Krystal with a K

Editor's Forward: This was based on a prompt that can be found here. I've added italics to that portion. This one was a trip, but on the long side. Comes out to about 70+ pages when in a document form. Krystal is a wild ride of a character and things keep twisting and turning, never quite sure when she's telling the truth or spinning a web of lies. Robbery, stabbings, murder, and a steamy honeymoon in a Nevada motel. It has it all.

You find yourself braking as soon as you spot her slouched on the side of the road up ahead, looking forlorn and insignificant in the scant shade of a rusty old water tower. You've been driving in a trance for you don't know how long. You have no idea what this town is called and frankly you don't care to find out.

You're stopping for her. Why? Boredom? You've been driving on a monotonous stretch of road for hours now and you've still got a fair piece ahead of you. Picking up a passenger would give you someone to talk to during the rest of the long ride that awaits you. Let's call it boredom, then.

“Hey,” you say, rolling down the window. “Need a ride?”

She bends over to peer into the car, giving you a once-over. She takes her time. You can hardly blame her. There are crazy people everywhere and you can't be too careful.

You return her gaze. She's young, packed into tight cut-offs, a flimsy t-shirt, worn-out old sneakers and a faded baseball cap. She's got a threadbare duffel slung over her shoulder and a ratty denim purse clasped tightly under one arm. You can't see her eyes through a pair of oversized cheap plastic sunglasses with frames shaped like pink hearts.

“Where you headed?” she asks.

“All the way to the ocean,” you grin.

“Suits me,” she shrugs. “Guess I can't get no further 'n that.”

“All right, well, get in,” you offer, pushing the car door open for her.

She hops in, tossing her duffel in the back seat.

“I'm Cole,” you say, accelerating onto the Interstate.

“Krystal,” she replies. “Krystal with a K.”

You reach the speed limit and set the cruise control.

“Nice car,” she says with begrudging admiration.

“Thanks,” you reply. “It's all right, I guess. Company car. I'll probably switch it out for a newer model after the two years of the lease are up.”

Krystal purses her lips but says nothing.

“So, Krystal with a K,” you venture, “what brings you into my car today?”

Krystal shoots you a glance, eyes still concealed behind the heart-shaped sunglasses. “What?” she snaps. “What did you just say?”

“I asked why you're headed out West.”

“Oh,” she says, relaxing visibly. She fidgets, tugging at her short cutoffs, which have ridden up into her crotch. “Long story. Short version: life sucks. You don't wanna hear it.”

You don't insist. After a pause, she continues, “So, let's get this out of the way. I don't have any money to chip in for gas, but I'm willing to… do my part to pay my way.”

You let that one sit there for a moment.

“What?” she asks, defensively. “Nothing's free. You think I'm stupid?” It's barely a question.

You shift uneasily in the driver's seat, weighing your reply.

“The fuck's wrong with you?” Krystal snaps. “You deaf? I said I'm willing to work my way. You want me to spell it out for you?”

“Listen, Krystal,” you begin, turning towards her, piqued.

Just then the light shines through her sunglasses, giving you a glimpse of her eyes. One of them is purple and swollen: a black eye concealed poorly with a thick layer of clumsily applied make-up, like she was in a hurry when she put it on. Her other, unswollen eye is glaring at you, angry and wet with hurt.

You look back out at the road ahead, driving on in silence.

“Fuck, I'm real sorry,” Krystal sighs. She's turned away to look out the window at the endless cornrows. “I didn't mean to get mad. I know I can be… a handful sometimes.”

“You don't have to apologize,” you say.

“I do, though. I didn't mean to snap at you.”

“It's okay. I'll give you your space.”

“It's good,” you say. “I'll keep that in mind, especially if things aren't going well. Maybe it'll help me stay calm.”

“Yeah,” Krystal nods.

“You hungry?”

“Yeah,” Krystal says.

“So, what do you want to eat?”

“Oh, I don't know. What do you got?”

“Just a few snacks. Nothing much.”

“I don't want anything big. Just something to tide me over until we get a chance to eat again.”

“No problem. Take what you want. I can get more later.”

“I don't want you to go to any trouble on my account.”

“No trouble at all. “

Krystal takes a handful of chips from the bag, leaving most of the bag for you.

“You don't have to give me anything. I picked you up to be helpful, not because I wanted anything.”

“It's no problem. I know what you meant, though. Just being neighborly, you know?”

“I know. Mind if I ask what happened to your eye?”

“You don't wanna know.”

“Probably not, but I'm genuinely curious. I really like to know about people, you know? I like to know about everything. I'm a good listener. “

“Oh, I know you are,” Krystal says. “You are a really great listener. You must be, otherwise you wouldn't have made it this far.”

“Well, I'm trying to be. Who hurt you?”

“Oh, it's nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Not really.”

“Krystal, what did happen to your eye?”

“I just got into a fight with a jerk.”

“Boyfriend? Husband?”

“Nope. He was just a jerk.”

“Are you currently dating anyone?”

Krystal laughs a little. “I wish. I have a crush on this guy, though.”

“Have you talked to him?”

“No. Do you think he would talk to me?”

“Well, you could try, shouldn't you?”

“Okay. I'll give him a call.”

“Okay. Here's my phone.”

You hand Krystal your phone. She looks at it, frowns, and puts it in her lap, out of your reach.

“It's okay. I don't have the nerve to talk to women either.”

“Really? I thought you were supposed to be good with the ladies.”

“Yeah, well, I guess I just don't have the confidence.”

“No kidding.”

“No need to be rude.”

“Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. I hope you'll let me call this guy. I think he'd be impressed that a girl like me actually had the balls to talk to her crush.”

“For sure. Call him now.”

“Okay.”

“Just be honest with him.”

“Like I am now?”

“Yeah.”

“Really? Okay.”

She takes a deep breath, and closes her eyes.

“You got this.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

Krystal takes a deep breath, and then punches into your phone. You look over at her, as the call connects. She smiles at you. That's when you notice the ring. She's married.

Oh, God. You've made a terrible mistake. Now there's no going back.

“No answer?” you ask.

“No, I think he's in court.”

“Oh.”

“We'll track him down eventually.”

“Okay.”

“I'm really sorry about this.”

“It's not a problem. At least you tried.”

“I know. It's just a little embarrassing.”

“Well, at least you know now.”

“Yeah. I guess I should've seen it coming, huh?”

“Sure. Mind if I ask you about that ring? You said you were single.”

“I am. My husband just loves to spend money on frivolous things. It's kind of an ongoing argument.”

“I see. So then, you don't love him?”

“Oh, I do. I think I love him. I'm not sure. I've never...”

“Never what?”

“Never loved anyone before.”

“Do you think your crush will love you?”

“I hope so. I really like him.”

“I know you do. I can tell.”

“Really? How?”

“Well, for one thing, you're blushing. I feel you should end things with your husband properly first.”

“He beat me up, okay? I'm not going to rush right over to his house and knock on the door.”

“Okay. Just checking. So it was your husband then. Not just some random jerk.”

“Yeah. It was my husband. But I'm still not sure if I love him.”

“Well, maybe you should find out. It's pretty important to know. People who love you, don't hurt you. They don't abuse you. You deserve better.”

“You think so?”

“Absolutely. You deserve better.”

“Thanks. That means a lot to me.”

“Any time. Looks like we need to get some gas. You okay waiting in the cab?”

“Fine by me. But don't go too far. I don't want to get lost.”

“You won't. Just stay still.”

“Okay. Thanks.” You step out of the cab and into the gas station. The attendant, a tall, rail-thin man with a scraggly black goatee steps up to you.

“Can you fill 'er up?”

“Sure. Do you want regular or E85?”

“E85.”

“You got it. Thanks. “

You follow the attendant to the pumps, and he fills up the tank. You enter the minimart to restock your snack supply. You walk through the aisles of snacks and toiletries, pausing to pick up a bag of peanuts and a bottle of water before proceeding to the back of the store. You spot Krystal getting out of the cab. She sees you and waves. You wave back and she steps in line for the convenience store, just behind the attendant. You go back to restocking your supplies and watch her through the window.

You get a better look at her. She's the most beautiful girl you've ever seen. You wait for her to wander to the restroom. You restock and put your supplies in the trunk. The attendant steps up behind you, and your neck immediately perks up.

“How much?”

“Uh, $25. “

You hand over $30. The attendant grins at your generosity.

“Okay. Keep the change.”

You get in the car. Krystal is in the convenience store. You wait, but she never comes out, so you get out to find her. The attendant is watching you from behind the counter, with an odd look on his face.

“Where is she?” you ask.

“She went to the restroom. She's in here.”

“Where?”

“Behind that...” The attendant points to the swinging door on the left side of the store.

The attendant watches you go in and pause. You knock on the door.

The attendant calls out. “You have a visitor!”

“I know her,” you yell back. You turn back into the restroom and face Krystal. She's smiling, sitting on the closed toilet. “You came back! I knew you would! I told you I should have killed the cop. I'm so happy to see you. I missed you.”

“What are you talking about? You killed a cop?”

“I did.”

“But how? I mean, how? Is that where you got the black eye. I don't think you've been honest with me.”

“Yeah, that's where I got the black eye. I tried to get out, but they wouldn't let me. They said I was too dangerous.”

“I'm assuming you escaped from jail?”

“Well, yeah. It was a big mess. I mean, yeah, I escaped. But, I don't think it was legal. They had me in a cage, but it was too big for the prison.”

You think she may be a little unhinged. Krystal's telling you a story of prison break-out and how she got the black eye, but you have no idea which parts are true and which are a tall tale.

“How about we get back in the cab and find a place to crash for the night. Nothing weird. I promise.”

Krystal slides into the seat beside you.

“There has to be a hotel around here somewhere. “

“Yeah. Let's go. “

You drive for what feels like hours until you see a dusty road-side motel. It looks abandoned, but there is a Vacancy sign half-lit. No cars, no people, no nothing. You pull into the lot.

“We should check the office.” Krystal suggests.

“Uh huh.” You agree. “Hello? Anyone work here?”

No reaction. Krystal peers through the windshield. “I see a light. Let's go see what's up.”

You get out and Krystal pulls the car in. You knock on the front window, but no one answers. Krystal pulls out her knife.

“Let's check the back.”

“You going to pick the lock with that?”

“Yeah.”

“You really are a wise-ass, you know that?”

“What's the use of being a thief without an edge?”

“Fair enough. I think there's an entrance in the rear.”

“You might be right. We should split up, cover more ground. Stay alert.”

“Fine by me. If you see something, holler. Don't go too far. I'm right here.”

You check the opposite side, while listening for Krystal to see if she has any success. You hear a click, then a creak. You pull open the side door and find a long set of concrete steps descending into the floor. You walk down stairs and pull the door shut behind you.

The steps are dusty, creaking. You hear water dripping. The sound of rushing water grows louder as you descend into the earth.

“Where am I?” You're in an old water tunnel. This used to carry water from the mountains to a reservoir up above. They dug out the rock to make this thing. It's been abandoned for decades. You wander through the tunnels, looking to see if Krystal got in through the other door. You don't see her. The tunnel is long and narrow. The ceiling is low, almost impenetrable. You don't see much in the way of light, so you turn on your headlamp.

“Glad I had this.”

The walls are slick with moisture. Your feet slide around. There is a rushing sound in your ears. The tunnel twists and turns, leading you to no apparent conclusion.

“Is anyone there?”

There is no reply. You start to feel uneasy. You switch the headlamp to the highest setting. Your eyes water and the light gets brighter, but it still doesn't reveal anything. You hear footsteps in front of you. You turn the headlamp off and walk quietly behind the figure, shining the light ahead of you in the dark and seeing a small pool of water reflecting light. The tunnel opens up into a large room.

You run up to the figure. They stand before you, blocking the only way out. Their skin is pale, almost corpse-like. They're wearing a set of dirty, old overalls.

“You're not Krystal!”

“No. I'm more like her than you think.”

“You're not the Krystal I know.”

“So you do know her. Well, well.”

“Only for a moment. I picked her up in my truck.”

“That's right. You picked her up. We all meet up at the old truck stop in West Yellowstone. That's where you picked me up, too.”

“I don't remember picking you up.”

“You don't remember but I remember it well. It was me that told you to turn that corner and drive down the back road. It was me that was in the back of the truck when you turned the corner.

“…and led me to find Krystal. You orchestrated the whole things. Why?”

“Because I wanted to be found. Because I want to go back to where it all started.”

“When did it start for you?”

“And is Krystal safe?”

“She's fine. It's only me you have to worry about. I'm just here to talk. I'm just here to... catch up.”

“State what you want, so I may go.”

“I'm here to remember. I'm here to tell you about when it all began. I'm here to ask you why we do some of the things we do.”

“I don't know what you mean. I really must go find Krystal.”

“So go then. Find her. Leave me alone.”

You run off down the tunnels and back outside to bump into Krystal. She is standing by a silver Nissan Rogue and is talking to a large man in a cowboy hat and a black leather jacket. The man looks at the ground and shuffles his feet.

“You're okay...who is he?”

“His name is Frank. He used to own this place. He sold it to Dean, though. He thinks Dean owes him money. He comes out here to try and collect.”

“What does he do?” You look at Frank.

“He's a...troubled man. He used to be a dentist. He went under some financial hardship and lost everything. He blames Dean for what happened.”

“How did he lose it?”

“He had a big gambling problem. He was a good dentist but he didn't charge enough. He didn't deserve to have a business.”

“So he came out here to kill Dean?”

“I don't know. The money probably just became the carrot on the end of a very big stick.”

“So that's nice and all, but perhaps can we get a room for the night. Frank may still have a spare key to the motel.”

“Yeah, of course. “

“I can show you the way. What's the name of this place?”

“Porterville by the old Route 66.”

“Okay, then. Let's get going. We're burning daylight.” You wait for Frank to pull out a mass of keys and carefully choose one. You wait patiently in the car as Krystal and Frank go into the motel office and make arrangements.

Krystal comes out of the office and says, “Let's go. I'll show you the room.”

“Cool. I'm tired from the drive. Glad you found the owner, so we can get some rest.”

“Yeah. Me, too. And don't worry about those keys, okay? I'll carry them for a while.”

“Whatever works for you,” you say.

“That it does, partner! Now let's get you to a comfy room so you can rest those pretty eyes of yours.”

“Why are you talking like a southerner?”

“I'm sorry?”

“You keep saying things like 'partner' and 'that does'.”

“I'm a southern girl! Born and raised in Arkansas. My parents still live there.”

You don't know what to believe at this point with all her stories.

“I'm a huge fan of southern culture. I love the way you talk. It's just...nice.”

You look inside the room and see two single beds, a full bathroom, and a solitary TV.

Krystal looks at the small room and says, “Perfect.”

“Yeah, this is awesome. I could probably see the bed through the window.”

“Great. Then let's get in there.”

You close the door, so just you and Krystal are in the motel room. You give Krystal a hand as she steps through the door. She drops the car keys on the dresser and turns to you.

“I'll just be in here, if you need me.”

You watch her go into the bathroom and lock the door behind her. You stand alone in the motel room, wondering what the hell to do, so you turn on the TV and see what's on. You sit down on the bed and turn on the TV. You look at the VCR and see that it's been unplugged, which somehow surprises you. There's nothing on the TV at all.

The VCR is also unplugged. This seems very strange to you. Is there something you're supposed to do? You find the end of the cord, and connect it to the power outlet on the wall. The TV turns on, but nothing is playing.

Nothing at all.

The whole thing seems very strange to you. You hear a noise come from the bathroom.

“You okay Krystal?” No response. You knock loudly on the door. “Krystal, are you okay in there?”

Nothing. You pick up the keycard from the dresser and go to the door. You knock one more time before returning to the VCR. You knock again, a little louder, just in case. There is no response.

You manage to plug in the VCR and a tape pops out. A tape cassette with nothing on it, waiting for you to put it in and switch it on. There is a cassette compartment on the front of the VCR, with two cassette slots. You push in the VHS tape and press play.

Nothing on the TV.

Nothing on the VCR.

Nothing in the room.

Just you and a blank screen. A strange feeling comes over you. You wait a moment and then try pressing the play button once again. The tape begins to play. You wait patiently. Suddenly, a dark hallway appears on the TV screen. The sound is muted, but you can see two people walking down it. A man and a woman.

“What the hell?”

“Well, hello there, stranger. I know I am a little verbose, but I couldn't help myself. I'm a very talkative person.” You listen to the person on the TV talking to you. “A long time ago, there lived a girl who was a slave to her father's superstitions. He never took care of her, but instead only abused her. She always got what she wanted, though. Though her father loved her, his words always dripped with an undertone of doubt. He constantly questioned her capabilities and tried to teach her a lesson.”

“This is too weird.”

“The girl grew up to be beautiful, smart, and strong. In order to get out of her father's house, she decided to take a long road trip across the country.”

“Are you talking about Krystal?”

“Yes, I am. She has been on her own for a long time. She has learned that no one is tied to anyone. She has learned that freedom is painful. The girl made it to California.”

You shut off the TV, so the voice can no longer speak. The blank TV screen is before you.

You hear Krystal cursing from beyond the bathroom wall.

She has been crying for a long time. She is a young woman in trouble. She has no one but you. She is asking for your help. You hear her yell a string of vulgar obscenities. “FUCK OFF! You don't know what you're talking about, motherfucker!”

You can't make out the rest of the stream of expletives.

You hear her continue to yell and the sound of a shower running. You listen to the water run. It's a nice sound. You sit back down on the bed and wait for Krystal to come back out.

You wait patiently.

Then you wait some more.

You lie down on the bed, since it's more comfortable. The bed is a deep, dark marsh, spongy and thick. You sink in slowly. The bed is so comfortable that you never want to leave. You hear the water stop, and Krystal drying herself off. The bathroom door swings open and Krystal steps out, wrapped in a towel. Her eyes, bright and big, are set wide and white.

“Wow!” you say.

Krystal is so sweet, so pure. She has such a pretty face and large eyes. She is like a deer, innocent and trusting. You smile at her. Krystal smiles back.

“I'm guessing the shower was much needed?”

“Yeah, I was really nervous. All my past relationships have been shit, so I thought I might be going through some kind of mid-life crisis.”

“I heard you swearing in there. Well some of it was muffled.”

Krystal laughs a little. “Yeah, my dad told me to watch what I say around here.”

“Do you always have such a foul mouth?”

“Well, I grew up with a lot of mouth. My dad said I should never be quiet. When he was drinking, he'd get really quiet and moody.”

“I bet that wasn't easy.”

“No, my dad and I don't talk much. The last time I saw him was a couple years ago. He says I ran away when he was in jail for fighting.”

“Is that why you ended up in jail too?”

“Yeah. He was drunk. I got in a fight with him, and he started swinging. It was self-defense. He never did get his act together.”

“I'm so sorry”

“No, it's okay. I was a real handful, huh?”

“Yeah. It must have been tough.”

Krystal laughs.

“I think I'll get a shower now too, if that's okay.”

Krystal gives you a shy smile, and you smile back. You both get in the shower together. A blissful silence, like that between two lovers, fills the small motel room.

“I'm a little nervous. I didn't think we would end up like this.”

Krystal chuckles. “That's alright; I'm just as nervous. It's just nice to talk to someone who knows what I'm talking about.”

You try to clean up, but it is hard with a woman in the same shower stall. Krystal tries to play modest, but her body is on full display before you. You can't help but stare. You've never seen a naked woman before. Her fingers run through your wet hair as she sighs.

“This is really nice,” she says.

“Yeah, it is. I'm glad you're in here with me. I'm not sure what your intentions are, but I wasn't ready to sleep with you...if that's what you planned.”

“I wasn't either,” she says. “That's why we're here, right? You getting me into your car and everything.”

“Yeah...”

“But I guess I'm enjoying it.”

You watch the water run down her body. You're scared of going any further but you allow yourself to look. Her skin is milky white. It feels so soft. She looks like an angel, so pure, so innocent. You want to protect her. She stares back at you. Her eyes are so large and blue. You wonder if you can let her touch you, even if you don't want to go all the way. She looks at your hands and runs them over your soft, wet skin. It feels so good. You never want her to stop touching you.

“This...is all so new.”

Krystal lays her head on your chest. You're a little scared to feel her hair against your skin. You can feel her sadness.

“I need you,” she chokes.

“I didn't know it before, but I needed you too.”

“I don't care about none of that. All I know is that you're the best thing that happened to me since I left home. I'm sorry I got you in trouble.”

“You didn't.”

“We'll talk about it in the morning, okay? I don't wanna hold you up.”

“Okay.”

You dry off and lie on the bed. She snuggles up to you and falls asleep. Krystal's warmth is so comforting. You're glad she's in the bed with you.

It's been a long day. Your eyes are so heavy. You fall asleep.

The sun is already up when you wake up. You sit on the side of the bed in a T-shirt and boxers. Your jeans, shirt, and boots are thrown in a heap in the corner.

“Morning, sleepyhead.”

Krystal sits up and stretches. “Morning,” she says cheerfully. “How long was I out?”

“You were out for about an hour.”

“I feel like shit.”

“I'm sure I look like that too.”

Krystal pulls her shirt on over her head.

“Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've showered?”

“Um...last night. We showered together, remember?”

“Oh.”

“That shower was nice.”

“Yeah. It was.”

“You wanna go get breakfast?”

“Sure.”

You get up and get dressed and then head downstairs.

“What do you want to eat?”

“I don't know. What do you want to eat?”

“Chili cheese fries. Whatever that is.”

“Sounds good. How can I help you dress?” she says.

“I think I can get dressed by myself. We sort of pushed the boundaries last night in the shower. I enjoyed it, but we might be treading on dangerous ground.”

Krystal smiles.

“What are you thinking about?” you ask.

“I don't know. Something funny happened between us last night. I don't know what it means. I like it though. I'm not gonna lie to you. I like it.”

“Yeah...I sort of did too. Maybe we try to get to know each other first and see where things go.”

“We can get to know each other. We just can't go all the way. I don't want to scare you. I want you to choose to be with me.”

“Sounds about perfect.”

“As long as I choose you, you choose me. No pressure.”

“I gotta go get my car. We'll figure the rest out between ourselves, okay?”

“Okay.”

You head to the truck, pile in, and buckle up.

“I'll be back with breakfast.”

“Don't be too long.”

You turn the key and the engine turns over. “I won't,” you whisper.

After a long ride, you pull into a diner and get out of the car. Your feet are sore and beat.

“I'll be right back.”

You walk inside and over to the counter.

“I'll get some chili cheese fries. “

The cashier eyes you up and down.

“How much would you like to spend?”

You have no idea. You nod your head and count out the money you have. “Is this enough?”

The cashier counts out the change. “That'll be $24.75, sir. Would you like me to bag your food to go?”

“You can if you want.”

You head back to the truck and give Krystal the food. You sit back down in the truck and dig into your chili cheese fries. You don't even taste the food. You go on a trip and you eat. It's the life.

“This is fun. No place to be. No responsibilities.”

“I know. This is nice.”

“How long have you been on your own?” you ask.

“Most of my life,” she replies. “I've been on my own since I was twenty-two. I went to college and studied journalism. I got a job at a newspaper in San Diego. It was okay, but I was miserable.”

“How did you learn to steal?”

“I used to live with my grandmother. She had two kids and she couldn't take care of us. One day my mom called and asked if I would consider coming home.”

“Did you steal from them?”

“Not then. They didn't have the money to give me and I couldn't ask them for more. But I wanted to. I wanted to take everything they had.”

“Who was the first person you stole from?”

“The first time I stole, I was thirteen. I took a jar of her perfume. They had a lot of money and I figured I could ask for more. But I got caught and had to leave.”

“How did that end?”

“I got caught by my Grandma. She called the cops. I ran away. I lived with a friend for a little bit. I didn't have any money, so I started stealing things.”

“Did you...you know...”

“I got a lot of scars from stealing. I'm glad my mom brought me home. I feel like she really wanted me to come back.”

“Can I see your scars?”

She pulls up her shirt and shows you the scrapes and scars on her back. “See these?”

“Yeah. “

“Grandma did that. “

“I'm so sorry.”

“I'm so sorry too. She always said I was too pretty to kill anyone. I guess I just wanted to prove her wrong.”

“Have you robbed a store before?”

“Yes and no. I never took any money from the store. I just took things I thought I could sell. I never did anything bad. I have a lot of guilt about it. I really do.”

“I understand. Sometimes I feel like robbing a store would be a rush, but it's risky.”

“Yeah. It would. But I'm just a girl on the side of the road. I'm not a robber. I could run away, maybe find a place to stay. I could ask for help.”

“You can stick with me now. We'll figure life out together.”

“Okay. We'll do it your way. Just don't run away.”

“I won't,” you say.

“You hungry?”

“Yes. Starved.”

“Even after the chili fries?”

“Starved. Hungry. I'll eat anything.”

“Lunch it is, then.”

Krystal laughs. “Lunch it is.”

You pay the cashier and follow Krystal to a table. “Order anything you want. I'm paying.”

Krystal seems surprised but accepts the offer.

“What can I get you?”

“I'll have a hamburger, fries, and a chocolate shake.”

“I'll have a grilled cheese”

“Sure, honey. I'll be right back with your food.”

You relax and watch the people walk by with their meals. You both eat in silence.

“Where'd you get your knife?”

“I stole it.”

“You stole it? Why?”

“I needed a weapon. I lost everything when I left home. I had to do something. I had to get away.”

“Why'd you run away?”

You remembered her Grandma.

“My grandma was sick. She was dying. I couldn't stay there and watch her die.

“My parents were divorced and my mom couldn't take care of me.”

You had a few tense nights too.

“When she tried, it was like pulling teeth. I lived in the trailer park with my dad and stepmom, and my stepbrother and sister. It was an unhappy place. Before that, I worked in a factory for a while. I enjoyed it a lot. I learned how to weld and some other things. It's where I met my ex.” Krystal looks upset. “He was my first boyfriend.”

“I'm sorry,” you say. “Let's not talk about our ex's.”

Krystal shakes her head.

“I can't. I have to get it out. I have to. I have to tell you all about him. I can't live without him.”

“Okay, say what you need to say. Be honest.”

“I cheated on him. With a boy. His name is Carter. We were fifteen. Carter was my stepbrother. He was kind to me. I fell for him. I was stupid.”

“You screwed your step-brother?”

“Yeah, I did. I don't know why. That sounds bad, but it's not. At least, it's not all bad. I felt sick for the longest time afterward. I felt dirty.”

“I understand.”

“But that was the first time I'd ever cheated. I was scared. I was a good person.”

“Can I admit something to you?” you ask.

“Of course.”

“You are the only woman I've ever seen naked.”

Krystal laughs. But it's a nice laugh. It's happy.

You say, “Do you...like my body. Is it okay?”

“It's fine. I like it. “

“You do? Me, too. It's fine. “

“Thank you for asking. “

“You're welcome. “

You drive on for a few miles.

“Want to rob a store?” you ask.

“Sure,” Krystal says. “Where?”

“I don't know. Wherever.”

“When?”

“Now, while the coast is clear.”

You choose a store and park the car. You get out and open the trunk.

“I'll grab the bags,” Krystal says.

You look around the parking lot. It's pretty full. A couple cabs wait by the curb.

“The coast is clear.”

Krystal comes out of the trunk with her bag slung over her shoulder. If there had been any coast to get to, you'd have been there already. You get back in the car. As you walk from the parking lot to the front of the store, a police car slows. The cop inside looks at you. You raise your hands. He doesn't move.

“Afternoon officer. Nice day, isn't it.”

“Yeah. It is.”

“Can I help you?”

“Yeah. I'm trying to rob this place. Can I borrow your sirens?”

“I'm sorry, son. What was that?”

“I said, can I ask you what time it is?”

“Well, I'm the night shift, so it's two in the afternoon. Why?”

“The store says it was robbed at midnight. I was at the bar till closing and I can prove it.”

You watch him drive away. “Thank you,” you say to the empty car. You put the bags under the counter and unlock the register. $700. Two grand.

“We're rich. Let's get out of here!”

You open the door and rush into the bright sunlight. Krystal runs around to the driver's side of the car. Her hair blows in the wind. You tear off down the road and back to the motel room.

You wake up early the next morning. The sun is shining in through the window, but it's a gloomy, rainy morning. You get up from the bed and go stand in the shower. You feel the water's healing power. You scrub yourself with a loofah and shampoo. You shave and brush your teeth. You don't bother with any clothes. You run a comb through your hair.

You see Krystal pouring the stolen money onto the bed.

“We're not going to count it?” you say.

“What the fuck, Cole? I just went through all that.”

“Okay, okay. It was just a suggestion.”

You count the money. $13,000. You split it three ways. $4,300 apiece. You take your cut and stack it in the center of the bed. You have a long drive ahead of you.

“I once saw a movie where they rolled in the money, naked,” you say.

“Really? I've never done that before. Why not? It would be a good way to ensure no one would ever rob the place again. You know, to show the police. Get rid of the evidence.”

“You want to roll in this naked?”

Krystal laughs. You laugh. You feel guilty about laughing, but you can't help it. This is crazy. This is fucking wild. “Come join me, baby. “

“Screw it. Let's do it.”

You slide naked down the bed, $4,300 in your hand. Krystal joins you. You toss the bag onto your stomach and roll onto your back. You look over at her body. Despite your boundaries, it is quite a sight to see her naked. Just out of reach. She's beautiful. She's got her face buried in the pillow. Her body is covered in goose bumps. Her dark brown hair is a mess.

You think about that movie you saw as a child. “I have an idea,” you say “Cover your private parts with the bills. I want to take a picture.”

Krystal nods. Carefully, you slide the money over her pubic region.

“Now the money. “

You slide the bag over her smooth, pale stomach.

“Perfect! Now look at me.” You snap a photo of the two of you. Naked. Staring at the camera lewdly. A strange pose. You can't help it. You laugh.

“Stop laughing! This is serious!”

“Oh, it's not serious. We're naked, covered in money and making silly faces.”

“You're mocking.”

“I'm not. “

“You are! Look at the picture.”

“... Okay.”

You stare at the photos. You'd make a cute couple...if you were a couple. You slide your naked, covered body into the bed. You lie there on your back, looking at the ceiling, listening to the rain. Krystal turns on the TV.

“Turn it off. There's no reception and only that VHS, which I think is cursed.”

“Whatever, okay.” Krystal rolls over onto her side. She holds a pillow over her chest. “So, you like me yet?”

You look at her hidden body just behind the pillow and agree that you might. Krystal sighs. You slide next to her. You hold her thigh and she slides a long strand of hair from her face and between her fingers.

“You think that's sexy?”

“I think you're quite possibly the sexiest thing I've laid eyes on.”

“Shut up! I'm serious.”

“I know you are.”

Krystal leans up and brushes her index finger along your nose. She brushes her finger along yours and stops at your mouth. You are glad you're under the covers so she doesn't know your reaction. You slide your fingers across the covers, down her stomach, and find her wet.

“I'm wet.”

“I want you to stop,” you say.

“You're not serious.”

You stop and bring your hand back and apologize. You grab her hands and turn them palm down. “We're treading on dangerous ground. Aren't we?”

“Yeah.”

“But I still want to know more about you.”

You roll back over, and she does the same. The pillow still covers her chest and dollar bill still covers her lower half.

“How long have you been on the road?”

“A while.”

“Where are you headed?”

“Depends on how far you want to go.”

“I can drive forever, or I can just stay here. Makes no difference.”

Krystal sighs and leans her head on your shoulder.

“You have no idea what I'm talking about.”

“I have a feeling you're a runaway. Why?”

Despite your reservations, you allow her to nestle in your arms.

“I ran away when I was 15, too. You know why?”

You shake your head. You've heard the story a thousand times. “Because of your grandmother...”

“No. “

“You said it was”

“It was, but I'm over it now. So if you wanna know anything about me, ask. I can help you get home or to another state line.”

“Why do you feel so comfortable with me?”

“I don't know. It's just something you feel.”

“Well, I feel it, too.”

“I know.”

“I'm not used to this.”

“But I like it.”

“I like you, too. “

“I know. “

“Do you like me?”

“Yeah. “

“Really?”

“Yes. I really, really like you.”

You laugh and squeeze her a little tighter.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

“Yeah.”

“I think I really like you, too.”

“Really?”

“Is that really a secret now?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I gotta say this. I'm kind of hoping you like me, too. Otherwise, this is really awkward.”

“Being naked? Yeah a little awkward,” you say.

“Yeah, naked. “

“So maybe you have a little bit of a crush on me. But we're just friends. I swear!”

“I know. I believe you.”

“So...how do naked friends act?”

“Well, we...uh... hug a little more. And we just cuddle. Occasionally, we'll make out. Not all the time. Or at all, actually. It's really rare.”

“Can we make out without having sex?” you ask.

“Yeah. We can even kiss without having sex. It just wouldn't be very fun.”

“Hmm. Good point.”

You say, “I'd still like to try.”

“Maybe we should just wait and see.”

“Yeah. That sounds good to me.”

“You're very forward.”

“I'm an interesting guy.”

“One kiss, maybe.”

“Good point. How long do you think we have?”

You roll over and find that it is light outside. “Oh, my. I must've forgotten to set my alarm. “

“But we have nowhere to go.”

“I don't care. I like you.”

“Me, too. Maybe we should just stay here and cuddle.”

“Cuddle, make out, but not have sex.”

“Yeah. I think so. “

“Well, let's do that. Then we can be naked and do other stuff.”

“What would the other stuff be?” you ask.

“Making out, of course.”

“Okay. I'm all in. Let's get it on.”

“I like a slow burn.”

You lean over to kiss Krystal. Your lips touch her lips and she kisses you back. You feel the heat of her kiss and you're glad that you decided to not have sex. It would be easier to stop if you were both fully clothed.

“That was magical,” you say.

“Yeah. I really like you.”

“That was fun.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

You run your hand down her back, making sure you do not touch anything inappropriate. You caress her back as you move her hair out of the way. “You are very beautiful.” You are about to say something when she shoves her knee into your crotch.

“Thanks. “

“I suppose I deserved that.”

“Absolutely.”

“You know, you really shouldn't steal. It's pretty pointless.”

“That's why I do it.”

You laugh. You say, “I think you may be stealing my heart.”

“I know. I've had all the fun, anyway.”

So you continue your long drive to Las Vegas.

Chapter 2:

A Long, boring road trip awaits you.

“This road never ends.”

“I guess you're right.”

“Why didn't you just say something?”

“Why should I? You never said anything about me talking.”

“Let's not argue. We're on our way to get hitched.”

“I suppose we should get along. I mean, I've been thinking about you a lot. And I'm pretty sure you've been thinking about me. So we probably should get along.”

“In three hours we'll be husband and wife.”

“Probably in three hours.”

“That's a very specific answer.”

“Well, I was waiting for you to talk.”

“So you just wanted to wait?”

“No,’ you say, “we agreed to this crazy plan, so we're going to see it through.”

“Yeah, I suppose. We did agree to this plan, after all.”

“I suppose we did.”

“So are you going to tell me anything about you?”

“Like what?”

You keep driving since you've said all you could.

“Are you a vampire?”

“A vampire? What kind of crazy question is that?”

“I don't think it's crazy. I think you might be a vampire.”

“I'm just an ordinary guy who decided on a whim that I would marry a foul mouthed girl.”

“I suppose it's a character defect.”

“We don't have time.”

“We do, actually. I just added a time skip.”

“Is that why we ended up back on the road?”

“Yeah. It's a side effect of the time skip.”

“Will it be permanent?”

“Probably not. I'm not sure. I'm not the best at this kind of thing.”

“Could you time skip all the way to Las Vegas?”

“I think so.”

“Okay. Do we want to stop at a motel or an inn somewhere?”

“Motel. We'll have to pay at some point.”

“I guess.”

“Maybe we should get eloped first. Then it won't be as scandalous if we end up naked again,” you say.

“Not everyone is against the idea of having sex on the road.”

“I'm not against it. I'm just worried that if we don't get married first, we may get cold feet and change our minds. I just don't know if I can control myself.”

“Well, that's what I'm saying. Let's get married first. It'll make it easier in the long run.”

You stare at her body, wondering what you're getting yourself into. That long, hard road trip was probably the best time you had had in a long time, and you enjoyed it thoroughly.

“The chapel is up ahead.”

“Okay.”

“There's no one between us for hundreds of miles. This is our chance to be alone.”

You say, “We go in, get Elvis to marry us, then we have fun.”

“You're not getting Elvis.”

“I've done worse.”

“I suppose you have.”

“Well whoever will marry us. I'm not picky.”

“I suppose you're not.”

“I have a proposition for you,” you say.

“Oh really?”

“We should do something crazy afterwards.”

“Like what?”

“I don't know. Watch a movie or something like that. Or we could go out for a meal. See a show. Go dancing.” You realize that those ideas aren't very crazy, but she has some suggestions.

“I'm serious.”

“So am I. We'll get to know each other. Then we can do any of those things. “

“But we haven't done any of those things.”

“Think of something crazy. I'm ready for anything.”

“Great! I love crazy. And I'm glad you said that. I was just going to say I wanted to go dancing.”

“Cool! I'm in! What kind of dancing is crazy?”

“I don't know. Any kind.”

“How about something like... pole dancing?”

“That's not dancing. That's stripping.”

“I don't care. It's crazy. Were you ever a stripper?” you ask.

“No. Why? Do I look like I was a stripper?”

“No, but you said that pole dancing isn't dancing.”

“My point exactly.”

“Will you strip for me?”

“No. I'm not a stripper.”

“But you just said...”

“I know what I said. But I'm not a stripper.”

“When I become your husband, then you could. It would make me happy.”

“Fine. I'll strip for you.”

“Great.”

“I'll throw money at you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. $100.”

“If you throw $200 at me, then I'll strip.”

“Deal.’

You arrive at the chapel. They are ready for you. You and Krystal get out of the car, walk towards the chapel, and then Elvis appears. He waves at you, and tells you to follow him. You and Krystal walk in together and are handed white robes.

“Well, this might take a while.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Krystal looks at you, and you look back. You and Krystal slowly dress in the robes. Elvis leads you into the chapel.

“This is where you'll get married.”

There are many candles. You admire the beautiful chapel.

“Damn, this place is beautiful.”

“You think so? Yeah, I'm glad I picked this place. I figured it'd be romantic. And remember to not swear here.”

“Sorry! I swear a lot when I'm nervous.”

“That's okay. I understand.”

“I'm also a little drunk.”

“I'm sure you are.”

“Let's get started,” you say.

Elvis kneels, and you kneel, and Krystal sits in the pew. Elvis says the vows, and the minister says them back. You begin to feel lightheaded. You sit up straight so you feel better.

“I do,” you both say.

The minister says, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

You lean in and give her a long, passionate kiss. Her lips are soft. She returns the kiss, before pulling away. You feel the tug of the rope against your back. You grab the rope, and the limo slowly inches forward.

“I got you a limo. I hope you like it.”

“I love it! It's awesome! Thanks!”

“So, are you hungry?”

“Yeah, I am. Let's get something to eat.”

“We eat, then you give me that strip tease.”

“If you insist...”

“I do! Now, where do you want to eat?”

“I don't care.”

You find a place to eat, and you and Krystal eat at a restaurant that has a bar in the back. The bar is hopping, full of all sorts of people, but the bar in the back is not very busy. A biker type in a black leather jacket sits at the bar by himself. He looks at you and Krystal a few times. You order a burger and fries.

“That biker is staring at you.”

“Yeah, I see him. What's he looking at?”

“Nothing. He's just looking. You wanna go introduce yourself?”

“No, let's just ignore him.”

“Probably for the best.”

“Agreed! He looks psycho.”

“Okay, let's enjoy our meal. We need to get to the Grand Canyon by noon tomorrow, or we lose a couple hundred dollars.”

“After our wedding night of course,” you say.

“Of course. I'll pay for that too.”

You and Krystal enjoy your meal. A biker walks up and sits down next you both. You finish your meal and the biker looks in your direction. Krystal sees him too, but you decide to ignore him.

You watch the biker approach and tries to fondle Krystal's tits, to which she yells a stream of vulgar obscenities. The biker gets up and says, “Excuse me! I think you're backsliding, young lady.”

You and Krystal glance at each other, then back to the biker. Krystal curses him out, “You little bitch, you wanna die? I will slit your throat! I will cut you open like a pig! I will make you bleed like a stuck pig! You wanna die?” She keeps swearing at him, getting louder and louder. She starts hurling food at him. You look around. There are a few people sitting nearby staring at the scene, looking worried. “You wanna die, pig? I will fuck you up, motherfucker!” She runs toward the biker with her plastic wine glass. He flinches and backs away from her.

You and Krystal have a closer look at the biker. He has a shaved head, a full goatee, and what appears to be the beginnings of a black eye. She says “What the hell, biker man? Do you have a death wish?”

He turns his back and walks away. You get up and follow him. You get about twenty feet from him. You stab him in the back with Krystal's knife. The biker turns to face you, slowly lifting his right arm, knife in hand. You move forward, knife out, and stab him in the back as hard as you can.

“Serves you right motherfucker,” she yells. “Now, we'll be on our way.” She walks away from you, giving you a big view of the wound. Blood spurts out and soaks into his jacket. “Come on,” she yells, “Let's go.”

You rush out of there before the police show up. “We made it,” you say to her.

“Yeah, we did.” She smiles at you.

“Let’s get back to our motel room. I need to ride this high.”

You and Krystal get back in the limo and drive back to the motel. You have a room with a king bed. You lay down, pull the comforter up to your chin.

“Soo, about that strip tease…”

“Yeah, we fucked up.” She sighs. “We fucked up.”

“What happened?”

“The guy was a cop,” she says.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. “ She sighs. “He was wearing a vest and a shoulder holster. Shit. Fuck! We were so stupid.”

“Where were you when you first met him, anyways? What were you doing?”

“Well, me and some of my friends were smoking weed in a parking lot. I don't smoke pot, it makes me paranoid.”

“Oh.”

“I've never.”

“What? Never?”

“No, I mean, I've never smoked weed,” you admit.

“Really?”

“Nope. Never.”

“Never felt like it.”

“Huh. Well, anyway, a cop car pulls up and out hops this big guy with a gun in his hand. He's like, “Get the fuck outta there, punks!”

“What did you say back?”

“I didn't say anything!”

“So, what did you do?” you ask.

“Me and my friends ran. We got in my car and drove away.”

“Oh.”

“We just left him there.”

“Weren't you scared?”

“I was more worried about getting caught by the cops.”

“Why?”

“'Cause we were smoking weed.”

“Oh, okay.”

“We had stolen the weed.”

“Seems like you steal a lot.”

“I guess. How about you? Steal anything recently?”

“Nope.”

“Okay.”

“I think you're going to steal my virginity.”

“What?”

“Never mind.”

“No, what?”

“I said never mind.”

“You're weird.”

“I'm weird?”

“You were supposed to strip for me and talk dirty.”

“Oh, that. Yeah, I'm sorry about that.”

“Yeah. I want to be tied up and fucked senseless. Make me come so hard my eyes bug out.”

“Well, I don't mean too much of that.”

“Sorry, that was a bit much. Start with the strip tease then.”

“Fine,” Krystal says, stripping out of her clothes. “But I'm not down there in front of you. You'll have to come to me.”

“Like I have a choice.”

“I'll stay safely under the covers. You just strip nice and slow.”

“You pervert.”

You roll your eyes and pull away from her, just as she said you pervert. “You promised. We are married, remember? It's okay.”

“Fine!”

“Good. Here I go.” You pull a pillowcase over your head. In a few minutes you can hear the bed springs squeaking.

“Is that better?”

“Shut up!” you yell.

“Okay!!!”

You hear Krystal walk over and get in bed behind you. “I'm tied up too, you know. “

“I know. “

“You sure you won't go back to sleep?”

“Nope. “

“Me neither. “

You roll over and slide off the bed. You take a pillow from behind you head and a blanket and wedge them under the door.

“Krystal, knock this out of the way. “

“Are you sure?”

“Just do it. “

You hear a thud and the sound of Krystal cursing.

“You fucking bitch! I'm going to kill you!” she shouts.

The pillow comes out from under the door with a loud noise. You can hear Krystal running down the hall and the sound of the door slam.

You shove the pillow under the door and wedge it back in place. You sit back down on the edge of the bed. Your head doesn't feel like it has a skull beneath it anymore.

You wonder what the rest of the night holds for you. You spend the rest of the night in your own head. Out of the darkness a voice whispers in your ear. “Wake up, sleepyhead. We need to go. “

You groan and push yourself up. Your head pounds. The world spins.

“Who's that?”

“What?” You hear a voice say.

“You said 'Who's that?'”

“Oh. Krystal.”

“Sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your dream.”

“It's okay. Man I had a weird dream.”

“Yeah. That guy who tried to steal my virginity was a perv.”

“Yeah. He was a perv.”

“What was the big deal?”

“Wait...you were trying to steal my virginity,” you say.

“Yeah. I'm a horny slut. What did you expect?”

“I thought guys only wanted to steal girl’s virginity?” You look below the covers.

“Not guys. Men. Fucking men,” Krystal says.

“I'll try to remember that.”

“What are you doing after we ride?”

“Well I thought you were going to give me a strip tease, but I guess I fell asleep.”

“I don't have time for that shit right now. We have to get the hell out of Dodge.”

“But why? I thought we were okay here. What changed?”

“I just got a call from a snitch named Spud. He heard that the cops are looking for us. They want me on assault charges and you know what else?”

“What?”

“They've got your picture, Cole.”

“What? That's bullshit! I don't have a picture!”

“Yeah. Well he says it looks like you.”

“What am I going to do now? I have no place to go!”

“Where are we going to go?”

“I guess we ride and find a new place to crash.”

“Where the fuck are you going to go? We need to get the hell out of Dodge! I need a place to go!”

“I have an idea. Let's go to Plan B,”

“Get in the truck!” Krystal screams. You get in the passenger seat and Krystal climbs in the back. You drive.

“You still owe me a strip if I get you out of this mess. Deal?”

“Yeah. Deal. What are we going to do once we get to California?”

“You mean besides trying to stay out of jail?”

“Yeah. That. What are we going to do?”

“Guess we lay low. Or pin the crime on someone else.”

“No way. I have to straighten this out. I have a score to settle with that dickhead.”

“Spud? Where is he? We can pay him a visit,” you say.

“He's at the local cop bar. We can go right now.”

“Nah. I have something else in mind.”

You peel out onto the highway. Krystal screams and covers her mouth with her hands. You fly over the speed bumps like a bat out of hell. You keep your foot planted on the gas pedal and your hands on the wheel.

“Spud won't know what hit him,” you say.

“You sure about that? You just pin the crime on me. I'll take care of the cops.”

“We'll see,”

“What's the worst they could do? Send me to prison? So? I'll just kill the bastard while I'm there.”

“Is he a prison guard?” you ask. “It may be best if you stay out of jail this time. We still have our lives to live.”

“Fuck that! I have a score to settle with him!”

“Okay, we kill Spud and any cop that gets in our way.”

“Yeah. That's what I thought.”

“So are you in?”

“I guess so. I'm with you. Now let's see if we can find the bastard.”

You take the next highway exit without breaking. Krystal says, “Holy shit!” You keep driving.

“We're never going to get out of this damn state,” Krystal complains.

“Oh we will. Just a little longer and Nevada will be a memory.”

Krystal glares at you. “Shut the fuck up and drive,” she says.

“I'm serious. Just a few more hours and we'll be in California.”

You slide your hand over to Krystal's blouse. “Is this okay?” you ask.

Krystal looks at the dashboard clock. “Yeah,” she says. “But you better not let go of me. I'm going to puke.”

“So much for making a move on you.”

Krystal laughs, but not in a happy way. She says, “Don't worry, I won't puke. Not on you.”

You make a mental note to yourself: not to trust her. You turn on the radio. “Let's see if we made the news.”

“Yeah, let's see if we did.”

You turn the radio dial. “Shit! They're all talking about it!” Krystal swears. You turn it up.

“Swearing isn't going to lessen the heat.”

“You really think that?”

“No, just screwing with you.”

“No fucking way! It would be impossible! I mean they're saying it might have been a hate crime and they think that Spud might be the one who did it!”

“Oh, dear lord,”

“Was the cop black?”

“I forgot to look.”

“No! No. Don't tell me! I can't deal with it!”

“Okay. What then?”

“Was he wearing a wedding ring?”

“Why does that matter?”

“Fuck! It matters! It matters now. I have to kill him! I can't let him send me to prison!”

“Okay. Okay. Listen to me. You're going to be fine. I promise. And if you get sick, I'll puke out a window for you.”

“That's disgusting!”

“Yeah, well, so are you.”

“I need some water. I'm going to puke.”

“Whatever. I got a bottle of water in the back.”

You see a sign for California ahead. “We're almost there!” Krystal says excitedly.

You turn the radio up. You hear a country music song that reminds you of growing up in the south.

“Hey southern girl, do you miss Arkansas?”

“Yeah, I miss it.”

“Me too. I miss my family and friends.”

“I miss fried chicken. And I miss my daddy's hugs.”

“Same. Hmm, looks like we might be getting close. Tell me where to drive.”

“I'll give you some warning though. This is a bad place.”

“Sounds good,” you say. “I'll follow your lead.”

“Okay, but just watch out.”

You take the exit and see a large billboard. It advertises a concert. It says, “Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers” and the artist's name.

“I thought Tom Petty died?” you say.

“So did I. I hate musicians who pretend to be dead so they can get a better deal.”

“Oh, sorry. He didn't.”

“Well, he probably will, but right now, he's not. So I call him Uncle Tom for short.”

“Why? I don't like that.”

“You don't fucking like what? I got a question: Why the hell are you riding with me?”

“You know why,” you say. “Why are you so bipolar?”

“I got some baggage.”

“That's a good one. That's a real smart one.”

“Okay, so maybe I'm having some issues that I'm working out. So what?”

“We work them out...after we kill Spud and escape the law. Where is this cop bar anyway?”

“It's a few exits up on I-5. We'll get there eventually.”

“I hope so. I need a toilet.”

“Okay. Be careful.”

You get off the freeway and turn onto the exit. You see a sign for “Police Bar and Grill”.

“That it?” you ask.

“Yeah, that's it.”

“I don't like this place. It looks sketchy.”

“Yeah, but we have to put up with each other, remember?”

“Remember our deal?”

“Fine. You puke and I clean it up.”

“That's disgusting!”

“I know. So, do we stop here?”

“Guess this is a good spot. Close, but let's us get away after.”

“Yeah, we'll have to. There's a cop behind the bar. We can probably sneak in the back and get away.”

“Or we can fight our way out.”

“That might get messy.”

“So? We might get away with it.”

“Okay, we fight our way out.”

“Fine with me. So, now what?”

“Now, we go get a gun.”

“That's a tall order,” you say. “This is California, not the South.”

“I know where we can get some guns.”

“No, I mean I might know someone who can give us a gun. A real gun, not a toy. A real working gun. “

“A gun store?”

“Nah. Nobody carries real working guns around. They all sell toy guns on the black market.”

“We have money. We can buy a gun.”

“Not at black market prices,” you say.

“Okay, where do you think we can get a real gun?”

“I think if we ask, we can find out. Come on!”

You follow Krystal to wherever she's going now. You get into the back of the car. Krystal drives. She looks angry and sullen. She says nothing. She swerves in and out of traffic. She drives erratically.

“Careful” you yell.

Krystal honks the horn. She drives over the speed limit. She looks like she wants to kill you. You pull into a 7-Eleven. You and Krystal get out of the car.

“A gun from 7-11?” you ask.

“No, the black market.”

“And you know this how?”

“I know. My brother knows people. He's big in black market stuff.”

“You're a crazy one, but that's why I love ya.”

“I'm going to ask to buy a gun from the 7-Eleven clerk. I'm going to offer her $500.”

“What if she says no?”

“I'll wrestle her for it. If I win, the gun's mine. If not, she picks up the tab.”

“Wrestle her?”

“Yeah, but not for money. For the gun!”

“You're crazy!”

“Maybe. Have you ever heard of an American named Joshua Wilcots?”

“No,” you say “but that hardly seems relevant.”

“It's relevant. My brother introduced us. He owes Josh a lot of money. He says he might be able to get a gun from him.”

“Then why the hell are you going to wrestle the 7-11 clerk? We only need one gun, regardless the source.”

“Because, if I ask to buy a gun from her, she'll tell the manager. The manager will call the cops. I'll turn around and go the other way. That's what I'll do.”

“If you say so. You're the criminal mastermind.”

“Thanks. I appreciate that.”

“Look, I don't like guns. I don't like this whole idea. But if you think it's worth a shot, I'm your man.”

You follow Krystal into the convenience store. Inside, you approach the clerk.

“Can I help you?” she asks.

“Yes. I'd like two boxes of—”

“Don't say it. I know what you want.”

“You do?”

“Sure. I sell lots of those. They're the ones with the little holes in them. The little kids like them.”

“Where can I get them?”

“Sure, I got lots of those. I buy 'em from the factories, you know, where they make 'em?”

“Yeah. How much?”

You whisper to Krystal that you think the clerk is nuts. “He's a clerk, not a person. He's no different than anyone else in this world.”

“Just because she's black, doesn't make her not a person.”

“Fuck you, pig. You're just a pig.”

“Wow…”

She slaps you across the face. You look at her hand, and see a little blood. It doesn't hurt, so why did she do that?

“How about we try your brother's friend instead?”

“Who?”

“Joshua Wilcots. He might still owe your brother some money.”

“And you believe that he might still have a gun?”

“It's worth a shot.”

“I guess I believe him. Let's go find him. “

You and Krystal head off.

“Why did you slap me?” you ask.

“Because I don't like you! Because I think you're fat! Because I think that you should be in a circus! Because I think you're a waste of time! Because I think you're a pig!”

“Are you okay? You're not like yourself.”

“Fuck off, pig! You don't know what I'm like. I'm a lot worse. You don't know who I am. I'm a monster. You don't know who I am.”

You start to get a little worried. She's not making any sense.

“Krystal! Come on! Let's go! Where did you go? We've got to find Joshua!”

“I don't know who the fuck Joshua is! All I know is that I don't like you, and if you ever do that to me again, I'll kill you.”

You pull over and try to talk some sense into her.

“Krystal! I'm not gonna let you drive. Are you okay?”

“I'm fine. I'll pull over when I'm good and fucking ready. Are you listening to me? I will pull over when I am good and fucking ready! Until then, shut the fuck up!”

“Krystal, I need to know if you're going to be okay.”

“Shut up, too! You don't know me! You don't know anything about me! I'm a fucking wreck! If you weren't with me, I'd be fine! I don't need you! I can handle myself!”

“Krystal! Don't you know that I love you?”

“Love? You think I'm in love? You're in love, pig. I'm a fucking wreck. You don't know what I've done! You don't know what it's like!”

“I can try. Help me understand you.”

“I'm nothing! I'm nobody! You're the one that's special. I'm fucked up, OK? It's all fucked up! I've been here for so long, and I'm so tired.”

You hug her and show her that someone in this world has her back. Krystal is shaking and sobbing.

“It's okay. It'll be all right. I promise.”

“I don't care if I die before this is all over.”

“You can't die. We still have a long life ahead of us together. Just you and me against the world.”

“Yeah, we'll see.”

You pull back onto the road. You drive and drive and drive. You can't stop thinking about what happened. You were too kind for your own good.

“So where's Joshua? The sooner we get that gun, the sooner we can kill Spud.”

“I don't know. Joshua and I haven't been in the same place at the same time in a long, long time.”

“So we're just going to keep driving?”

“Yeah, just keep driving. We'll find him. Or, if we can't find him, then we'll just go see Joshua's brother. Maybe he still has the gun.”

You drive for another hour and get to Joshua's brother's house. Spud's brother is a jerk named Mark. Joshua and Mark haven't spoken in years. The last time they saw each other, Joshua broke Mark's nose, so, you guess, they don't like each other.

“Think we can just break in? Might make this easier.”

“Yeah, I think so. We can just barge in and say 'hey, we're your brother and his wife, and we want a gun, and we know you have it.’”

“Wife...I like hearing that.”

“Shut up! Just shut up! I'm trying to think! You're not helping!”

“No, you shut up! You're not helping! It's just you and me now!”

You make your way around back. It's dark out, but you don't seem to be struggling in the dark. You walk around the back of the house and over to the old patio. The door is unlocked. Mark is an idiot. He's got a small collection of marijuana plants in a large pot on the patio. It smells really bad. Mark doesn't notice you. You walk through the house and go into the basement.

“Find anything?” you ask.

“I found some guns, but they're locked up.”

“I know. I can't get in,” She curses loudly.

“I'll try again in the morning.”

“Yeah. Good idea. Try again in the morning.”

 “I was being sarcastic.”

“I know. I'm stupid sometimes.”

“You're not. This place just gives me the creeps.”

“Yeah. I know. It's not nice, is it?”

“Hey, I found a crowbar.”

“I saw that. Why in the hell would you bring a crowbar here?”

“I like the symbol. I thought it would look cool. So I brought it. So we can break in.”

“Yeah, but we're going to need a plan on how to do that.”

“We smash the gun safe,” you say. “It's not rocket surgery.”

“Yeah, well I'm not sure about this plan. I mean, what if we can't get in? And then we're just going to have to go on the run again, and, and...”

“Calm down. If we can't open the lock, then we just use it to beat Spud.”

“Or some other gun. What if there's, like, a dozen guns? How are we going to choose?”

“I don't know, dammit! I don't know!”

“Shh! Be patient! I'm trying! What kind of gun do you want, anyway?”

“Something small,” you say “Easy to conceal.”

“Alright, I like this plan, but let's just try to open the door first. We might need to shift the couch. I bet this is how people break in, too.”

“Perhaps. Only one way to find out. Here goes nothing.” You grab the crowbar and wedge it underneath the door. You push down on it with everything you've got. Nothing happens, so you give it a shot again. Once again, nothing happens.

“Guess I fail again.”

“Well, guess again.”

“Alright, I'll take that crowbar, you try it.”

You give the crowbar to Krystal and she tries to open it herself. Nothing happens.

“I've got nothing either,” she says.

“We need to get out of here.”

“Yeah. We need to get out of here.”

You grab the crowbar and head back to the truck. You and Krystal head back to the truck. You open the back doors and wait to see if Mark tries anything.

He doesn't.

“Now what?” she asks.

“Think Spud is still at that bar?”

“I don't know, and I don't care, but if he is, he's probably in the back with the girls.”

“What do you want to do?”

“Do you want to go back and bash him in the head with a crowbar?”

“That seems fitting.”

“Nah, I was thinking more along the lines of a distraction.”

“Maybe both,” you suggest.

“Alright, let's get it on.”

You drive the hour back to the cop bar. You pull into the parking lot of the cop bar.

“What do you want to do?” you ask.

“First, let's check it out. If we can't break in, then we just keep driving.”

“Fair enough. Let's go.”

You and Krystal get out of the truck. You put your hood up and pull out the crowbar.

“What are you doing with that?” Krystal asks, annoyed.

“Just being prepared.”

“For what?”

“For this.” You walk around to the front of the squad car, open the grill, and pull out the radio unit. You jam the crowbar into the dashboard and detach the radio unit.

“Is that how you do it?” she asks.

“Yup,” you reply.

You get back in the squad car. “They won't be calling backup now.”

“We'll see.”

You jam the radio unit into the dashboard of the police car and pull out the wire that connects it to the police speedometer.

“What are you doing?” Krystal asks.

“Disabling the speedometer”

“What about the engine?”

“No way,” you reply. “We need all the speed we can get.”

“You just broke into a police car.”

“I didn't break in.”

“What do you call it then?”

“Fuck if I know, but that's how you do it.”

“You're the one with the hood up, remember?”

“I'm just covering our bases,” you say. “Cut me some slack.”

“Fine. Whatever. Let's go.”

The two of you walk inside the bar and head to the small room with the pool table and dart boards.

“Think he's back there with some girls?”

“I wouldn't be surprised. Let's check it out, then get back to the truck.”

“It'll be quicker.”

“You're the boss.”

“You know it.”

“I know it.”

The two of you walk down the hallway of the bar to the room. You open the door and see Mark sitting on the couch with two girls.

“Surprise mother-”

“Alright, alright,” he says, rolling his eyes. The girls look terrified.

“We're busy, we're busy,” he says.

“Well you'll have to make time. You remember Krystal, right?”

He nods slowly. “Yeah, I remember her. Well, she's a little... bigger than I remembered.”

“Are you calling her fat?”

“No! Jesus no. I was just... she's pregnant.”

“She's not pregnant!”

“Yes, she is. That's why she's got to go to the hospital.”

“Oh, for the love of Pete! I'm going to kill him.”

“Who?” Krystal asks.

“Him! You know who I mean Krystal. “

“Oh.”

“That dick just said that she's pregnant with your baby.”

“That's how he's going to take care of it, I guess.”

“Any last words Spud?”

“Oh, please. Not you too. Fuck you. Fuck you both. Fuck this whole pissant town. I'm outta here. Bye bye,” he says, getting up and grabbing his coat and his bag. You swing your crowbar across the side of Mark's head. He slumps forward and the girls cry out. You grab him and pull him through the door.

“Thanks,” he mutters.

“Yeah, whatever,” you say, getting back into the squad car with Krystal.

“I say we leave him to bleed out and get going.”

“Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Let's go.”

“I'm driving,” Krystal says. “You can sleep, or you can sit up with me if you want to. Your call.”

“Appreciate it, love.”

“Of course. Your funeral.”

“You're not that bad of a driver, haha.”

“It's just a game to me.”

“So,” you say, “about our deal. I held up my end.”

“Alright, I'll hold up mine.”

“And do you remember what that was?”

“I remember. Fuck yes. I remember.”

“Terrific. I can't wait to get some of my own.”

“Well, you're a hell of a lot luckier than me.”

“No luck. I just stick to my plans. Now get back to the motel.”

“Whatever you say, boss.”

You get back in the truck and drive a little more. You pull into a rest stop. You and Krystal get out and go into the ladies room.

“Am I allowed in here? I'm a man.”

“Yeah, okay. I don't see why not. No one's around.”

“Fair point.”

“What the fuck is it with you and bathrooms?” she asks.

You get in line behind Krystal and lock the door. Krystal is looking at you as she talks.

“I just need to go so we're not interrupted later when you finally give me that strip tease.”

“I understand. I'm going to give it to you, don't worry.”

“And maybe more. We haven't consummated our marriage yet, you know.”

“I don't know about that. I'm still a virgin.”

“I was saving it for the divorce.” You both laugh at the corny joke. You exit the ladies room and lock the door behind you.

Krystal is in front of you. She says, “Alright, let's get down to business!”

“Here? I meant back at the motel. You know, in a bed. With candles and music.”

“Not a bad idea. I've got a blanket in my bag. It'll be romantic.”

“You're really good at this, you know that?”

You peel out and make a beeline for the motel.

“I'm good at a lot of things.”

“Like what?”

“Shaving my legs, for instance.”

“Good to know.”

“And dancing. I'm a damn good dancer. I used to be a professional.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I'd rather be dancing than having a gun pointed at my head, I'll tell you that much.”

“Yeah, we've had a wild night.”

“Yeah, we sure have. So, are you a good lover?”

“I'm a virgin, remember?” you say.

“Oh, right. That's right. How rude of me. Now that I think of it, I'm not really supposed to ask you that. I mean, I shouldn't. In fact, I wouldn't.”

“It's okay. It will make tonight special.”

“No, it won't. You'll be lucky if you get a second kiss. At least a third one is out of the question.”

“I'll take it.”

“What?”

“I'll take a kiss and whatever else you are willing to give.”

“I don't know. Ask me.”

“Okay then. Ask me.”

“Ask you what?”

“What you will give me on our wedding night?”

“Ah, that. I'm sure that's a deal-breaker for you.”

“Nope. Deal-breaker is a nice, long massage for all the sore places.”

“And oral?”

“Well, I wouldn't say, 'no'.”

“Good. I like you. We'll figure out the rest later, once we get to our hotel room.”

You finally pull into the parking lot and open your room. You get your stuff and go into the room. “

“Well now, isn't this nice?”

“Yeah. It sure is.”

“So, you ready to do this?”

You say, “I have been for days”

“Good. I've got a dress I borrowed off a friend and some lingerie I picked up at a thrift shop. I got a pretty good deal on it.”

“What should I wear?” you ask.

“You?”

“I was planning to go commando, but if you insist on something better...”

“I insist.”

“Whatever you say, babe.”

You go under the covers and remove everything while she changes into her lingerie in the bathroom. Krystal has changed into a very revealing teddy (which you like) and bra (which you also like). She comes out and says, “Now it's time for you to turn around and face the wall. I'll turn around when you're ready.” You turn around. How nice. The walls are covered in mirrors. This will make things much more interesting later.

“Put your hands behind your head.”

You do it.

“Good. Like this?”

“Yeah. Like this.”

“Good. Now, stay like that.”

You stay like that.

“Good. I like the way you're standing.”

“Turn around.”

You turn around to face her.

“Good. Turn around. I want you to lean forward. Your ass should be touching the wall.”

Turn around and lean forward. Your ass is touching the wall.

“Good. Now, raise your butt.”

You raise your butt.

“That's it. Good. Now, don't touch your toes.”

You don't touch your toes.

“Weren't you going to give me a strip tease?”

“Yes, but the words will come to you in time. Now, don't look at me. Keep your eyes on the ceiling. Don't look at me.”

You don't look at her.

“Listen. Before we get there, I want you to do something for me.”

“What?”

“I want you to hold my hand.”

“Okay.”

Krystal reaches over and puts her hand in yours. Your palm is sweaty.

“Wipe your palm on the side of my dress.”

You wipe your palm on the side of her dress. It's very slippery.

“Good. Now, lean in and kiss me.”

You lean in and kiss her. Her tongue enters your mouth. She tastes salty and exciting.

“Now, keep your eyes open. Don't close them.”

You keep your eyes open. Your eyelids are really heavy.

“This is going to be really boring for you, but it's going to get us there. Keep your eyes open and lean back against the wall.”

You lean back against the wall.

“That's good.”

She kisses you harder.  You could sleep. Your eyelids are really heavy. Krystal kisses you now. She doesn't stop when you open your eyes. You watch her in the mirror. She is smiling and kissing you. Her tongue enters your mouth. Somehow, you find yourself moving down the hall to the bathroom. Your body is on autopilot. Your mind is blank. You have no idea where you are or where you're going.

You enter the bathroom and turn on the shower. The shower hits you with a blast of hot water. Your heart is racing. Your skin feels like it's on fire. You can't control your body. Your joints feel loose.

“If you want to join me,” you say. “You need to finally strip. Make it count. I've been waiting oh so long.”

“I'm not sure what I'm doing. I've never been with a woman before.”

“No jokes. I'm a man.”

“Whatever. I'll strip just for you. I'll even give you a lap dance. You can ask me to dance.”

“You can do whatever you like, just show me the body I married.”

“You want me to start with the breasts?”

“I think that's as good a place to start.”

“You like that better?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

Krystal slowly and seductively takes off her blouse. You look in the mirror. You're mesmerized. She's mesmerized you. Her perfect breasts are now bare. They jiggle hypnotically. They're beautiful. Her nipples are erect. She's only wearing a lingerie bottom. It looks like something a stripper would wear. You know you should be embarrassed. You're not.

“Tall dirty to me,” you request.

You lean in and kiss her. Your lips feel hot and wet. She tastes salty and sweet. She tastes like Krystal. You pull her lingerie down and put your hands on her butt. You push her to the wall, her hot, naked skin against the cold tile. You grind your hips into hers. Your hard on presses against her stomach.

She moans and writhes against you. Her hands are on your shoulders, pulling you tighter to her. You slide your hands down to her ass, squeezing it tightly. She rides your hands up and down as she presses her pelvis into your groin. You slide your hands down to the small of her back and pull her ass to your groin, squeezing her butt cheeks.

Krystal looks at you with lust in her eyes. She says, “I want you to fuck me.”

“I will, but we're going to make every moment count. No sense rushing/”

She sits on the edge of the bathtub.  You take the shower head and spray warm water over her body. Krystal giggles. You take the soap and rub her back and rinse her off.

She starts singing. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...”

You keep singing and Krystal joins in. “You're making me laugh.” You're both laughing when you finish singing.

She says, “I love you baby, and I know that you love me too. I want to make love to you baby.”

“Wash my back then?”

She soaps your chest then your back, careful not to get any soap in your eyes. You turn around and she starts to give you a long, sensuous, thorough, shower massage.

She gives you a long kiss while she soaps your chest. She dries you off and rubs your stomach, kisses your nipples, and puts lotion on your back. She touches your penis. She puts the lotion in her mouth and licks your navel.

She puts the soap in her mouth. She starts licking your stomach. She soaps your testicles and licks the soap. She massages your legs from your knees to your ankles then dries you off and rubs your back.

She kisses your nipples. She massages your testicles. She rubs your sac and dribbles warm water over your erect penis.

She puts soap in your eyes. You look in the mirror. You're confused.

“Is this what most couples do?”

She looks at your reflection and says, “Not most couples. Come on. We're going to have a good time. We have a long way to go.”

“The bed might be a good start.”

You climb in bed together. You stare at her. She stares at you. She smells good. You decide to move in closer. She grabs your hand and kisses it.

You decide to move even closer. She starts to move her hips.

You move even closer. She starts to grind her hips.

She starts to moan. She moans out a name. You whisper it in her ear. She says it louder.

KRYSTAL CALLS OUT YOUR NAME.

You yell it louder. She yells it louder. Everyone on the road hears it. She moans louder. You both moan louder.

She says, “I love you. I love you so much, Cole.”

“I love you too.”

She looks at you in the eye. She looks down at your penis and says, “I think you better put it in my mouth, Cole. If not, I might just cut it off.”

“I can't argue with that.” You slide your penis into her mouth. She starts sucking and licking your penis.

She says, “Ow. That's so good. I love this.”

“I know you do. I can't wait for you to do the same to me.”

“Baby, I'm just getting warmed up!”

“Me too. Let's make this a long good ride!”

She starts giving you head. You can feel her lips and tongue dancing up and down your shaft. Her mouth is like a magical vagina. You keep thinking about how good she feels.

Your penis starts to throb. You keep eye contact with her as she continues to give you head. She looks up at you and asks, “Are you ready for some more?”

“Yes. How about I return the favor?”

She smiles. You slide your fingers down her throat. You can feel her gag but she doesn't fight it. You slide your fingers back up to her mouth. You slide one finger into her mouth.

She pops it in. She smiles. Her teeth are really small. You slide three fingers into her mouth. She gurgles. You slide one finger out and put it in her mouth.

She sucks on it and swallows. She says, “I need more fingers. More fingers please.”

You slide three fingers into her throat. She spits it out. You slide one finger out and put it in her mouth again. She sucks on it. Her eyes go wide and she smiles. She starts to gurgle. She starts to convulse.

She looks up at you and says, “More fingers! More fingers!”

She slaps you. She licks your fingers. You want to scream, “FUCK!” but you can't.

She looks at you. “What's wrong?”

“I can't talk.”

You notice the hickey on her neck. She says “Oh. I love it when they bleed.”

“I was thinking of going down on you, not finger choking.”

“Oh honey. I would love for you to go down on me. How about we do that?” She starts to giggle. “Oh my God! You are such a moron! I am SO fucking high. I love it when guys go down on me, but I love it even more when I'm sober! That shit is the best!”

She kisses you. She leans in and starts to give you a deep tongue kiss. You kiss her back. You deepen the kiss.

Someone slaps you on the ass. You laugh.

“What was that?” she says.

“Apparently you're too drunk to understand me.”

“I don't like you! Why? I mean, besides the obvious. You're ugly, you're fat, and you're a liar. “

She slaps you again. “You asshole!”

You laugh again. You realize that in addition to a bottle of wine, you also have a bottle of haterade in your backpack.

“I am so totally going to fuck you up!”

“I'm going to fuck you up before I fuck you,” you say.

She slaps you again. Fuck this chick. You're going to hit her so hard, you're going to break her nose.

She says, “I'm going to make you bleed!”

No. She's not. You slap her. She slaps you back.

Krystal says, “I'm going to do it! I'm going to make you bleed!”

She spits at you. You laugh. “You're going to need more fingers if you want to beat me like that!” she says.

“Love, can't I just go down on you? This violent roleplay is really unnerving.”

“You're a fucking virgin, aren't you?”

“You know I am. Can we tone it down and make this special. We can do weird crap later.”

“You're a fucking pussy!”

“I think I'm going to grab you some candy. Maybe you can tell me about yourself,” you say.

“I'm Krystal. I'm a junkie. I steal. I dance for money. I have a little bit of money. I'm a ho. I'm a prostitute.”

“You are not. You are my wife. You love me. We're going to have a long happy life together, and maybe, just maybe, we might actually screw tonight.”

She says, “I want your dick in my mouth, not candy.”

“How about I stick my tongue down between your legs and you stop talking for a minute and enjoy it.”

“I'm going to kill you, you fucking dick sucking pig!”

“That's not nice.”

“Pig fucker!” Krystal says. “I can't believe you're such a fucking pussy. I'm going to get you!”

“How?”

“I can't tell you!”

You cover her mouth and push her back, then slide your tongue deep into her vagina.

“I'm going to kill you!”

You push her head back. Your tongue slides into her wet, hot sex.

“I'm going to murder you!”

You do your best to please her and get her to stop threatening to kill you.

Krystal says, “Don't you want to know my secrets?”

“Sure. What kind of secrets?”

“I can't tell you that, it would ruin the story!”

“Tell me anyway!”

“Fine!” she says. Krystal tells you that she is an alien. ”I come from Venus, the planet of love and romance, peace and prosperity. It is a beautiful place.”

“Well can you land on planet Earth and have normal sex like a normal woman?”

“I wish. No. I don't know how. I don't have a sex drive. Maybe that's why I'm so screwed up.”

“You've done pretty well so far.”

“I know. I'm going to escape. The only way to stop me is to kill me, or if you can keep me locked up for a few days before I find another way to escape.”

“You can go at any point. But you won't get the perks.”

“Why?”

“Because my dick is throbbing, and I want to make love to you. Don't you love me?”

“I'm in love with you. Now shut up and fuck me!”

You slide your fingers into her moistening tunnel. She moans in pleasure. She says, “Don't stop!”

You slide into her. Her eyes roll back as she relaxes into you. Her eyes flutter as you rock her.

“This is everything I had hoped it would be,” you say.

She squeezes your abs. You go faster. Her moans get louder and more frequent. Her thighs grip your cheeks. She says, “I love you, I love you, I love you!”

Krystal spits at your face. You laugh. She laughs with you. She spits some more. You laugh some more. Her nose is bleeding. You clean it off.

She says, “I love you so much. I think I'm going to die!”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“I'm going to die because I'm so happy!”

“I'm happy too.”

She smiles. Her teeth are stained with blood. “I have just the thing for you. Wait here. I have something to show you.”

“I'm not waiting. I'm coming with you!”

“I'd rather you didn't. You'll be spotted from the road.”

You say, “I can be in the trees! Then I can be your shadow. Be your wingman. I want to be your sidekick. That's why I'm coming with you!”

“Very well. Just stay close.”

“Okay. What do you have to show me?” you ask.

“Come with me. I'll show you.”

You crawl forward on your hands and knees. You climb to the top of the car and look down. The ground is more than fifty feet below you. You look back up at the car. A man is leaning out the window. He is holding a handgun with a yellow handle. He is pointing it at you. He is shouting something in Korean.

Korean?

The girl is sitting in the passenger seat. She is looking up at him. She is saying something in Korean. He shouts at her and she says something more. He shouts again and she spits at him. He raises his gun and fires.

Krystal screams and sobs. He shoots her in the head.

“Who was that?”

Krystal says, “I'm not sure. He's been following me. He's been trying to kill me. He's been trying to shoot me in the head and shoot me.”

“I won't let him hurt you.”

Krystal says, “Can you stop him?”

“Yeah.”

You climb out the window. You slide down the embankment. It is forty-five feet deep at the water's edge. You walk up to the window and grab his gun. The driver slams on the brakes. The front of the car hits you. You slide across the road until you reach the trees on the edge. You're pinned down in the trees.

The man in the parking lot shouts at you in Korean. The man in the parking lot fires his gun. The bullet hits you in the shoulder. Krystal screams. Blood is streaming down your back. You try and find the man with the gun. Your eyes are blurry.

The man in the parking lot fires again. The bullet clips the side of your head. The man reloads the gun. He fires again. This shot grazes your neck. He fires again. This shot tears through your throat. Krystal screams for you.

Blood is pouring down your back. You hear the Korean word for “pig”. The Korean word for ”die”. You hear a pop. The world goes dark.

You wake up back in your room. Krystal is washing you off in the bathtub. Krystal is a mess. She has blood on her clothes. She is in a rage. She stands in front of your bed, looking furious and shaking.

“What happened?” you ask.

“I want to go home. Let's go home, pig.” Krystal has a black eye and a bloody nose.

“Krystal, it's okay. You're safe with me.”

“It's not okay. That man tried to kill me. I can't trust anyone right now. I have to go back to that trailer and rob it.”

“No. You need to stay here. We're better off inside.”

“Better than dead. I'm not going to be safe until I get my stuff back.”

“What stuff?”

“My dope. My money. My jewelry. My clothes.”

“What are you going to do with this stuff?”

Krystal says, “I'm going to hide it and get some protection. Maybe a cop or a gunnie, or a man that can take care of me and give me a good life.”

“I'm that man. I will protect you and give you a good life. You have to believe me.”

“I don't believe nobody, you know that, right?”

“You must in this case. Look at your finger. That ring means something.”

Krystal says, “I'll wear it when I'm ready. For now, it's mine. “

You smile at that. “You know that I love you.”

Krystal says, “I know.”

You lean in and kiss her. She turns her face away. “Wait,” she says. “Let me get cleaned up.” She leaves the room.

You relax for a moment. Her episode has passed. She returns with a dirty white towel and some blood-stained clothes. You don't say anything, you just watch her. She turns her back to you and puts on her clothes.

“Don't get dressed,” you say. “Join me in the tub. We'll clean this blood off together.”

“Yeah. Okay.” She joins you in the tub. She is a good girl in the tub. She soaps you up. She rinses you off. She dries you off. She kisses you. It’s soft and gentle. She cleans your back and kisses your neck.

She whispers, “I love you, pig.”

“I love you too. Just know that I will protect you.”

“I know.”

You lean in and kiss her. This time she doesn't push away. She kisses back. This time it is more. You want more.

“No more fighting. No more pain. Make love to me. Hard and fast,” you say.

“Okay. But just for you, pig. I'm not a good fuck for other people.”

You lean in and kiss her. She tastes good. Your tongue tastes good.

“You better not be for anyone else, or I'll have to kill them.”

“Nobody, pig. Nobody but you.”

Your fingers are feeling good on her. She is slippery and hot. She is wet and ready. You feel between her legs. She is wet.

“You want to feel my wetness, pig?”

“I want to be inside it.”

She slides down your cock. It feels good. She takes all of you. Her eyes are wide and her head bobs up and down as she rides you.

“Talk dirty to me” you say.

“Fuck me, pig. Fuck me hard and fast.”

Your fingers find her G-spot and she moans. You talk dirty to her. You get her hotter and hotter.

“More!”

“Please, pig. I need to feel your cum. I need to taste it. Give it to me.”

You release your sperm in her. She squirts it everywhere.

You turn on the shower to rinse you off. You clean yourself up using a towel. You go to your bag and get a new one of those little packs of tissues. You hand her one. Krystal's face scrunches up. She blows her nose. You give her another one. She blows her nose again. You give her another.

“It's for your vagina, not your nose.”

Krystal smiles. You give her another. She laughs. You give her one more. She laughs even harder. She takes the pack of tissues from you.

“Okay, that's enough. Dry off and we'll cuddle in bed like a proper married couple.”

Krystal says, “I'm not married to you, pig. You are not my husband. We're just two people who want to get high and fuck as much as possible.”

You feel defeated. Her bipolar mood swings seem to be nearly constant. Krystal runs from the shower. She is crying. You walk out to the living room. She is sitting on the couch, sobbing.

You embrace her. She hugs you back. Krystal gets a big smile on her face. She laughs. You give her another pack of tissues. She blows her nose.

“Thank you, pig.”

“I'm a better tipper than you are.”

Krystal smiles. “You are a terrible liar, pig.”

“That's not a very nice thing to say about a terrible liar.”

“Well you are a terrible driver, pig. I hope you die on the road. You are too young to die.”

“If you are going to say mean things about me, then I'm going to have to say mean things about you.”

She says, “Mean things? Like how?”

“I'll call you a cunt.”

Krystal smiles. “And I'll call you a dick, you dirty pig. And you are.”

“Why do we fight?” you ask.

“I don't know. I just get mad sometimes. It's probably a chemical thing. I'm bipolar.”

“How can I help you?”

“I'm not going to tell you about my problems. You don't need to know about them.”

“I do if I am to be your loving husband.”

Krystal says, “Is it all right if I cry in your lap?”

You smile and let her cry. You love to see her pretty face. You stroke her hair. You let her calm down. You sit there naked with her tears pooling on your stomach. She is at peace. Her crying calms you, too. You don't know why. You watch the sunset with her.

After a long time, Krystal stops crying. You look at her. She looks back at you.

“Are you happy with me?” you ask.

“I'm the happiest I've ever been. I'm not saying you're a bad driver. I'm just saying that some days I want to puke my guts out and other days I just want to get laid.”

“Given the past few days, I'll take that as a good sign.”

“You're a good driver.”

“You're the best driver in the world. I hope someday I can drive you home from the hospital.”

Krystal says, “It's a deal.”

“So what do we do now? We have the rest of our lives.”

“Get high and get laid. I know a good place.”

“Better than this hotel?”

Krystal says, “Maybe you'll drive me home to get fucked.”

You smile. You laugh. “Is home a good option?”

“We'll see,” she says.

“I hope so.”

“Me too,” She gets a big goofy grin on her face.

“What devilish idea do you have now?” you ask.

“I'm going to tell you in the morning... You may need to do some driving.”

You nod quickly. She smiles. She hugs you back. You get up and carry her to bed. You wrap the covers tight.

You sleep in the bed with her. Krystal snores softly in her sleep. You get up and wash your face. You put on fresh underwear. You check your wallet. You swear under your breath.

You count the money in your wallet. You have exactly $1,000.00. You leave the room and walk to the end of the hall. You knock on the door of room 24. A man named Carter answers. He is drunk and belligerent.

“Could you keep the noise down?” you ask. “My wife and I are on our honeymoon.”

“Oh, did you get married, too? I'm a bachelor. My wife left me. I'm miserable. I'm sorry.”

“No worries. We've had a rough few days, and we've finally relaxed.”

“I'm sorry, have we met? I don't remember.”

“I'm Cole. I just got married to Krystal.”

“Oh, the cute little brunette with the big knockers? I thought so.”

“Yeah, that's the one. We came here for a few days, but she got sick so we decided to stay.”

“I'm glad. I'll bet she's a screamer.”

“I don't like to 'screw and tell', but yeah. She's wild,” you say.

“I like wild women. Here, come on in. Let's party. If you're married, just let her do her thing. I'm sure you have plenty of money for a mistress.”

“I don't plan to cheat. She's my one and only.”

“I understand. A lot of guys don't even have the balls to do what you're doing. I know you don't want to talk about this, but I'm dying to know.”

“Know what?”

Carter says, “Your wife, she's... well, she's a slut. She's fucked at least three guys since you've been together. And I know she's fucked more than that.”

“You lie!”

Carter says, “I guarantee it, mister. You married a total porn star. She fucks anything with a penis.”

“That's not...!”

“Listen to me, mister. I'm completely sober. I went to a meeting and got the help I needed. I'm not trying to drag you down, but I can't have you lying to yourself.”

“And I can't have you speaking ill of my wife!”

“I'm not. I'm saying she's a slut. A porn star. She fucks anything with a penis. I know she does. You're married. She should be fucking you. She isn't.”

You crack your fist against his face. Carter slaps you across the face. You push him to the floor and hold him down. You strangle him with your hands. He starts to cry.

“Take it back!” you yell.

“I'm sorry! Please!”

You let him go. He crawls away from you. You grab him by the shirt and pull him up. “That's better”

“I'm sorry! Please!”

“Sorry for what?”

“I'm so sorry! I'm an abusive drunk. I'm not a good person. Please forgive me.”

“Whatever…”

He continues to apologize, and his crying turns into sobs. You continue to ignore him, but eventually you reach over and pat him on the head, and say “Just get yourself some help. And lay off the booze.”

He smiles weakly. “Yeah, yeah,” he says. “I'll get straightened out. And I'll make it up to you. I swear.”

You continue down the hall and into the bathroom.

You wake up the next morning, refreshed and clear-headed. You got a good night's sleep. You head into the bathroom to wash up. You look over at the disheveled bed. The heat of the night caused Krystal to kick off the blankets. Her nude body is on display. It's all yours. You keep an eye on her as you brush.

Krystal looks even more alluring for being naked. Her body is taut and supple. Her nipples are hard, small, erect little nubs. You would love to take advantage of the situation, but you fear another bipolar outburst. You decide to wait.

Krystal walks out into the bathroom. You keep your eye on her. She walks over to the mirror and starts fixing her hair.

“Did you sleep well, lover?” you ask.

Krystal laughs and says, “Yeah, I slept like a baby. I didn't hear a peep out of you, though. You were a real good lover.”

You run your fingers through her hair. Krystal turns around and leans into your touch. She is ready to continue.

“I have something I need to tell you,” you say.

Krystal smiles and says, “Is it about me?”

You nod.

“The guy next door, Carter, was saying some terrible things about you. I couldn't stand for it, so I-”

“How come I've never heard you say a bad thing about me?”

“Because I adore you. And if others don't agree, they're gonna have to pay.”

Krystal smiles.She pushes you back into the bathroom, and says, “I'm glad you love me the way you do. I've got some business to tend to. And I'll see you later.”

“How much later?”

She looks at you and says, “I love you. You're all I need.”

She heads for the door. You smile and say, “I'm waiting, baby.” With the hotel room empty, curiosity gets the better of you and you pop in the haunted VHS tape. You are horrified by what you see. Krystal walks in and sees the tape. She puts her hands on her hips and glares at you.

“You sick fuck! You watched me fuck a stranger in that video!”

“It's not a stranger. It's us! Someone recorded it.”

“Don't insult me. I was drunk and you filmed it! You are a sick, sick man.”

“I didn't film it. It must have been the hotel staff.”

Krystal laughs and tosses the tape out. She says, “Don't insult me, Mr. Cole. You are a filthy liar. You're just like every other man!”

“I am not. I only took pictures, but you agreed to those.”

Krystal opens up a dresser drawer and pulls out a pair of handcuffs. She says, “Get in the bathroom and cuff yourself to the toilet.” You do as she asks.

You slide the tape into its case and slide it into the back of the VCR. You slide the VCR into its slot in the wall. Krystal walks in with a grin, smiles, and says, “Well, the only thing left to do is to lock ourselves together.” She slides the handcuffs onto her slender, naked wrists.

“How will we escape now?”

Krystal says, “We'll get out of here. I have something planned.”

She sits on the edge of the bed, smiling seductively, and says, “I'm going to make you pay for all the awful things you've ever done, including what happened to me. I'm going to punish you until you beg me to stop.” She kisses you on the mouth, and says, “Don't worry. I have a plan. We'll get out of here.” She crawls up on your lap and says, “I'm going to be the most famous person in the world. I'll be filthy rich and I won't have to worry about a thing.”

“Will you still remain faithful to me?” you ask.

Krystal says, “I will never leave you. You are my everything.”

She kisses you again. You put your hands on her bare, smooth skin and stroke her lithe body.

“You always pull me back in.”

Krystal says, “I know. I'm so sorry. I can't stop myself.”

She kisses you again. You caress her small, soft breasts.

“I want to ride your cock so bad it hurts.”

You slide your fingers into her dripping, moistening snatch and she screams out.

“Maybe take the handcuffs off?” you suggest.

“Yes. I want to feel the metal digging into my wrist. I want to feel the pain. I want you to hurt. I want you to break.” She unclips the handcuffs. “I want you to make this stop. I want you to make me feel good. I want you to make me feel pretty.”

She takes off her pants and panties.

“I want you to take me from behind. I want you to fill me up. I want you to make me your dirty little prostitute. I want you to treat me like a cheap piece of ass. I want you to use me and toss me aside like yesterday's trash.”

She pulls your stiffie out of your pants and says, “I want to be used by a real man. I want to be fucked hard and rough. I want you to breed me. I want to get pregnant by you. I want to have your baby. I want us to raise our baby together. I want us to be a real family. I want us to leave this cruel, cruel world and live happily ever after with you.”

She slides down so that her moist, naked snatch is resting on your lap.

She says, “I want you to make this stop.”

“I'll never stop loving you,” you say.

Krystal hugs you and says, “I don't want you to stop loving me. Maybe in a few years when we have a family, we can stop.”

“No, I'll love you more when we have a family.”

Then she slides down so that her perfect, youthful, smooth-skinned butt is resting on your lap. You stroke her backside. She rubs her bare leg across yours. She moans softly. She is so hot, so responsive, so willing. She wants you, she needs you, she worships you.

She turns around and gives you a slow, teasing kiss that makes your heart speed. She takes your stiffie in her warm, wet mouth. She strokes you until you explode like a small volcano. She sits up, straddles your lap, and says, “I love you. I love you so much.” She slides down so that her snatch is resting on your lap.

She smiles and says, “Do you like this position? I do it this way because I like to watch your face as you come.”

She kisses you again. She unclips your wrists.

“Lie back. “

You do as she says.

She says, “If you don't want to talk, just pretend I'm not here. I'll understand. I'm going to take your wallet. You don't need it. We have each other. We're rich! We don't need money. We could buy a house and drive a nice car.”

You smile. You are really starting to enjoy this. You begin to feel relaxed. You close your eyes.

“We could buy a boat. I could dive every day. We could live in paradise.”

A giggle escapes your lips.

“We could live in paradise forever.”

She laughs.

“What?”

She says< “You just called me a slut.”

“No, no, I called you a dirty whore.”

“That's just as bad,” she says.

“Depends on how you look at it, no?”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. I just think it's funny that you get offended over a word when you're doing the very thing you said you hate.”

“I never said I hate the word,” she says. “I just said I hate being called a slut. I'm sick of guys thinking they can do whatever they want whenever they want and I'm just a piece of shit.”

“You're a runaway. You're a dancer. How can you hate being called a slut?”

“It's demeaning. It puts me in the same category as hookers. I'm no hooker. I'm a woman. I'm not some plaything. I'm a person. I'm not some fucking whore. I'm not some cheap date. You say I'm some worthless piece of meat. I'm a human being. I'm a woman.”

“That's not what I said. I never said that.”

“Yes, you did. You said that at the truck stop.”

“I simply picked you up. You were the one who offered to pay me back with sexual favors.”

“Bullshit,” she says. “You are a cruel, heartless bastard. I'm going to kill you. I swear I am.”

She slaps you hard. Her name is Krystal, you soon learn. She is 18, a dancer, and proud of it. She hates being called a slut. She hates being called worthless. You love her. Krystal with a K.

The End

Editor's Thoughts: For some reason it then added a ficticious author to the end, complete with a backstory and URLs that don't, nor have ever, existed. So weird.

A note about the author:

This is a fictional story which shares some events with the author's real life.

As a teenager in the 70's, the author hitchhiked all over North America. Through various friends, she met people from all over the world. She was fortunate enough to pick up a couple of girls from Ukraine and Germany, amongst others.

The author is a vegetarian, for ethical reasons.

If you are interested in the world she shared with these wonderful people, you can find out more about them here: www.hitchhikersz.com

Thanks for reading.

The author wishes to thank those who have offered help, advice and encouragement while writing this story. Specifically, she would like to mention a few people without whom the story would still be a work in progress. Thanks to:

The members of the Writing Club at the author's high school.

Her friends at www.livejournal.com/cyberlair

Her family and, especially, her beautiful daughter, Luna.

And to the man who picked her up in a U-Haul on the long road trip that is life.

Editor's Thoughts:And then it keeps going with the character breaking the forth wall and talking about the story.

 “This is some fucked up shit, man. “

“Yeah, it is. Did you write this?”

“Hell no. I wish I had. You do this often?”

“Nope. This was my first time. If you're not a pussy, are you into it?”

“Damn right I'm into it. You see that shit in the front seat, or did you forget to look?”

“Yeah, I can see it. Is it your first time writing as well?”

“Yep. My name is Cole. I'm new here. You can call me Coley. What's your name?”

“Gil. Gil Freeman. I'm a runaway, so keep that in mind. “

“What happened, Gil? Why'd you leave?”

“I don't want to talk about it. I just want to get out of here. This ride is longer than I expected. “

“Meaning...?”

“Meaning I don't know how long it's going to take. I just have this feeling. “

“That's not very useful information. “

“I know, but I can't help it. “

“So what are you going to do when we reach our destination?”

“I don't know yet. I'm still deciding. “

“Well, that's not very helpful, either. “

“I'm sorry. I was just trying to be honest. “

“Listen, this is a big step for me and I don't want to fuck it up. So tell me what you're going to do, so I can plan ahead. “

“I don't know. I guess we'll just have to see. “

“And when exactly are we going to see?”

“When I get tired of you? When we get to my place? When we've driven forever? When we're there? When we get there? When we get there? When we get there?”

“Okay, enough with the questions. I'm already sick of your answers. “

“Oh. Sorry. I'll shut up. “

And you shut up.

You two become friends, but you know you'll have to choose a side at some point, and you aren't sure which side you're going to fall on.

The author would like to thank you for reading her story. Please consider leaving her a review at the store where you purchased this e-book.

Happy reading!