There was nothing I enjoyed more than long car rides. I get lots of time to think. However, when this car ride ended I was not going to be happy with my destination. Mom, Sara, and I were going to our annual family reunion in West Virginia. Unfortunately we live in Maine and since the reunion is a whole week we had to reserve a spot at a hotel.
The hotel we were staying at looks like at least three people have been murdered in it. I can already sense the ugly green carpet and the manilla yellow walls.
Mom said that we probably won't be there until well into tonight. That was fine with me. I liked the night sky. Sara on the other hand hated car rides and night. It was understandable, she was only seven years old and she had the attention span of a grape.
My mom is a very quiet person. She normally doesn't talk a lot but i could tell that she was having a hard time. This is the first year that we are going to the family reunion without Dad. Last November he went missing and the case was closed after a month of them looking. The officers told us that he is presumed to be dead and that most missing person cases that are not solved within a week have a very small survival rate.
"Mom, can I have a snack," Sara asked in a whining voice.
"James, can you please reach in the cooler in the trunk and get your sister a cheese stick please?" Mom asked. She sounded really exhausted.
I silently shake my head yes and reach in the back for a string cheese for each of us.
After Sara ate her string cheese she fell asleep. Thank God. It makes the car ride so much more bearable without her asking when we are going to get to the hotel. For some reason she is fascinated with the hotel. I can't understand why, It's the ugliest, most run down Hotel it's ever been my displeasure to have to stay at.
I decided that I was getting a little tired myself and It would make the car ride go faster if I took a small nap. I leaned my head against the window and fell asleep.
When I woke up it was pitch black outside and the car was stopped. I looked over at the clock and It was 11pm. I got up out of my seat and leaned over to ask mom why we were stopped but she wasn't in the car. I decided to wait a minute and see if she was going to come back in. I leaned my head against the window again, realizing I am still really tired. I was trying to fight back the urge to go to sleep again but I just decided that my mom was probably just using the bathroom at the gas station.
When I woke back up Mom was in the car again. I asked her what time she thought we were going to be at the hotel.
"I don't think I can stay awake long enough to get to the hotel tonight. If we're lucky we will get to the hotel by 4 tomorrow." She answered.
"Why were you out of the car earlier when we were at the gas station?" I questioned her.
She looked at me quizzically. "We haven't stopped at a gas station since this morning James, what are you talking about?"
"What? We stopped at a gas station around 11, didn't we? I read the clock and you weren't in here."
"You must have dreamed it because I only just came to this rest stop and it's 10pm right now."
I looked over at the clock and she was right. I was so confused. That couldn't have been a dream. I have never had a dream that vivid before.
I decided that I would just push it aside because I have been really tired and the chances are I had just dreamed it up without realizing it.
