I saw her reach high and pick a gleaming red apple off the tree. Her red wavy hair fell over her bare back and I knew I had made the right decision.
Ohio- Present Day
The very last service plaza on the Ohio turnpike before I would enter Pennsylvania was teaming with travelers that day. It had only just occurred to me that it was Thanksgiving weekend and of course it would be crowded. After pissing I stopped to look up at the TV hanging from the ceiling that had the weather on. Snow. A record breaking blizzard headed straight towards us, covering PA, Ohio, and New Jersey. I really did not want to have to deal with this, not this week at least. I had to make it to Scranton by evening and it was already noon.
"Shit." I heard from behind me. Apparently I wasn't the only one who's plans would be stunted. The entire east was probably uttering the same curse. I turned and smiled at the red head that wore a face of determined frustration.
"Bummer huh? All week everything is in the 40s and 50s, fine for setting up camp. Cold sure, but fine. Now this?"
"Yeah I'm supposed to be in New York by nightfall so I get you."
"Well, good luck." She said with a defeated half smile.
"You too."
I went and bought a cup of coffee from the Starbucks in the plaza and made my way to the car, preparing myself for the shittiest drive.
I go into Pennsylvania just fine. It was flurrying but that was all. I had high hopes but I shouldn't of. By the time I reached Milton I could barely see the road. I got onto the exit and drove 10 miles on hour until I saw a neon motel sign flashing through the thick falling snow. I parked and braved the burning winds to get into the lobby. The place looked straight out of the 70s and smelled like cigarette smoke. As long as it doesn't have bed bugs..... it'll have to do.
Someone else was already checking in at the front desk manned by a woman that was at least 95 years old. She turned and I realized it was the girl from the Service Plaza.
"Fancy meeting you here." She said when she turned.
"Haha yep. Where are you heading anyways?"
"Maine. what about you?"
"I'm visiting all 50 states. I started in Michigan, where I'm from and decided to head east first. I think I'm going to stay in New York for a bit though."
"Like the city?"
"Nah, more like the mountains."
"Sounds like fun. I'd like to do something like that one day."
"Are you checking in or not?" The old lady called, obviously irritated by the time of her's we were wasting.
"Well, maybe we'll run into each other again." I smiled.
"Until then." She said.
My room was at the far end of the motel and I could hear the highway from hear, between that and the howling wind, I felt very isolated. I always feel that way when I arrive somewhere I've never seen before at night. Isolated and disoriented. My room was under a coat of dust but it was fine. It's just be till morning then i'd be back on my way. It's not like i have a time to keep up to. No one knows I'm doing this. There's no one to worry about where I went or how long I'd be gone.
I laid on top of the ancient floral bedspread and looked up at the florescent lighted popcorn ceiling. It was only 10:00 p.m. but my eye lids were so heavy. I fell asleep almost instantly.
I woke up to knocking on my door. It took me a moment to remember where I was and become coherent enough to open the door.
It was the girl from before.
"The front desk lady told me what room was yours. I'm Marley by the way."
"David and I'm glad this place is confidential."
She gave a small smile. "Sorry, I have obviously woken..woke....waked you? Anyways my car won't start and the guy at the auto repair place down the block creeps me out so do you think you could check it out for me?"
"I mean I could try but I don't know a lot about this kinda of thing."
"Two clueless minds is better than one."
I laughed, "I don't think that's how it works but lets give it a try."
I walked into the parking lot that was covered at least 4 inches in snow.
"I'm surprised there wasn't more accumulation."
"A lot of it already melted." She said as she popped her hood. Smoke billowed out.
"Holy shit. Yeah this is too much for my small bank of knowledge. If you want me to take it in for you I can."
"You really don't have to."
"If he makes you uncomfortable than I would be uncomfortable with you going over there."
"Well, I mean, I don't know what else to do."
I looked up the auto repair place in the yellow pages I found in the lobby of the motel and called. He agreed to come take a look at it. Marley went back into her room as the man with the dirty jeans and the leathery face looked at her car.
"She's dead." He said after ten minutes.
"Excuse me?"
"The car. She's dead. I'll give ya a hundred for her body." Okay this guy was creeping me out now.
"You're sure you can't fix it?"
"Boy I've been looking at cars for 30 years I think I know what I'm talking about."
"Okay I'll go let the owner know."
I walked over to her room.
"So, what'd he say? Is going to be a lot of money to fix?"
"He said there's no fixing it. He'll give you $100 for the parts."
Her brows furrowed, worry clear across her face. "What am I supposed to do? I can't afford a flight back home. I can't afford renting a car. I can't afford a new car."
And the I got an idea that was only slightly crazy given that we only just learned each other's names and she could be a serial killer for all I knew, heck for all she knew so could I.
"I mean I can give you a ride to Maine."
She smiled really big for a second then stopped. "I couldn't make you do that."
"I'm heading that way anyhow. When do you have to get there by?"
"I mean I don't really have a schedule. My whole thing was not rushing or anything. I have all the time in the world." I wonder if her reasons were the same as mine.
"Me too now let me do this."
The big smile came back and it made my heart happy. "Fine but if I get even a little bit bothersome, even a little bit you just drop me off at the nearest exit."
"Never, now let's plan on leaving in 20."
