Potholes

Chapter 43 As told by Eva

I woke to Rowan shaking me awake, this was highly unusual seeing that I always woke up before Rowan, but we were sleeping in a random barn so anything was possible. It felt like it was 2OO2 again, back then anything was possible.

"Wake up, wake up!" said Rowan, sounding very impatient.

"Can't we sleep in?" I said, turning away from her, hay poking into my sides. The hay had somehow gotten into every layer of clothing I had on. My hair was on giant knot on my head and even a butt load of deodorant could not make me smell alright. I just wanted to lie in my pile of hay feeling gross.

"No we can't," Rowan was almost yelling now and I had the good sense to heave myself out of bed.

"What is going on?" Hayden grumbled. He look awful, he had huge rings under his eyes and stubble all over his chin, but I had the unsettling thought that I looked worse.

"The owners of this place," Parker distracted mumbled sleep slurring her words, hurriedly stuffing her clothes into her brown backpack.

Suddenly the situation hit me, we could go to jail. If I went to jail my family would know what I did. Throughout my young life I had always tried to be perfect, to never let them down. I have shaped my life to make them the proudest they can be. This would crush it all. I would never be perfect again. I would be a disappointment, something to hide from the public eye like a fungus infected toe. I felt out of breath, even though I hadn't done anything remotely close to exercise in weeks. I grabbed my backpack and headed out of the barn.

Parked outside of the barn was a grey pickup truck, and inside was an unhappy farmer. He got out of the truck noticeable limping and slammed the door behind him, he looked like he had fallen asleep in his clothing and not bothered to change them the next morning. He had not shaved in an advisable way and had chunks of hair missing from is coarse grey beard. I felt a pang of sadness for the disheveled old man, I had always felt softly towards old people, maybe it was the knowledge that they were my future, and the way they were being treated would be the same for me. In any case this man was no different. When I was younger I wanted to be a hospice nurse and help old people, now I don't know what I want to be.

"Why, hello there, farmer," I said trying to lighten the situation, I really hoped he had a sense of humor.

"I have terminal cancer," the farmer replied dryly.

"I'm so sorry," I said I was at a loss for words, this old guy had terminal cancer and instead of enjoying his day he was here dealing with us.

"We were just on are way out and we are so sorry that we bothered you," I said motioning to Parker, Rowan and Hayden to follow me out of the barn.

"Wait, I am going to call you in," he said.

"I don't think that will be necessary," said Rowan edging down the driveway.

"Just let us go and we won't be back," finished Parker.

"You are trespassing on my property," he said angrily, picking up his phone with a shaking hand.

"Run!" yelled Hayen, and for some reason we all did.

The farmer tried to run after us but his limp stopped him from getting very far, so in desperation he started madly punching numbers into his phone. We jumped into the minivan as he started calling 911.