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Dec. 16th, 2023 at 5:56 PM
[Racing down the interstate as fast as they fucking can, Johnnie tugs Chrissy closer and ducks low over his bike. They're streamlined now, they'll pick up just a little bit more speed, and then they can outride this giant evil fucking wasp for sure -
His eyes blink slowly against the light in the room, and then he frowns and lifts his pillow from under his head and flings it at the alarm clock on the bedside table. That shouldn't work, except that it falls off the table and unplugs in the process, leaving the room blissfully silent.
And now he doesn't have a pillow. Shit.]
Ugh. Hey, you up?
[Like Chrissy could sleep through that.
Soon enough though, he rolls on out of bed, gets the water going, tugs fresh clean clothing out of his bag, then checks on that shower. Yep, nice and hot. Time to get clean and ready for the day.]
Whatcha think? Wanna check out the cafe for breakfast? Maybe we can make 'em do some eggs an' pancakes even though they're gonna say it's dinner only now. I hate when places do that, it's such fuckin' bullshit.
His eyes blink slowly against the light in the room, and then he frowns and lifts his pillow from under his head and flings it at the alarm clock on the bedside table. That shouldn't work, except that it falls off the table and unplugs in the process, leaving the room blissfully silent.
And now he doesn't have a pillow. Shit.]
Ugh. Hey, you up?
[Like Chrissy could sleep through that.
Soon enough though, he rolls on out of bed, gets the water going, tugs fresh clean clothing out of his bag, then checks on that shower. Yep, nice and hot. Time to get clean and ready for the day.]
Whatcha think? Wanna check out the cafe for breakfast? Maybe we can make 'em do some eggs an' pancakes even though they're gonna say it's dinner only now. I hate when places do that, it's such fuckin' bullshit.
Comments
Give me a minute to get dressed, and I'll come help you make something. We could make a fire and use up some of the eggs and try to toast some bread?
[She pauses, head tipping to the side as she thinks that over.]
But we'd probably have to put out the fire right after making it, if we're going to be gone for most of the day. Maybe just some of that bread and peanut butter? We can save the big breakfast for tomorrow, when we'll be hiking down to the bottom of the canyon.
[With that decided, she sets to finding her bra and panties so she can get dressed enough for breakfast outside the tent. She'll grab her actual clothes for the day and finish getting ready after they eat.
Once she's got her shoes on and she's able to walk outside without worrying about hurting her feet, she goes straight for the car to get into the trunk. That box of cherry cokes provides her with a can that she opens and chugs, followed by a ridiculous burp. Oops.
Figuring he might be thirsty too, she grabs a can for him and heads over to pass it to him with a kiss.]
Thanks. Yeah, y'know, I was just thinkin' bread an' peanut butter myself. We can always do breakfast for dinner tonight too when we get back here, have eggs an' toast then. I think there's salsa, too, somewhere. Could make some breakfast sandwiches.
[Oh and here's the bread, sitting near the top of a bunch of food, that's good. It's not all smashed. He finds one of the plates he grabbed from that first stop to put bread onto and then sets that on the hood of the car until he finds the peanut butter and a butter knife. Once he's spread some on both slices, he holds the plate out for her to take one.]
Perfect breakfast! You're welcome.
Thanks, baby. It looks perfect.
[And as soon as she bites into it, she realizes it is perfect. It's sweet and savory and filling. She hikes herself up to carefully sit on the edge of the hood of her car, and takes her time eating her piece. Since she's already downed one cherry coke, she has to hold her hand out and waggle her fingers to get him to share his here and there. Peanut butter is really sticky and thick, so she needs some soda to wash it down.]
Maybe there's a visitor's center or something we can grab a map at. We'll need a good map to mark off which route we should take down. And I mean, there's other things we'll want to see out there too, right? We need a map. And maybe a compass.
[Does she have any idea how to use a compass? No. Does she think he does? Well, she thinks he can do anything. So if they get one, it's definitely on him to make sure it's being used the right way.]
[But he takes an extra second to think, to chew and swallow, then adds,]
'Course, if we have one then it makes it easier to get around to all the cool places those people don't go! So let's see about gettin' our hands on one for sure.
[They could go to those cool places without a compass, yes, but with a compass, they'll... Well, they'll know what direction they're facing when they get lost! Probably! He's never used a compass but maybe she has, since she suggested it.]
We'll need to find the canteen so we can fill it up somewhere with cold water.
[As nice as cherry coke is, she's really needing some ice cold water right about now. That means they need to get packed up for the day so they can get out of here soon. She folds over her piece of peanut butter bread and munches on it as she starts finding what they'll need.]
I can pack everything in my backpack. I just have to dump all the extra stuff out into another bag.
[And likewise, one slice of bread with peanut butter is not enough food for him. What about bread and a hot dog? Time to find that cooler. Must be in the trunk.
Also, the cooler isn't exactly the coldest on the inside. The meat and other stuff has mostly all kept to some degree of chill since it was packed in there tightly, but it won't last forever with the sun beating down on the car.]
We gotta get ice, too. I bet that campground has water an' ice, we can stop in there on the way.
[Bread and cold dog roll created, he stuffs one end of it in his mouth to then go back to his backpack in the tent and sort out what shirt he wants to wear and what all he can leave here for the day.]
She finds the empty canteen and puts it in hers for now. Maybe once its full, she'll let Johnnie carry it. For now, it's light enough she can handle it. Snacks are tucked into the bag, and she grabs one of the flashlights she stole along with the really cool headlamp.
What else could they need? Maybe she needs a minute to think on it. She goes to get dressed for the day, and since it's warm, she figures she might as well dress for the occasion. That neon bikini is put on, along with the parachute shorts and neon pink tank top. She's a picture perfect image of vibrancy, and she's never been happier to have stolen some clothes in her entire life. The neon scrunchie she pulls her hair up into a high ponytail into just tops it all off, and she hums merrily to herself as she gives a couple of spins for her own benefit.
That must spark some thoughts in that pretty little head of hers, because she instantly has some more ideas of what to pack into her backpack. She doesn't want to weigh it down too much, she figures that's a good way to get tired.]
Are you wearing your jacket today? It's so hot, I don't think I can wear mine. That's okay, right?
[She sounds hesitant though, like maybe she has to wear it or maybe she should. It's just that she worked so hard for it that it feels wrong not to wear it right now, but maybe they can keep it safe in the car.]
[Red, though, that'll be his t-shirt for the day like somehow it'll make up for it. And his bandana is mostly dry now too after trying to scrub it with shampoo in the shower. That might actually come in handy, so he tucks it in his back pocket and throws his jacket over his shoulder.
Knife, check. Gun, check, but it's pretty visible without his jacket on to cover it up. And out here, what are the chances they'll get jumped by some freak and have to use it? Probably poor, but what if there are bears? Hm. Well, he'll weigh the pros and cons while he goes back to the car to throw a few cans of coke and more snacks into his bag, along with the last couple pre-rolled joints and another pack of cigarettes. And that birthday card, well, it'll have to stay with him but maybe at some point he can sneakily tuck it into his guitar case just to hide it. And speaking of his guitar, maybe that's best off locked up in the trunk for now.
There, now he's set, and he reclaims his can of coke to wash down that hot dog.]
There we go, think I got everything. If I don't, I got my wallet an' my unending charm. You ready?
[But that takes about ten seconds, and soon she's ready to go. She hurries over to get to the car so she can get the top down. It's too sunny to drive with the top up, and they need to be able to see everything out around them. After it's down, she hops into the passenger seat so he can drive back toward the canyon.
There's so much to see now that it's daytime, and she's actually pretty quiet as she takes it all in. Her camera is safe in her backpack, but driving isn't the best time to take pictures. She just lives in the moment and takes it all in. They're not even to the Grand Canyon itself yet, and she already thinks this is one of the prettiest places she's ever seen.
Her hand taps against the side of the car as she takes to humming a Madonna song. That doesn't last too long, since they're not likely to be in the car much longer, since it looks like they're heading right toward a big building. ]
Oh hey, let's park over there and see what's inside.
[As soon as he finds somewhere to park, she's hopping out and making her way over to take hold of his hand.]
[He pulls on into one of the handful of parking spaces off the side of the road by the building. It looks old, but then again, he's not sure how to tell if it's actually old or if it's made to look old for tourists. They're not the only ones parked here, but it must not be the most popular stop.
Well, no harm checking it out. He grabs his backpack as he hops on out of the car.]
"Carter's Canyon Corner". Maybe they got sunglasses, I think I need 'em out here. Actually, maybe they got ice, that'd be even better.
[One step up onto the porch suggests that maybe this place actually is old. The trim around the door is freshly painted, sure, but the plank under his foot sags and creaks as he goes to hold the door for Chrissy.]
You think this was a saloon once, maybe? Like in Texas?
Only to stop once they're inside and pull those sunglasses right back on up. It's actually pretty dimly lit in here.]
It definitely could've been a saloon, look over there. That used to be a bar a long time ago.
[Now it's just holding stands of pamphlets and maps. She'll gladly go get all of those in a minute, she just has to look around first. It's pretty rustic in here, with an old man behind the cash stand, and a younger man stocking a display of souvenirs with some t-shirts.
It's hard to tell what decade they're in standing in this place. It's rustic in a way that could be either timelessly fun or gross and outdated, depending on someone's mood. Right now, she's thinking it's pretty fun.]
It's so quiet in here. I wonder how this place stays open.
[She whispers that to Johnnie before she makes her way over to the old bar top to pick up one pamphlet after another. As soon as her hands touch at a folded up map of the area, there's the sound of rustling from behind the bar. She leans back in surprise, and is shocked to see an ancient man in overalls standing back there.]
You don't want to be using that one, girly.
[He asks her, and she points at her chest to make sure he's talking to her.]
Yeah you, girly! Those new maps there ain't gonna get you any closer to the treasure.
[Treasure is out there?!
She glances over toward Johnnie and hisses his name in a whisper, beckoning him over with a cave of her hand. This guy is obviously a ghost like they are, so there's no telling what kind of great stories he'll have to share.]
And the mirror on the rack also points out that he hasn't done a thing with his hair today, and that's just going to have to be how it is. Floppy. Not cool. Makes him look like a kid, in his opinion. But, whatever, Chrissy is the only one who's going to see much of him anyway, and fuck everyone else, really.
On hearing her whisper his name, he comes on over with a pair of sunglasses shoved into his pocket, and regards the old guy with a raised eyebrow.]
Man outta time, ain'tcha? What're you hangin' around here for?
[The old ghost grins, revealing gaps where some of his teeth should be.]
Aw, lookit that, girlie's got a friend. You lookin' for treasure too, boy? Yeah, you look the type. This one's more than just gold, more than diamonds! Hah! But you're only gonna git it if you're brave enough. Or dumb enough!
[The old dude cackles to himself, leaving Johnnie to furrow his brows as he tries to work out what the hell this guy is on about. He folds his arms on the bar top and leans forward, a smirk on his lips.]
Uh huh. If you know all about it, why are you here? What're you not tellin' us? I'm not a fuckin' idiot, I ain't gonna go run off to some fuckin' deathtrap.
[The old man presses a finger to his lips.]
Oooh, language, boy! Shame on you, talkin' like that around a lady!
Gosh, she wants to be up on him right now.
But there the old guy is, talking about treasure, and Johnnie engages and they're definitely stuck in a conversation with another ghost instead of sneaking away to some dark corner to touch one another.
It's really a struggle to be her sometimes.]
Oh, he can talk like that. I don't fucking mind.
[See?
The f-word never hurt anyone. She laughs it off with a shrug, and the old guy's jaw drops in shock.]
Gone done never heard a lady talk like that before, n'er in all my years!
[But he's not offended by it, just shocked. Chrissy thinks that maybe he's more shocked by the shades of neon she's decked out in, she's pretty blinding. He studies her for a few seconds before pulling a folded up piece of paper out of his pocket. It's old and well worn, and Chrissy coughs as dust flies up when he slams it down on the counter.]
I ain't sendin' you off to some deathtrap, boy. Me and my boys, we've been hunting the biggest darn treasure this here canyon's ever seen! Course, they're all gone now, and it's just me left. But down there at the bottom, all the way on down, is something real special.
[Well, Chrissy may be distracted by being horny thanks to thinking about her boyfriend in sunglasses, but she can still be intrigued by this guy too.]
More special than diamonds?
[She reaches out to slide the piece of paper toward her and unfolds it. It's an old map, definitely not from this century. But it's all the trails and paths down to the bottom, with big x's put on areas where he must have searched for treasure and turned up nothing.]
Darn straight, missy. A beast made of the canyon itself! Find it. Git it and sell it to the highest bidder!
[The old guy's laugh is definitely a little crazed, and Chrissy can guess he hasn't moved on or whatever normal ghosts do, because this is his unfinished business or something. A great big monster hunt.
That's...kind of cool, actually.]
I'm not sure if we're looking to hunt a beast. But I'm Chrissy, and this is Johnnie. How long have you been here looking for this thing?
[His hand pats at his chest, right over the bib pocket on his overalls.]
The name's Philomon Amias Narrymore. [Pleasantries aside, he casts his gaze over to Johnnie. Clearly, he's who is the treasure hunter between the two of them.] What about you, boy, you ain't gonna find it? I'll make it real worth your while if you bring me its head.
Yeah, maybe. I did wanna test out my hunting skills here. What kinda worth my while are we talkin'?
[Philomon's eyes dart between Johnnie and Chrissy, and then he grins and taps a gnarled finger on the top of the bar.]
Oh, I know a fella who'll pay top dollar. Let's say instead of sellin' it yourself, you bring it to me, eh? I'll get in touch with this fella, tell him you got what we're lookin' for, then split the sale with you. Sixty-forty, forty to me on account of me bein' the one to tell you where to look an' how to do it an' who to sell to! Whaddya say, boy?
[Johnnie really doesn't trust this guy one bit, and glances at Chrissy out of the corner of his eyes to check in with her to see if she's buying it. But then he looks back over at the old ghost, and grins.]
Seventy-thirty an' you stop callin' me "boy", an' we're in. Besides, I wanna see this thing, what kinda monster is it?
Seventy-thirty, and we -
[Good old Philomon must think women aren't worth listening to, because he taps one of those disgusting fingers up on the counter before slapping his dusty palm down against it.]
Ain't nobody ever seen it before! But it's huge! And ferocious! If you listen at sunrise and sunset, you can hear it growl! It's there, just waiting for someone to find 'im.
[Oh goodness. This sounds like a total scam. Chrissy politely smiles, but glances up at Johnnie so he can see her not so polite eyeroll. One more squeeze of his butt gets her trough this trying time of more hormones than her brain knows what to do with.]
Is it a bear? Because I think desert bears are a real thing, and -
[Again, he slaps his hand against the counter.]
Girlie, you don't got no idea what you're goin' on 'bout. It's not a bear, it's a beast. This world ain't ever seen anything like it. My granpappy used to go on and on 'bout it. The emerald stone monster. Like some kind of big lizard from another planet! I know you must be thinkin' what in the tarnation but it's real! It gotta be.
[Ugh.
This guy smells like bad breath and decaying dreams...and she's pretty sure that's old mineshaft dust and bat poop all over him. She pushes the map across the counter to Johnnie. It's his if he wants to take it.]
We're planning on going down there anyway. Do you want to see if his giant alien lizard is real?
Johnnie takes that map and does something between folding it and crumpling it, like if this asshole won't respect him and his girl then he won't respect the fucking map, that'll tell him. It gets tucked into a back pocket, and then he steps away from the bar and gives Chrissy a stroke of his hand down her back.]
Yeah. Yeah, y'know what, I do wanna see it. "Emerald stone monster", huh?
[Weird coincidence. He knows the star, and he knows the symbol Zazo used on his club. And now a beast that this ghost says isn't from Earth? Damn right he's going to go try to find it. Maybe even try to kill it, depending on what he finds, just because the ability to say he killed one of those horrible fucking creatures from out there is pretty fucking cool. Maybe it has teeth or claws or something he can keep, too. The head apparently will sell for cash but he's totally going to claim a trophy for himself.
Philomon is gazing at him eagerly though and it makes him feel like he's just taken some bait. Oh well, they'll find out themselves.]
'At's right, b- fella! Go on, then, no time to waste! You'll be richer than ol' Vanderbilt himself, you just follow my map there! Once you got your money you do whatever you want with it, yesiree. She'll love it, believe me, you can go buy her a pretty dress an' horses an' a villa in ol Me-hee-co -
[Johnnie snorts.]
Yeah, yeah, we'll see if your monster is real, first. Seventy-thirty, you hear me?
[He's playing at serious and tough but mostly treating all of this as some dumb joke, even if he's intrigued. And so he steps away, catching Chrissy's eyes as he tips his head toward the door.]
I'm gonna see if they sell ice here. At least we'll come out with one thing that's real.
I'll see if I can find some water to fill up our canteen.
[She leans in to give him a quick peck of a kiss, before pulling away to go do her thing. A glance behind her shows that wherever that old man has gone, he's faded back into oblivion for now. She really hopes that they can find his monster and prove it's real, but she isn't sure she wants to kill it. Especially since her experience with monsters has been downright terrifying.
Asking the clerk about water has her pointed to a sink in the back of the shop. There's no ice, but the water that comes out is cold enough. She drinks about half the bottle before refilling it, and ventures into the bathroom right nearby just so she's sure she doesn't have to go while they're out and about.
Johnnie is easy enough to find, since he's grabbing a bag of ice and is hauling it outside.]
Do you think we should use that map to try heading down today? Or are we still going down tomorrow?
[But now he's definitely leaning toward just going for it. Why the hell not? They have plenty of time and nowhere to be but here.
Back at the car, he opens up the trunk and tries to cram the bag of ice into the cooler. It doesn't completely fit, but it's so damn close. Instead, he has to take the stuff inside out, pour ice in, then repack the meat and whatever else needs to be kept cold.]
Can't really put the extra ice in the trunk, it'll just melt. You got some room in that canteen?
[And while he's pouring a few ice cubes into it, carefully shaking the bag so they don't just spill all over her hands, he thinks a little more about the prospect of going down into the canyon now versus later.]
I guess if we go down now it'll be hot when we start, but cooler by evening. I wonder how cold it gets at the bottom overnight?
[She's more worried about tackling the journey with only one canteen of water. It seems more and more like he's going to want to try heading down today, so she passes the canteen over to him and signals for him to wait.]
We'll need more water if we're going to head down there. I'm not sure we brought enough food either. Because if we get down there too late, we may have to stay the night until it's safe to head back up. I'll be right back, okay?
[She slips into the store and returns a few minutes later with two steel water bottles.]
Let's add some ice to these too. Maybe we can just go on one of the trails today, and then try making our way down to the bottom tomorrow? That way we can pack our bags better for what we'll need. Anyway, I'm wearing a swimsuit and really want to try finding somewhere to swim today.
We'll go check it out, all right? If it don't look doable with what we got, we'll go later. If there's really a monster down in there, it's been there long enough for that old geezer to know about it, so it ain't goin' anywhere in the next day.
[Before getting into the car, he leans in for a kiss, and slips a hand around to squeeze her butt. Payback, or something like it. Laughing, he pulls away and escapes to the driver's seat, then slips on his cool new sunglasses and sends a smirk her way.]
Besides. A swim sounds real nice.
Instead, she slides into the seat beside him and pushes her sunglasses back down into place. He squeezed her butt, so turnabout is fair play. That means she reaches over to rub at his thigh, which turns into palming the crotch of his pants. She'll behave after that, though she's the one smirking. He better be careful, or she'll tear his clothes off of him any minute now.]
Okay, then let's go check things out. Then go find somewhere to swim.
But otherwise he remains unfazed. Very cool, very in control. It's the sunglasses, lending him extra cool power.]
Yes, ma'am.
[He grins and fires up the engine, and races the little car out of the parking lot like he's got somewhere to be, making the wheels squeal as they hit the road.
It's a short few minutes to the park gate, and now he can see that the entry kiosk is in full operation, taking fees from cars as they pull up. There are two in line ahead of them already, meaning if they decide to actually pay, not only will they have to pay but worse, they'll have to wait.
But then again, waiting, and buying a pass, means their car won't get towed while they're poking around, because he's betting that's what happens if they get caught without a parking pass, and fuck that, the trunk's full of cash and weed and coke and also his guitar. They're loaded, in fact, thanks to that last register robbery.]
All right, fuck it, I'm gettin' in line. Let's just buy a damn park pass. Can't be that much, right? We'll get one for the week so we can just come an' go. I don't wanna park an' be gone all day on a trip to the bottom only to find out they got in here an' went through all our shit.
By the point they're stopped in line, slowly inching along, she's got her mouth working a hickey against his neck and her hand palming at the front of his pants like it's her job to make him squirm in his seat. He's just so good at playing it cool though that she can't tell if he's into it or humoring her.
Why that's a turn on to her, she isn't sure. Everything he's doing today is really great, what can she say. Either that, or getting as high as she did the night before was one hell of an aphrodisiac. Regardless, she's having a great time. Or she is up until she thinks of strangers going through their things.
That gets her to gasp and pull away from him to look toward the pay booths with narrowed eyes.]
If they dare do something like that, we'd just set them on fire.
[Does she mean the booths, the park rangers, or the entire area? Probably all three, since she does have an affinity for starting fires.]
So we'll just give them the money so we don't have to make the Grand Canyon the Grand Fire Canyon. It can't cost more than like five dollars to get in, right?
The sunglasses make it easier to stay cool about her trying to get him fucking turned on while he's just sitting here waiting, too, he'd swear it. It's like they put him in the mood to be absolutely unmovable while she gropes him - and maybe in turn that means that any moment, he'll do a 180 and shove her up against her passenger door and fuck her brainless. But that hasn't happened yet.
So he tilts his head to try and see the sign at the front of the kiosk that has the fees.]
Might be more'n that for the week, but it's more worth it than some park rangers confiscating the pot.
[He finally gets to move up a space, and now he can make out the sign by the window.]
Fifteen. Yeah, fuck it, whatever.
[Yes, it's expensive for his time, but not in the 80s, or the 90s, whenever they are right now. Bullshit decade. Time to dig his wallet out and cough up the cash.]
We've got plenty of money, baby. Fifteen is nothing.
[And there her hand goes, rubbing idly at his thigh as they continue moving forward in line. She's in a very good mood today, all warm and affectionate and easy to please. Not that she usually isn't, but she seems to be exceptionally so right now.]
Do you want to know something? I really like those sunglasses on you. They look so good. Your hair is so cute today too.