God! Show wasn’t kidding when he said it was a long drive to Zone 5. We’ve been driving for over two days, and won’t be in Zone 4 for another two hours Show says, well, whines anyway. He’s also throwing a bit of a conniption because, “We’re making too many stops! We won’t make it to Zone 5 for four days!” as he puts it.
I guess he’s right about that though, we are making to many stops, Jen keeps begging for bathroom stops and I keep breaking down and stopping. That and I vaguely remember a Killjoy, probably grandpa, telling me that the Zones got bigger as you got farther out into them, hence Zone 1’s the smallest, and Zone-whatever is the largest.
So when we finally reach Zone 4, I decide to make Show’s day.
As soon as I drive into Zone 4, I pull over and turn to face Show, “Alright Show, since you obviously need to get back to your roller job, how ‘bout we cut this little escort short?”
“What do you mean by that?” Show says quizzically as he crosses his arms returning my look.
“I mean you take us to Cherri Cola instead and you tell her where to take us from there,” I explain to him my plan, he could get back to his job sooner and we could maybe find out a few things from Cherri on the Killjoy lifestyle.
“Fine, Cherri’s place is only about a day’s drive away from here—if we don’t stop ten times for bathroom breaks,” he says that last part with a look back to Jen that probably says “That means you kid.” Jen just sinks in her seat with annoyance, knowing he’s right, ten times though is slightly exaggerated.
“Good, now, which way’m I headin’?” I say looking back to the road.
“Keep going south for about half an hour, then turn west at the four way,” Show says leaning back into his seat to try and relax for the rest of the ride with us before he hits the road his way.
“South it is then,” I say putting the car in gear.
“So we’re finally gonna meet this Cherri Cola person?” Jen says enthusiastically, happy to hear that we’d be getting a new traveling companion, one that didn’t nag and complain…then again, like she’s really one to talk right now.
About an hour after we decide to go to Cherri Cola, Jen and Show are at each others throats with their own petty complaints, and I’m on the brink of snapping. Jen’s asking to go to the bathroom, and Show’s saying no for me this time around.
“Oh come on! I don’t need to go to the bathroom, I’m hungry so I want to stop for some food,” Jen says, by now she and I are pretty much okay with the dog food, so she’s basically going by her normal food schedule—three meals a day, but out here you’re lucky to get one each day.
“Well what happened to all the cans we brought with us?” Show replies annoyed beyond help with Jen’s requests for a stop.
“What cans? You made us leave so fast at our last stop in Zone 3, I didn’t have time to grab more,” she retorts.
“Not my fault! That was the fifth stop we’d made that day, I don’t have time to be goofing off, I gotta get back to work as soon as I can, and your constant pull-overs are not helping with the time limits,” he snaps back.
“I’m not used to long car rides.”
“No duh kid.”
“Don’t sass me!”
“Deal with it! You wanna be a Killjoy? then learn how to give a good come-back!”
“ENOUGH! I’ve had it with the both of you gripping like a bunch of babies!” I yell, God I’m really turning into mom now. “If you two are not gonna get along then just shut the hell up!” I can’t really take such distractions while I’m driving, I may be a bit of a natural, but that doesn’t mean I’m a pro. “Dune, please just try to stick it out to we make it to Cherri’s, and you!” I say pointing a finger at Show, “You’re twenty-something-years-old, don’t let a kid get to you like you’re some five year old!”
“Well!” said Show all huffy. I squint my eyes into menacing slits to warn him that I’ll tie him to the roof if he doesn’t shut up. It’s mid afternoon, and I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday night or slept in almost two days either—Show refuses to take off his skates so he can’t drive without getting his feet stuck on the pedals, and Jen’s still learning how not to slam on the brakes every time she jolts forward too fast…so that leaves me to drive most of the time. So I’m ornery, tired, and hungry—hence, on a higher chance of snapping at someone.
I suddenly feel like I’m gonna get a shock. They’re getting stronger, but I have a sense of warning before it hits, so…
“Whoa! Get the wheel Show!” Jen screams when I let my hands go flying off the wheel.
“Got it! Check on your sister, she alright?” Show asks leaning across the car to take the wheel as I lean against the door, gritting my teeth to stop myself from screaming with pain.
“Sorry,” I gasp out to Jen when she gives me a little nudge. “Shoulda gave you guys a heads up,” I say as I pull myself up in the seat, rubbing my wrist, it burns constantly now from all the shocks. I’m also getting a mark again like last time, but all you can see is a little bit of red beneath the band, Jen and Show haven’t seen it yet so they don’t know about it…and they won’t ‘til we get it off.
“You got that right,” Show says, still holding the wheel as I try to do a quick recovery. “‘Least ya didn’t fry the car, you alright?”
“Yeah, here, I got the wheel,” I tell him though I still feel like crap.
“Hey there’s another car behind us,” Jen says. I look in the review mirror and notice Jen’s turned in her seat looking out the back window. “It could be someone who knows Cherri, Specter,” she looks back to me.
“I don’t think so kid, you don’t see many of Cherri’s peeps out this close to Zone 3,” Show says turning to look too.
“Why not?” I say trying to look through the review mirror for a glimpse of the car too.
“Zone 3’s got a lot of Dra—” Show’s about to tell me before he cuts off all of a sudden.
“Show? Zone 3’s got a lot of what?” I say glancing over to him, only to see him scrambling through the glove compartment. “What are you doing?” I screech.
“Book it Specter, those are S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W unit thugs!” he shouts.
Part 20: http://www.mychemicalromance.com/blog/zone-specter/danger-days-part-20
