his throat; his heart skipped. The highway. Dear God, please no.
Roger ran flat out across the parking lot. The cold rain stung his red face like needles, and his lungs ached by the time he reached the edge of the road.
A truck sailed past, blasting its horn. A shock of cold, muddy water splashed over Roger. He recoiled, shielded himself, shouted, “Fuck!”
He staggered back, wiping the water from his eyes. He spit several times, trying to expel the grit from his teeth. “Motherfu….”
Roger managed to clear his eyes and squinted out across the dark road. That’s when he saw it, a pale body lying in the ditch on the other side.
Roger screamed, horrified. “Lilly!”
He bolted out into the highway. A car blasted its horn and swerved to miss him. Roger raced blindly through the swirling rain in the car’s wake. He reached the other side as passing headlights from another truck swung by. The pale body was a dead deer. Maggots swarmed the wet innards that spilled out onto the soaking asphalt.
Roger reeled from the sickening sight. He coughed and gagged, nearly vomiting. This was hell, no doubt about it. An unending nightmare that he couldn’t wake up from. And the end was nowhere in sight.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Kat was serving the family their dinner when Roger bolted back inside the diner. He was flushed and out of breath. He made a cursory check of the diner, then charged off toward the adjoining gift shop.
Kat set down the last plate of food on the family’s table and called after him. “Roger!” He ignored her.
Roger made a loop through the shadowy gift shop, past the dusty shelves of travel aids and crappy cheap toys. If Lilly were here, she would be sitting in one of the aisles playing with some little plastic dog. The animals were always her favorites. If they ever got separated in a toy store, he would always find her lost in some make-believe game of talking animals. She created long, intricate scenarios that played out the story lines from her favorite DVDs, usually The Lion King or Balto . Roger would then begin a protracted negotiation on how many of the little animals she could buy, and which ones. But not this time. Lilly was nowhere to be seen. The gift shop was empty.
Roger darted out of the shop, crossed over to the hallway door, and threw it open. The long, eerie hallway was deserted. Roger gave a look in both directions. “Lilly!” His voice echoed in the emptiness.
No response. Just the buzzing of the fluorescents and the dripping of the rainwater into the buckets. Roger took off down the hall, rattling the knobs and pounding on the shower and sleeping room doors as he went. “Lilly! Are you in here?”
Nothing. He reached the men’s room and ducked inside.
Roger raced down the row of stalls, banging them open and looking inside. They were all empty. Roger spun around, catching his breath, his mind racing. Then he took off again for the door.
He bolted back out into the hallway and ran headlong into Kat. “Hey!” She recoiled, startled.
“I can’t find her. She’s nowhere around,” Roger panted desperately.
Kat recovered, took a deep breath, and did her best to remain calm. “Roger, she’s got to be here someplace. She must’ve got out the driver’s side of the car that I couldn’t see. She probably came looking for you on her own and got lost.”
Roger didn’t hear Kat’s attempt to reassure him. He pushed past her, shoving open the women’s room door. Kat followed him inside.
Roger raced down the row of stalls, banging them open as he went. “Lilly?” He reached the end. The place was empty. “Fuck! How could she just disappear?”
Kat approached him, still trying to remain calm. “All right,” she said. “We’ll find her. There’re a lot of places she could be. This is a big place. Let me tell Bart so he can take over in the diner, and I’ll help you look.”
But Roger wasn’t listening again. He sped out the door. “Roger!” Kat called after
Roger ran flat out across the parking lot. The cold rain stung his red face like needles, and his lungs ached by the time he reached the edge of the road.
A truck sailed past, blasting its horn. A shock of cold, muddy water splashed over Roger. He recoiled, shielded himself, shouted, “Fuck!”
He staggered back, wiping the water from his eyes. He spit several times, trying to expel the grit from his teeth. “Motherfu….”
Roger managed to clear his eyes and squinted out across the dark road. That’s when he saw it, a pale body lying in the ditch on the other side.
Roger screamed, horrified. “Lilly!”
He bolted out into the highway. A car blasted its horn and swerved to miss him. Roger raced blindly through the swirling rain in the car’s wake. He reached the other side as passing headlights from another truck swung by. The pale body was a dead deer. Maggots swarmed the wet innards that spilled out onto the soaking asphalt.
Roger reeled from the sickening sight. He coughed and gagged, nearly vomiting. This was hell, no doubt about it. An unending nightmare that he couldn’t wake up from. And the end was nowhere in sight.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Kat was serving the family their dinner when Roger bolted back inside the diner. He was flushed and out of breath. He made a cursory check of the diner, then charged off toward the adjoining gift shop.
Kat set down the last plate of food on the family’s table and called after him. “Roger!” He ignored her.
Roger made a loop through the shadowy gift shop, past the dusty shelves of travel aids and crappy cheap toys. If Lilly were here, she would be sitting in one of the aisles playing with some little plastic dog. The animals were always her favorites. If they ever got separated in a toy store, he would always find her lost in some make-believe game of talking animals. She created long, intricate scenarios that played out the story lines from her favorite DVDs, usually The Lion King or Balto . Roger would then begin a protracted negotiation on how many of the little animals she could buy, and which ones. But not this time. Lilly was nowhere to be seen. The gift shop was empty.
Roger darted out of the shop, crossed over to the hallway door, and threw it open. The long, eerie hallway was deserted. Roger gave a look in both directions. “Lilly!” His voice echoed in the emptiness.
No response. Just the buzzing of the fluorescents and the dripping of the rainwater into the buckets. Roger took off down the hall, rattling the knobs and pounding on the shower and sleeping room doors as he went. “Lilly! Are you in here?”
Nothing. He reached the men’s room and ducked inside.
Roger raced down the row of stalls, banging them open and looking inside. They were all empty. Roger spun around, catching his breath, his mind racing. Then he took off again for the door.
He bolted back out into the hallway and ran headlong into Kat. “Hey!” She recoiled, startled.
“I can’t find her. She’s nowhere around,” Roger panted desperately.
Kat recovered, took a deep breath, and did her best to remain calm. “Roger, she’s got to be here someplace. She must’ve got out the driver’s side of the car that I couldn’t see. She probably came looking for you on her own and got lost.”
Roger didn’t hear Kat’s attempt to reassure him. He pushed past her, shoving open the women’s room door. Kat followed him inside.
Roger raced down the row of stalls, banging them open as he went. “Lilly?” He reached the end. The place was empty. “Fuck! How could she just disappear?”
Kat approached him, still trying to remain calm. “All right,” she said. “We’ll find her. There’re a lot of places she could be. This is a big place. Let me tell Bart so he can take over in the diner, and I’ll help you look.”
But Roger wasn’t listening again. He sped out the door. “Roger!” Kat called after
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