A road into a small town that leads…

Lonely roads and lost towns. Quiet places where you can think.
Not that that necessarily gets you anywhere.
Space is what it is, as are people.

This is a work of adult fiction.
No resemblance to reality should be inferred or expected.
Copyright : KLS 2007

Escape to Yourself - After

By Kristina.L.S.

The heat hadn't gotten any less not that he had any real problem with heat. It was just there and as long as you weren't stupid was not a problem. He guessed he'd been walking about long enough to see some sign of the town shortly. If it was really a few k as she said. Distance was sometimes a bit vague with people out here. A few k might be 50, but he guessed not in this case. 'She seemed to expect a short walk would get you there, so it wouldn't be long now', he thought.

Of course the question of, 'what then?' wafted in and settled in his head like a fat fly in a shop front window.

It was only a short while later when the tar ended at a sign, 'Little Creek' with an old single lane wooden bridge over the small winding gully that was presumably the creek. Non-existent was probably more accurate, the few stunted and droopy acacias and dwindling brush following that wavy line in each direction making it plain that water was not abundant. As he crossed his gaze wandered up both ways following the creek, not even a small puddle could be seen. But a strange whining up and down buzz seemed to drift closer.

He had just come off the wooden planking and onto graded dirt when a screaming whine from his immediate left caused him to stop and turn to see a green and black and silver thing fly up from the creek bed straight at him. Adrenaline surged as he threw himself flat as the thing soared maybe waist height above, landing a metre or two away and spinning in a swirl of dust, before stopping and then… silence.

As the dust slowly settled he rolled sideways and sat on the roadside looking at the slowly dissipating cloud. When it had cleared enough to see he realised he'd been 'attacked' by a giant hunchbacked praying mantis. The black goggle eyes stared blankly at him and then the figure straightened and he realised it was a fancy dirt bike, mudguards, tank and wrist guards all lime green, a smattering of silver alloy here and there. The rider in dirty black and green leathers and the insect head helmet.

It took another few seconds before the helmet was pulled off and the figure shaking out long dark brown hair stomped over to him and stopped almost standing on his toes.

"Shit you scared the crap outa me. I thought I was gonna die when I seen you standin' there on the edge a the road. Lucky I didn't run ya skinny arse over, eh." Then she burst in to laughter. "Damn girl, you shoulda seen your face. Ya gotta brown patch in the back a them jeans or what, eh?"

He sat looking this lunatic up and down as her eyes did the same to him. Her smile was infectious and he couldn't help but return it.

"Do you always run over visitors to your town?"

"Nah not regular like. Some people get a bit shitty if ya use their arse as a bike rack, eh. Not sure ya can call this little shit pile a town though. So what ya doin' walkin' along out here, puttin' me off ma ride? I can see the road and there's dust from this side… didn't expect some skinny arse girl to be walkin', that's fer sure. You gonna sit there all day, come on…" she held out a gloved hand to help the dusty girl to her feet.

He took the gloved hand and felt the strength as she almost pulled him to his feet with a soft grunt. The wide grin that could easy sell toothpaste was still there, set off a little by the light brown skin.

"So blondie what ya doin? Ya don't say much do ya?"

Rather than answer he looked around for his hat and steeped across to grab it up and again slap the dust off. His duffle was still slung bandolier style over his shoulder.

She was still standing in the same spot… waiting for some sort of answer he guessed.

"I was hoping to get a bit of work for a little while, top up the account before I head on. " He shrugged slightly and stood looking and waiting…

"Huh, might be ya lucky day blondie. Me Uncle Jimmy runs the pub in town. Could use someone on the bar at night. I help out, but still a skinny arse white chickie would go down well with the local blokes. They all know me and I don't take their shit. A bit a fresh meat will cheer 'em up no end." She laughed at her own joke and he had to smile.

She might be mad, not to mention a chatterbox, but she seemed ok. 'As long as she doesn't ask too many questions.'

"So come on blondie, jump on the back here and I'll give ya's a lift, show ya the sights an all, eh."

She remounted the bike and he gingerly climbed on behind and at a prompt hung on tight. She grabbed his hat off and stuck it under her thigh…and took off.

He did manage to get a look at the town as they passed through to the far end. A church hall, with a smaller church next to it. A dozen businesses or so, a bank with a for lease sign on the door. Garage with two pumps out front and that was it.

She dinnn, diinnnn, diinnnnnned behind the pub and shut off the bike. Both climbed off and he looked around casually.

"Just so's ya know blondie. Jimmy is me Uncle and the owner licensee. He's half Irish half blackfella. Me Dad got his head kicked in a few year back after a drunk and me mum took off. He was full blackfella she was a blondie like you. The old ladies in town call me coffee oh lay with a click a the tongue. I think they want me ta be embarrassed. Screw that… I like, me." Her grin was wide and easy and he could not help but smile back.

"Oh Jimmy don't drink by the way. Reckons grog an' him don't get on. Seems funny him runnin' the pub an' all. Oh yeah…I'm Genna."

She took him by one hand and led him to a large corrugated iron shed.

"Don't wanna offend ya or nuthin' blondie but you stink. So get ya arse in there and have a shower huh. You do have a change in ya little bag, right?" He nodded dumbly.

"Good, so get on, I'll be back in a bit. Gotta go tell Jimmy I've picked up a stray. He'll laugh. Oh…you are eighteen aren't ya?"

"Um…what's the date? "

"Shit, I don't bloody know. Mid September somewhere. "

"Well my birthday was late August, so I guess I'm eighteen."

"Good, ya's legal. Saves complications with the license. Get on then, I'll be back in a bit."

He sniffed his armpit and shrugged… well it had been a few days. Pushed the swing door open and dropping his hat and bag on a wooden bench, began to strip.

Hair loose he twisted the taps and soon had steam billowing. With a delighted shiver, walked under the steaming water and soaped up, didn't want to be long.

It was only a few minutes and he was rinsing off, when the door swung open, letting in a swirl of cool air.

"Figured ya might want a coupla towels blondie. Ya could tell me a name one a these days too I guess…" She stopped with a slightly puzzled expression as he stood stark naked, with nowhere to run.

Her eyes roamed up and down a few times before she threw him the towels.

"Shit girl, skinny thing aint ya. Or is that boy? Nah, me seven year old cousins got a bigger mushroom than that, eh. You're a girl, not much up top though. Come on then. Get dressed I need ta shower meself and Jimmy'll get in a snit if we's late fa dinner. "

Hope this does the trick. It told itself to me during the day and story knows best.

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