Vast Land

Sundays in Kentucky back roads are always my favorite. I drive in circles for hours all by myself. No know it all mom to bother me, no overbearing coach to yell at me, no school work to work on. Alone is my favorite place to be. 

Driving down the side of a forest going ten over I feel perfect bliss. The fall air blowing in my face, the leaves changing colors, everything is great. I take a left down my normal road but when it comes to where I take another left, I take a right instead. This road is wider than all the other roads I drive on around here. It’s a lot smoother too. I sped up going twenty over the limit, still perfectly happy. I crank my radio to the highest volume and coast. My mind is blank, not even paying attention to the road, before I hear something make a sound. I swerve hard going off the road and smashing into a bush. My airbags go off, as my head flies back and hits the seat.

I can feel something hot on my face, but it doesn’t feel like the sun. It feels fake. I try to open my eyes, but I can’t. 

A sharp, harsh voice starts talking. “She’s stable. Waking up anytime soon.” Was I in the hospital? 

“Have the police been notified?” This voice was different from the other one. It was softer like a woman's voice. 

“No. A perfect test subject, but we don’t have much time.” So I’m not at the hospital? A rush of adrenaline rushes through me as I wake up. “Times almost out.” 

“Time is almost out? What the hell are you people talking about? And who the hell are you people?” I panic realising my arms and legs are strapped down to the table. 

The woman comes over. She begins stroking my hair lightly. “I am Dr.Jess. We aren’t here to hurt you, we just need your help testing our new machine.”

“Then why am I strapped down to a metal table?” 

“Well the machine may be very,” she pauses looking for the right word, “aggressive.” She comes closer to me, her eyes are dark brown, with a hint of evil. “You’re not going to get hurt, but you can’t move.”

“You crazy people made me crash on purpose. You both are insane.” The man puts his big, grime hand over my mouth.

He looks over at her. “Start it.” She walks out of the room to hit something and comes right back in. “You little girl just sit nice and quietly.” I don’t. I move my mouth, so I can bite his palm. He starts to scream. I wiggle my hand out of the strap to hit him in the boys area. He crumbles to the fall, boys all the same. “Jess, she's running.” Damn right I was. I rip off both the straps and start looking for a way out. 

“Now  little girl stop running.” Jess is talking in an oddly calm voice. “We need you.” As I am running, scanning the room for a way out I hear something start clicking. The room heats up and lights start flashing everywhere. A light goes past me and hits a wall. The wall vanishes into thin air, like it was never there. I don’t think I just run through it. 

I dig into my pocket looking for my phone or keys. Neither are there. I hear footsteps behind me, but only one pair. Must be Jess following me. More lights are going on around me, and more things are disappearing everywhere. 

“HELP, HELP!” I yell into the night hoping someone can hear me. The thing is I know no one can. No one comes back here. That’s why I come back here, to be completely alone. Still I keep yelling, “HELP, HELP!” 

“No one can hear you. Stop running from your destiny.”

“THIS ISN’T MY DESTINY YOU CRAZY LADY.”  The light skims my arm removing the freckle on my arm. “Oh shit.” I run onto what seems like a main road. I am so turned around I can’t even tell where I am. I spin around to see if I can see Jess, but she has ducked behind a bush. I stick my thumb in the air hoping the car will stop. It does not just keeps on driving by. As Jess pops out of the bush with her weird laser pointed right at my forehead another car drives by. I wave my arms up and down and jump as high as I can praying they stop. 

A sweet little old lady stops and rolls down her window. “Well hey sugar what are you doing out here all alone?” 

“A crazy lady is following me. I need your help.” She unlocks her door, but freezes as she touches the lock. She starts shaking back and forth like the glitching and then just is gone. Her car is still running, but no her. 

“Oh good it works. Well thank you for all your help.” I stood there puzzled and confused. Jess tosses me my keys and phone in a ziplock bag. “You’ll be needing these to get home, and there is some hush money in there.” I open the bag to see at least one hundred one hundred dollar bills. “There's more where that came from if you can keep that mouth shut.” I debate the deal. 

“You won’t vaporize any of the people I know?” 

She comes closer leaving the machine on the ground behind her. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” I stretch out my hand to shake hers.

“I drive around here every Sunday. You’ll pay me out then?”

“Trust me honey I know where you are. And yes payments every Sunday til you leave this great vast land of nothing.” This lady and the accomplice tried to vaporize me and chased me through the forest, but that much money. I can’t just say no to that. “Goodbye Shelly. See you next Sunday.” I smile and wipe a small tear from my eye knowing I am the luckiest person alive. “Oh wait.” I turn to face Jess, she has the laser pointed right at me. “Just kidding.” SHe shoots and I can feel my body slowly slipping away from me.