On the Lam (Wistful Beast and Vermiciro)

  • So many newbies lately! Here is a very important PSA about one of our most vital content policies! Read it even if you are an ancient member!
Status
Not open for further replies.
"It sure would be a hell of a lot quieter that way." Judith agreed, tugging at the collar of her shirt in a useless attempt to circulate some air. She could feel heat prickling along her spine, the first beads of sweat slowly sealing her clothes against her. Every slight fold and groove of skin becoming a well for perspiration. Judith was ready to kill for a car, literally. She would have assaulted the driver of an ice cream truck had one passed. Listening to Turkey in the Straw on repeat for hours would have been bearable compared to the peaking sun.

"Let's find a spot." Judith said, "Preferably with shade. When we do, you sit there with the bags and I'll haul ass to the nearest store. With that hoodie I can't imagine you doin' much runnin'." Judith's nescience of the area, of a number to a pizza joint, and lack of change could be addressed later. Despite the entire nation having seen her face on news broadcasts over the last twenty-four hours, she was willing to gamble on the generosity of strangers. Most youths didn't watch the news, preferring internet feeds, RSS that catered to their interests. They were on summer vacation as well. Judith was already planning to approach some for the information and phone fare.
 
Callie felt like the heat was smothering her now. Her breaths were a bit more labored and she was growing sweatier by each passing moment. She would do a lot to get out of this heat, and fast. She also pulled at her own collar, but no air circulated into the space between her shirt and sweatshirt, leaving her unsatisfied. She estimated that within a few minutes dehydration would creep up and cause symptoms like fatigue and dizziness. She paused long enough to open her suitcase and pull out her water bottle, which was only half full now. She uncapped it anyways and downed the contents quickly before tossing the empty bottle into her suitcase for now, closing the bag afterwards.

Callie nodded in agreement. There was no way she could last long if she were running. Also if was sort of suspicious for someone to be running around with a hoodie that concealed the majority of their features. Especially in this weather as such attire was preposterous. "Alright. Let's find a spot."she said, looking around to find a potential shady area where she could wait. She also wanted to find a place that was less populated if possible.
 
Oppressive sun overhead and weighted suitcase tugging low, the loose grid of streets and lanes felt like a maze no easier to traverse than the woods last night. Judith tried keeping a general northern direction, but couldn't guarantee it would provide the ideal location. She couldn't guarantee anything anymore, not that she ever could really. Listening for cars, both distant and those approaching, Judith began following the general path they went. They were likely heading towards the highway or a main road. Either were likely to have a gas station nearby.

After twenty minutes of stalking automotives, they reached an overgrown bend of road. There wasn't a residence in view beyond either direction of the curve. Brambles, tall grass, tiger lilies, and thin trees teamed with insect life along the verges and ditch. There wasn't much shade on the macadam, but Callie could find it if she dared the wildlife again. Judith dropped her case into the weeds along the inside curve with a shrill tinkle of glass.

"I'm gonna try and find some punk-ass kids now." she sighed, relieved to be rid of the pounds of liquid weight she had been lugging. "Try not to pass out before I get back. It could take awhile on foot."
 
Callie was blindly following Judith since she had no idea where they should go. Judith's guess was as good as hers so she figured she'd just follow the woman to try to find a more secluded location. Eventually they reached an area that was less populated probably due to the patch of unruly vegetation that occupied the space. Callie watched as Judith discarded her bags in a patch of weeds. Callie only wanted shade now, so she made her ways towards the vegetation and waded through tall grass until she reached a the tree line. The trees were scrappy and located quite a few meters away from the road, but they offered some shade and when Callie sat down she could see the road. From the tall grass around herself, anyone near the road wouldn't be able to spot her well.

"Have fun. I'll be here."Callie replied, having heard Judith announce her departure. Callie rested her chin on her knees and began to pull some of the tall grass from the ground and braid it to occupy her fidgeting hands.
 
No longer encumbered by her suitcase, Judith journeyed on with levity in her step. She could keep a significantly faster pace without burden. The heat, however, was no less sadistic, and the sable she wore was positively saturated with the sun's rays and her sweat. Ink black strips of wetness clung across her stomach, beneath her breasts, down her back, and under her pits. She didn't even want to think about he cloying heat in her jeans. The extra fabric Judith had once jested about she was now grateful for, though only marginally.

As she came to a street intersection, Judith glanced about for any pedestrians. Most were wise enough to keep to their houses while the noon sun crossed overhead, but sitting on porch steps three houses down was a gaggle of young girls, clad in sandals and summer dresses with cola cans either in hand or beside them. Judith thought it was the best chance she was going to get before dehydration stole what reasoning she had.

Before approaching, Judith tried her best to look civilized and not akin to a homeless. Her efforts didn't produce much. Plucking at her sweat-sticky shirt and combing her fingers through her hair was about the most she could do. She growled with aggravation, before capitulating. Knowing women are more likely to help those in need, Judith decided to jog up to them purposefully, and not casually ask as she walked by.

Coming to a panting halt in front of the house, Judith looked up from the asphalt at four sets of circumspect and curiously amused eyes. If they recognized her, none of them showed it.

"I don't suppose I could get the number of a pizza shop from you girls, could I?" Judith asked between breathes. One of them hid a smile behind her soda can, while they looked among themselves. Judith tried to explain. "My friend," she began, but corrected herself to sound more intimate. "My girlfriend and I are backpacking. We've got a ways until our next stop, but she wants pizza. I can't rightly turn my lady down."

"Where's your backpack?" one suddenly asked.

"With her." Judith quickly covered. "It's damn heavy, and I didn't know how far it was to the nearest phone."

"You don't have a cell phone." a blonde one, half under the porch shade, asked incredulously.

"Technology's not really my thing."

"You can use mine." the sudden offer left Judith nonplussed. Before any words came to mind, the young girl spoke again. "I've got the number for Frank's Pizzeria in my phone. Here." she flicked her finger across the screen a few times, and tapped before extending the thin device.

Judith held it to her ear as it rang. In that moment she swore she would never talk rot about kids ever again, a time equivalent to twenty-four hours. She could hardly believe the fortune they'd been having as the other line picked up. A soft, yet hurried male voice gave some slogan and offers verbatim before asking what Judith would like. She had no idea. She had no fucking clue what Callie ate except jerky. Could that be put on a pizza? Why did she even give a damn?

"One large margarita pizza." She finally decided. "One half with anchovies." There seemed to be a ubiquitous distaste for anchovies, so it was out of the kindness of her shriveled heart that Judith didn't put them all over the pizza. Though, in retrospect, she could have. There would likely be more pizzas in the backseat.

After asking about sides and drinks, which Judith declined if only to get the devilry a little faster, the gent on the other side tallied the total and inquired if it was order out or in.

"Out." Judith said succinctly, and repeated it once softer. "Order out. Can I have it delivered to the bend in Verpass Drive near the intersection with Nelson Street. My girlfriend and I are backpacking."

"Uh," there was a pause. Judith thought she could hear him ask a coworker before finally answering. "Yeah, we can manage that. Your order will be there in thirty minutes."

"Thanks."

Everything was setting up smoothly.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Callie remained seated under the scraggly branched tree. Looking up she spotted its gnarled branches curling over head, well dried, sharp edged leaves hanging weakly by their narrow stems. The heat had also seemed to take a bit of a toll on the local flora. The heat was also taking its toll on Callie herself. As she sat under the tree, she felt sweat begin to collect all over her body in places she really didn't want it to be. She felt disgusted, feeling like she really needed a shower right about now. Just the thought of icy cold water spilling over her body right now was enough to make her release a wistful sigh.

Callie wondered how things were going for Judith right about now. She hoped that things were going well, as complications would lead to unsavory outcomes. If Judith was identified and taken into custody, Callie would be left waiting in the hot summer heat with no idea as to what to do with herself. If that happened, Callie would become anxious and over time waiting in this heat would give her severe side effects. Hell, she could even pass out if she had to wait for Judith for an extended period of time. She idly wondered how good Judith would be with speaking when it came to convincing someone to help her make a call. Then the woman would have to convince the pizza deliverer to come to a suspicious and random seeming location. The plan was becoming more flawed in Callie's eyes with each minute she spent dwelling on it. The fidgeting of her hands with the plants was faster and more noticeable as she couldn't help but wonder if things had went wrong.
 
After returning the cell and giving genuine thanks for their assistance, Judith began back the way she came. She knew she had left a trail. The thought vexed her as Judith half jogged, half briskly walked along. When the delivery guy turned up missing, if he wasn't suspected of starting a new life suddenly, then his route would be traced. They'd find his last delivery and trace the call. The girls would be witnesses and all of the South Dakota pigs would be sniffing for their asses from border to border, looking for that golden truffle to promotion. Judith wasn't worried though. They were gathering resources and once they got one car they could burn rubber for days, hopping between vehicles from one truck stop to the next motel. She wasn't worried. She didn't have the option to be.

After nearly fifteen minutes of back tracking, Judith came to the bend on Verpass where she'd left Callie. Shielding her already squinted eyes from the sun, she scanned the verges for a hooded figure. She could hardly see anything above the tiger lilies, their star-like blossoms bobbing with the burden of their pulchritude. Tall flora and the shadows darkened by contrast with the glaring sun, it wasn't a wonder that Judith didn't see her.

"Where the fuck are you?" she hissed, looking in circles as she stood in the middle of the bend.
 
Callie was growing apprehensive. She had no indication of how long it had been since Judith had left so for all Callie knew it could have been at least a half an hour or more. Callie had no idea how far Judith had to walk to access a phone or if she had found one or not. Callie had no ability to tell if Judith was still free or if she was sitting in a police station. If that situation had occurred, Callie would guess Judith would sell out her location since it wasn't like there would be any reason to defend her. Even if she hadn't, Callie would be stuck here in the heat and left to hide and pass out of leave and be taken into custody. She just prayed that things wouldn't turn out that way and that Judith was on her way back.

Callie's prayer was answered when she heard movement and spotted a familiar figure. It seemed Judith couldn't see Callie, which was good to know since that meant that the authorities couldn't either. She knew she had to get Judith's attention though since they weren't playing hide and go seek or some shit. Judith's hiss acted as further motivation for making her prescience known. "Over here under this tree. You are looking right at it."she spoke up.

When Judith came closer Callie remained seat and eagerly asked, "How did things go?"
 
Sitting heavily beside her partner, Judith groaned. She kicked off her shoes and was tempted to strip herself as well. The trip out and back hadn't been a picnic. Everything felt balmy and uncomfortable against her skin. She was swimming in her clothes. Sticky, damp, pulling, and chapping, Trevor's clothes were now ill-suited for her in more than just size. The car they planned to steal had better have AC.

"It went well." Judith shrugged, nonchalantly. "Pizza's coming. Should be hear in under half an hour." From her pocket, Judith produced the small folding knife. She clicked it open and tested its point against a tree. It pierced smoothly and she managed to chip off a fragment of spongy bark. If she could hit the notch she wanted, the kid would be exsanguinated in minutes.

Judith flipped the blade upside down, feeling out a comfortable grip as she went on, "I didn't know what you liked, so I got margarita pizza. When it arrives, try and smile and act nice. They think we're backpackers or hikers or some shit."
 
Callie relaxed a bit when Judith sat beside her, reassured that the woman hadn't been caught and that they should have a ride out of this place soon. Her fidgeting wasn't as fast, but she was still currently tying small knots with the tall grass she had been plucking from the ground. Suddenly the world seemed to spin and that was Callie's hint that she had to cool off somehow. In a haste, she dropped the grass she was holding and pulled off her sweatshirt. She wasn't in the view of the road, so she figured she was safe. Callie took a few deep breaths, trying to wipe off the sweat from her arms with her discarded sweatshirt. It had offered her a scrap of relief, but it was still overly hot.

"That's good to hear."Callie replied, picking up the blades of grass again and picking up where she left off in her little chain of knots. She glanced over to Judith to see the woman pierce the tree trunk with a small knife. Looking away again, a feeling of nausea took over when she realized that knife would soon puncture the soft flesh of the pizza deliverer's throat. Callie swallowed hard a few times, trying not to dwell on that thought. "Alright, sounds good. I'll feign the personality of a crazy hiker chick then. I have to distract them after all."she replied, eyes fixated on her fingers.
 
"Crazy might just scare 'em off." Judith chuckled darkly as she reluctantly stood. Her clothes felt stiff as they adjusted to her differing position, though it was only that they clung where damp. Perhaps it was hope, or general prognostication, but Judith reasoned that the combined time of her jaunt back, her moment's rest, and their small order covered the waiting period. The delivery would be soon.

"Let's get to the road." she ordered Callie casually with a wave of her hand. "We don't want them to miss us, and though your hair makes a damn fine beacon, put the fucking hood back on or fashion a turban or something." she hefted the weight of her bag, leaning awkwardly to one side to accommodate it with her heat induced fatigue. The climb across the ditch was likely made easier with free hands, but Judith was reluctant to put away the knife. After all, she'd be needing it soon.
 
Callie didn't appreciate the dark chuckle much, but a chuckle was much better than disapproval when it came to her partner's reactions. She hesitated before discarding the grass she had been toying with, trying to remove distractions. She knew she had to be pretty distracting so Judith could sneak around and end the poor person's life. Callie planned on speaking sort of loudly and with obnoxious enthusiasm to fully get the person's attention. She'd likely make up some lame story about hiking and how she had been craving pizza, then it would be Judith's turn to act again.

Callie perked up at the sound of the command, lifting her head. She was disappointed when she was ordered to cover her hair again. It made sense and it wasn't Judith's fault that Callie should conceal herself. Reluctantly, she slipped her sweatshirt on again and was welcomed by being engulfed in heat again. Pulling the hood up, she concealed her locks of obnoxiously red hair and mumbled curses at herself for ever making the choice to change it. Callie had her hair dyed for so long though that she felt she wouldn't look right with her usual light brown hair. Now was not the time to dwell on hair colors now. She got to her feet and grabbed her suitcase, dragging it along as she ambled over towards the road. The heat only made her efforts that much more difficult.
 
Standing on the thin strip of shoulder with her suitcase sat at her feet, Judith looked up into the sun high above. Her face twisted as she strained to better gauge the time, lip curling as she squinted harder. She would sooner develop glaucoma or turn blind that be able to tell what minutes had passed. Judith had never been the nature type. Girl scouts wasn't on her kiddie resume, and the little rats probably knew more about cookies than camping.

She sighed with resignation, instead checking each end of the road for cars. There wasn't much macadam to view on a curve. Judith was getting physically sick of waiting, and not just waiting for pizza, she was sick of waiting for the opportune times, and waiting to reach destinations, and waiting just to find a place to sleep. She doubted sinking a blade into someone would bring relief for the growing tensions inside her.

After what felt like a time long enough for sunburn and melanoma to form, a forest green, bumper-stickered , vinyl decal covered, soccer mom looking van with tinted side windows slowed to a crawl before parking a short distance ahead of them on the shoulder.

"This pizza better be worth the shame of driving that fuck-ugly ride it came with." Judith quipped, as a figure stepped from the vehicle with a box in hand.
 
Callie watched as a boxy looking mini van of sorts, its various stickers marking it as the pizza delivery person. Callie was glad too since she as tired of standing out in the sun. "Alright, here goes it."she mumbled to Judith, ready to get into character as an annoying hiking person with a cold who wanted a pizza. She still felt odd as she was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and this person had been told to park in the weirdest area. Leaving her suitcase, Callie walked over to the figure with a skip in her step. She reached them and offered an enthusiastic smile. She faked a sniffle, and hugged her shoulders to try to show that she was some sickly person instead of a criminal.

"Hey! I'm so glad you're here. I've been dying for a pizza ever since we started this whole hiking trip."Callie said, gushing. It was not too difficult to use her anxiety and jittery tendencies into a more excited personality, as it possessed the same amount of energy.

She went on to say, "It's still great though. The river and forest a little ways away from here is pretty peaceful and we had great fun. I was still relieved to see civilization though since I seem to have developed a cold in the past few days. That sure hasn't stopped me though. One of my friends said that hiking can alleviate cold symptoms and I trust him since he's so experienced with hiking. He's currently in Brazil, real nice guy he is." She was successfully annoying herself by what she was uttering in a cheery, bubbly voice, so it must be working well.

Then by now she hoped that Judith had approached, not caring to look behind herself to check. "Oh sorry, I'm rambling, aren't I? I'm sure you have work to get to."she said, pretending to apologize and appear a bit embarrassed. Callie placed a hand in her pocket to retrieve cash, knowing they'd get it back anyways. She suddenly had an idea to get this person in a more vulnerable position. Fumbling with a few dollar bills, she accidentally dropped them. "Oh, my bad."she said. Then she lifted a hand to her temple and feigned discomfort. "Sorry, my head ache is a bit worse. Mind picking that up for me?"she requested, hoping they'd take the bait.
 
The approach was subtle as a heart attack, like the cherry notes in wine, sweat beneath parfume. Judith stepped from Callie's shadow with the grace of a predator confident in its claws. The certainty formed by thirds of knowledge, mimicry, and dissemblance. She idled beside the delivery boy a moment as Callie rambled, gradually meandering towards the center of the road farther on and then slipping back around. His back was to her and she closed in with light, dexterous steps. The flipped blade gripped tightly in her hand.

Her partner was garrulous to the point of ennui. Banal chatter that could test the patience of stone. It was excessive, but Judith didn't care. She watched the young man balance the pizza in one hand as he began to stoop for whatever Callie had dropped. It was unexpected, but with Judith's lack of height it proved auspicious. As the bill touched his fingers, light as moth wings, Judith made her move.

Like the dart of a snake's head, Judith wrapped her hand around his neck, hooked the cup of it under his jaw and jerked him back. The box fell dully to the asphalt. The pratfallen delivery boy had only the chance to see his assailant before Judith plunged the knife downward into the carotid notch, anterior of the cord of the neck, below the curve of the jaw. She knew just where to hit. The blade slipped in smoothly, the fascia like butter against its edge. But Judith wasn't taking chances. Between heartbeats she twisted the knife, once, twice, thrice. The magic number.

She jerked it free and released him.

The first arterial gush of blood arched from the wound and streaked the macadam and the gent's polo. With the second pulse of his frantic heart came another spurt, less intense. Then another. And another even weaker. Blood welled along the crease in his lips, dribbling over onto Judith's thigh. From his nostrils a thin rivulet of blood began to trickle. His heart was growing weaker, its beat fading. And with the final weak pulse of blood from his neck, he was gone.

Judith shoved his body from her and quickly tucked her knife away. "Let's get him in the van." she roughly told Callie. "Hurry!"
 
Callie watched with terror as Judith deftly crept up behind the man and had the thin strip of metal burrowed into his throat in no time. It was a fluid motion and a careful one, suggesting that Judith knew exactly what she was doing. Callie wondered fearfully if Judith had done this many times or not and wasn't sure if she wanted to know the true answer. Her lively expression contorted into one of bewilderment and sheer horror, breath lodged stubbornly in her throat. The man was lowered to the ground as metal was twisted within the wound in a gruesome gesture before the blade was withdrawn. No sooner that it had been removed, there was sudden excessive bleeding from the man's throat that was caused by the now fading thumping of his heart. Callie seemed utterly dismayed in this moment, never having seen anyone murdered like this in real life. The other two people Judith had dispatched seemed to have a chance to live, but this boy was flat out dead in no time.

Before Callie could say or do anything, Judith was frantically urging her to move the bloodied man. Suddenly spurred into action, without thinking she scooped up the corpse in her arms and approached the trunk of the car, setting the man down long enough to to open the trunk and shove the body inside. She was quick to close the trunk, blood having spotted her sweatshirt. Looking over to Judith she hastily added, "Our bags, can you get them?"

Then without a moment to spare, Callie picked up the pizza the man had dropped and opened the driver's door to find the keys still in the vehicle. She set the pizza on the back seat and took a sweeping look of the vehicle to see if anything was amiss.
 
Blood was on the macadam, darkening as it seeped into the the rocky pores of the road. Judith didn't have time to wash it clean. She could only stare, her jaw tightened in knowing it would be another piece to follow them, just one more damning piece of evidence. She was impotent to change it. Resigned, Judith hefted the suitcases from the side of the road and brought them along the van's flank. Jerking the sliding door open, she slid them along the floor behind the font seats and closed up the vehicle.

There was one last thing to be done. Circling the van as she did, Judith ripped off any decal and sticker she could, wadding them into a reluctant ball. Garbage in hand, Judith finally took her seat and threw the sticky mass as far back as she could, hoping it landed among the other garbage now rotting and staining the carpet. Despite any internal cooling the van had, the body would begin to putrefy soon. It was only a matter of hours. They'd have to dump it. Another time, another place.

"Punch it." Judith sighed. "Let's get out of this shit-hole."
 
Callie was quick to close the car door and await Judith's return. The woman soon made a reappearance in the passenger's seat and Callie wasted no time in starting the car and driving forwards. She had no idea where she was going, but she made a few turns to ensure that she was heading away from the border. She was looking carefully at street signs to see if any indicated a high way of sorts. Her adrenaline was high and she was gripping the old, leather covered steering wheel as if it were a life line. She didn't want to think about the bloody corpse in the back of the van, but her mind was beginning to stray towards guilt as time passed. Callie took a few deep breaths and just focused on the road, finding an outlet to a freeway. She pulled onto it, glad for the speed this road allowed. The further away from that little town, the better.

Callie slowly began to relax a bit when she realized they had escaped. Keeping an even speed, she held the steering wheel with one hand and used her other hand to squirm out of the confines of her blood stained sweatshirt. She hastily discarded it behind her and returned her other hand to the steering wheel. The absence of the garment allowed more air to reach her skin and she felt almost instant relief. She allowed herself to release a sigh. "We..we did it.."she mumbled, mostly to herself.
 
The relief and sheer happiness that Judith had felt during the first car they stole wasn't present. Knowing the cops wouldn't be far behind was harder and harder to swallow. Never a break. The tension gone, but still on the hook just waiting for the line to pull again. They would need to ditch the car within a day or two, either hitching a ride with a trucker or kill someone at a motel and steal their vehicle. Judith could hardly stop thinking about her own predicament long enough to register the third death now on her hands.

She sighed heavily and reclined her seat a modicum. "We're sure as fuck not out of the woods yet." she murmured reaching back for Callie's shed article of clothing. Judith's shirt was saturated with sweat, and clung tight enough to peel in certain spots. After a struggle to pull herself free from it, Judith dropped Trevor's shirt to the passenger's side floor in a foul ball and slipped into the stolen sweatshirt. She was too lazy to dig through her own suitcase and the AC was chilling her damp skin. As long as Judith could occasionally expose her stomach to the cool breeze she'd be fine.

"You know," she began with a wry smile. "We fucking forgot something." she sighed with vexation and dropped the back of her seat as far as it would go before climbing into the next row, heading toward the back. "We didn't check that fucker's pockets for a cellphone. We'll need to take the battery out. And while I'm busy with that, could you fish through my case for a beer. I could use it right about now." completely disregarding whatever difficulty her partner could have in driving while accomplishing the task.
 
For now Callie was just focused on driving and getting the hell away from the scene. She predicted that within an hour or so or less, the pizza place would search for their lost delivery boy. By that point they'd go to where the pizza was supposedly delivered to and find blood. Then they'd know that the people that had order the pizza killed the guy and took off, leading the cops to try to find Callie and Judith.

Callie knew that they were far from safe and didn't need a reminder from Judith. She figured she should allow a small sense of triumph for not being caught yet. It was step one out of many. Callie felt her heart sink when Judith had announced they had forgetten something, also just now realizing their mistake. She was glad Judith was taking care of it, but not glad she had been asked to retrieve a beer while driving.

Callie reached back and felt around for Judith's case, one hand still on the wheel as she focused on the road. "Do you really need a beer? I'd rather not crash."she admitted, voicing some dissent as she fumbled for the bag.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back