The Long Road 4

4

Bud looked at the clock on the radio.
5.37pm.
‘What a fucking wanker.’ He said to himself and had been in some way or another abusing his boss for the last half an hour.
He was approaching Old Grimm Road, which he would be traveling for the next two hours or so. He’d been down there a few times before mostly in the light of day. It was the only access road to a fairly new country town by the name of Fair Estate. He knew that just beyond the small town was an army training camp. He supposed this was the reason for its isolated position. He had also heard rumours of some quite bizarre experiments being conducted there.
But that was all hearsay.
On his few trips down there he’d delivered some rare plants to an old guy he knew only as Steve. Bud was never sure how to take him. He was nice enough to him sure, but he was definitely a strange guy. Seemed to be obsessed with this exotic tree from Brazil or something. Apparently Bud’s company imported them in especially for this guys sick fantasies. It was weird because this certain tree was quite an ugly sight. Dark black branches housing sickly purple drab and ruffled leaves. It almost looked dead when it was in full bloom and contained a rare brand of fungus growing in the roots that were poisonous to humans.
This guy seemed to almost drool every time he saw Buds truck coming in with a fresh batch for him. It was only a small tree resembling an evil banzai of sorts. Always to be delivered in darkness, this is why he had to have it in the black box sitting next to him.
Ahead of him Bud saw the sign hanging by its last remaining screw to a post, it read:
Old Grimm Rd.
          To Fair Estates X.
‘Alright.’ He said aloud ‘Let’s get this over with.’ As the sun was just ducking down behind the horizon he opened his last beer and rather than hurl it down at world record pace he decided to enjoy it. He then turned down the road that would be his only companion for quite some time.

***

‘What the hell Jan?’ Krystal walked into the tiny police station and spotted Sammi right away. ‘What the fuck did you do this time?’
‘Mind the name Krissie I’m still in character!’ said Janice aka Sammi with a hint of contempt.
‘Umm, excuse me miss’ Interrupted the officer sitting behind the small white desk ‘would you mind covering up while in the station?’ he motioned towards her uncovered right breast.
‘Oh woops!’ she said as she did her jacket up properly to the top. ‘What happened officer? I’m this ladies associate.’ She tried to look around the corner of the wall to find Vincent but was held back by Officer Masters.
‘What happened miss, was this young lady and her male companion have been arrested for theft.’
‘So where’s the male companion then?’
‘I’m here Krissie.’ Said Vincent as he sat sullenly in his cell out of view of the free citizens in the lock-up.
Krystal put her head in her hands and took a deep breath, trying to sooth her nerves. She had been put in this sort of situation far too many times to count and was at the absolute end of her rope.
‘Alright.’ she said as she collected herself enough to figure out some sort of plan ‘I’m fucking tired and I really can’t be bothered with this right now.’ (Incase you didn’t notice our young girl Krystal has quite a filthy mouth.) ‘So I’m going to find a fucking motel or caravan park or whatever the hell they’ve got here and I’m gonna lay down for a while.’
‘Cheer up babe’ said Janice in character as Sammi ‘what about us?’
‘I don’t give a shit about you!’ she almost screamed with not a subtle hint of fury ‘you can spend the night in your own shit and vomit for all I give a fuck right now!’ she calmed down slightly and said ‘Don’t shit where you sleep Jan… that’s what my dad always used to say.’ She then walked out the door with Candy walking close behind her.
‘Mind with the fucking name you grumpy bitch!’ Yelled Sammi after her.
Outside, the young man who had shown them the way to the police station was still waiting for the girls. He was obviously keen to get to know young Krystal in a more intimate manner. Standing with his back against a brick wall and one leg across the other he gave the girls a slightly goofy nod as they walked out.
‘So ladies,’ he said ‘anywhere else you need to be escorted?’
Krystal did her little eye roll but this time was literally annoyed with the guy ‘Yes actually, we need a place to stay for the night, it’s going to be getting dark soon and we would like to change into something a bit warmer.’
The young man took a big empty gulp to get rid of some of the overflowing fluid in his mouth and throat ‘Ugh..’ he said ‘sure , my place is just around the corner from here if you would like.’
‘I think,’ jumped in Candy who up to this point had kept mostly to herself but was beginning to become a bit tired of the whole situation ‘that we would prefer to stay at perhaps a motel, bed and breakfast type of thing. No offense you understand? We don’t want to impose.’
‘Oh no imposing what so ever ma’am, it would be my pleasure.’
‘We insist on staying at a properly accommodated facility.’ Forced Krystal ‘do you know of anywhere or should we find our own way around town?’
‘Ok sure, no worries!’ he seemed to say this as one long word rather than a sentence ‘Lady Betty holds up travelers such as yourselves at her place, bed and breakfast as you asked Ma’am.’
‘Great lets go!’ said Krystal as she grabbed Candy’s hand an dragged her past the waiting man.
‘Uh, it’s this way ladies.’ He said pointing in the opposite direction.