1: 7 votes
2: 5 votes
1. "Not interested, Benny. Fuck off."
Benny chuckles. "I thought you might say that," he says.
You ignore him and walk back to the car, and get in.
Benny is sitting next to you in the driver's seat when you do. "That's alright. I'm sure you'll come around eventually. You're going to need all the help you can get, once you get to Limestone," he says, absently adjusting the rear view mirror all the way around backward.
You sit back and close your eyes. After a minute or two, the car down opens and Jesse hops in.
"You alright?" she asks.
"Yeah, fine," you say, opening your eyes and smiling at her. "You?"
"Fine," she says, and turns the ignition.
As you pick up speed, you glance at the fuel gauge. It's pretty damn low, about 1/8th. "How much longer to Limestone?" you ask.
"Not long," Jesse replies. "About ten minutes."
"Savor them," says Benny from the backseat. "Savor them, and soak up the sunlight."
His final words are quiet, whispering, as he fades away from view.
You ignore him and fix the rear view mirror. Jesse glances at you but doesn't say anything. Afterward, you reach into the backseat and grab a beer, drinking it quickly. The taste is still pretty bad. Something between puke and chalk.
The road flashes by. You pass a few vineyards, with houses nearby, but no signs of activity, no cars. It seems like everyone has cleared out of these hills.
"So what's the plan, once we get there?" Jesse asks.
"I'm not sure, honestly," you say. "Guns would be nice. We might wanna head for that friend's place, see what we can find."
Jesse nods. "We need to find another vehicle soon," she says.
"We've got the extra can of gas," you say.
"If we're going to put that in, I have a feeling it should be now, before we reach the city," Jesse says.
**********************************
1. Good idea. Fill 'er up.
2. Better to save it for an emergency. Lots of cars in a city.
**********************************