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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
I'll keep trying. I always do.
[Her words are little more than a whisper, and she leans over to rest her head against his shoulder.]
It's just that no matter how hard I try, I'm not ever going to be as strong as you are.
[She pauses, laughing a little at what's about to come out of her mouth.]
Do you think Alex could teach me how to swing a chain? That would make me look stronger.
Sure! Yeah, ask him! Bet he'd get a kick outta that. But you don't gotta be strong strong either, right, like, not everyone in the gang could knock you down with a punch. Everyone's got their own skills. An' you an' me? We're strong together.
[And that counts for a hell of a lot. He does have to say, it's nice to have someone specifically watching his back, and it's not like he minds looking after her when she's the one who needs the hand.]
But I actually think a chain might be real great for you, y'know? Those things do a lotta fuckin' damage an' you don't have to be a fuckin' strongman to use one, just gotta know how to use it effectively. More about coordination, an' you're good at that, 'cause of the cheerleading thing.
But he keeps on talking, and she settles down, head lifting so she can look up at him. He's so attractive when he's building her up, and he's doing that in spades right now. They do make a good team, and there's no shame in knowing your strength lies in working with the person you trust and love. And she does have pretty good coordination going for her.
Soon enough, she's able to hold her head high. She's not over what's just happened to her, but she can at least act like she is.]
Maybe we can find a smaller chain. A dainty one, for someone cute like me to use to intimidate people. We're strong together, but imagine how cool it would be if I came in swinging a chain and you had your knife ready.
[He snickers, still feeling giggly especially after her tickling.]
Oh, or one that's got a knife at the end, those are cool! Oh, but a spiked ball at the end would have more weight, that'd swing real good.
[It sure is fun to imagine, and he just loves picturing his girl wrecking dudes with a cool extra-dangerous chain. He's convinced she'd be great at it, too, with a little practice.]
[And she is very intrigued by the idea. Her mind being what it is still latches onto some girlish and childish things that help her mourn the little girl she never really got to be. And then it twists everything to fit into the life she lives now, one of action and violence and danger. A pink little girly chain with a spiked ball at the end sounds like the perfect birthday present to acquire for herself once they're back home.]
I want one just like that. Pink and girly and with a spiked ball. You have to help me make one, okay?
[Just in case he needs some extra encouragement to say yes, she uses her fingertip to nudge his chin toward her so she can give him a sweet little kiss.]
Please?
Yeah yeah, of course! It'll be fun. We'll get some nails, a tennis ball, we can make somethin' cool. I dunno how well paint holds on a chain but we can figure it out for sure.
[Homemade weapons are always a fun project and this one? A custom one for her? Tons of fun, guaranteed.
He takes one more slow hit from his lazily-assembled joint, then breathes a sigh of contentment. He's feeling much better now - warmer, less upset about that hellhole they'd stumbled into. Certainly less mad at her than he'd been, briefly - fuck, it's still dumb she went into a cave underwater just because she felt like she was being called by it, but he can't be angry now, it's too late and she already feels bad enough. No, it's much better to fantasize about a cool pink spiky ball and chain combo and all the fun they'll get up to when they're back home.]
Thank you, baby. You take such good care of me.
[Providing her with the best weapons and the best trips (although she's excluding visiting the abyss from that). She's feeling decent enough that she waits for him to take his hit, and then takes the joint from him to have one of her own. Getting super high is a bad idea, and she knows it. So she won't do that. But a little to take the edge off her anxiety won't hurt anything.]
What do you want to do with the rest of today? We've got some daylight left. Abyss kinda sucked, so let's not do that again.
[She pauses, taking one more small hit before handing the nub back to him to get in the last little bit if he wants to.]
Sorry about that, by the way. For going there. This trip was supposed to only be fun. I could've really messed things up.
He toys with the last little end of the joint as he rubs her back, and looks out the window toward that old road going to the pond.]
Yeah, you coulda. I won't argue with that. Probably don't go divin' into caves in water so black you can't see, 'cause that's a good fuckin' way to never come back up. But, y'know, it's over an' done an' here we still are. That's what matters now.
[Besides, she took a dumb risk, yeah, but it's not like he's never done that in his life. So he shrugs and drags out the little last hit of that joint, whatever he can manage, then flicks what's left of it out the window.]
So I dunno where we go. How about we find a nice spot to hang out, refill that canteen, maybe get the guitar out? Bet the campground has more water. You wanna drive, though?
[Just being high wouldn't stop him, but he's high and thirsty and realizing how tired he feels after that adrenaline crash. Not enough to sleep, but definitely enough to kick up his feet and chill in the passenger's seat for a little while.]
[She smiles and nods, and holds her hands out for the keys. She's pretty exhausted after everything, but can focus long enough to drive somewhere nearby. One more quick kiss, and then she's crawling over into the driver's seat.]
You're getting up here with me though, right?
[Her eyes look to him in the rearview mirror as she starts the car. She pats the seat next to her, eyebrows arching. She may be trying really hard to present on the outside like she's fine, but she needs him to be right there with her right now. Just until all she's done feeling like her mind isn't being ripped apart at every edge.]
[He just needs a second to swing his legs over between the seats, then squirm his way the rest of the way forward. He could've gone out the door and around like a normal person but right now the most direct route looked like more fun, and she just did it, so why not him too?
He bangs his elbow on the hand brake, but laughs it off as he makes himself comfortable and extra-slouchy next to her.]
There, piece of cake. You know how to get back to the campground?
[She draws it out as she thinks it over. And in the end she can only laugh and shrug.]
I'm sure I can figure it out. But if I start going in the wrong direction, just tell me where to go.
[And with that decided, she starts backing up so she can pull forward and turn the car around. She's pretty quick at getting that done, and gets them going back the way they came. That's easy enough. And back on the main road, she turns what she thinks is the right way.]
Are we going to the campgrounds here, or back to where our stuff is set up?
[She's assuming he means the ones here, where there's a bathroom and running water and places to park and walk around and explore. That makes the most sense, but she also isn't going to turn down the opportunity to go rest. Even with as hot as the tent must be, she's pretty beat.]
[Directing her to the campground is easy, and they're there much sooner than if they'd gone out of the park and back onto their weird little numbered road. Once the canteen is refilled he takes a long drink, passes it to her to drink her fill too, then tops it back off.
Might as well take advantage of the bathroom here, he figures, and then it's time to go find somewhere new to hang out. The campground area is actually pretty nice, and he quickly starts scoping out people's tent sites without really even thinking about it.]
Shame there's some people around right now. You see some a' the folks have fancier gear, even those camper vans? I bet people leave good shit in campgrounds if they don't think ahead an' bring stuff with them.
[They thought ahead because he knows himself and he knows thieves, but he also definitely knows that the average person is shockingly trusting. It would be simple to rip someone off here if their timing was right.]
We could check things out if there's a few campsites that are empty. I bet no one would even notice.
[What could there be to steal here though?
More sleeping bags? No thank you, it's too hot. And she really likes theirs.
Her eyes drift over toward someone's camper, and she eyes it longingly. Tent camping is fun, but what about getting to sleep in something with air conditioning?? She's assuming those things have that. And maybe even a bathroom inside.]
I guess if we stole one of those - [She points at a nearby site that has a little camper.] And brought it back to our site, they'd find it pretty quickly and we'd be in trouble.
[They are kinda cute, some of them. They'd make road trips... Fun? Domestic, maybe. In a way he's not extremely sure about for reasons he can't put a finger on. Besides, back home it would stick out like a sore thumb if they tried to use it to haul anything and the moment it was left unattended someone would go snooping inside just out of pure curiosity if nothing else.
Kind of like they're thinking about right now, come to think of it.]
'Cause I'm just thinkin' I wanna get in one an' see if someone left a wallet behind. Or some fun party favors. Someone out here has gotta have brought drugs with 'em right?
[Like they don't have enough, but more is better.]
[She laughs, shrugging a little. Sure, she'd like to experience what a camper is like. But it's not a big deal. Breaking into one to see what's inside? Now that sounds like the kind of fun they can have right now.]
Let's go check out that one over there. It doesn't look like anyone is around.
[They can find somewhere to sit with his guitar once their curiosity is sated. Her grin is impish as she giggles, and pulls away from him to start making a beeline for that camper down the path.]
Well, the first step is to try the door, just in case, but they did think to lock it. What they didn't do was close up and lock all the windows.]
That one's just got a screen in the way, look. If I boost you up, you think you can pop it out an' climb in there?
[Squeezing into tiny spaces is her speciality. He gives her the boost she needs, and it's easy to pop out the screen. It takes a little work to actually hoist herself up and through the window, but she manages in the end. She ends up sitting in a little sink, and laughs at how weird it is to have a kitchen on wheels.
There's no time to appreciate the novelty of it though, because she hops down and jogs over to the door to unlock it and let Johnnie in. Once she does, she's able to look around and takes quick notice of all the toys that are all over the place.]
It looks like a family's staying here.
[Which makes her feel a little bad, she doesn't want to steal from kids. A really cool looking toy sitting discarded on the dining booth makes her change her mind though. It's neon green, so of course it catches her eye.]
A Skip It! I loved exercising with one of these last summer.
[It's tempting to steal it, but no, it would make some little girl sad. So she just touches it and resists the itch she has to grab it for herself. Maybe if she's still wanting it on the way out, she'll change her mind again.]
Let's check the bedroom back here. I bet the parents keep everything good in there.
Bedroom it is, then.]
Man, this is so fuckin' weird. I dunno what I thought would be in here but it's like a whole little house. Guess I thought people just slept in these. I mean fuck, there's even a shower?
[This thing must have a huge gas tank though. If nothing else, they could siphon gas off it, or a different one later. That's a thought to hold onto until the day they're planning to leave.
The bedroom has a surprisingly huge bed, but he turns his attention to the cubbies above. There's an extra lighter, some books, a flashlight - hell, that's useful, he'll take that - but the real score comes in the next search. Several bottles of pills, and a passport.]
Let's see, we got... Junk, junk... Bingo.
[He casually tosses medications onto the bed until the last one, which he rattles in victory and stuffs in his pocket. Maybe he'll keep them, maybe he'll resell them, but that's a nice find either way.]
Ritalin's good shit, sells all right on the street. An' this! Let's see here, Michael Bankman. What else you got hidin' in here?
[He opens it up, smirks, shrugs, and twirls it in his fingers as he goes back to looking around.]
Hidden up in the top drawer though, is a little case of jewelry. She gasps as she opens the case and admires the things inside.]
Who brings nice jewelry with them to go camping? Idiots.
[But now she has some nice new things, and she takes them all out of the case to tuck into her pocket. They'll pawn for some money or go into her collection, she isn't sure yet. What she is sure of is the fact that if they put jewelry in here...
Aha. There it is.]
Found their cash.
[It's neatly contained in a bank envelope, which Chrissy pulls out to hold up and fan herself with.]
What else did you find?
[It's kind of warm in here so he switches to using the passport as a fan while rifling through one last collection of things but no, this is just maps. They can have them.
And also, he knows the answer to his own question. Yes, it would be pushing their luck. He's not afraid of pushing anything, obviously, but since they do have plans here at least for tomorrow, maybe they should wait.]
How about... We pick one a day. This one today, a different one tomorrow. Like before or after we go down to the bottom. Might be better that way than hittin' a bunch at once, 'cause that's how people notice. C'mon, let's get outta here.
[He grins as he hops on out the front door, then backtracks, grabs one of the spare keys, and locks the door behind them once he and Chrissy are both outside. That's funnier, actually, he thinks. Make them unlock the thing, see how much longer it takes for them to notice someone broke in.]
[In a last second decision, she runs to grab that green skip it, and clutches it close to her chest as she skips out of the camper after him. His antics with locking the door make her laugh, and she leans in to kiss his cheek before they make their way back toward the car to tuck away their haul in the trunk.
Except that skip it is left out, and she takes a second to put the ring end around her ankle. It's really gravelly and not a smooth surface out here, but that's okay. She's really good at making the skip it work. And so she hops and skips and has tons of fun in the area directly around their car, trying it out. Once she's sure it works just fine, she settles down and pops it in the trunk. She doesn't want anyone to notice her with it.
But now she's plenty energetic, so she moves her way right into his arms.]
Want to find somewhere out here to play guitar? Or walk around and see if there's a better spot?
Let's get outta the campground. We really don't wanna still be here if those people come back any time soon.
[All this has definitely cheered him now over the mess they went through earlier. He claps her on the shoulder affectionately as he pulls away, then holds a hand out for the keys, evidently having decided he's well enough to drive after all. He's still pleasantly high but not so loopy - a successful little theft seems to have cleared that fog right out of his head.]
The road keeps goin' down the canyon this way an' we haven't gone to the end, so let's just go see what it's got!
They've barely started driving as the wheels start turning in her head, and she grabs at his leg as something dawns on her. They left a lot of their things behind.]
You don't think people will steal our stuff, do you?
[All the most important things are here with them, but she admittedly will be really pissed if anyone has touched any of their things. It's okay when they steal from people, but no one better do it to them. Or else.
She tries to relax back against the seat and focus on the fun up ahead. They're driving down to a new part of the canyon, and he's going to play his guitar. She doesn't have time to worry about being stolen from.]
[Hold on a moment while he drives with his knees while lighting himself a cigarette. They're right up above a tremendously deep canyon and this is fine.
He grins as he blows out a trail of smoke that has no chance of lingering overhead. He's not driving fast though, really. He does like to be able to look around out here where the scenery is so absurdly striking.]
What I've found, though? Is most people play by the rules an' trust everyone else does too. Not to say nobody'd ever try to rob us, but especially out here away from the city? There's a lot less people, so a lot less of 'em who'd rather tell the rules to fuck right off.
Yeah, well, if someone does try to rob us? I'm beating them to death with my new skip it I just stole.
[She says it so menacingly and pouty that it instantly strikes her as hilarious. Which means she's soon cracking up and forgetting all about someone actually robbing them. Yeah, she'd love a chance to get practice for her future chain weapon by fighting with a skip it. That weighted ball at the end could really do some damage if she was determined enough.]