Hitch

Chapter:One

"Shit! oh, shit!"
I dragged my foot out of a huge mud-puddle which I hadn't seen. My attention had been diverted to the high-way, or it would have been a high-way if it had been anywhere except here, in this God forsaken Kentucky wilderness where it now happened to be raining.

There had been not one car in almost an hour. The only one that did pass by distracted me into stepping into a Mamoth sized puddle. The car passed by, sending up a dirty, grit filled spray in my face. I swore again and started to brush myself off, but decided not to bother, maybe the dirt would keep me warm.

I had some dry clothes in my pack. I probably could have stripped down, right there on the side of the road, and no one with in a hundred miles would have seen me. If they did I would probably have a better chance at getting a ride. But, again I figured, why bother. If I changed into some dry clothes they would be wet in seconds. Plus I'd probably get sick getting buffed out for a ride. I would die of pneumonia before any one would see me. I heard another car coming behind me and I thumbed for a ride, only a didn't use my thumb. They, of course did not pull over and the car faded slowly into the distance.
"Great, I just flipped rush hour the bird."
I thought, giving up all hope of ever making it out of Kentucky alive, or at least with my feet still attached.
I stuck my hands in my pockets and hunched against the rain. My stomach rumbled and I fought off a dizzy spell. I hadn't eaten in three and a half days, except for a box of cereal which was already half finished by the time I got to it.
I was dirty and whet, and my feet where burning because my boots had rubbed them into raw blisters.
I looked up, squinting through the down pour. Dark clouds hid the blue sky and setting sun. Because I had my head in the clouds I tripped over a rock that threatened to puncher the already thin soles of my boots. They had made it this far, and I was afraid that they would just give out, and leave me stranded. with no shoes and blooded feet. I bent to retie a boot but lost my balance and ended up sitting in yet another, dirty, wet, puddle.
I groaned "I hate rain when it's cold!"
I would have throne a fit right there if I had thought it would do any good.
"God! Help!"
I stood up slowly and rescued my back-pack, but it was already wet. I threw it over my shoulder and crossed my arms, shivering. I took a deep breath.
"Okay, if you can't beat it, join it."
I started whistling a tune i had heard Elvis sing. Something about Kentucky rain being in his shoes. It made me smile.
With all that rain pounding in my ears I neglected listening for any cars. I was thinking about sleep. The rain always makes you think of sleep, but I hadn't slept in so long I had forgotten when it was. Sleeping in alleys and under park trees doesn't make for good dreams, and bad dreams doesn't make for a good nights rest, so I didn't quite see the point. I didn't miss it though. I didn't sleep much even when I had a bed.
I was startled to find a blue, beat up, station wagon riding slowly beside me. A voice asked me if I needed a ride.
I looked down at my thumbs and wondered if they were cursed. I had bean out here for days, thumbing, and not one car helped me out. The one time I tuck my thumbs under my arms they come like flies.
"Yeah, sure." I said getting in, relieved at not having to spend another night walking down that dark, silent road.
"Thanks," I said wiping water from my face.
"I was about to give up and build an ark."
The driver smiled.
She was about mid-twentys. Slim and blond.
I felt the stubble on my chin and thought about how bad I must have looked. Something I hadn't thought about since I had bean on the road.
She smiled again and said "Where you headed?"
"Anywhere but here."
She nodded. "Sounds good."
I waited to hear where she was going.
"So... how far you going?" I finally asked.
"Oh, I don't know, a little farther on I guess."
I nodded. My pack was on the floor between my feet. I looked down at my muddy jacket and hoped she didn't mind that I was dripping all over the seat.
She reached down and switched off the radio which had bean playing so softly I hadn't noticed it had bean on until it was gone.
"So, where ya' from?" She asked, making conversation.
"Uh,...out of state-way out of state."
She nodded "Yeah, me too. How long you bean walkin'?"
I noticed she hadn't said 'how far'.
I sighed. "Three states."
"Figure on stopin' any time soon?"
What a weird conversation.
"Nope."
"Okay."
She turned the music back on, although I didn't see the difference.
We rode all night with out stopping. We didn't talk much except for a few comments about the weather.
I stayed wide-eyed and awake through the whole night, like I always do. But I did pass out around three in the morning. When I came too, we where riding through a small town and it was light outside.
She pulled over into a convenient store. As she was getting out she asked "Do you want anything?"
I said I didn't and she muttered "Yeah, right."
She went inside while I waited in the car, trying to clear my head.
She came back with two cups of coffee, two boxes of donuts, a bag of chips, a liter of coke, and a bag of dried meat.
"I don't think you need this, but I sure do." She said handing me a coffee. She got in, took a donut and started eating. I watched her. I looked down at all the junk food she had dumped on my lap. I looked back at her. she was grinning and there was a twinkle in her eyes.
"Go ahead, eat. I got all the stuff you like."
I dug into the donuts and wondered absently if I had mentioned my favorite foods to here.
She sat and watched me all but demolish the donuts, and polish off half a bag of chips, before she started up the car and drove out of the parking lot.

It had stopped raining and it looked like it was going to be sunny and hot.
"Okay," She said after I had satisfied at least some of my hunger.
( At least I didn't feel like my stomach was eating my back bone anymore.)
"Your'e a talkative guy, enough of this silent business."
I stared at her.
"Hu?"
She rolled her eyes.
"What's your name Mason?"
I coughed and dropped a bag of chips. I stared at her.
"No one," I said slowly.
"No one knows my name is Mason."
She shrugged and razed her eyebrows.
"Betcha' wan't to talk about it now, hu?"
"Yeah," I took an amazed sip of coffee.
"Yeah, I do. How'd you know my name?"
I distinctly remember that I didn't tell her my name, and if I did it wasn't that one.
She grinned.
" So what does everyone else call you?"
'Every one else'? This was too weird.
I gulped. "M-Mac....or Fag." I couldn't hide the chuckle in my voice.
"You think it's funny, thats good." She said glancing at me sideways.
"Betcha' didn't think it was funny then, did you?"
I shook my head. Who was this woman? How did she know THOSE things?
"Later, I'll tell you later." She said turning left. She knew TOO much. I had to get out. Things were getting to close...to close to..the truth?
I began to sweat. I had my hand on the door handle. I shivered.
"Hey, the truth hurts Baby."
I yelped with the accuracy she had read my mind.
She sighed, but I could see she was grinning.
"But, if it would you feel better you can get out here."
She pulled over in front of a brick building. It looked important. I jumped out of the car unto the sidewalk, slinging my back-pack over my shoulder.
"Uh, thanks for the ride." I said, looking at her through the car window.
"Hmmm,"
She looked like she was trying to work something out.
"Right!" She said getting out and joining me on the sidewalk.
"Uh-what are you doing?" I asked.
She looked at me as if I was stupid.
"Going into the post office."
"What?" I felt my forehead wrinkle.
"Why?"
She chuckled.
"Look, it's real simple, Mac. You go to the post office to receive mail, or to send mail. Ya' know mail, a letter?"
"Okay, okay! I get it. Geeze!"
She punched me in the shoulder.
"Thats the Mason I know!"
I shook my head, still stunned at her calling me by my name.
"You don't know me."
She just smiled and shrugged.

She started walking up the steps to the entrance.
I took a step down the sidewalk, wincing as a blister reopened, but still relieved to escape the presence of this strange lady.
In all my travelings I've met some pretty strange people, some who hurt me. But she was the strangest of them all. She hadn't attacked me or anything. But still, I was afraid of her. I didn't like this woman and her strange way of knowing my business.
"Mac, there are no secrets. By the way, you coming?"
There she goes again, reading my mind.
"No-" I blustered. "-I..Uh, what?"
She chuckled and walked back down the steps, keys jingling.
"I've noticed that your feet hurt."
I looked down at my beat up combat boots.
I looked back up at her. She had brown eyes.
"That's none of your business." I choked.
"I know. But, I make it a point to help out a human being whenever I can. And seeing that your hurt....well, it just tares my heart out."
I blinked. She looked like she was trying not to laugh.
"Lets just make this one stop, let me help you. Then, if you want to leave you can, yes?"
Why should I go with this weird lady. She might have evil intentions anyway. I looked at her the way a guy is supposed to look at a girl. Maybe I wouldn't mind evil intentions. It had been a long time since....No! What was I thinking? No, she gave me a ride and generously fed me( in a weird sort of way ) and now she wants to play 'Good Samaritan'-or maybe she was just looking for some. But, either way she was to weird for my blood.

She sat on the steps and waited. She wasn't pushy, or impatient like most people are when they give you a proposition.
"No, thanks." I finally said.
"Okay. See ya', Mac."
She shook my hand and started up the steps. I watched her go up and was surprised at how long her hair was. It was past her waist in a long golden ponytail.
I turned and started down the sidewalk. I heard her whistle a tune I once heard before, but couldn't place.
'Glad that's over with.' I thought as I turned the corner. I was passing a park. The sun glinted through the trees patching the road in green sunlight. Blue Jays flew over head and chirped excitedly. It was a real Jolly Roger morning. My stomach was full, only one foot really hurt, and I was dry. The mud on my jacket was starting to cake and fall off. What more could a guy ask for?

I started to whistle. I have this strange talent for whistling really well, and almost anything I hear. I've found that great whistling is just great breath control. To bad it's not a paying virtue. I spotted a particularly shady grove of trees and thought about taking a nap. I stopped though, when I realized what I was whistling.The song SHE had been whistling. The song that had been playing in her car. It was THAT song. The song that I-how could she have known that unless she knew me, unless she had been there. Oh, man that bitch!
I ran back to the post office. Or ran as best as I could with my feet protesting the effort. I rounded the corner, pained and out of breath. I didn't have the strength left to run up the steps.
I stood there, bent over, trying to catch my breath. I didn't need to go sprinting up those steps, though. She had stopped about mid-way and was sitting, leaning against the steps. Her legs spread out before her. When she saw me, she jumped down and grabbed my arm.
"Whoa, Mason! Com on man! revelation doesn't hit that hard-"
"No, no," I said , straighting " Tha-that song."
"What song? Oh, geeze! I think you delirious! Here, you better sit down."
I did and realized that she was laughing. I gave up trying to figure her out and put my head in my hands and closed my eyes.
My breath was starting to come easy again. She was caressing my head, like my mom would if I had one. I was to tired to notice though, and I felt myself slip into dark unconsciousness.

I woke up to find myself staring at white columns and a yellow ceiling. I turned my head and saw that I was at the top of the steps under the awning of the entrance. I was laying on a bench and my head was on her lap. I blinked at her face staring upsid-down at me.
"You okay, now?" She asked, her eyes inches from mine. I tried to tell her I was, but I was to weak to get the words out. Instead I removed her from my personal space by pushing her face away.
She grinned "Sorry."
I tried to get up but it didn't work and I flopped back down. She put her hand on my head and whispered " Rest, Mac. Just rest."
"Where's my back-pack?" I finally maneged.
"It's right here." She patted it by her side. Good, it was all I owned.
"No one's touching it." She said.
I took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh.
"That's it." She said rubbing my stubble covered cheeks. I wished she would stop touching me. I wasn't used to being touched. It felt to good to tell her to stop.
I turned my head and watched people walk in and out of the building. I guess we looked pretty normal. Just a guy laying on his girls lap. No one paid any attention to us except for and occasional glance or two. One old lady did ask if I was alright. The girl answered. "Oh, yeah. He's just dizzy from my beauty."
This got a chuckle from both me and the lady.

After a while I was feeling better.and about half a dozen pigeons surrounded us because we were sitting so still.
She looked down and said." Your not exactly healthy, are you, Mason."
It was a statement not a question. I shook my head "No, no I'm not."
"You need to rest, Mac. You got to stop walking the whole damn country, man. You need to sleep."
I nodded again, to wasted to tell her to mind her own business.

She slid out from under me and placed my pack under my head. Her shadow blocked the sun. She was looking down at me.
"Stay here." She admonished." Don't move. I'll be right back."
I responded by glaring at her, she glared right back. Eventually she went into the shadowy building.
I closed my eyes and a Pigeon by my ear coo-ed. I opened my eyes and looked down the steps. Had she carried me all the way up here? How did she know that song? Was she there when it happened?
I was brought out of my musing by a light whack on the head.
"Hu?" I looked up. She was holding a letter.
"This is for you." She said gesturing with the letter.
"No, it's not."
I didn't have an address here. I didn't even know where 'here' was. She handed it to me and I sat up taking it. She sat beside me reading her letter.
I opened it and wondered who knew that I would be here. The letter said:


I miss you, Mason.
G.
G? What did G stand for? George? George. But, George was died, long time died. I was suddenly breathless, but it had nothing to do with being ill or running a block. I was scared.
I looked up, she was looking down at me, amusement showing on her face.
" Wha-What doese your's say?"
She shrugged. " I don't know. Why don't you tell me."
She turned the opened piece of paper around to face me.

Come back, Mason.
G.
"Oh, Geeze!"