lap and grabbed the steering wheel, weaving the truck out of the way. They swerved dangerously as Jasper struggled to set the car right.
“What the hell was that?” he asked, looking in the rearview mirror to try to catch a glimpse of whatever it was. He didn’t slow the car down. When he looked over at Lena she had her hand on her pistol. They hadn’t seen anyone in such a long time that for a moment they had both forgotten the danger. It was so easy to imagine that they were simply a couple on an afternoon drive.
Lena broke their eye contact and looked behind them. Her eyes scanned the horizon and she unconsciously noted that the sun was starting to set and Jasper hadn’t mentioned anything about stopping for the night. “I don’t see anything,” she whispered. Looking back at Jasper, she saw that his mood had suddenly changed. “I don’t think you hit anyone, Jasper,” Lena whispered.
He scoffed quietly and Lena could see his hand tightening on the steering wheel. “You think that…” he started before trailing off.
“What?” she whispered, not knowing why his mood had darkened. He pointed silently to a sign on the side of the road. Lena didn’t understand.
Down a ways, almost out of view, was an old highway sign. They were entering Los Angeles and Lena swallowed involuntarily. The sign had markings on it; there was blood dripping from the sign.
“Oh. My. God.” Lena gasped. “Can we turn around?” At the bottom of the sign a dead man was sitting. Someone had positioned the body so that the man was holding his own severed head. It was unlike anything Lena had ever seen before.
Jasper shook his head and continued driving past the body. Lena began to wonder just where exactly they were going that seemed so important to him. The whole time she’d lived alone she had never seen the others kill each other. Of course, until she had met Jasper, she’d spent her time avoiding the others , so perhaps she simply hadn’t seen what they were capable of. Nor did she want to. Now all of a sudden she was being driven into a city that clearly contained people who had no problem decapitating each other. This was not what she wanted at all.
“Pull over,” Lena gasped, feeling suddenly sick.
“What?” Jasper looked over at her.
“Pull over.” Lena threw her hand over her mouth. “Pull over now!” she shouted.
Jasper quickly pulled to the side of the road and she jumped out of the car. She barely made it to the bushes before her lunch came up. Jasper also got out of the car, and held his rifle up. He kept one eye on Lena as he surveyed the area quietly. After a few minutes, Lena sat on the ground, her face in her hands as she started crying.
“You okay?” Jasper stood over her and handed her a small pack of baby wipes and a small bottle of water.
“Yeah,” she sighed, wiping the tears from her face. After rinsing her mouth out she drank some of the water. “I just hate throwing up,” she said.
He reached down, put his hand on the back her neck and rubbed gently. “Everyone does.” She smiled up at him as he gently placed a kiss on the top of her head then straightened, indicating they needed to get back into the car. “Come on,” he said helping her up.
As she stood up, she noticed that not for a single second had he stopped observing the area. She started to feel like they were being watched, but couldn’t decide if she felt this way because Jasper was so alert or if they were actually being watched. With that thought, she turned and quickly made her way back to the car.
Once inside, Jasper started back down the highway. He kept his rifle within reach. Lena decided to follow suit and kept her pistol on her lap. She unconsciously locked the doors and remained quiet as they continued down the road.
“Shit!”
Lena jumped with Jasper’s exclamation. “What? What’s the matter?” she asked, almost fearful of the answer. She looked along the highway trying to see what he was seeing.
“What the hell was that?” he asked, looking in the rearview mirror to try to catch a glimpse of whatever it was. He didn’t slow the car down. When he looked over at Lena she had her hand on her pistol. They hadn’t seen anyone in such a long time that for a moment they had both forgotten the danger. It was so easy to imagine that they were simply a couple on an afternoon drive.
Lena broke their eye contact and looked behind them. Her eyes scanned the horizon and she unconsciously noted that the sun was starting to set and Jasper hadn’t mentioned anything about stopping for the night. “I don’t see anything,” she whispered. Looking back at Jasper, she saw that his mood had suddenly changed. “I don’t think you hit anyone, Jasper,” Lena whispered.
He scoffed quietly and Lena could see his hand tightening on the steering wheel. “You think that…” he started before trailing off.
“What?” she whispered, not knowing why his mood had darkened. He pointed silently to a sign on the side of the road. Lena didn’t understand.
Down a ways, almost out of view, was an old highway sign. They were entering Los Angeles and Lena swallowed involuntarily. The sign had markings on it; there was blood dripping from the sign.
“Oh. My. God.” Lena gasped. “Can we turn around?” At the bottom of the sign a dead man was sitting. Someone had positioned the body so that the man was holding his own severed head. It was unlike anything Lena had ever seen before.
Jasper shook his head and continued driving past the body. Lena began to wonder just where exactly they were going that seemed so important to him. The whole time she’d lived alone she had never seen the others kill each other. Of course, until she had met Jasper, she’d spent her time avoiding the others , so perhaps she simply hadn’t seen what they were capable of. Nor did she want to. Now all of a sudden she was being driven into a city that clearly contained people who had no problem decapitating each other. This was not what she wanted at all.
“Pull over,” Lena gasped, feeling suddenly sick.
“What?” Jasper looked over at her.
“Pull over.” Lena threw her hand over her mouth. “Pull over now!” she shouted.
Jasper quickly pulled to the side of the road and she jumped out of the car. She barely made it to the bushes before her lunch came up. Jasper also got out of the car, and held his rifle up. He kept one eye on Lena as he surveyed the area quietly. After a few minutes, Lena sat on the ground, her face in her hands as she started crying.
“You okay?” Jasper stood over her and handed her a small pack of baby wipes and a small bottle of water.
“Yeah,” she sighed, wiping the tears from her face. After rinsing her mouth out she drank some of the water. “I just hate throwing up,” she said.
He reached down, put his hand on the back her neck and rubbed gently. “Everyone does.” She smiled up at him as he gently placed a kiss on the top of her head then straightened, indicating they needed to get back into the car. “Come on,” he said helping her up.
As she stood up, she noticed that not for a single second had he stopped observing the area. She started to feel like they were being watched, but couldn’t decide if she felt this way because Jasper was so alert or if they were actually being watched. With that thought, she turned and quickly made her way back to the car.
Once inside, Jasper started back down the highway. He kept his rifle within reach. Lena decided to follow suit and kept her pistol on her lap. She unconsciously locked the doors and remained quiet as they continued down the road.
“Shit!”
Lena jumped with Jasper’s exclamation. “What? What’s the matter?” she asked, almost fearful of the answer. She looked along the highway trying to see what he was seeing.
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