The Blue Route was an endless river slithering before them. There were only a few cars on the road. Mostly only big rigs like theirs sailed up and down the highway. Trevor fidgeted.
Trevor missed his bed, his iPad, and his girlfriend Bree in that order. This was his first ride along with Mercury Transit. He was riding shotgun with one of the old heads, Tony. Convo, all of the Smoky and the Bandits, Maximum Overdrive, all floated in his head. Trevor thought the open road would be adventure and manly stories. Trevor looked at stone faced Tony and fidgeted.
Slyly Trevor reached for the snacks Bree had packed him.
“You open those stank ass boiled eggs in this cab and I’ll bust you wide open.” Tony’s deep voice was a throat punch. Tony said no eating smelly food in the truck. Tony said only grown folks’ music. Tony said no humming. For an old battle axe, Tony was terrifying. Trevor looked out the windows and started to hum Megan The Stallion’s Anxiety.
Tony cleared her throat and Trevor started.
“I ‘member when I did my first ride along. It was a night like tonight. Light traffic, good weather, the kind of night that lulls you right to sleep. Little Big Martin was driving and I saw it,” Tony said.
Trevor waited. Tony coughed and shifted in her seat. She began again.
“It was a woman, young and pale as porcelain. She had on a long shift, like an old fashioned night dress. Long red hair washed over her face, she was standing in the middle of the highway in our lane. She seemed kind of bedraggled you know.”
Trevor nodded even though he didn’t know at all.
“I thought there had been an accident of something. Sometimes people stumble out of a wreck confused, like. That when I realized Little Big Martin was flooring it. His eyes were big with fear and like I don’t know determination. I grabbed for the wheel and he slammed his forearm against my chest strong as a crowbar pinned me to the seat. Faster and faster our rig flew right into this woman in white. I heard the solid crunch of her body hitting the grill. I saw her fly into the air. Suddenly I went wild like I woke from a dream. I cold cocked Little right in his freaking jaw. He braked aways up. I opened the door to check on the woman. That when I saw her—it— sit up real quick and smile. Little yanked me back in by the nape and took off. In the side mirror I could see it running after us. I could feel three heavy thumps against the side of our box. Little Big Martin drove like a god. Then he turned to me and said, ‘never, ever, stop for Lorraine.’”
Tony coughed a little and turned back to her stone face. Quiet, Trevor turned to stare out of the passenger window at the endless river of road.
circularstaircase 