“Dude, I’m telling you. Dawn is never going to find out. You’ve got all of your bases covered.”
“I don’t know man; she seemed pretty suspicious of me hiding the phone.”
“Don’t even worry about it. As soon as you get what you want out of Sheila, you can easily ditch her to give your neglected girl all the love she’s missing. You’re golden man! You’re golden.”
“Yeah but what if Sheila keeps calling. . . “
“Ok you’re boring me now” Leo interrupts as he blasts the car’s stereo.
“Dude what are you. . .?” Jeff starts, but before he could finish his question, a horrified looking person suddenly springs in front of the car. The individual’s face appears to visually express the words, Stop! Help me. Unfortunately, Jeff doesn’t react in time to avoid the hit.
Immediately halting the car, he screams with panic, “Holy crap! Where did that guy come from?”
“I don’t know!” cries Leo with an equal amount of frenzy.
“Oh hell! What if he’s dead?”
“What if he’s not” Leo yells back, “He’ll sue or press charges.”
The paranoid pair step out of the car and see the lifeless body on the ground. Leo touches his pulse and gives the he didn’t make it head shake. “Oh man”, whimpers Jeff. “I just killed a man Leo.”
The distraught driver falls to his knees and covers his face in disbelief. Almost instantly, sirens are heard in the distance as a car speeds to the scene.
“What do we have here?” an authority figure asks as he exits his vehicle.
“Please” cries Jeff, “he just jumped in front of my car!”
“Now calm down son,” the cop comments. “This here’s a criminal and you stopped him. You boys are heroes.”
“What? What kind of criminal?” Jeff asks still hunched over.
“Never you mind that” answers the cop, “Why don’t you boys come on down to town? We’ll get your car washed up real nice. It’ll be our way of thankin’ ya for getting rid of the garbage.”
Jeff and Leo, still completely flustered, concede. They follow the Sheriff to a dated small town, which only seems to consist of dirt roads and houses. The boys are taken aback with the lack of stores or recreational places.
After dropping Jeff’s car off at a local’s home, the authority walks to the boys. “They call me Sheriff Birmingham” he announces, “Since it’s so late, it might do ya’ some good to spend the night. We don’t have a hotel here; but our locals are real kind and we always have a family willing to take in good Samaritans. Hop in, and I’ll give you a ride to a nice home.” Leo and Jeff are not excited to stay in the strange area but somehow are more afraid to decline the invitation.
The nervous duo rest in the back seat as the Sheriff chatters on during the drive. Jeff silently weeps for his involvement in a person’s death. The unpleasant drive finally reaches its end as a house appears on the unpaved road. A family awaits on the porch.
“Ok boys” the Sheriff smiles, “You have here the Singloff Family. They’re the friendliest bunch in Oakalong. Ya guys take care ya hear?”
The family consists of an attractive couple and seven year old boy.
“You boys sure have come a long way” begins the grinning mother, “Please come in, we’re right in the middle of dinner. And please excuse our daughters, they’re a bit shy and won’t be joining us.”
