Elysia: Ignite [Elysia Trilogy Book 1] (EDITING) ✔

CH10: The Road

Jessica

"We're going to take 64." Click.

"Not 66?" Click.

"No. 64 will lead us straight to Grand Canyon Village. That's where you said your rendezvous with that old man is going to take place, isn't it?" Click.

"Yeah. So 64 it is, then." Click.

"Yup. It's going to take a while." Click.

"Aye. I'll lead the way from now on." Click.

"Roger that, Sica." Click.

The short exchange of words via frequentel ended with Josiah's cheery remark. I did as I proclaimed and sped forward, passing their trailer to take the front. Pressing the accelerator always sparked up some kind of outlandish energy within me. Maybe it was the exhilaration; the ecstasy of taking control over a machine that could take me further and faster than my two legs could ever carry me. I always had a thing for traveling and controlling. I was born an explorer abound in wanderlust.

"How's your shoulder, now, hon?" I asked, flicking the cigarette stub out the window. I knew all too well that Erik despised my inclination to revel in smoking, but I could not let go of my habit and way of handling stress just like that.

"It's been twelve days. I'm fine now," Erik replied. He opened the window a little bit to inhale a huff of the fresh-ish air. As I could see it, his face was displaying blatant disgust at my tendency of smoking indoors. Sorry, not sorry.

"We'll have to seal all doors soon. And get on Jos and Soe's trailer." I changed the subject.

"Radiation?"

"No shit," I nodded. Grand Canyon was not a subject of direct bombing, but the miasmal air had traveled through the atmosphere and pervaded the entire region as the deep valley provided the best of the conditions for it to be trapped. It was not as bad on top of the highest points, but the lower we went, chances were we were likely to get exposed to a denser level of radiation. Thankfully, the meeting point was the Grand Canyon Village, an area overlooking the vast gorge below. We were to take a more prosaic route on our way. As far as we could get from unexpected adventure or in other words; hazard.

"Why does he want to meet you at such a dangerous place?" Erik grumbled. Then he abruptly turned his entire torso around. "What's his name anyway?"

"His name is Leroy Dawson. A literal millionaire abandoned by the paradise. About the meeting point, he just told me it's the best way to get to Elysia secretly."

"By running straight across one of the most environmentally dangerous regions?" He frowned in skepticism.

"That's exactly why it's effective for secrecy, you idiot. Not many people would suspect levelheaded people to cross the Canyon." I snapped back. "Rumors have it that Elysia has spies out in the Wasteworld to stop people like us from getting in."

"How do you know that Dawson isn't one of them, then?"

"I'm a rather thorough girl," I slyly sent a smile. "I thought you would have figured that out on your own the night I met you."

"Pardon?" Erik's face was a blend of alarm, confusion, and agitation. Was it a sight.

"I stole your wallet and checked the insides when you were inebriated with beer. Or were you too wasted then to recall that?" I rolled my eyes and took my hands off the wheel for a brief moment. The car swerved from side to side before I caught the steering wheel again. Erik seemed even more incensed then a second ago. He grabbed the wheel, his hand overlapping mine.