returned from the grocery with my hands filled with water and snacks. I took in the fresh air of the pines and looked out into my unknown future. A road that was as broad as the one leading to hell and as deserted as a broken atm machine. The pine trees lined the road on two sides directing us to our doom and oddly I felt a tinge of excitement. I was dressed in blue shorts and a short sleeved black blouse. My phone was placed on silent to prevent any unwanted calls getting through. When we finally got on the road again I felt as if we had a real destination. I stared out the window, the music playing in the background and Philly crowing along with it. A creepy smile crept to my lips just thinking about it. Then the van started to slow, trackled, jolt and then came to a complete stop down the road. My eyes went wide looking over at Philly and her brows furrowed trying to gage the problem.

"Philly" I said getting scared.

"Calm down. I'm going to check it out"

She turned the key in the engine again and it only made a trackling sound but didn't start. She attempted it again, same result. I started biting my nails staring out into the empty road. The last time I saw a vehicle past was over a half hour ago. Philly stood outside looking under the hood, I don't know why because she didn't have a clue about cars. She started coughing after smoke started coming out and I knew I was stranded in the middle of nowhere.

"Philly, please tell me you got the van checked before we started out?"

She looked over at me oddly unconcerned with our ominous situation.

"Well. I didn't think of it. It seemed capable to me"

I groaned and kicked the wheel frustrated.

"Were stuck in the middle of nowhere and unlike you I don't feel like being a victim of the devil's high way" I murmured. "It's creepy out here. Anything can happen, werewolves creeping out the pines to kill us, zombies. Were literally sitting ducks!"

She laughed hysterically shaking her head at me. "Stop being dramatic"

"It's not. The last gas station is what two miles from here?! We haven't seen a single soul since the time we got back on the road. I don't know why I thought this was a good idea. Shit!"

"Kenzy" she looked over at me her hands placed on her green leggings on her hips. "Number one werewolves don't come out during the day, two if there was a plague out for zombies I think we'd know by now and lastly, we'll soon be out of here"

"When?" I walked back to my side of the car and slammed the door.

"Aren't you going to help me get help?" she shouted.

"No! I'm going to pray I die before something eats me"

I can't believe I allowed myself to be talked into a damn vacation out in the middle of nowhere! All I could see were trees, trees and more damn tall, ugly spiky trees. This didn't feel like escape this felt like I was damned to walk a wondering land to lose my mind. I peeked up from my rest point gazing into the sun abandoned dome seeing grey Columbus drifting in the distance. Great. Somewhere else was getting showers. A car passed us unwilling to stop and I wiped my face feeling the harsh heat against my skin.

"Hey you okay?"

"What'd you think?"

"Kenzy, trust me, you're going to have a great summer"

"Right, I'm just flowing over with excitement" I said sarcastically.

She spun around as she heard a car approaching and frantically waved it down. The truck stopped some distance before us and she went out hoping that they'd lend a hand. I went back to sleep.

The sound of a man talking and someone slamming the a door woke me from my daze.

"Hell!"

I jumped surprised at the voice next to my window.

"There's another"

I stared at him in shock unable to speak as the man who was dressed in a black leather jacket and brown eyes stared down at me.

"Oh, yeah, that's Kenzy"

"Oh, uh, nice to meet you"

I nodded slowly recovering my bearings.

"Uh, well I have some rope to tie on it 'cause theres no way its going to drive"

"Okay. Um how far can you leave us?" asked Philly.

The guy walked off towards his car.

"Where you guys headed?"

"Baheia Bay"

"Great. That's where I'm headed"

When they returned I stood outside the van leaning against the door and walked off as he secured the knot on the van. I pulled my water from the holder and almost drained the bottle. The sky was still over cast but it felt as if the sun and jumped from the sky and was next to us. My skin burned and I started to sweat in the most embarrassing places. God I needed to get a bath. We should have gotten to our destination more than two hours ago. Instead was stuck in the middle of only God knows where, watching my best friend flirt with a complete stranger. He was handsome admittedly but that was besides the point. We were stranded for crying out loud. I tapped the side of the van and cleared my throat.

"Can we get going please"

"Uh yeah" the guy said getting up. "you guys can ride with me"

"no, I'll uh, I'll stay here and turn the wheel"

He glanced at me and Phillisa shook her head walking towards his car.

"Its fine" she shouted back. "she's just a little awkward with people"