Read Leaving Unknown for Free Online Page A

paused, then smiled more broadly. “And I know you love me back.” And she drove off, one hand fluttering out the window.
    I waved back, good-bye to my friend, good-bye to my boots, and good-bye to the small kachina I’d tucked into the box. It was one of an egg intertwined with what looked like a tadpole and it was the first one I’d had an immediate reaction to. My reaction had been gratitude. To Jules, for putting up with me, for understanding me. And most of all, for being around to say good-bye to me . I was down to nine pairs of shoes. My journey had begun. I went to bed, ready for morning and for my new adventures to arrive.

Chapter Three
Road Trip, Don’t Forget the Bird
    M y first adventure sucked. I stared at Darryl from Okay, Oklahoma, in disbelief.
    “You’re kidding, right?” I willed him to crack a smile and tell me he was “jes’ joshin’.” He didn’t.
    “Nawp.”
    I rubbed a hand over my face, praying it was a dream. When I opened my eyes I was still staring at a John Deere cap and a mechanic named Darryl. Darryl had a deeply lined, tan face and repeatedly deposited chewing tobacco spit into a can of Dr Pepper. Darryl also had very bad news.
    The trip had started out fine. Our routine was set from our first night camped outside Sweet Lips, Tennessee, I in my tent, Oliver cozy in a little birdie fleece-lined Snuggle Hut that hung from a hook at the peak of my tent. We’d followed back roads across North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas, snapping stylish pictures of Elsie in front of landmarks like the sign thatproclaimed, W ELCOME TO S WEET L IPS ! T HEY’RE S MILIN ’ ’C AUSE Y OU’RE H ERE ! I ate a lot of boiled eggs. After a few days of pouting silence, Oliver adapted to the new routine and started complimenting me again. Elsie guzzled gas. Our journey had been adventure free. Until today.
    We woke in Toad Suck, Arkansas. The day was hot and sunny, and I was eager to keep going. After forcing down a heavily salted egg, we visited Paris, Arkansas, before pointing Elsie towards Okay, Oklahoma. Leaving Charlotte farther and farther behind felt miraculous. Like I had superpowers—the power to shake off great weight, the power to give the gift of life, the power to let the day take you where it would. Freedom. Savoring it, my superfoot unconsciously pressed the gas pedal too far, causing Elsie to wobble precariously as she picked up speed. I eased up.
    “Sorry, old girl.”
    Nothing could shake my optimism. I improved the tan on my left elbow. On either side of the deserted country roads were endless fields of something agricultural. Corn? Soy? Alfalfa? I’d stopped and taken a picture to figure it out later. I couldn’t tell you if alfalfa was a tall yellow stalk or a mossy green carpet. If you were very convincing, I’d believe you that it molted from pupae. Whatever it was, instead of finding the unchanging landscape boring, I found it soothing. As had become my routine, I didn’t play music in the first hours of the day, preferring to let my mind wander. Mostly, I let it wander into wholly unrealistic but highly entertaining fantasies of my new life in California.
    John Mayer was just bending on one knee to propose, when Elsie started wobbling in earnest. I frowned at the speed gauge (then rubbed out the furrow). She shouldn’t be wobbling at 45 mph. That usually started at 60. I tried accelerating all the way to 60 before slowing down, as if to reset her, but theshaking became violent, steering wheel yanking at my hands. I slowed. As long as I held it to 40 mph, there didn’t seem to be any problems.
    I considered this. I considered Elsie’s history of “surprises.” I considered the endless rows of unidentified plants and complete lack of humans surrounding me. I made a decision. After consulting the map, I decided that Okay was a suitably sized city and I could continue my course. Which brought me to now, here with Darryl at Okay Body.
    “How far can I get?” I hoped my