Everything

Contest entry. Prompt was:Write a story about a character who is at their absolute lowest.

Prompt = “Write a story about a character who is at their absolute lowest point. What did they do? Where do they go from here?
Word count = 1981

Everything
I should’ve been dead. In a day or two, I probably will be. Sal’s goons rousted me from my bed in the middle of the night. They hustled me out of the hotel in nothing but a pillowcase and a robe. With the pillowcase over my head, I had no idea where they were taking me. After what seemed like an hour, they pulled off the paved road and drove over an uneven trail. We got partially stuck a couple times. Finally, Carl called a halt, and we left the car. For me, it was easy walking. Sand and bare feet kind of go together. Not so for my traveling companions. Loafers and sand don’t like each other. Not sure how long we walked. When we stopped, Carl pulled the hood and gave me a shovel.
They let me dig my own grave. The digging was easy; it was windblown sand. After about a half-hour of digging, the grave wasn’t very deep. The sides kept caving in. It just got longer and wider. Carl got mad, took the shovel from me, and then hit me over the head with it. I fell face-first into my shallow grave. Lucky for me, Ed threw the pillowcase at my head after Carl hit me. It flared nicely and covered the sides and back of my head. They kept the robe.
Carl may have thought the whack on the back of the head was enough to finish me, though I am sure I heard the snap of the .22 before I lost consciousness. They didn’t bother to bury me. They just threw a little sand over me to hide me from any search planes, not that I expected any. I was left for the coyotes.
After a while, I had no idea how long I felt the warmth of the sun. It could have been a couple hours, or a couple of days. The pillowcase was a blessing. No sand in my eyes, nose, or mouth. It didn’t take too much to push my body out of my grave. I was alive. I had a hell-uv-a headache. No water, no food, and no idea where I was, but I was alive.
Being naked in the desert is not good. Fortunately, no chance to be embarrassed. I was all alone. I figured they had driven north out of Vegas. It could have been any direction, but I had to start somewhere. An hour out of Vegas and it is all desert. I headed south. Easy enough to do, there was a mountain range where I thought south was. I kept heading toward it. Along the way, I found a broken bottle which had a few sharp pieces. I cut a large slit in the end of the pillowcase and two smaller slits along the sides. I now had a T-shirt. A fairly commodious t-shirt, almost modest.
It was actually pleasant walking along. The sand was easy on my feet, and the temperature was nice, maybe about 60 degrees. If you have to be stranded in the desert, January is a good month to be stranded. Now, come evening, I may change my mind. My t-shirt is fine for 60, not so good for 30 degrees. After a bit, I saw vehicle tracks in the sand. No car would come this way, but dune buggies might. I tried to determine the general direction of the tracks and followed them.
It had been a long day. I still have the headache and I need water. Water and food. The sun is about to go behind the mountains. It’s cooling off. It could be a long, cold night. I looked for a place to hold up for the night. Not much in the way of cover; no trees, bushes, or caves to crawl into. Then I heard it. It was far off in the distance. No clue it is heading my way, but maybe. No way to send a signal. Can’t light a fire, no flashlight, nothing.
There was a small rise just ahead. Won’t do much, but it is better than doing nothing. No energy to run, but I walked as fast as I could. I get to the top and look around. The sound is getting louder. I can see a plume of dust off to my right. I turn to face it. The setting sun flashes off of chrome or glass. I strip off my t-shirt and wave it. More in desperation than expectation. Fading light, the sound going away. Hope drains. I sank to my knees. I put the t-shirt back on, then pray. Not religious, so I do it more to have something to do than expect any miracles. I lose consciousness. The hunger, thirst, and exhaustion are too much.
I wake to someone holding my head and dripping water into my mouth. I reached for the water bottle. My savior pulled it from my hands. “Easy pardner, just a little at a time. When this is gone, we’ll get you to my truck. Too much and you’ll just throw it up. Just a little at a time.”
I closed my eyes and let the dips moisten my mouth. Then I swallowed. Then another. It took forever, but we eventually drained the bottle. He helped me to my feet and over to his dune buggy. He cleared a few chip packages from the passenger seat and placed me on it. “Not sure this is the best thing, but it’s all I have.” He gave me a package of Lay’s Sour Cream and Onion potato chips. I struggled opening the package. He opened it for me. “One at a time. Savor. Go slow. Make it last.” I did as I was told. The salt was like a drug, amphetamines. He handed me another bottle of water. “One chip, then a swallow. One chip, then a swallow.” He laughed. “We’ll have you ready for a rib-eye and fries in no time.”
Can a potato chip taste like a rib-eye? Mine did. When I finished the chips and water, I fell asleep. No easy task in a dune buggy bouncing over the sand, but I did. He gently shook me awake when we were next to his truck. It was an old Dodge Power Wagon pickup with an old-style camper shell. Old, but neat as a pin. He put me in the dining area booth, then set about making dinner. I rested my head on my arms on the table. I was out again.
I woke to a tap on my shoulder and a bowl of chili. “Same as before, go slow. You keep this down and you’ll be ready for just about anything.” I kept it down and asked for more. “I don’t have much in the way of extra clothes, but these might work for you.” He shoved a stack of clothes at me. Jeans were too short and too tight. A faded snap-button cowboy shirt that was tight around the shoulders and chest. Anything was better than my t-shirt. “Can’t do much for shoes,” he said. “Best I got which might fit are shower shoes. Not much for walkin’, but better than nothin’. Any idea what you want to do?”
“Which way are you heading?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Wasn’t headin’ nowheres. Thought to prowl around here, lookin’ to find whatever the other buggies churned up. now and then they chuck out some gold nuggets. Not lookin’ for ‘em, they miss ‘em. Not often, but enough to keep me interested.”
“Is there a highway near here? Think somebody would pick me up?” I asked.
“80’s not too far away. Direct to Vegas. Is that where you want to go?”
“About the only choice I have. I have a couple friends who might help me out.”
“Same ones who left you in the desert?”
I shook my head. “No, different friends.”
He laughed. “With friends like that, who needs enemies.” He laughed again.
“How much trouble would I get into if your friends knew you were alive, and I was helping you?”
“I’m not sure what got me into this mess in the first place, but I don’t think they would welcome you with open arms.”
“Think you could stand me to a tank of gas and a good bottle of whiskey?”
I cocked my head. “That depends on what’s waiting for me in Vegas. It’s only been a day, there’s a chance I still have my car, and I might have some money in my room or locker.” I rubbed my chin. “Without ID, I might not have access, but maybe.”
“You a gamblin’ man, son?”
“Only if I’m the house. What do you have in mind?”
“High card. I win; I drop you at I-80. You win, I take you into Vegas and you get me gas and a bottle of Irish whiskey.”
I smiled. “I shuffle and you cut?”
We both drew a King. I was spades, and he drew the diamond. We both laughed. “If I remember, spades beat diamonds. When do you want to leave?” he asked.
I looked out the window. “We have a few hours before sunup. Probably best to get into town while it’s still quiet. How far are we from Vegas, the Strip?”
“About an hour and a half. Could get us there just as the sky is turning gray. No traffic, but we may stick out a bit.”
“About the best we can expect. We need to go to the Venetian and its parking garage. Will this fit?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know, never tried. If it doesn’t, just means you might have to walk a bit. Help me load the buggy, and we can leave any time.”
It didn’t fit. He dropped me at the entrance. He would get breakfast, then meet me back here at 8 o'clock. I found my car and the spare key. The glove compartment and trunk had all I needed, including black crepe soled boots. I changed and filled up at a nearby gas station. Best not to hang around the casino more than I had to. Found a liquor store and bought a case of Black Bush Irish whiskey for…I didn’t know his name. He was waiting for me. I walked up to the truck. He rolled down his window.
“I almost didn’t recognize you with clothes.” He grinned. “Got my whiskey?”
I nodded. “Figured you deserved a case. Black Bush good enough?”
“Better than good enough. I filled up waiting for you.” He held out his hand. “I guess we’re square.”
“Probably never be square, but that’s about the best I can do now. Any way to get in touch with you?” I shook my head. “What is your name?”
“What’s yours?”
“Probably best you don’t know, or that anyone knows you know.”
He smiled. “Figured it might be something like that. In that case, Bob. Dune Buggy Bob. People in my world will know. Others won’t.”
“Well, Bob, it has been nice knowing you. Doubt I will see you again, but you never know.”
He put his hand on top of mine. “No, you never know. I won’t ask what your plans are. Judging by that car, and the way you’re dressed, I expect somebody’s goin’ to pay for leaving you in the desert.”
I nodded putting my hand on top of his. “Yes, I expect something like that. Best you don’t know. You should be safe enough, but putting a few miles between you and Vegas might be smart about now.”
“The Imperial Dunes near Yuma should be nice about now.”
I put the case in the camper, then waved Bob goodbye. I waited until dark, then I said hello to Sid. After going through Ed and Carl. They left my room untouched. I changed clothes, packed a bag, then I caught a plane to Acapulco.