Into the Wild

Fun Ghoul finds the newest Killjoy to be rather interesting, but does he fully trust her yet?

            It’s weird, the entire time we are driving she never lifts her head.  Those green eyes are set on looking at her jean covered knees and nothing else.  I’m actually a little shocked that Party wanted to pick her up.  Normally he’s not too fond of strangers joining us.  I don’t know, maybe he thought this one was special or something.

 

            Shrugging I turn my gaze to the desert that we continue to travel through.  Since the last invasion we’ve been looking for a place to make our permanent home.  As of now we’ve found nothing but sand and the occasional hut that would not house all four of us.  Drumming my fingers against the side paneling of the car I watch this new girl we’d picked up in the rearview mirror. 

 

            “So you haven’t got a name yet, kid?”

 

            Her head snaps up, eyes wide, looking slightly frightened.  After a second the girl shakes her head, biting at her lip ring.  I remember having one of those, took it out my second week in the zones.  It’s easier to work on things if you don’t have to worry about cables and such getting caught up in piercings.

 

            “You go any ideas?” 

 

            The green eyed girl sits silently for a moment, twisting a bit of her hair around a finger with the letter ‘B’ tattooed on it, “Something to do with angels.”

 

            Kobra Kid coughs, tapping my shoulder from his seat to the right of Jet Star, “We could call her Neon Angel.  I mean she’s got the wings.”

 

            “How’s that sound, kid, Neon Angel?”

 

            “Sounds good, so where are we going?” 

 

            That’s the question on everybody’s mind.  When will we stop, how much food do we have left to stretch between five hungry bellies, when will the Dracs attack next?  According to the map Party obtained there is a gas station out in zone 6 but it could take weeks to get there.  Zone 2 and zone 6 are half way across the state of California from each other. 

 

            “We don’t really know.  Our goal is to reach a safe house out in zone 6,” Party answers urging the car to go faster by tapping his foot on the gas pedal a few times.

 

            “How far away is that?”

 

            Handing back a map I explain things to our newest Killjoys, “Zone 6 is in the pink, we are in zone 2 which is purple.”

 

            Neon Angel looks over the map tracing a road that no longer exists with her pinkie, a far away look filling her eyes as if she’s remembering something from a time long ago.  A few minutes later Angel pulls herself out of whatever memory she was having, handing the map back to me.

 

            “How long till we get there?”

 

            “About a week, so sit back and enjoy the ride Sunshine,” Party Poison answers with a half smile, letting the needle move up to 110. 

 

            As the sun sinks low, the sky is painted in purple, pink and orange.  This is my favorite time of day.  Even BL/ND can’t take away the beauty created by the sun set.  It’s like a little glimmer of hope for those of us fighting for our lives out here in the zones. 

 

            Neon Angel, unzipping her back pack, breaks the silence that has settled over everyone in the car.  After a few seconds our newest member hands candy bars out to everyone.  At least she had sense to bring good stuff with her.  Power Pup gets old after a while. 

           

            Again, I catch myself watching her as she finishes off the candy, digging once again in her bag, this time pulling out a cigarette and a little red lighter.  The flame licks the end of the cancer stick as she breaths in, letting the smoke fill the car.  Eyeing the rolled up nicotine hit hungrily I almost ask for one but then change my mind.  Instead I am content with breathing in the second hand smoke that fills our car.

 

            She’s interesting.  Quiet, but I can tell that through this silence she is learning; taking in every little thing we do.  Neon Angel seems to be the kind of girl that is full of surprises.  This could, or could not be a good thing. 

 

            “Roll down the window, kid,” Party Poison says, letting the car slow down just a little bit. 

 

            Neon obeys, cranking the black handle attached to the door a few times before tossing her cigarette butt out into the desert.  The window does not go back up.  Instead a rather cool night breeze fills the car filtering out the smoke and coaxing all but Party and myself to sleep.

Author's Note

Hope you like this chapter. Remember reviews make the world go round :)

~Keep Running~