[stone angels, part I]

Oct 17, 2007 23:16

It's not a Nissan Versa.

It's not a Nissan Rogue, either.

Peter drives like a crazy person.

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gonna_live October 18 2007, 03:26:18 UTC
Kaylee hangs on to the oh-my-god bar and sulks. Stoically.

...or maybe not. They're headed out of Chicago, going south on I-90, and it's not all that long before she says, "So when is it my turn?"

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morelikeasponge October 18 2007, 03:28:41 UTC
"I figured we could switch off every few hours," Peter says, obliviously scanning the road in front of them. "You sure you're up for it?"

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gonna_live October 18 2007, 03:30:17 UTC
He is entirely too close to the car in front of them. Grimly: "Yep."

She looks down at the road atlas in her lap. "Are we stickin' closer to cities, or the middle of nowhere?"

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morelikeasponge October 18 2007, 03:33:32 UTC
"Right now, cities -- you think we should try back roads?"

The car in front of them slows down. Peter performs an impressive honk-and-flip-the-bird maneuver.

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gonna_live October 18 2007, 03:37:41 UTC
"Dunno." Kaylee glances over her shoulder. There's a large truck behind them. "Just...tryin' to figure if there's anything we ought to avoid."

If Kaylee were aware of the nature of the Jersey Turnpike, this would fit into that category, judging by Peter's driving skills.

"If we need anything else, it'll probably be easier to get in cities, but..." Half a shrug.

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morelikeasponge October 18 2007, 03:50:38 UTC
"You mean like..."

He takes his eyes off the road, but only for a second.

"Back roads might be safer."

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gonna_live October 18 2007, 03:51:44 UTC
"Don't hit that -- "

There is an angry car horn, with Doppler effect.

"If they're less crowded?" Weakly. "Hell yes."

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morelikeasponge October 18 2007, 04:00:40 UTC
"I wasn't gonna," says Peter, breezing past the very irritated Honda. "Okay, can you figure out where we should get off while I drive, or should we pull over at the next rest stop?"

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gonna_live October 18 2007, 04:04:38 UTC
"Rest stop works for me." If they make it alive. "Will there be tea or somethin'?" She's rubbing at her temple with her right hand as she hunches over the map.

It's better than watching what's happening on the road.

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morelikeasponge October 18 2007, 04:06:20 UTC
"Yeah, probably. Iced tea if nothing else." He spares another glance sideways. (No one dies.) "You okay?"

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gonna_live October 18 2007, 04:15:43 UTC
"Headache," succinctly. "I'm fine. They got somethin' to write with in here?"

Upon opening the glove compartment, she finds three ballpoint pens (only one of which works), a lot of napkins and ketchup packets, a map of the state of Wisconsin, and a copy of Penthouse.

Kaylee looks at it critically. "Hell of a place to keep somethin' like that."

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morelikeasponge October 18 2007, 04:19:41 UTC
Peter shrugs, eyes on the road again.

"'s where my dad kept his."

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gonna_live October 18 2007, 04:30:16 UTC
Peter gets a sidelong look, but nothing else; Kaylee tosses the magazine in the back seat, and squints at the map.

"...we can do this at the rest stop." She tosses the atlas and the pen in the back seat, too, and busies herself trying to figure out how to put the seat back -- and once she does, she falls asleep.

(And snores, a little.)

Just before the Indiana state line is a stop; the atlas gets dragged out, drawn upon, and tossed up on the dashboard for reference. Kaylee slips her feet out of her shoes and walks a little on the grass. It's a bright day, and still warm, and as the afternoon slips into evening (and as they get back on the road) she gets quieter.

Outside Elkhart they stop for gas; across the way are two young men in a red Camaro. A little abruptly, Kaylee says, "You gonna be okay to drive the rest of...however far we go tonight? I don't -- startin' out in the dark is somethin' don't quite sit right to me." It's the first thing she's said in a while.

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morelikeasponge October 18 2007, 04:38:05 UTC
It takes Peter a moment to focus on her; when he does his abstract frown deepens.

"Yeah, sure." He pauses, briefly. "Know why?"

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gonna_live October 18 2007, 04:41:48 UTC
"I just -- want to be able to see." A rough shrug. "I can go in the morning first thing, but..."

Sleep hasn't helped the headache, and tea hasn't, either. "Just -- not somethin' I done before," she finishes, lamely.

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morelikeasponge October 18 2007, 04:47:55 UTC
He blinks at her. "But space is always...there's headlights."

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