Gates Ferry

Chapter 3- The Long Road

Chapter 3- The Long Road

          The navigation system alerted Ryan that he would be traveling on the highway for quite some time so he shut the cell phone off once again in order to save battery life, that way he could contact Naomi upon nearing the arrival of his destination. The drive was tedious and mundane, but nevertheless there was no turning back. Ryan knew his options; Possible jail time and despise from loved ones or a free place to live with a girl on the side. The choice was an easy one. The vehicle had started on a full tank, but as the hours passed the powerful v-8 engine ate away at the premium gasoline. Ryan had a horrible attention span, and even he knew that his lack of focus would lead to turning his cell phone back on and making a phone call to keep his mind off of the drive. After driving all through the day and now into the early evening it was clear that Ryan was getting ready enter into insanity via immense boredom. He quickly powered on the cell phone and the greeting light appeared illuminating the shadowy inside of the Benz. “Hurry up!” Ryan yelled at the cell phone, barely paying any attention towards the highway. The road was barren and seemed rather unchartered. It was a very green, and forest covered the environment with very little evidence of life around. The software of the phone finally loaded and Ryan found Mark’s name under the recent call log. Without further hesitation Ryan pressed the call button and the dial tone commenced through the surround sound. Mark answered, seeming somewhat alarmed. “Dude, I’ve been trying to call you. Where the hell have you been?” Mark asked with a frustrated and annoyed tone in his voice. “My phone was dead, chill out. I called to chat with you, what’s with the attitude?” Ryan responded with a similar attitude. Mark and Julie had been friends since they were little, and unfortunately for Ryan, Mark was the first person Julie had turned to for advice. “Julie called me,” Mark said slowly, “She was devastated. What the hell did you do to her? I knew I should’ve never trusted you with her. She’s such a good person and now she’s completely destroyed. You really are a son of a bitch Ryan.” Mark continued to banter on the phone at Ryan, but as soon as he heard the words “son of a bitch” leave Mark’s lips, a fuse shorted inside of Ryan’s head. “DON’T YOU EVER CALL ME A SON OF A BITCH YOU MOTHERFUCKER,” Ryan screamed, “YOU DON’T KNOW THE HALF OF WHAT I’VE BEEN THROUGH. DON’T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT ME THAT WAY YOU PIECE OF SHIT, I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!” It was dark out now, and as Ryan yelled into the vehicle speaker, his entire focus was locked on to the vehicle’s glowing touch screen as if it was the person being bludgeoned by his insults. Ryan continued to yell and curse Mark’s name but was completely unaware that up ahead a vehicle was sitting in the median getting ready to merge. Ryan was driving well over the speed limit, and with the darkness closing in from the sky it would be very difficult to spot a vehicle coming around the bend of the highway that quickly. The man behind the wheel of the sedan began to pull out, thinking the coast was clear. Ryan shot around the corner of the highway, swerving in and out of lanes as he argued verbally. The man began to increase his speed as he merged into the driving lane quickly noticing Ryan’s approach in the rear view mirror. Unfortunately it was too late, and Ryan had no idea that the unexpected occurrence would thrust a larger predicament into his current situation. The Mercedes smashed into the back of the sedan sending it flying towards the tree line. The Mercedes spun around and came to a quick halt on the shoulder of the highway. “Fuck! My wrist!” Ryan spat under his breath. His arm had hit the steering wheel and caused minor bruising to his hand. A minor complication compared to that of the man behind the wheel of the sedan.


    Ryan jumped out of the vehicle quickly analyzing the exterior for damage. The entire front end had been crushed inwards, and Ryan began to yell furiously towards the man’s car. “You idiot, what the hell were you thinking?” He screamed loudly towards the helpless driver. Ryan rushed towards the stranger and opened the driver’s side door. The entire windshield was shattered, and to his horror the man’s head was impaled halfway through the windshield, partially severing it from the neck. This made it almost impossible to tell who it was, although it did appear to be a young man. Ryan thought nothing could’ve been worse for him than this. It was a disgusting sight, one that he could not bear to view any longer.


    He slowly stepped back away from the vehicle in shock, and analyzed the highway. There were no cars in sight, and the night had laid its dark curtain. Slowly pacing backwards, his mind began to shuffle through potential scenarios. “A witness perhaps,” Ryan thought to himself. “No… that’s not possible, there’s nobody around for miles. There could be fingerprints…gotta wipe them clean,” and with that, he rushed back towards the Mercedes and popped the trunk. The inside contained a bag full of golf clubs, a prized possession of the late Mr. Taylor. Inside of the bag there were a few rags that were used to clean the clubs and golf balls, but in this situation they’d be the perfect tool to utilize in order to remove fingerprints from the dead guy’s car. Ryan grabbed a rag and sprinted back towards the victim’s vehicle. He began to trace back every spot he had touched, including the door handles and certain parts of the interior. He wiped the vehicle down and stuffed the rag inside of his pocket. While cleaning the car thoroughly, he happened to come across the steering wheel with the same Mercedes emblem as his father’s. “Wow….those commercials boasting the safety features were full of shit! Thank God mine didn’t crumple up like a pussy!”  After closing both doors, using the rag as a barrier between his hand and the surface of the vehicle, He rushed back towards his father’s car and tossed the rag back in the trunk. Ryan sat in the driver’s seat for a second, praying to the God he didn’t believe in to start the vehicle that wasn’t his.


    He sat still for quite some time, afraid that his wish wouldn’t be granted. Ryan slowly inserted the key into the technologically advanced and elegant ignition and turned it. “Click Click,” The engine mocked. Ryan began to beg, “NO, DON’T DO THIS TO ME, NOT NOW!” He took the key back out and then pushed it back in, repeating the unsuccessful pattern. A flicker caught Ryan’s attention in the driver’s side mirror. From Ryan’s location on the shoulder he could see down the straight away past the bend in the road. A vehicle had come into eyeshot and was approaching rather quickly. “That bastard must’ve called 911 before he croaked!” Ryan thought to himself. Ryan glared over towards the sedan and his heart began to flood with hate. “How could he?” Ryan thought to himself.


    Once again, he shoved the key back into the ignition and made another valiant attempt to start the engine. Out of nowhere, the ignition began to putt, and then the engine let out a roar. Ryan’s eyes lit up in amazement, but with another glance in the side mirror he saw the oncoming vehicle approaching much faster than he had predicted. Ryan quickly threw the Benz into drive and disappeared into the distance. As he looked into the rear view he could clearly see the approaching vehicle stop near the sedan. “I love my fast car,” Ryan laughed excitedly, piercing through the blackness.  Although the Mercedes was drivable, it was in very poor condition. Every engine service light imaginable had lit up on the dashboard, and Ryan, being the spoiled brat that he was, had no prior experience in the field of mechanics aside from dropping his parents cars off from time to time to get their oil changed (a mere chore he would perform in order to joy ride and receive an oversized allowance. He began to quickly blaze through his options. A hotel was out of the question. Ryan had no intention of wasting precious time or money on a hotel room when there was a perfectly good room for free waiting for him with a pretty girl that came attached as an amenity. The second option was to find a place to pull over and sleep. This would enable him to collect his thoughts and rest, but even Ryan knew he was way too much of a coward to sleep on the side of a dark highway by himself. The third option was the clear winner. He had to find a twenty four full service gas station. He knew he would surely be able to pay off a mechanic to quickly repair the vehicle and send him on his way.


    As Ryan shuffled through the GPS he saw that the next town wasn’t for another forty five miles. He also noticed that the fuel situation was critical and had to be dealt with soon, or he’d be stuck on the highway for quite a while. Ryan passed countless trees, signs, and the occasional dead animal. The tedious day and lack of sleep had begun to take a toll on his enthusiasm. Ryan started to nod off at the wheel. He attempted to keep himself focused by turning up the music and rolling down the windows. The cold breeze seemed to do the trick. Just as Ryan’s luck seemed to pick up, the navigation system shut off. “Not now you piece of shit,” Ryan yelled at the computer as he banged on the dashboard. The electronic system had experienced a malfunction during the previous car accident, and the battery had minimal energy. The GPS was shut down as a routine power save mechanism.


    Ryan had no idea as to what his next move was. He continued to trail down the empty highway with the low fuel gauge mocking him as he pressed forward. There hadn’t been any signs for a town or rest stop for miles, but just as he had begun to lose hope a sign, which looked as if it had been beaten worse than the wrecked sedan, had emerged in the distance. In large black letters it read “Gates Ferry 3 Miles.” A new sense of hope surged through Ryan. He knew that a town meant gas, food, and a mechanic. Although the gas was nearing depletion, Ryan began to push the pedal to the floor as if getting him there faster would solve the situation in better terms. An exit came into eyesight. It was a sudden right turn and as Ryan merged onto the winding road the wheels of the Mercedes began to squeal. One would normally take it easy on a vehicle that had just been in a serious accident, but Ryan was not normal by any means.


    The exit had finally completed its circular loop, and Ryan signaled left to merge onto the main road. At first the town seemed as barren as the highway in which Ryan’s predicament had progressed, but as he drove a couple miles a gaggle of small buildings protruded in the distance. Nearing the cluster of commercial real estate Ryan began to conclude that these businesses hadn’t been opened in quite some time. The boarded up windows and lack of human existence allowed him to better piece this together. The first building Ryan passed was one that could be easily recognized as a restaurant. He continued to pass by until he approached the second structure. This appeared to be a broken down convenient store with a garage and gas station attached. Ryan slowly pulled his vehicle into the parking lot. “Where the hell am I?” Ryan began to ask himself. He pulled one of the many vacant parking spots, but kept the vehicle running to prevent it from breaking down. He began to circle the building in hopes to view some sign of life.


    The windows had all been boarded up some time ago. This was obvious due to the visibly overgrown grass, flaws in the foundation, and spider webs built up throughout the windows and cracks in the wood. Ryan peered through a gap in one of the boarded windows and the inside looked worse than the outside. The stench of mold and rot pierced through the poor architecture and caused Ryan to flinch. “Sick,” Ryan gagged. Ryan turned around and began to walk towards one of the fill-up stations at the fuel portion of the business. To Ryan’s delight and somewhat unbelief, the electricity seemed to be on. The date and time were displayed on the interface with several options for payment. Ryan had both his mother’s purse and his father’s wallet, so he began to walk back towards the vehicle to sort through them.


    First was his mother’s purse. It was a designer brand and had a large array of pockets and compartments varying in size and shape. Ryan began to dig through each one. Some contained used tissues and cosmetic items, others had nothing. “Why the hell did she need a purse like this, she doesn’t even use it for anything important. She’s so stupid.” Ryan said to himself without any remorse for his poor mother. Finally, Ryan stumbled upon his mother’s flashy wallet. Even the zipper had a custom design, and as he pulled it back he immediately noticed there was no cash. “What a cheap bitch,” Ryan muttered under his breath. He began to pull cards out of the wallet pockets. They ranged from grocery store discount cards to old expired department store gift cards. These were of no significance to Ryan. Ryan threw the purse on the ground and looked for his father’s wallet. He remembered he had shoved it inside one of the duffel bags, but he couldn’t remember which one. He shoved his hand inside of the first, smaller bag. There was no sign of it. Ryan then opened the second bag and began to feel around. His hand stopped when he felt the warm leather brush against his cold palm. He clenched the wallet and yanked it out of the bag, immediately sorting through the contents. Inside there was an assortment of family pictures. Ryan started to flip through them. A picture immediately caught his eye. It was an image of his father, himself, and his mother, all standing together on the beach. He was very young, and Ryan remembered his family’s annual vacation of which he always took for granted. It was always ruined by his negative energy. He quickly put up a mental block on the thought and searched through for money.


      There was no cash in the father’s wallet either. The Taylor’s did not believe in keeping cash on hand, it was considered a major liability. Ryan grabbed one of the debit cards out of the wallet and quickly ran over to the gas pump to attempt a transaction. He swiped the card, and it worked! “Finally, something goes MY way,” Ryan gloated excitedly. Then came the bad news. “Enter your four digit pin,” The interface displayed. A rush of negativity coursed through Ryan’s mind. “What the hell could it be?” Ryan began to sort through a list of possible number combinations. He attempted his father’s birthday. “Invalid Pin, Please Try Again,” It read. He then attempted his mother’s birthday, his own birthday, the last four digits of his father’s and mother’s social security numbers, (Ryan had memorized these through various attempts on gaining access to his parents financial accounts for his personal financial gain) none of which worked. He thrust his fist through the electronics, shattering it to pieces. “PIECE OF SHIT,” he exclaimed, followed by an assortment of other various disclaimers. Right as Ryan had turned the gas pump into his personal punching bag a dull engine murmur erupted in the distance. It sounded faint, and he couldn’t tell if it came from the highway or it was an approaching vehicle. The chances were slim, but Ryan sprinted towards the road to catch a better glance.


    A pair of headlights was vaguely visible in the distance. Ryan’s heart began to race as he stood in the middle of the road. He began to flail his arms around in the air in hopes of getting the driver’s attention. The vehicle was no visible in detail, and Ryan could tell that it was a luxury SUV of some sort. The SUV was not slowing down, if anything it seemed to be speeding up. Ryan continued to wave down the vehicle, but the attempts were futile. The vehicle sped forward directly towards Ryan. It got so close that Ryan had to jump out of the way to avoid behind crushed by the powerful monstrosity of a sport utility vehicle. The stranger behind the wheel sped away towards a small opening in the woods. It seemed to be a narrow path that curved around into the darkness. Ryan could tell that the vehicle was a Cadillac Escalade. “Fuckin asshole!” Ryan screamed towards the blackness. The dim of the brake lights was the last thing to fade away. Ryan picked himself up off of the ground. He began to whine about the scratches on his leg. Where was his mother to apply his bandage? He had nobody, and this was soon beginning to catch up with him.


    As he loathed and cursed his situation a glow emerged over the trees. “What the….,” A large spotlight illuminated the sky and began to dance back and forth over the tree line like a Broadway performance. Ryan stood in amazement at the sight. “Life,” he thought. “Right passed the trees stands another town, possibly a city!” Ryan rejoiced. He ran towards his father’s Mercedes, which by a miracle had still not run out of gas. Without even attempting to perceive the empty tank or analyze the peculiar light show in the distance he mashed the gear into reverse and sped back towards the road, falling off the side of the curb and cracking the side of the exterior. The vehicle sat halfway in both lanes, and he took one more look at the illumination in the distance. With one last glance, Ryan pushed the gear into drive and sped off into gaping hole between two large oak trees.


    The road was very narrow with minimal light despite the powerful high beams of the Mercedes. The trees had seemed to swallow the light entirely with their shadows. Ryan had to slow his speed because of the poor visibility. Every time he felt he was on the right side of the road a new crooked turn emerged sending him back onto the gravel and dirt shoulder. The large trees had completely blacked out the spot lights, so Ryan was unsure if the road was taking him to his preferred destination. In the midst of the difficult journey a black shadow quickly passed in front of the headlights. Ryan slammed on the brakes and looked around. He began to breathe hard and his heart rate skyrocketed. He was just about out of gas, he had no idea where he was, and his cell phone was on low battery. This had to be the worst possible scenario with a small list of positive outcomes. “Fuck it,” Ryan said as he pushed the gas slowly. “I’m not gonna let my mind fuck with me,” He said as he carefully observed the humid environment. The road lasted only a few hundred more feet and out of nowhere the thick air collapsed. The forest had abruptly stopped and could only be perceived as some preserved endangered habitat in the middle of a beaten and corroded ghost town. Ryan began to gawk, for what lay in front of him prevented words from escaping his lips. It was an unspeakable sight that was on the bottom of Ryan’s “expect to see this list.” A giant building that resembled a fortress read “GATES FERRY MALL. It seemed to have been constructed in the most questionable geographical location fathomable by man. If a citizen hundreds of years ago were to view this architectural structure the only possible explanation would be that of a impenetrable castle. The last bit of gas began to putter from the exhaust, and the engine shut down. Ryan was fixed on this utterly magnificent site and the car’s demise had not faltered his fixed stare.


    The spotlights from which Ryan had seen were visible from the large exterior structure. They were not completely visible because of the large turret skylights that shot out of the roof, but it was easy to tell where the source of the bright light was originated. Ryan opened the driver door. “Wow…..” was the only word his brain was able to conceive. The electricity from the Mercedes was still functioning, and the annoying “DING DING DING” rang out alerting that the driver forgot to turn off the headlights. This didn’t deter Ryan from standing like a zombie and scanning the glamorous mall up and down. It completely intoxicated him with of his all time favorite cravings, the love of materialism. There was one peculiar detail that did draw Ryan’s attention away from the gaping scenery. The gigantic parking lot that would have provided thousands of shoppers the opportunity to browse the colossal mall was completely empty, except for one car that sat near the entrance. It was the Cadillac that had run Ryan off of the road earlier. This made Ryan angry, so and he began to quickly walk towards the vehicle leaving all of his belongings behind, including his cell phone. “This prick gets an Escalade and has access to this place? Not on my watch,” Ryan stammered.


    The black vehicle drew nearer as Ryan’s feet carried him rapidly. As Ryan rushed forth he simultaneously observed the details of the mall, mainly the awkwardly massive entrance. The vehicle was parked parallel to the yellow curb. “That’s a fire hazard. What a dick.” Ryan yelled as he kicked the tire. He pressed his face up to the passenger window looking for a sign of life. The windows were so dark that it was almost impossible to describe anything that resided on the interior of the oversized gas guzzler. The engine was still on and the hazard lights were flashing. Ryan dashed to the front of the vehicle to get a glance of the inside through the windshield, but it too was as black as night. The fact that it was dark out wasn’t bettering Ryan’s situation either. Ryan began to bang on the window. “Hey asshole, get out of the car. I can see you!” Ryan of course could not see a thing. He didn’t know who or what was rested inside the SUV. As Ryan was beating on the glass he had forgotten the number one rule of being in a strange location alone. Always watch your back. All of a sudden a hand that was cold enough to be felt through Ryan’s shirt was placed on top of his shoulder. Ryan’s hair stood on end and he spun around in a defensive stance.