The Wholesome Road

Hitchhiking Sensei

August 24th, 2026

Marciana walked along the shoulder of Interstate 10, the steady click of her heels barely audible beneath the constant roar of passing traffic. Her rolling suitcase bounced and rattled behind her with every crack in the pavement, its wheels protesting almost as much as her aching feet. The afternoon sun bore down relentlessly, turning the highway into a wavering ribbon of heat that stretched endlessly toward the horizon.

She let out a quiet sigh. "I really should've gotten a driver's license..."

The thought had crossed her mind countless times over the past year. She had adapted to nearly every aspect of life in this strange world. Opening a bank account, paying bills, grocery shopping, even navigating the endless paperwork that seemed to govern everything. Driving, however, had always been something she put off for "later."

Later never came. Even if she had earned her license, buying a car had been little more than a fantasy. A second grade teacher's salary barely covered rent, utilities, food, and the mountain of other expenses that seemed determined to empty her bank account every month. The only vehicles she could realistically afford looked as though they would fall apart before making it out of the buy here pay here lot.

Her grip tightened around the suitcase handle.

"...This is insane."

She shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips.

"All for defending myself..."

The memory still irritated her. Weeks of unwanted comments. Casual touches that lingered longer than they should have. Countless polite refusals and requests to stop that had fallen on deaf ears.

Then he'd cornered her after school.. groped her. One punch. That was all it had taken. Years of discipline had kept her from doing anything worse, but apparently breaking a man's nose outweighed months of harassment in the eyes of the school district. By the following morning, she was unemployed.

Marciana closed her eyes for a brief moment before straightening her posture. Dwelling on it wouldn't change anything. She still had her health, her dignity, and enough determination to keep moving forward. Somewhere beyond the endless stretch of highway had to be another town, another opportunity, another classroom willing to give her a chance.

The low rumble of another approaching eighteen wheeler gradually grew louder behind her. Without thinking, she stepped a little farther onto the gravel shoulder, expecting it to thunder past like every other truck had that afternoon. Instead... the engine noise began to slow.

A customized 1977 Peterbilt 359 pulled up just ahead of Marciana. At first, she was reluctant to hop inside the cab of a random trucker's truck, but at this point she'd take her chances instead of dying in the Desert.

When she approached, her eyes glossed over the semi. It was Viper GTS blue with white hockey stripes painted along the side, chrome wheels and stretched with a three hundred inch wheelbase and a paint matched frame.

"M-Ma'am? You need a ride?" The driver asked, "It's at least thirty minutes until you get to the next town and it's really hot out... and that thirty minutes is with a car. A lot longer if you keep walking."

The paint job gleamed under the Texas sun, and the sheer length of the wheelbase gave the machine an imposing yet elegant presence. As someone who appreciated precision and craftsmanship both in her teaching and her former life she couldn't help but admire the meticulous care put into the restoration. It wasn't just a tool for work, it was a piece of art.

When the driver spoke, Marciana glanced up. He didn't look like the threatening type his voice was hesitant, almost shy. His stocky build and honest face lacked the predatory edge she had grown to recognize in men like her former colleague.