𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬━𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡

ⅪⅠⅠ

REAGAN KNEW THAT THE EVENTS OF THE DAY MIGHT CAUSE AN ISSUE. She knew that the only reason they were here was for this one reason and now...they might not even do it. She knew what she was asking him to do had to hurt, but they had gone through to much at this point to worry about going to the church in his backyard now.

"What's wrong?" Reagan heard coming from behind her. "You know, we don't have to go, Arvin. We could stay here. We could go see a picture show. It's not necessary that we go." Arvin stared at Reagan for a minute. "What? You have been buggin' me about this for weeks, and now all of a sudden you don't wanna go? What happened?"

Reagan sighed as she sat down on the bed. "It's where your daddy killed himself. It's where your mama died. It's where your daddy killed your dog. Some of your worst memories happened there, and now you wanna go? I would love to know where you grew up. I really would. I mean, I've lived in Coal Creek my whole life, a change of scenery would be nice. I'm looking out for you."

She looked down to the floor, feeling his eyes down on her. It was quiet in that small hotel room. "Three people." Reagan finally spoke.

"What?"

"Three people. That's how many people we've killed to avenge Lenora and my daddy. You know what that makes us? Serial killers. If we stay in Knockemstiff, there's a chance they will find us, Arvin. Throw us in jail. For life. We're seventeen. We have our whole lives ahead of us. We can go to Cincinnati, start over."

Reagan looked over at the boy, who was quiet. "Arvin?" He didn't speak. It was just...quiet again in that hotel room.

"We can go to Cincinnati after I show you the little mini church in my backyard. It's the one thing you've wanted to see since we were younger. It's the reason we came all the way out here. It was the last place I saw my daddy, Ray. I think I need to go there and say one final goodbye." Reagan just looked at the boy.

"You never got to say goodbye to your daddy, right? You're the one who found him?" He nodded, looking at the girl. "I never got to say goodbye to my daddy. Hell, I never even knew him. So, if you're one hundred percent sure that you wanna do this, we can do it."

He smiled. "I will be in the car. You can load it up." She laughed a little as she watched his face change as she walked out of the room. Reagan went out to the car and sat in it for a little. Soon, Arvin came out and loaded up the car with the small bags that they had. Once he had gotten in and started the car, Reagan looked around at the motel that surrounded them. She had never really come to terms with the fact that all of this was happening. The fact that she had left her mama for a boy, the fact that she was an accessory to murder of three people. The fact that Lenora was gone. Or even the fact that her daddy had been found.

As the car drove down the long, country highways, the car was quiet. Reagan was too caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed that the car was as silent as it was. "What's wrong?" She heard coming from behind her. The words had taken her out of her thoughts. "I left her. I just up and left."

She could feel his eyes on her as she continued staring out the window. "What?" Reagan sighed, this time looking over at the boy.

"My mama. I just up and left her. For fifteen years, it was me and her. No matter how long she was looking for him, she always protected me. She was all I ever had. Especially after my three friends had left in kindergarten. And then she introduced me to your grandma and Lenora. And then, I went to church that one Sunday and I met you. And then, as I got older, things progressively got worse. I stopped going to church with her. I left her a note saying how sorry I was for leaving, and now I'm on the run because I was an accessory to three murders."

She looked back out the window, not knowing what to do. "You chose to come here. You chose to follow me. I never told you to."

"You would've died without me. Those people, the man and woman who had killed my daddy, they were going to kill you too. You don't think I didn't see the guys gun in his pocket as I walked up? You don't think I was terrified out of my mind about what they were gonna do to me? To you? I didn't choose to come here out of excitement or wanting to get some sort of thrill, I came here because I didn't wanna see you in a casket. Your poor grandma has lost so much, she didn't deserve to lose you too."

The car ride went quiet for a few more moments. "If you hadn't killed that preacher man, then we wouldn't be in this position." She mumbled. She heard the boy scoff. Reagan thought for a minute before not knowing if the words she was gonna say next were going to be the worst decision of her life.

"Let me out." She practically whispered.

"What?"

"Let me out of the damn car. I'll get a ride or I'll walk." She said, a little more clearer. "In the middle of nowhere?" She sighed as she reached for the door handle. The car stopped abruptly and she had finally opened the door. Reagan walked around to the back of the car and got her bag out of the trunk before shutting it and starting off down the road.

The car behind her stalled for a bit before she heard it speed off down the road. She sighed as she walked down the dark road, hoping that if she had followed the signs, she would get to some sort of civilization.