Trouble x3

Wandering

Dalia's POV

I woke up as the sun hit my eyes through the curtain.

I stretched my arms out and realized I smelled terrible.

I guess finding Dallas can wait for a shower. I washed my clothes in the sink and let them dry while I took a shower.

It felt so good to be clean again. Especially after being on public transportation and in three different states.

I brushed my teeth with the provided tooth brush and brushed my hair with the hairbrush.

I could live in this hotel.

It's got everything for fifty cents a night! That's only fifteen dollars a month!

It blew my mind how this place could still be in business considering they probably don't get a lot of people here.

But I made sure I had all my money and got my shoes on and walked out the door.

I said goodbye to the guy at the front desk and a thank you. He seemed real appreciative I said that. But I owe him one. Anyone back in New York wouldn't have had helped me out.

I started my walk down the street and something hit me that I never realized before.

This place is beautiful.

Like... generally beautiful. New York was pretty and stuff. But nothing like this. The outdoors, nothing for miles, the simplicity of life.

I almost wished I had grown up like this instead of in the city.

But what's done is done.

As I walked farther and farther down the road, I stopped seeing trees and I saw houses.

Yes! I made it!

I saw the first street I passed was Raleigh Street. It didn't sound right. The guy said something that started with an F, I'm pretty sure.

I walked to the next street and I saw Fenton Road.

I think this is it.

But did he tell me to go left or right?

It was too late to turn back now. I've walked two miles. I didn't feel like walking forty minutes back.

I could probably make it back in 20 minutes if I ran, but I don't have time for another 20 minutes back.

Nothing really worked out in my favor.

All I could do was guess.

I looked to the left. It was a bunch of trees lined upon the road.

I looked to the right. Just plains and grassy areas.

Shit.

None of these ways made sense. I felt like I was lied to.

My gut told me to go left, but my brain said go right.

I decided to go right. It made more sense.

Why would a downtown have trees lining the side of the road?

It only made sense for it to be to the right.

I soon realized I was wrong and I was really really lost.

I turned down so many lefts and rights and left and right, I had absolutely no idea how to get back.

Fuck!

I looked out and I saw a large tractor in front of me with two country boys in front of it. I could tell they were from here. They both had large straw hats, flannel shirts, overalls, and a piece of grass in their mouths.

I walked up to them. "Excuse me!" I yelled.

"Yeah, how can we help ya, pretty girl." The first guy said.

"How do I get to the Dairy Queen in downtown Windrixville?"

"Huh?" The second guy asked.

I rolled my eyes. "How do I get to the Dairy Queen in downtown Windrixville!" I yelled.

They looked at each other. "You're in the wrong direction. You can turn back and go south. You'd go left, left, right, left, right, right, left, straight."

I wished everyone would stop using north, south, east, and west. It made no sense to me. I can barely even handle left and right for Christ's sake!

"Or, you can head left and go up to Jay Mountain and follow the path until ya make it back to the main road."

Considering I couldn't even remember one turn, whether or not to go left or right, I decided to stick with the second option the guy gave me.

I groaned knowing damn well he couldn't hear me over the loud tractor.

"Alright. Thank you!" I yelled.

"No problem. Good luck!" The second one yelled.

I walked more and more and it felt like I was never gonna get off of here?

What if I die up here!

What if my body turns into bones and nobody ever thinks to come look for me here!

Oh.

My.

GOD!

I'm gonna die up here!

My paranoia took the best of me. Nobody would look for me. Dallas is gone. My parents could give a flying fuck if I was dead. Dalton would have come to look for me if he was alive. But that isn't happening.

I wonder what I'll die of first. Starvation. Heat stroke. Murder.

I started to get thirsty as I walked through the heat which started to mess with my brain.

Normally I don't give up in these types of situations, but I might as well accept my defeat. I'm an idiot for coming out here.

I'm an idiot for thinking I can find Dally.

I was an idiot for thinking I could track down Dallas. The kid never stays put! He's always moving around.

And he knows how to get away with things, too.

When Sodapop and Darry told me about that whole murder thing, I should have just given up there.

No... I should have given up back in New York.

I mean, did I really think Dallas would listen to me?

I'm crazy.

As I was running out of things to blame myself for, I heard screams from another direction. Up ahead to my left, there was this building with a bunch of people gathered around it. I dunno what a building is doing up here, but maybe someone can help me.

It was a brownish, orangish color.

Wait...

No it wasn't...

The building is on fire!