The Girl with the Turquoise Eyes

This was an oppressive heat. Then again, this boy was used to oppressive conditions. He had two choices: stay in the dark, cool room of The Bright Star Motel or face the heat. 

He chose the heat. 

The Bright Star Motel sat off a long stretch of country road. It straddled two opposites: a large, open plain to one side and a thick, dense forest to the other. Truckers, travelers, runaways, and any number of wandering souls found their home here, at least for some time. It was never anyone’s final destination, just a stop along the way to somewhere better or somewhere worse. That was the case for the occupants of room 17. 

The room was dark, filled with the low, desperate groan of the air conditioner trying to keep up with the heatwave outside. Two figures sat on opposite beds.

“Did dad call yet?” asked a gentle voice. This was young Benjamin, only twelve, who spoke with the slightest southern accent.  “Did’ja hear ‘em call?” snapped a sharp and hateful temper. No, it wasn’t the boredom, or the heat, or even the reality of having to spend yet another day in this singular room that made Braxton so hateful. That was just Braxton.

After a few seconds, young Benjamin spoke up. “He hasn’t been gone this long before.” 

“Dad’ll call when’ee calls and ‘eel git back when’ee gits back,” barked Braxton. Young Benjamin fell silent again. His stomach let out a low groan, almost identical to the groan of the struggling air conditioner.  Benjamin shuffled around in his bed to try to quiet it, lest he attract the ire of Braxton, ensconced in whatever pixelated show he happened to come across today. He knew there was no use checking the fridge or looking around for a loose bag of chips. They had run out of food yesterday. 

“Do we have a few dollars for the vending machine?” asked Benjamin. 

“Aw, Jesus!” Braxton shot up and stomped to the other side of the room. After shuffling around in the dark, he stomped back and slammed a paper cup on the nightstand between the two beds. It looked just like the one he had been sipping from all morning. Braxton reached under his bed and pulled out a bottle with some type of dark liquid. He poured Benjamin a tall serving and topped off his own. “Now drink this an’ shut up!” Braxton flung himself back onto his bed and continued sipping from the paper cup. Benjamin dared not ask what it was. He conceded and took a sip. He felt fine for a few seconds until an intense burn shot down his throat. Benjamin started coughing, but each cough felt like he was breathing fire. Braxton started howling. The burn eventually softened, and the few dying embers settled in his stomach. “Damn sissy,” remarked Braxton after his wicked howls, “You’ll git used to it.” 

Benjamin never took another sip, but he watched Braxton sip that cup like it was nothing. With every sip, his breathing got heavier…and heavier…and heavier. Then, his head began to bobble. For the first time in a long time, Benjamin actually wanted to laugh, but he stifled the urge and quietly continued watching his bobbling brother. Finally, Braxton’s eyes shut, and his head bobbled right back into the pillow. His mouth opened and let out a pitiful, struggling snore. Benjamin’s stomach groaned again, and he clutched it thinking the noise would wake up his brother. Out of the corner of his eye, he peeked over. Braxton was still motionless, letting out more snores. 

A sudden joy possessed Benjamin, who leapt from his bed. He crept over to the table where Braxton kept his wallet. He reached in and pulled out two bills. From the light of the TV, he could make out that they were only worth $2. He stopped for a moment, clutching the bills. He thought of how mad Braxton would be if he awoke and saw him rummaging through his wallet. He thought of how mad Braxton would be when he found out that he had stolen from him. For a moment, Benjamin thought of putting the bills down and running back to his bed. Then, he felt the warm, empty pit in his stomach gurgle. A bolt of anger shot up, and he clutched the bills tighter.

He wasn’t scared anymore. 

Benjamin went over to the door and turned the handle ever so slightly. He slowly cracked the door, shooting a thin beam of light across the wall. He looked back at Braxton who still laid motionless. Benjamin opened the door just enough for him to squeeze through, keeping his eye on the motionless Braxton, and slipped through to the inferno outside. The sunlight accosted Benjamin’s eyes which slammed shut as he pulled  the door closed as quickly and quietly as possible. He stumbled away, eyes fixed on the ground as they adjusted. When he finally came to, he looked out to the barren motel parking lot, to the country road, and to the plain that stretched far into the blue sky. Benjamin ran. He ran down the hall. He ran right past the vending machine. He ran around the parking lot. He ran to the road. He didn’t know where to run to. He just wanted to run.  

The heat finally caught up with him as he stopped there on the edge of that long country road. Looking around, there wasn’t a soul in sight. Then, he caught a glimpse of the motel pool. He had entirely forgotten about his groaning stomach. He shoved those bills into his pocket and ran. He forced the gate open and ran to the edge of that shimmering pool. He shoved his arm into the water, waiting to feel its cool, wet embrace. Instead, he recoiled. The pool felt more like warm bath water thanks to the heatwave.

“You don’t want to go in there,” said an enchanting voice. Benjamin looked up to see a young girl sitting on one of the lounge chairs, taking refuge under a large umbrella. She had tanned skin and long black hair. She was certainly older than Benjamin but couldn’t have been more than 18.   

“I – I guess I don’t,” said a startled Benjamin. 

“What were you doing running around over there?” 

“Oh, I – uh.” Benjamin seemed at a loss for words. The young girl smiled at him. It was the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. “Why don’t you come sit with me?” the girl said. She motioned toward the end of her chair. “I could use the company.”

Benjamin blushed. “Well, that’s really kind of you.” He took up the offer and sat down next to her. Benjamin took notice of the girl’s eyes, which had a turquoise color unlike anything he’d ever seen before. 

“Your eyes are so pretty,” remarked Benjamin. The girl ran her hand through his sandy blonde hair. “And you’re quite the little gentleman,” she said. “What’s your name?” 

“Benjamin,” he replied. The girl stretched out her hand. “I’m Enid.” Benjamin shook her hand firmly. Little droplets of sweat began to form on Benjamin’s forehead. Enid reached into her bag and pulled out a water bottle. She offered a drink to Benjamin who took it gladly. “So, what were you doing running around out here?” she asked. After his last gulp, a sly smirk came across his face as he quipped, “I just wanted to show you how fast I was.” She beamed at his charm, and the two laughed together. The moment was rudely interrupted by an untimely groan from Benjamin’s stomach. He could once again feel that empty pit, only this time he became slightly embarrassed. 

“Aw, honey, you’re hungry,” Enid said. Benjamin pulled the $2 from his pocket. “I was actually about to get something from the vending machine,” he started, “Can I get you anything?” 

“Like that thing works,” Enid remarked, “Listen, I don’t have much on me, but I know a place where we could get some pretty good food.” Benjamin looked down at the $2 in his hand. “I don’t think this’ll be enough,” he replied. The girl put that beautiful smile back on her face. “Do you trust me?” she asked. He couldn’t resist those turquoise eyes. “Sure,” he said. Enid leapt up from the chair, and Benjamin watched as she put on a petite, white kimono cover-up from her bag. She offered Benjamin her hand. Benjamin happily took it, and the two started off down the road together, leaving The Bright Start Motel far behind them. 

They must have been walking for about a mile in that heat, and still, Benjamin couldn’t see an ounce of sweat on Enid. They eventually came upon a gas station with a few cars parked out front. “Is this the place?” asked Benjamin, careful not to sound too disappointed. Enid smiled. “No, just a stop,” she said, “Listen, I want you to wait out here for me, OK?” Benjamin seemed a little confused. She handed him the rest of her water bottle and told him to drink. “I’ll be right back,” she said as Benjamin lifted the bottle up to gulp down the rest of it. When he finished, Enid had disappeared. Benjamin tried looking through the window to see if he could catch a glimpse of her. About a minute or two passed when suddenly, Enid burst from the front doors and grabbed Benjamin. She was so fast Benjamin could barely keep up with her. From behind, he heard a voice shout, “Hey! Get back here!” Enid was so fast she had to let go of Benjamin. “Come on,” she shouted. Enid led Benjamin across the street and into the dense forest on the other side. Benjamin could hear the voice shout, “I’m calling the police!” Enid darted through the forest ahead of him, laughing wildly. He couldn’t chase after her anymore. He dropped to the ground panting and dripping with sweat. Then, he felt a hand on his back. It was Enid, whose eyes didn’t seem to lose their shimmer even in the dark forest. “Hey, I’m sorry,” she started. “What was that about?” asked Benjamin. Enid revealed a wallet that she had stolen from a man inside the gas station. She opened it and pulled out close to $50. “Hey, it’s better than nothing,” she said. Benjamin started wiping the sweat from his face. He still couldn’t make it to his feet. That burning anger shooting up from his empty stomach took hold again, but all he could say was, “A heads-up next time might be nice.” Even though he was tired, starving, and dripping with sweat, he could never be rude to her. The heat began to wear on Benjamin’s senses, and his vision became slightly blurred. Enid joined him on the ground and pulled him close to her. Her skin felt almost cool. “Just close your eyes,” she said, “We have to lay low for a bit anyway, and I promise, when you wake, we’ll eat.” 

Benjamin’s eyes began to close, but as they did, he could have sworn he saw the most peculiar thing. It was Enid’s feet. They were turned backwards, and her toes danced contently on the dry ground.