beyondtheline | Tornadoes and skeletons and nacho dogs, oh my

Tornadoes and skeletons and nacho dogs, oh my

[So this is how he gets away with it, then. Cruz, a skeleton, with a skeleton horse, lives in a skeleton of a house with a skeletal barn attached - and he remains unseen, his home apparently abandoned, all the way on the outskirts of this thing that's barely a town.

Well, you do what you gotta do, and Johnnie won't turn down a kind offer of a safe place to stay the night. He can't help but grin at Chrissy having such a good time riding that bony horse as he pulls the bike in through the barn door and parks it to the side, then hops off.]

Hey man, we owe ya for this. Here.

[See, this is yet another reason it's good to stock up on alcohol. He finds their most recent stolen bottle of tequila and pulls it out as he saunters over to their host and offers it in an outstretched hand.]

On us. Uh, if you drink, that is. You do drink, right?

[Normally that would be a dumb question to ask but the guy appears to be actual bones. But, bones that can smoke, without lungs, so he can probably drink without a mouth, right?

That earns a laugh from Cruz.]

I sure do, fella. You don't have to, though. I'm not looking for any kind of repayment, just helping out a couple folks in need.

[Johnnie shakes his head and waves that attempt off.]

Nah, it's all yours. Or if you really insist, we can all split it tomorrow, the three of us an' the rest of your crew. Can't wait to meet 'em. They all skeletons too?

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You really wanna search 'em out?

[He laughs, and nearly brings up those fish creatures, but thinks better of it. That wasn't exactly a funny event, and he doesn't want to cast the conversation in that particular direction. Maybe there are little green men out there in the desert that came here on spaceships, and maybe the things he knows that are the most alien to his own mind, things which lurk out in the vastest depths of the black cosmos, maybe those have no intention of being found near Roswell or anywhere else people can just drive to.]

Fall sounds good for a trip out here though anyway. Miss the hottest parts of the summer, come back once it's cooling off. We'll find ourselves some time to get out here. I do wanna see it all.

[And maybe that means doing some driving during the day, too. He'll have to invert his sleep schedule so they can actually see things. Well, he'll deal with that when it happens.]

I mean, why not? I'm afraid of actually finding aliens, but maybe we'll have a lot of fun trying!

[They always have a ton of fun doing whatever it is they get up to. She's not worried about their ability to turn any trip into a good time. He says he wants to see it all, and she wants to be right there with him. Making memories together is what life is all about.

Or their version of the afterlife, anyway.]

I really want to get a real camera once we get back. So then I can bring it with us and we can have a lot of pictures of everywhere we go.

Oh yeah, we haven't been using yours much lately, have we? You still have film? Maybe we'll get somethin' at sunrise.

[It's no surprise, thinking back. They've mostly been through a lot of weird shit since the last time they broke the camera out. He should've taken some of her getting her tattoos, though, all stretched out and topless with the needle to her skin, drawing all those flowers.

Should've gotten some of her just before midnight, victorious before the fire. But that's all right, their celebration was perfect as it was.]

Man, I shoulda gotten coffee at Miss Toni's place. Startin' to feel it. If there's another fuckin' border patrol checkpoint up here I'm gonna raid their shit for coffee.

We'll have to go through a town soon. We can stop somewhere and break in to get whatever we need.

[She wants a big blanket to sit on, and some actual food, and coffee and juice would be nice. A real picnic for the perfect sunrise. It probably isn't going to be possible, and they'll have to just eat whatever they have in the bags.]

I still have some film in my camera though. We can definitely get a couple of pictures together.

Yeah, all right. Next stop, whatever the hell kinda desert town we find.

[The thought of photos has him smiling. He's really taken to her little camera, though his favorite use remains sexy bedroom shots. Maybe if they wind up in the right time again they can grab more film.

They're nearly to the border with Arizona when they finally wind up in a town that's a real town, and not just a shack along the highway. Lordsburg, though, what a name. The road itself has become narrow and barely paved, and as they approach the small stand of buildings, he can see that the current label for it is not, in fact, 10, but State Road 14.]

All right, what's this, the 40s? Maybe early 50s?

[He speculates as he looks around at the dated buildings and style of the signs. But hell, it's still modern enough to be a place they can get food and coffee, surely. And it doesn't look terrible - there are lights here and there, including several at the town center around a pretty majestic-looking stone courthouse that must date back to when all this was actual Mexico, minus the "New".

Just outside town, actually, there are a lot of lights, all in a line. Odd, for the time of night and a small town like this. But they're not moving, so he figures it's a fence or building or something like it, and parks the bike under a sign reading Lordsburg Market and Cafe.]

Should have everything we need. You wanna try your lockpicking out again?

[He'd noticed earlier, and definitely approved, it's just a shame they had to hurry. But here? Chances are good nobody's going to come by any time soon.]

[Her face lights up with a big smile, and she kisses his cheek before she hops off the bike. It's good to get a chance to stretch her legs, and she wants to try out her lockpicking skills. The bobby pin from earlier was shoved into her pocket, and she pulls it out to approach the door with confidence.]

So, any tips?

[She's joking around, grinning and laughing. But she's also serious, because when she straightens out the bobby pin and pushes it into the lock to start turning and twisting it, she's just leaping in blind. That method seems to work pretty well, because as luck would have it, the lock clicks open the second the words leave her mouth.

Her jaw drops as she glances up at Johnnie, absolutely stunned she managed that on her first try. It's definitely just beginner's luck, but she still looks pretty proud of herself.]

Nevermind. I guess I should be teaching you, huh?

Oh, fuck off.

[He laughs as he swipes a hand through the air in her direction, then stretches his arms up into the air and cracks his back. Fuck, that's better. Been sitting too damn long this whole trip, and as much as he likes driving, he's looking forward to not having to do quite so much of it for a while.]

That's your lucky bobby pin now, better not lose it.

[Beginner's luck is right, though, and he's happy for her either way. Hell, maybe she'll get legitimately good with it after a confident start like that. His little thief would be even better at her job.

He slips on inside after her and starts grabbing a few things. Once upon a time he had a thermos, but he hasn't seen it in over a week, meaning it probably got lost in Virginia. Time to pick up a new one, while they're in here - a sturdy stainless steel thing that ought to keep coffee nice and hot on the road. Maybe they can make a little sunrise campfire and boil some water - so he grabs a jug and a little tin of instant coffee.]

Man, I wish we'd had more time back in El Paso. I really gotta stock up on Pop Tarts next time we're in the 80s or 90s.

I'll have to figure out how to make you homemade ones.

[She sounds amused as she suggests it, but she's actually pretty dedicated to the idea now. He really loves Pop Tarts, and she wants to make him something similar that's even better. He seems content with his instant coffee for now though, and she's smiling as she browses the aisles to find things she wants.

A jar of cherries aren't great for breakfast, but they sound yummy. And a tiny little box of powdered donettes is good too, and so is a box of graham crackers. She has to go grab a paper sack to start putting everything in eventually, her arms get so full. The bag is carried over to him so he can put his things inside too, and she pauses to give him a kiss. That bag that's been in her arms is passed over to him in the process, leaving her smiling in amusement as she pulls away.

Something catches her eye, and her head turns with a swish of her ponytail.]

Oh look, they have flowers over here. That's really cute!

[Sitting on the tables in the little cafe are vases with daisies inside. She hurries over to pluck one out to stick into her ponytail, and another to tuck behind her ear. A third is grabbed and she chases him down with it so she can try to tuck it behind his ear too.]

[The bag's handy for sure, and he takes over carrying it even if it feels like she baited him into doing it with that kiss. He smiles and shakes his head as she trots off to look for whatever else she wanted, at least until she gets distracted by flowers.

And all right, that's a fair distraction. She looks cute with them in her hair. He's even about to say so until she raises the third one and starts toward him, and he has to quickly turn and duck to playfully attempt to avoid her - but ultimately lets her catch him because really, what kind of asshole dodges a girl having fun?

He grins as he submits to her floral decoration, then stops to look at a reflection of himself in a window, then winks and tips his head.]

That's gonna be the new fashion, you know. Guys with flowers behind their ears. You wait, it'll happen.

[Snickering, he beckons her over for a one-armed hug while the other is occupied by the bag, tips his forehead forward against hers, then reaches up to remove his daisy and slip it into her cleavage.]

On the other hand, that's even better! They'll call 'em, uh. Bra blooms.

Bra blooms? Baby, please.

[Her nose scrunches up as she laughs, and plucks that flower right from her chest. It's too tempting to bring it up to tap against his lips for daring to say something so ridiculous. But it's pulled away a second later, and she kisses him quickly before putting it behind her ear to join the other. She's all decked out in daisies, and is in a really good mood as she takes one last look around the little market.]

Do you know what would be really fun to try?

[She decides she's finished, so she goes to take hold of his hand.]

The next time we're naked, we should see what flowers feel like against our skin.

Oh, should we? We could even make that a game.

[He takes that hand of hers but stands still a moment, lips against her ear as he explains.]

'Cause I could blindfold you an' cuff your hands back, and make you guess what kinda flower I'm touching you with. The sooner you get three right, the sooner you get what you want. Hm?

[Pretty damn good game for something he just invented on the spot, he thinks. Chuckling, he pulls away and tugs her along with him as he heads back out toward the bike.]

[Oh, she likes the sound of that game. Her eyes go wide, and she eagerly nods. It's no fair that just his voice alone can make her shiver the way it does. He has to be aware what talking into her ear does to her. She's a puddle of goo when he tugs her along after him, and she's busy imagining his little game the entire way back to the bike.

Those thoughts are still in her head as they get on and head back out, and it isn't until they're back on the road that she finally responds.]

I think that if I don't get to play that, I might die all over again. So we have to do it. Or else!

[Like she's at all threatening, especially when she's grazing her teeth against the back of his neck before softly kissing the spot she's just reddened.]

Maybe we can tomorrow night?

[He sighs under the feel of her teeth and reminds himself to focus, meanwhile, on the road ahead as they zip on past the outskirts of Lordsburg.]

Sounds like we better do tomorrow night, or else.

[Or tomorrow day. Tomorrow any time, after they've both had a chance to clean up and get some sleep, probably. He can tell it's been a busy, tiring one that's just now starting to catch up to him when the graze of those teeth doesn't quite start getting him hard, even though he feels that shiver run down his spine. They'll get their picnic breakfast, find somewhere to crash, and then after he can cover her in desert flowers.]

We'll be in Coachella Valley by tomorrow evening, before the sun goes down. We'll get us some flowers there, they oughta have a bunch blooming right now. I'll give you a little history tour, too. That's technically where the gang started, you know that? That's where the Ender was, back when he was alive.

[Palm Desert by evening. That means Los Angeles by midnight, if everything goes smoothly. Just under 24 hours away, so close he can almost feel it, if a city is a thing that can be felt. But it has a heartbeat of its own, a pulse that beats to the rhythm of traffic and music and dance and good food, and all the best things.]

Really? [Her voice has that genuinely awestruck tone to it, not at all mocking in her surprise and enthusiasm.] Maybe we can catch a glimpse of him there. If he still shows up sometimes, he'll want to welcome you home.

[She knows that's a silly idea though, and shrugs it off. She's more excited about the fact that they're entering Ender territory soon. They'll be home, and she'll finally be able to be a part of a family that accepts her for who she is.]

Can I tell you something though? [She already knows she can, but she still struggles with shifting to something more serious that she wants to say.]

We're so close now that I'm getting nervous!

[Okay, maybe it's not that serious. But it's a real thing she's feeling. She's going to be meeting his brothers in a day or two. And she knows Johnnie will vouch for her and he swears that both brothers will adore her, but that doesn't stop her from letting some of that social anxiety creep in.]

[He keeps from commenting on the thing about catching a glimpse of the Ender. It's hilarious to him how she treats him as some kind of legendary creatures - and, okay, maybe he is but there are better places to find the dude than Palm Desert these days. It's cool though, he'll casually introduce her at some point back in LA like it's no big deal, just to watch her eyes bug out.

At her admission of nervousness, his smile softens, and he reaches back and around to cup the back of her head and scratch his nails against her scalp for a second.]

You're too damn cute. You'll be fine, no need to be nervous about anything, babe. Get excited, how about? You're comin' home to a way better place than the one you left. You'll have more friends an' more fun than you know what to do with.

[Her eyes close as she soaks up that affection, the contact enough to comfort her and stop her heart from racing too much. It's hard when she gets all that nervous energy with no real outlet.]

Oh, I'm really excited. Honest! I'll finally have a real home. One that I want to be in.

[Which is a pretty big deal, in her opinion. She knows that he's aware it's a big deal to her, so she doesn't bother saying so out loud.]

It's just hard to believe we're finally almost there. We've been through so much to get to this point.

[Her arms tighten around him, and she smiles as she relaxes.]

Sure have. Funny how when I left, I figured, a week across the country, a week back, just mostly me by myself to see what that was like.

[Well, not by himself always, since obviously he was planning to pick up the occasional girl here and there on the way. But mostly by himself, and look how long that lasted? And look how much good she's done him, too? Knowing what he does now, if he'd really had to tackle any of that stuff alone he might've landed in a lot more trouble than he did. Either that or he'd still be out there starting a firestorm across the whole south.]

Anyway, almost there's not the same as bein' there yet. Still got a whole state in between us an' California, and hours of California before LA. Anything could happen, you know how shit goes for us. That highway up there could drop off into some ocean that turns up a few thousand years later.

Johnnie!

[She laughs, but playfully reaches up to press her hand over his mouth.]

Don't say things like that, they might actually happen!

[She's giggly though, and getting squirmy in the seat. They might need to find a place to stop and have their breakfast picnic in the next couple of hours, or she'll wriggle her way right off the bike.]

If we run into another monster or something, I'm blaming you.

[Well, that calls for retaliation, and so he playfully acts like he's trying to talk despite her hand, making some dumb mumbling sounds, then bites at her fingers until he breaks free, laughing.]

Okay, but wouldn't it be cool? Knowing this is all ocean some day, out here in the fucking desert? We're the only people who get to see all this shit. Nobody's gonna believe our stories when we get back.

[Maybe there are others, though. He's open to the idea of that, because if he's learned anything through being black-brained it's that each individual person is nothing special and very little that seems unique actually is. They're all just pointless grains of sand in the whole beach that is Earth, after all. Fucking dust drifting around in the dark.

It doesn't upset him as much as it should, probably.

He drives on until they finally cross the border into Arizona, and onward still until the faint pink-green glow around the rim of the sky hints that sunrise is coming. They're up in the foothills of big low mountains, some tail end of the Rockies where it's desert, but the desert has trees, and a sign for a viewpoint makes for a good excuse to pull off the road, finally and look out at the landscape below.]

All those lights out that way must be Tucson, then.

[Stopping when they do is a great idea. They get off the bike and head over to admire the scenery, and she gets a chance to move around. The view from here is beautiful, and she moves to stand in front of him and guides his arms to wrap around her so she's wrapped up in his embrace. It's surprisingly chilly out here this morning, and he keeps her nice and warm.]

You're like a walking map, babe. [Which she finds amusing, but not enough to laugh about it. She's busy looking all around and committing the view to memory.]

Do you want to sit out over here? Or drive a little longer and see if we can find somewhere else? We could eat here, but I don't know if we'd be able to stay and sleep.

[He laughs at the walking map comment. I-10 just makes it easy, aren't too many big cities out this way unlike back east, but sure. He'll take the compliment, as if he's memorized every detail of a route he's never driven before rather than watching road signs and knowing where the major landmarks are so they don't get lost.

And with the chill, he's glad to wrap her up in his arms and nuzzle close.]

Seems like a good spot to eat, don't you think? We can spread everything out, see the sunrise from up here real easy, then cruise on down that big long hill into town an' crash at a motel. Or just camp out here if you want, go find a nice shady spot in the trees to sleep, but we gotta get farther from the interstate if we do that.

[Camping actually sounds pretty appealing, as long as it doesn't get way too hot. But it's still April, it'll probably be fine. They had worse back in Florida.]

Camping sounds really fun, actually. Like we did when we were up at the lakes.

[so she's all for finding a nice spot off the interstate to do that. They've stayed at a lot of motels and all kinds of places in between. But she has a certain fondness for crashing outside. Her hand rubs at his arm and she hums a little, still taken with that view. It's hard to make anything out, but the sky itself is so pretty.]

Let's eat now, and we can find -

[The sound of loud footsteps make her go quiet, and she turns to try and see where the sound is coming from. She can't make anything out, but the sound of crunching gravel is unmistakable.]

Do you think that's an animal on the other side of the road?

Yeah, maybe? Wonder what it is.

[Wonder if it's edible, more like. If he wants to start a fire to heat his coffee up, maybe he can also cook some wild game and feel super accomplished and nice and full before he dozes off.

Time to investigate. He tries to keep his own footsteps quiet and moves slowly as he creeps back toward the road and looks over the edge, where gravel slopes away from the road bed and leads downhill. There, in the thin predawn light, is a thing his mind wants to read as "deer", but it's like no deer he's ever seen, and it's certainly not one he wants to eat. Its hide thins as he looks up from feet to the shoulders, and by the time his eyes reach the head, it's entirely skeletal. Flesh stretches, weblike, around the ears and the base of the antlers - and those antlers, holy hell. They're ghoulish, clawed hands that writhe as the creature nudges its bony nose through prickly shrubs.

Well, there will be no shooting this thing for breakfast, that's for sure. He mouths what the fuck in Chrissy's direction, and then silently watches, puzzled and kind of fascinated, as the earliest rays of light coat it in gold and pink.]

[There's a lot of things that she's afraid of. Even with as brave as she's become, it's impossible for her not to feel fear with things that are unnerving. This animal should terrify her. And maybe on some level it does, making her worried there's going to be monsters in the area or something. It's just that it's so majestic to watch it eat, and the morning light just barely touching it is beautiful somehow.]

It looks like a nice deer.

[She whispers to Johnnie, keeping her eyes on those antlers. Is that thing a deer? It's hard to tell.]

I don't think it wants to hurt us.

[Right at that moment, it slowly lifts its head and looks straight toward them. The antlers seem to writhe in a way that signal they're the ones listening instead of the animal's skeletal ears. After a few drawn out moments of staring, it goes back to grazing. Chrissy glances up at him with a look that says wow, before rushing back to the bike to get her camera out of the bag.

It doesn't take her long to get it, but by the time she's back, the creature is already gone. Guess it doesn't like getting its picture taken, she thinks.]

[He watches the creature while she runs back for the camera, and when she returns, he's still there watching the grass, the hills, the sunlight as it slowly filters into the sky.]

Too late.

[He frowns, still a little bewildered by the sighting, and stands and brushes dust off his jeans. But he hasn't looked away from that spot. He motions to it with a hand.]

I don't really get how it left, though. It was right there, then it took a few steps and it was like it just walked through a hole in the world.

[In fact, he wants to go check this out. Food can wait another minute. He picks his way down the hill to where the thing was, and looks at the grass, the bushes, the prints in the dirt, circling the spot so he can see it from different angles. But there's nothing to see, not that he can find.]

I dunno. I wonder if that's what it looks like to other people when we slip through different times, though.

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