Lonely Roads, chapter 2
John continued walking for what seemed like half an hour when he saw the gas station. He smiled to himself and jogged to it, eager to get gas (which he didn't need) for his car.
But, what would happen if somebody saw the woman's body lying on the side of the road, her skin pale white, save for the red liquid that had smeared out of her mouth and was now plastered to her cheek? I'll be arrested, John thought Arrested and shipped-off to some prison, maybe even the Arklay Correction Facility for the Criminally Insane. Who knows? Who cares? I don't.
John jogged halfway through the parking lot, his dark blonde hair smeared with sweat . . . And his face smeared with blood. But did he care? Nope, not John Garrison. "I had an accident," He would say. "I ran somebody over, and I need some gas that I don't need at all to cover my tracks. So can you help me, or not?"
John stopped jogging, then stopped moving. He saw a black car parked on the other end of the small parking lot, and thought, Alright, only one person, maybe two. Just act cool and stay calm.
He walked to the door of the gas station and opened it, the smear of blood (both his from the sign, and the woman's from the accident) gleaming from the flourescent lights hanging on the cieling. John closed the door quietly and looked around, surprised at what he saw: Not your typical gas station products, such as home movies on one aisle, and dozens of cassettes on another. He cocked an eyebrow and looked behind the counter to find a rack of adult magazines, and a short, balding man standing behind it.
John walked to the counter, being quiet as he did so. He looked over the man's shoulders to find that the man was reading a magazine that featured naked girls kissing each other and stroking their hands through their hair. "You gonna read that without buying it?" John asked the man, who dropped the magazine and turned around suddenly.
What John first noticed on the man was the man's nametag, which read: TONY G. The second thing John noticed was how wide Tony's eyes were. "I can't read it without buying it," Tony said in a near-whisper. "So please don't tell anybody that I was."
"Um, sure." John said, thinking, Maybe it was a mistake coming here.
John turned around and headed towards the door. He had almost gripped his hand onto the doorknob when he heard Tony say, "Sorry, I'm just not supposed to be using, or reading, anything we sell without buying it."
John turned around. "Um, it's alright," He said. "I won't tell anybody." Just how you won't tell anybody about how you hit the woman. What if she had a family? What if she was a cop? But did you care? NO!
John rubbed his ear, hoping to drown-out his subconscious voice, and wasn't surprised to find that it didn't work. Did you care? NO! Maybe this Tony guy knows her. Knows her? Fah! KNEW her! 'Cause she's dead! She jumped out of the bushes, and just stayed there as your car's headlights barred down on her, but did you stop the car? NO!
John walked back to the counter and put the empty container for gasoline on it. "Could you fill this up for me?" John asked Tony.
"I would," Tony responded. "But this place is self-service. Didn't you read the sign in the door?"
"Oh, no, I didn't. Well, this can hold a gallon, so, how much for a gallon?"
Tony punched some numbers into the register, which then made a loud BEEPing sound. Three numbers appeared in the TOTAL screen: 2.12. "The total's two dollars and twelve scents." Tony said.
John reached into his pocket and grabbed his wallet. He pulled it out and opened it, looking at the dollar bills in his wallet. He pulled out a five and gave it to Tony, who put it into the register.
"The pumps are out there," Tony said, and pointed out of the window. John followed Tony's gaze to find three tall, slender, red pumps in the middle of the parking lot. How'd I not see those earlier? John asked himself, then thought, Hmm, must've been thinking ot myself when I was in the parking lot and missed it.
"Tell me when you're done using them." Tony said, breaking John's thoughts.
"Alright," John said, then walked outside.
But, what would happen if somebody saw the woman's body lying on the side of the road, her skin pale white, save for the red liquid that had smeared out of her mouth and was now plastered to her cheek? I'll be arrested, John thought Arrested and shipped-off to some prison, maybe even the Arklay Correction Facility for the Criminally Insane. Who knows? Who cares? I don't.
John jogged halfway through the parking lot, his dark blonde hair smeared with sweat . . . And his face smeared with blood. But did he care? Nope, not John Garrison. "I had an accident," He would say. "I ran somebody over, and I need some gas that I don't need at all to cover my tracks. So can you help me, or not?"
John stopped jogging, then stopped moving. He saw a black car parked on the other end of the small parking lot, and thought, Alright, only one person, maybe two. Just act cool and stay calm.
He walked to the door of the gas station and opened it, the smear of blood (both his from the sign, and the woman's from the accident) gleaming from the flourescent lights hanging on the cieling. John closed the door quietly and looked around, surprised at what he saw: Not your typical gas station products, such as home movies on one aisle, and dozens of cassettes on another. He cocked an eyebrow and looked behind the counter to find a rack of adult magazines, and a short, balding man standing behind it.
John walked to the counter, being quiet as he did so. He looked over the man's shoulders to find that the man was reading a magazine that featured naked girls kissing each other and stroking their hands through their hair. "You gonna read that without buying it?" John asked the man, who dropped the magazine and turned around suddenly.
What John first noticed on the man was the man's nametag, which read: TONY G. The second thing John noticed was how wide Tony's eyes were. "I can't read it without buying it," Tony said in a near-whisper. "So please don't tell anybody that I was."
"Um, sure." John said, thinking, Maybe it was a mistake coming here.
John turned around and headed towards the door. He had almost gripped his hand onto the doorknob when he heard Tony say, "Sorry, I'm just not supposed to be using, or reading, anything we sell without buying it."
John turned around. "Um, it's alright," He said. "I won't tell anybody." Just how you won't tell anybody about how you hit the woman. What if she had a family? What if she was a cop? But did you care? NO!
John rubbed his ear, hoping to drown-out his subconscious voice, and wasn't surprised to find that it didn't work. Did you care? NO! Maybe this Tony guy knows her. Knows her? Fah! KNEW her! 'Cause she's dead! She jumped out of the bushes, and just stayed there as your car's headlights barred down on her, but did you stop the car? NO!
John walked back to the counter and put the empty container for gasoline on it. "Could you fill this up for me?" John asked Tony.
"I would," Tony responded. "But this place is self-service. Didn't you read the sign in the door?"
"Oh, no, I didn't. Well, this can hold a gallon, so, how much for a gallon?"
Tony punched some numbers into the register, which then made a loud BEEPing sound. Three numbers appeared in the TOTAL screen: 2.12. "The total's two dollars and twelve scents." Tony said.
John reached into his pocket and grabbed his wallet. He pulled it out and opened it, looking at the dollar bills in his wallet. He pulled out a five and gave it to Tony, who put it into the register.
"The pumps are out there," Tony said, and pointed out of the window. John followed Tony's gaze to find three tall, slender, red pumps in the middle of the parking lot. How'd I not see those earlier? John asked himself, then thought, Hmm, must've been thinking ot myself when I was in the parking lot and missed it.
"Tell me when you're done using them." Tony said, breaking John's thoughts.
"Alright," John said, then walked outside.
