On A Dark Desert Highway

[egghead]

His eyes cracked wide open when he felt the slightly itchy sheet cover his body. He didn't realize how cold he was until he had a blanket over him; he was shivering.

Thanks... He tried to say, but the words turned to sand in his throat. It didn't matter if he managed to speak anyway, he could already hear light snores and murmurs emanating from the bed.

Closing his eyes again, Glen drifted off into a dreamless sleep...

ー

...and awoke to the sun full on his face, baking his cheeks. Trying to ignore the stiffness in his neck, he sat upright in his "bed", peeling himself off of the sweaty leather like a bandage from a bloody knee.

Heaving his sorry excuse for a body towards the cheap-looking coffee maker tossed beside the broken lamp, joints cracking with every step, he decided to start the day off like he normally would at home: by having a cup o' joe.

Pretty soon the tiny room filled with the aroma of coffee, and Glen was back in the armchair, hands tingling from the uncomfortable warmth felt through the the plastic cup. He pulled it up to his lips and sipped carefully so that his tongue burned with the full bitter, sugarless favour.

Then he sighed and threw the half-empty cup into the trash; how could fresh coffee taste so stale?

 

[Axel1313]

"Mooooooorning." Lucid called out cheerfully as he limped out of the bathroom. He didn't quite have the strap to his leg fully attached yet, leaving it precariously swinging out farther than needed.

He was much perkier than the previous night, and had dared take a shower in this place. Water wasn't the best but it did enough. His youthful complexion was beginning to shine through the rugged look once more. The trimmed hair had to help as well. Using a small pocket knife and pair of scissors he was carrying with him he managed a look of closely shaved on the sides of his head. Taking all the fading blond away and revealing much darker, almost black hair and then a longer fading blond bit down the center of his head that partially covered his eye.

Spoiler

Hairstyyyyle

"You're a braver soul than I thought. Trying out that coffee. Smells good at least doesn't it? Taste though....eeeh judging by the face I walked in on, I'll pass on trying. I'll stick to water..." he took a seat on the bed, drying the back of his neck in an awkward feeling silence for a moment.
"Soooo....what are your plans today? I'll flip the bill for the room. So....you can be on your way or do whatever you like now."

 

[egghead]

Glen flinched at the sound of the bathroom door swinging open, and only seemed to tremble more when he saw what came out of it. Not the same mangy mutt he saved from the vultures, but a completely new person. Even the hair was different.

"I-I don't know..." he answered, wondering if he would look nearly half as decent if he showered and got a trim. "I...don't even know why I'm out here, really."

Maybe the empty beer bottles scattered around the back seat of his car had something to do with that, but he didn't bring up such a little detail.

"How far is it?" he blurted before he could stop himself. "I-I mean, the place you're headed. I'm not...I have nowhere else to go, I could drive you."

That is, if they could somehow get some gas back into the heaping pile of rust sitting in the parking lot.

 

[Axel1313]

"Phoooo." His cheeks puffed out as an exasperated sigh escaped. "Couldn't tell ya Glenny boy. I'm in the same boat. Don't know where I'm going, only know I'm out here seeking. And before you ask. Don't know what I'm looking for either. Mostly wandering about." With a little grunt he fully attached and situated his leg. Letting it swing back down by his other and making it look near indistinguishable from the other.
"Long answer short. You'd be driving forever man. So I'm fine being dropped off at like. A gas station or small town or something, I'll pay you for your troubles too. For the has and everything y'know?"

 

[egghead]

"Oh." Rubbing the grit from the corners of his eyes, he yawned. It was loud, wide-mouth, and ended with him smacking his lips; he should've slept longer than just a few hours...or at least made decent coffee. "G-guess we'll have to go check out, huh?"

The guy at the front desk seemed as interested in them as he was the first time they met. Still glued to the screen of a broken television, he waved his hand absently and told them that the nearest gas station was just a few kilometers down the road.

Glen gave in to the urge and asked: "Erm, what are you watching?"

The skinny guy just shot him a look, making him shut up as well as regret everything in his life that led up to that point. Back outside, in the dry desert air, he felt like he could breathe again...somewhat. Stretching out his arms, feeling his shoulders pop pleasantly, he glanced back to Lucid. The high almost-noon sun was so bright it forced him to squint, but he could still marvel the golden-on-black curls on the younger man.

"Should we...um, go?"

 

[Axel1313]

"In just a moment." He gave Glen a bright smile as he non-nonchalantly skipped around the counter and leaned against the television. "Hey asshat. My buddy asked you a question." He slammed his fist against the top of the television,putting a nice sized hole in the top. And warranting a pretty well deserved nasty glare. "Anyway, we're checking out. Mmm'kay? So why don't you get off your lazy ass and pay attention to your customers for once." Clicking his tongue against his teeth he took a wad of cash out of his pocket and hurled it at the man carelessly. "There. Room's paid for. Exact cash, nothing more for that shithole, nasty coffee, roaches all that stuff you need to take care of in this dump."

The young man then sauntered back to Glen's side. Giving the man now screaming at him the middle finger as he did so. He didn't care whatsoever about what threats were being tossed his way. "Come oooooon Glen~ Let's head out! Cause who knows how far away the nearest station is. Right? Faster we get going the quicker we can get to good ol gas and that legendary gas station food covered in grease and guaranteeing a night on the can and you innards wishing death upon you." He joked merrily. A happy skip in his step.

 

[egghead]

The deadbeat's jaw bobbed up and down as he gawked at the chaos Lucid had caused. The front desk freak was behind them screeching about how he was going to rip out their guts or worse, make them pay for the broken, broken television.

Half-running, half-stumbling down the cracked strip leading to the highway, Glen could still hear the skinny guy yelling at them from his perch at the door step, where the cool fan air ended.

He swallowed the grit in his throat, hoping that the creep didn't take his anger out on the car as well as began to regret not drinking some water before they left.

Once reaching the end of the road, Glen's legs turned into mush and he doubled over; his breathing was hard and ragged. They had barely taken a step into their adventure and he was already out of air and wishing for a coffin to fall into.

"This is going to kill me..." he whined as his lungs and legs and everything else burned.

 

[Axel1313]

"Bah, don't worry about him Glen. I know his type, it's coward." Lucid spat back in the direction of the creep. He was ready for a fight if that creep was up for it.

He walked up to Glen and stooped over to talk to him and give a hearty slap on the back. Finally getting a good close up of the old man's face. "Well, you made it this far and are still alive aren't ya? What's a few more miles eh?" He flashed him a big, toothy grin. Air whistling softly through a chip in his front tooth.

"Come on. I'll buy you the biggest, sugaryiest slushie you can handle and a dozen donuts or whatever you want to eat. Or we could visit a diner too and order a mountain of bacon and flapjacks?"

 

[egghead]

The slap knocked off several drops of sweat from exposed skin. Glen almost wanted to reflect the youth's smile but discovered that his face was frozen with a permanent grimace.

"I'll just take the will to live..." he joked, almost.

After sucking in more cactus air and wiping his forehead off with the sleeve of his plain white dress shirt, he moved onto another topic.

"Why did you...d-do that, anyway?"

He wasn't sure if it was just the heat or if he was losing more of his mind, but he had the abject thought that this man actually cared about him.

"Y-you didn't have to."

 

[Axel1313]

"Don't we all Glenny boy. Don't we all." he laughed brightly and gave the man a more gentle pat.

"As for why I did that. Welp, I can't let some asshole off the hook like that. Maybe if you were giving him tude to begin with I'd let it slide. But you were only being nice and honest there. Can't let that go getting treated like shit." He hiked his bag higher up on his shoulders. "You're a good guy Glen. Little strange and in real need of a spa day, kinda dull too, but a good guy. You don't deserve to be treated like that, ever."

 

[egghead]

He flinched noticing the pseudo-blond's hand reaching behind him again, expecting another slap, but relaxed when his touch turned out to be gentle. Peering up at a face carved by angels, he wondered if this man was sent from the heavens.

Only a divine being would be this nice to him.

"W-well, thanks anyway..." he managed finally, his breathing slowly returning to normal. "Let's just...t-take it slow from here." Or else his lungs would collapse.

Starting off along the dusty edge of the highway, Glen had a bit of time to fret over the one question that weighed in his mind the most: What is a spa?

 

[Axel1313]

"Yeah, let's. We got a ways to go and a car to push don't we" He chuckled merrily. "Wanna take turns with that? Or make it to the station first and call a towing service? That way we can be lazy for a little while longer this morning." He skipped forward to match Glen's pace. The man may have been older and out of breath, but compared to his 5' 6" scrawny ass, his stride was harder to keep up with. Even if it was basically a zombie shuffle.

"Probably the best thing for the both of us, cause it looks like you are also not a morning person....well...you're more of a no time of the day ever person but you get what I mean right?" He teasingly gave Glen's shoulder a playful punch. "First thing we should definitely get is some sugar with coffee! Sound good?" The young man bounced energetically on his false leg, making it squeak with each step. He gave no fucks today. Well rested and wide awake he looked an arm around Glen's shoulders /as best as he could/ and pointed down the dusty, busted up old road. "Onward Glen! Into the unknown for us!"

 

[egghead]

~ ☼ ~

The swelling orange sun glared down at the drifters. Glen was getting sick of seeing nothing but tumbleweeds and the occasional shadow person. But when he could make out the shape of a structure through the desert haze, he worried that he was being deceived by some kind of mirage.

"H-hey, uh..." he pointed a shaky finger in the direction of what he feared was a hallucination. "D-do you see that?"

Before Glen could get an answer, the roar of an engine sent him spinning around to get an eyeful of the tackiest, yellowest taxi cab he had ever seen. It skidded to a perfect halt beside them, leaving a trail of fiery tracks along the asphalt. It also appeared almost out of nowhere; he had to rub the crust from his eyes to take in the impossible sight more clearly.

A taxi...out here?

The window rolled down, and a glint of pointy teeth greeted them. "You chumps look like you could use a drink!" The one-eyed woman behind the wheel slurred. "Bet'cha just settle for a lift though. C'mon in, boys, I don't bite...hard! HA HA HA!"

Glen glanced down at his partner, nervous sweat pouring from his forehead. The bouquet of booze wafting from inside the vehicle coupled with the driver flashing pearl necklaces and diamond earrings didn't sit well with him.

....And what kind of cabbie wore fishnets and smelled like blood?

 

[Axel1313]

"huh?" Lucid stared on with glazed over eyes. His lips dry and cracked and his pale skin a deep shade of red.
The young man didn't even see the vehicle till Glen spun out of the way of it and it nearly ran him over.

"I see it now Glen..." He inched closer to Glen. Using the lanky old man's height as a means of intimidation. An attempt at it at least, he figured Glen could at least look more imposing than him if he tried. The woman behind the wheel was....something. He'd seen things but nothing quite like her. Not in his short life at least. ".....Glen I'm scared." He whispered as he moved out from behind him slightly more.
"But, it is a ride. The only one we may see in a looong time out here....want to risk it I mean."
He eyed the woman again, up and down with a gaze of sassy judgment plastered on his face. "Least we go out in an interesting way with that one instead of buzzards and heat. Probably make the news as not just two dumbasses who decided to walk somewhere in the middle of the desert and more....I dunno. Probably some freaky sacrifice to some ancient God or maybe she's more the Ed Gein type?...Don't know about you but I'm both sickened yet curious now."

 

[egghead]

A gut feeling told Glen that he should be the one to take the front. He felt like his life was on the line just being in her presence, but it was a risk he was willing to take; sacrificing himself would be an acceptable way to repay for the room...he hoped.

There was no time for any second thoughts. As soon as the doors were closed, the car hightailed it down the highway. The loud screech of rubber against burning road was only drowned out by the cackling of the cabbie from hell.

Glen's heart threatened to throb out of his chest. He probed frantically for the seatbelt and whimpered when he realized that it had been hacked off. His wimpy reaction ignited another laugh from the red terror sitting next to him.

"Something wrong, old-timer?" The woman seemed a little disappointed when he shook his head. "What, too quiet in here for you? You want some ambiance, that it?!"

Slamming her hand on the radio, it sputtered to life and a grim news report filled the vehicle, warning the public of a dangerous criminal with red hair and an eyepatch...before cutting off with a loud smash; she had punched a hole right through it. "You know what?" her laugh was almost as loud and grating as her normal voice. "I didn't tell you boys my name yet. It's Rachel, but that's what they called the old bitch too before I put her in the ground, so just call me Rae!"

Licking her bloody red lips, the creature calling herself Rachel adjusted the rear-view mirror to get a better look at the blondie hiding in the back of the taxi.

"What about you, honey? What'd you get saddled with?"

 

[Axel1313]

"Guuhh...uh...hmmm." Lucid stared on like a deer caught in the headlights. His mind racing to process exactly what had happened. On the road...now murder lady maybe and they were in her cab? It all happened so fast the poor young man was stuck in a lag for several minutes.

The rowdy nature of this one and loud noise of a radio getting a hole through it definitely didn't help. "Quoi?" He stared at her frightened. The asshole back at the hotel he could deal with easy peasy, but this lady? Man, bitch was 50 levels of crazy! And that was only the first impression he'd gotten.

" Er, what? saddled with?? What does that me? It's none a your business anyway, just traveling with the old man here y'know? Goin somewhere and our car sorta...broke more. Mind taking us to the nearest mechanic eh? Quickly and with as little crazy as possible please, old man's heart can't take too much in one day." Shifting uncomfortably in his seat his voice was dripping with sass as he spoke to the sharp toothed, flaming haired, one eyed woman.

 

[egghead]

Convinced that his friend's smart mouth was going to get them both killed...or worse, Glen dug his fingernails into the seat and sealed his eyes shut, expecting the agony of a knife digging into his chest or a bullet piercing his gut.

But when nothing happened, he cracked an eye open to see that he was still alive and their driver's face hadn't budged from an amused sneer.

"You know, you kinda remind me of an old flame..." her tone was somewhat serious despite the wide grin pulling back her freckled cheeks. "He used to talk too much too. Until I shut him up."

She kept talking, enamored with the sound of her own voice. "It was damn funny though, he wouldn't stop going on and on. Even though he didn't have a tongue anymore, HA HA HA!"

 

[Axel1313]

"Oh really now? Sounds like my kind a guy. Determined to get the last word in no matter what." Lucid's face shone with a cheeky grin but his eyes screamed 'Oh GOD we're gonna die!'.

"So uh. Gas station? Pretty please with a cherry on top hun? We're in a bit of a rush. The uhh, the heat is really getting to me. Pretty sure you don't want to have to clean your taxi up from that mess eh?" He tried to fein being woozy and faint. Like he would pass out any moment. "Not to mention we've got places to go, things to do...the uh..the old man has his nephew's birthday to get to in a few weeks too! Right Glen?"
The young man grit his teeth together. His excuses were all over the place. A horrific train wreck and he knew it all too well. He felt in the pit of his stomach that was probably talking his way into hurtsville at this point and bracing himself for what this look just might do.
"Can't er....can't be late for that again!"

 

[egghead]

There was a skull-rupturing squeal of rubber against road as the break pedal was stomped on and the entire world came to a screeching halt. After the car stopped spinning and the sweaty guy next to her stopped screaming in her ear, the red wrench twisted away from the wheel to grab his face and squeeze his prickly cheeks, puckering his lips.

"SHUT THE HELL UP." Rachel barked, her rage easing up once he did what he was told. She made a kissy face back at him, laughing as he struggled to breathe through his nostrils. "Alright, alright, don't piss yourself...I'm just messing with you. You'll both get to live to see your dumb families again, if you do everything I say."

When the geezer started to act up again, she grabbed a fistful of his necktie and yanked hard, pulling it over his head until she heard the satisfying sound of choking as the silk threatened to decapitate him. "Didn't you hear me, asshole?! I told you to shut your cakehole!"

Watching him comply obediently and stifle his gags gave her another awful idea. Using her free hand to slide a manicured thumb across an open graze on her shoulder, she pressed it to his lips and smeared them with the same gory shade on her own.

He stared at her, clearly thrown off balance, but kept his bloody mouth closed.

"Damn..." Rachel shook him around by his tie noose roughly, distinctly realizing that her voice had become louder, as it did when she let her anger take charge. "You're pathetic."

Letting him slip out from her bear trap-like grip, she turned to her next victim. "If you don't want that to happen to you," she pointed at the man trying not to sob too noticeably in the front seat before continuing, "I suggest you put this on."

She tossed a black ski mask onto Lucid's lap.

 

[Axel1313]

His face, now sore and most definitely going to be bruised later on from that break check, was twisted into a nasty glare. "How bout you fuck off and leave the old man alone! He ain't done a single thing to you." He gripped the back of her chair tightly. Ready to throw a punch or pull out his glock if she kept trying to strangle Glen with his own necktie.

"Touch him again or talk to him again like that and you're gonna be sorry honey. I'll make sure of it." He leaned back in his seat again. Bright green eyes like daggers and arms crossed defiantly over his chest. "And there is no way in HELL we're helping you with anything or that you're getting me in that nasty ass ski mask."

Lucid's voice was dripping in venom. There was only so much bullshit he was willing to put up with and this? This had definitely crossed that line. He wasn't going to bend to this crazy flame headed chick that easily. "Pull over like a good little kitten and we'll walk from here. Can't be that far to the nearest station or at the very least cell service. Come on Glen. We're not dealin with this today, right man?"