We got off, and the noise hit me first, followed by the scents. I was not a city animal.
“What do you think? Should we find a hotel?” Bryden asked.
I thought about it, but the only places in a city that would accept cash were seedier than we could handle. It was best to head toward our end game than to stay put.
“I say we get out of here.”
“Yeah, me too.” He didn’t hesitate to agree.
We took one of the local buses to the end of the line and got off at a gas station. I looked for out-of-state plates, ones that might be heading where we were going. There were a couple of college kids who looked like they were heading back from school, bothof them wearing pajamas and complaining loudly about some big test and needing their moms to do their laundry.
“Let’s ask them,” Bryden said, and I agreed. They were safer than other options. Probably.
“Hey, are you guys heading back from school?”
They looked at each other and then looked at us.
“No, nothing sketch,” I tried to assure them. “Our car was impounded, and we need to get back home. I thought maybe we could give you some gas money and we could join you.”
“Brah, did you leave it out overnight on the wrong side of the road?” the one in blue said.
“Worse. I was too close to a fire hydrant.”
“Damn. You’re not getting that back for under a grand here.” He looked to his buddy who gave him a small nod. We were so close to being accepted… at least that was the direction it felt like it was heading.
“Really? Crap.” I tried to reflect their vibe, and it must’ve worked.
“Really. Come with us. Where’s your final destination?” he asked.
“Not too far from Stoney River. You know where that is?” Bryden said.
“We aren’t going that far, but we’ll get you as far as we can. And what you call gas money, we call beer money, so we’re happy to have you.”
The two of them talked nonstop to each other, almost forgetting we were there, which was perfect because I wasn’t ready to keep up the lies or make small talk. They left us at a crossroads where they were turning off to their own town. It was basically the middle of nowhere, but I didn’t complain. There were plenty of trees to take shelter under, and we were closer to where we needed to be, but Bryden wasn’t doing well. I found he had a cycle of feeling better when he woke, and then looking horrible once he overdid it.
“Hey, let’s get you someplace to rest.” Instead of hitchhiking again, I led us into the woods and tried to stay parallel to the road. At this time of night, we’d be more likely to get hit than we would to be picked up. If I could find some place with enough brush or maybe another cave, we could sleep there for the night. But I found something better, what looked to be an old hunting cabin, and the closer we got, the more confident I was that it was abandoned.
“Let’s stay here for the night.” Bryden nodded, nothing more. He was dead on his feet. The journey today had been too much for him. We walked up the steps, the porch groaning.
Inside, it was dusty, with no scent of anyone being there recently, except for a mouse. It was safe enough for now. I sat him on the couch. It was musty and gross, but it was in a safe place and would have to do.
I took out more antibiotics and gave him double what I normally did. He took them, and I checked his wound. I tried to pull my unicorn forward, but he’d fallen way back. The scents had overwhelmed him to the point of retreat. He wouldn’t be able to heal him now, not like this.
My mate fell asleep, and I found an old broom and swept up. When he woke, he was doing so much better.
“Hey, you look good.” Better was a closer description, but he needed the reassurance.
“Yeah, I feel good. Maybe I needed that extra dosing.”
“I think we can stay here for a few days, get you fully healed if we need to.” As I said it, the words tasted bitter. I’d reassess the plan later. For now, he needed rest.
“Okay, that sounds good. I’m not sure how far Stoney River is from here. Going into the city added extra miles and time, so I’m not exactly sure how far we’ve come.”
“We’ll get there.”
“Yeah, I think so too.”
We had some granola bars and climbed onto the bed. There were some sheets in a tote that were not fresh but not mildewy smelling, and I had put them on. Something was better than nothing. Then we fell asleep, Bryden leaning against my shoulder.
