for an entrance. “Don’t mind Martha. She’s still grumpy because she had to take a cold shower this morning. Of course, if she’d have paid attention when I showed her how to start the genny, she wouldn’t have had to take a cold shower, but she was too busy. Doing what, I couldn’t tell you. It was just me, her, and the genny.”
“This must be your lovely wife,” Sarah smiled and extended a hand toward Martha. “So nice to finally meet you. Mr. Bailey was my favorite teacher in ninth grade.”
“Everyone’s favorite teacher, eh, Ralphy? Did you bang this one, too?”
“Excuse me?” Sarah asked.
“Never mind, dear,” Martha forced a smile that looked as plastic as her press-on nails. “Come inside. We’ll throw together a nice meal, and then you two can tell us what you’re doing here.”
Sarah shot Jimmy a quizzical glance. Jimmy shrugged. They followed Martha inside, shaking their heads.
While Ralph locked up, Martha loudly announced that there would be a community meeting before they walked ‘home.’
“So you’re using the motel as a sort of barracks, then?”
“What better place?” Martha asked without turning around. “Usually, you’d think it’s a cheap piece of shit thrown together to put up cheap people, or people looking for somewhere to lay their head between vacation spots, but not this place. This place is built like Fort Knox to protect business travelers. I used to work here. Brick up the windows, and ain’t nobody getting in. You two are in luck. We’ve got one room left. You’ll have to bunk with me and Ralph tonight, though. We make as little noise as possible at night.”
“We’re not staying.”
“Oh?”
“I mean, we’d like to for the night, if that’s okay, but we were sort of hoping you could spare some gas. I’m trying to find my husband. I’m pretty sure I know where he went, but we’re almost out of gas, and we haven’t been able to find a gas station that hasn’t already been drained.”
“I can’t believe Khalid didn’t have any gasoline in his bunker of a basement,” Jimmy added.
Sarah shot him a look to silence him. Jimmy shrugged apologetically and gestured for Sarah to continue.
“I assume since you’ve got your generator running, you’ve got gasoline,” Sarah said, turning back to Martha. “Do you think we could fill our tank?”
“Oh, Ralph will be glad to hear that. He was worried we were going to have to figure out how to feed two more mouths. Well, then we’ll get you a quick meal, and then we’ll all head home. We’ll set you up with a full tank, a jug, and some hose for siphoning in the morning, and get you on your way. I’m sure there are cars in the traffic jams with gas.”
“Why didn’t I think of that?” Jimmy exclaimed.
“Uh, Martha? I’m sorry to be a bother, but I’d rather not share a bed with my ex-husband. Is there somewhere else I can sleep?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, darlin. Ralph said you were his girlfriend, and I thought he was being serious.”
Sarah smiled at the woman. “The last time Mr. Bailey saw us, Jimmy was my boyfriend. Maybe he just hoped we were still sweethearts.”
Martha looked Sarah over. “Mhm. Well, let me introduce you to Clarissa. She’s got a spare bed in her room. I’m sure she won’t mind you bunking with her. Jimmy? If you’ll head on over to the coffee shop, you’ll find Mitch there. He’ll be glad to take you in for the night. Have him help you and Sarah find something to eat, too.”
———————
After meeting Clarissa, Sarah slid into the seat across from Jimmy in the coffee shop.
“They seem nice,” Jimmy said.
“Yeah, Mr. Bailey always was pretty cool. Martha’s hilarious. The others are scared shitless, but nice, nonetheless.”
“That Brad…” Jimmy said.
“Aww do you have a crush?”
“No, he’s a dick.”
“Ralph
“This must be your lovely wife,” Sarah smiled and extended a hand toward Martha. “So nice to finally meet you. Mr. Bailey was my favorite teacher in ninth grade.”
“Everyone’s favorite teacher, eh, Ralphy? Did you bang this one, too?”
“Excuse me?” Sarah asked.
“Never mind, dear,” Martha forced a smile that looked as plastic as her press-on nails. “Come inside. We’ll throw together a nice meal, and then you two can tell us what you’re doing here.”
Sarah shot Jimmy a quizzical glance. Jimmy shrugged. They followed Martha inside, shaking their heads.
While Ralph locked up, Martha loudly announced that there would be a community meeting before they walked ‘home.’
“So you’re using the motel as a sort of barracks, then?”
“What better place?” Martha asked without turning around. “Usually, you’d think it’s a cheap piece of shit thrown together to put up cheap people, or people looking for somewhere to lay their head between vacation spots, but not this place. This place is built like Fort Knox to protect business travelers. I used to work here. Brick up the windows, and ain’t nobody getting in. You two are in luck. We’ve got one room left. You’ll have to bunk with me and Ralph tonight, though. We make as little noise as possible at night.”
“We’re not staying.”
“Oh?”
“I mean, we’d like to for the night, if that’s okay, but we were sort of hoping you could spare some gas. I’m trying to find my husband. I’m pretty sure I know where he went, but we’re almost out of gas, and we haven’t been able to find a gas station that hasn’t already been drained.”
“I can’t believe Khalid didn’t have any gasoline in his bunker of a basement,” Jimmy added.
Sarah shot him a look to silence him. Jimmy shrugged apologetically and gestured for Sarah to continue.
“I assume since you’ve got your generator running, you’ve got gasoline,” Sarah said, turning back to Martha. “Do you think we could fill our tank?”
“Oh, Ralph will be glad to hear that. He was worried we were going to have to figure out how to feed two more mouths. Well, then we’ll get you a quick meal, and then we’ll all head home. We’ll set you up with a full tank, a jug, and some hose for siphoning in the morning, and get you on your way. I’m sure there are cars in the traffic jams with gas.”
“Why didn’t I think of that?” Jimmy exclaimed.
“Uh, Martha? I’m sorry to be a bother, but I’d rather not share a bed with my ex-husband. Is there somewhere else I can sleep?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, darlin. Ralph said you were his girlfriend, and I thought he was being serious.”
Sarah smiled at the woman. “The last time Mr. Bailey saw us, Jimmy was my boyfriend. Maybe he just hoped we were still sweethearts.”
Martha looked Sarah over. “Mhm. Well, let me introduce you to Clarissa. She’s got a spare bed in her room. I’m sure she won’t mind you bunking with her. Jimmy? If you’ll head on over to the coffee shop, you’ll find Mitch there. He’ll be glad to take you in for the night. Have him help you and Sarah find something to eat, too.”
———————
After meeting Clarissa, Sarah slid into the seat across from Jimmy in the coffee shop.
“They seem nice,” Jimmy said.
“Yeah, Mr. Bailey always was pretty cool. Martha’s hilarious. The others are scared shitless, but nice, nonetheless.”
“That Brad…” Jimmy said.
“Aww do you have a crush?”
“No, he’s a dick.”
“Ralph
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