We pulled off the freeway and into the gas station. I pulled into a parking spot and plugged my generator into the wall socket. The generator takes the moisture in the air and compressed the hydrogen into a useable source. If the humidity in the air was low you could add water from a bottle. I poured the remainder of my drink into the tank and then walked over to the gas driver. The electric driver plugged his truck into the wall and joined us for the chat.
“Do you… Do you guys feel lonely in the cabs at all?” I asked as casually as I could.
“Nah.” The gas driver said, “Jesus keeps me company. I’m not allowed to put any religious paraphernalia permanently in the cab but I got a rosary around the mirror and a Crucifix statue in a bag on the passenger seat. And the lord said ‘It’s not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’ Timothy three fifteen.”
The electric driver rolled his eyes. “Not me neither.” He said, “been alone since my pops left after I was twelve. Something about a man doesn’t grow up with help from adults. He wasn’t really the same since mom offed herself.”
“The lord kept you alive to follow his will.” The gas driver said.
“Shit man. That’s rough… I’m sorry.” I said.
“It’s alright. As least the mortgage was fully paid. I just had to get a job for food and taxes. Fucking government.” The electric driver said. “Till they fucked that up for me as well. Something about, I can’t fend for myself until I’m eighteen. So they put me in juvey because they couldn’t take me in the system and taught me to read and right good enough to pass some stupid test. Taught me how to drive and when I got out this job was all I could get. The government sold the house to pay for my school.”
“The lord works in mysterious ways. Welp. I’m full up. Any of y’all need to hit the pisser or grab some beef sticks ‘fore we hit the road?” The gas driver said. “Next stop is our o’ernight.” His accent came and went as quick as a pregnant woman’s bladder.
“Yeah. Im going to get more water and some chips.” Maybe a Surge as well. I didn’t want to fall asleep at the wheel. I went in the shop and grabbed my supplies. When I got back to my truck the electric truck driver had unplugged us both and was waving.
“Let’s go beef sticks and water!” The electric driver yelled. I hopped in the cab and followed the group. At least this time I was at the back of the rotation.
“Shit on a fucking Stick. What kinda moronic answer was that? Jesus, at nauseam. But more importantly how do you think she ended her existence? Was it knife trails on her arms or gun shot to her head?” Brandon said without a moment of peace.
“I don’t think I want to know.” I said. I was strangely getting more comfortable with his presence. He was like my crucifix and rosary. He kept me company while not effecting too much of my driving. I just wish he would stop with his grotesque discussions.
“You know, the thing is that you don’t feel the death as painfully when you do the knife trails. It’s a warm sensation on your arms and it just slowly fades to black. So peaceful. But those who shoot themselves is a much worse out come. You can feel the pain of the bullet and you don’t get the entire brain. This causes panic and the brain to overreact. Rather then just slipping it sends out messages to all facets of the body. If you do it right the brainstem is severed causing no messages to get through. The eyes still work which means that you will watch the panic of anyone around or will just see your surroundings. Your mouth won’t make any understandable audible noises meaning that you can’t call for help. Mean while in a panic your brain is saying that everything is in extraordinary pain.” Brandon said.
“How would you know, how many suicide attempts have you made?” I asked.
“Oh, I’ve heard from all those reaching out in pain. It’s glorious to watch them beg to undo their pitiful fates. I revel in their misfortune. You will beg too as soon as we are done here.” Brandon said. I could almost see a torso along with arms and a smile.
“So what do you want with me?” I asked.
“Easy now idiot, we have a long way to go. I don’t want to spoil the ending when we are just beginning.” Brandon replied.
No comments:
Post a Comment