Reflections: Disappearance of the High Priestess

August 27th, 2020, Thursday

I took a drawn out look from the car window at the endless stretches of fields in front of me. The North Dakotan plains look so lifeless out here; even the cattle live out their lives satisfied by just milling about and eating all day long...

Man, I sound sour today.

I suppose moping around isn't going to change fate. Whether I like it or not, I'm headed to my new (temporary) home: Wahpeton, North Dakota. I didn't want to go here, but I also had no say in the matter. I'm just a teenager, and I can't really live by myself, and I certainly can't take care of mom or dad when they are healing...

I don't really want to see them right now anyway.

So now I'm stuck with my grandparents on my mother's side. I don't know them too well. The last time I saw them was when we lived in Minneapolis seven years ago. Now I get to live with them.

I don't relish the idea of living in the country.

We had been on the road on and off the last two days. The trip from Seattle to this tiny backwater town wasn't a short one. It didn't help that this was my grandfather's car for work, making it smell like dirt and sweat. My grandfather insisted that they try to take the drive all in one go, but that idea came to a halt somewhere in Montana when he almost fell asleep at the wheel. They even planned our schedule around it. I was supposed to start school today in this little "home away from home," as my grandmother put it.

I cannot begin to understand why I had to attend public school here. I would think I could participate in online schooling to stick with something I'm familiar with. North Dakota even starts their school year earlier by two weeks. I can't even chat with my friends on my phone right now. I'm not getting any signal out here!

So I've just been staring out the window, with my saved music playlist playing on loop, listening to overly-edgy, rebellious punk rock while watching the passing of the endless stretches of fields.

It made the irony of my situation all the more obvious.

I saw out of the corner of my eye that my grandparents were arguing about something again, though I can't say that it was an abnormal occurrence for this trip. They didn't seem like a dysfunctional couple, but they didn't have difficulty getting under each other's skin. I unplugged an earphone for a moment.

"Are you sure we don't need to fill gas in Wyndmere? The tank is below a quarter dear..." Grandma pleaded.

"Nah!" Grandpa stated, almost proudly. "This baby gets me to work every morning, and I know her limits!"

"Why did we even go through these roads? We could have taken the interstate?" Grandma sounded uncomfortable.

"I know these roads better than I know any of your family, hon. You can trust me!" Grandpa said, obviously trying to agitate Grandma.

This conversation doesn't concern me, time to go back to my music.

I popped my earphone back in and turned the volume up a couple of notches. At least it sounds like it won't take too much longer before we arrive at our destination.

I wonder what it will be like when I get to school tomorrow? I hope it doesn't end up being miserable, I don't know how long I'll stay in this town, but I would prefer a painless experience over a painful one.

I must have looked overly annoyed again because I felt a concerned tap on my shoulder.

"Hey, Ryan?" Grandma looked at me with gentleness behind her years. "Are you doing, ok? I know this will be a big transition for you."

"Grandma, it's ok... I'll be fine," I say, forcing a little smile to comfort her.

"You know you can always talk to us, right?" Grandma had a bit of sadness in her tone. "I understand things may be scary right now..."