-Patrick-
We didn't actually leave the abandoned house until late night or really early morning because Pete and I didn't feel like moving when we sat down to look at my stomach where he hit me. He felt bad about the bruises on my stomach, so he stayed and pressed snow to my stomach to ease the swelling. It was cold as fuck, but it was sweet of him and I feel a lot better. Physically.
We drove through the night until the next morning. I listened to Pete's soft snoring and I would occasionally take a glance at him to look at something other than the road. Pete is a lot better to look at than the road anyways. Getting taken, turning back for Pete and Bronx, and having to drive at a safe speed down the icy roads has put us back several days on this trip, and it's time that we can't afford to lose honestly, but there's nothing I can do about it, so I can't really complain. All I can do is try to get us there as fast as possible without slipping on the road and getting us killed. That would be very anti-productive. I check the time on the dash and the clock reads 6:42 a.m. The sun should be rising now or soon behind the clouds and the ash.
Driving, I pass a sign signaling to me that we are almost to St. Louis. Can someone explain to me how a drive that use to take five hours now takes us three days? Whatever.
"Pete." I say tapping his knee. He doesn't wake. "Peeeeetttteeee." I say softy again, this time pushing at his knee a little.
"Hm?" He said with eyes still shut
"We are almost to St. Louis... Do you want to stop?" I ask him.
"Why would we stop?" He said in a muffled tired voice. "It's so warm in here, and so cold out there." His voice getting deeper as more husky as he talks. God, is tired voice is sexy beyond belief.
"I dunno. To see the sights. Now that there's nobody here, there's no lines to go and see the arch and stuff like that. I've only ever driven through here once."
"Fine..." He says finally opening his eyes. He looks at me and gives me a smile. "Seeing you the first thing I wake up makes me really happy. You're so beautiful." Pete said, still smiling.
"Oh stop it." I said blushing and looking back at the road.
"I mean it." He said, putting his hand on my knee for a moment. "You're pretty great to look at." He said before removing his hand to wake up Bronx. "Come on buddy, time to wake up. Patrick wants to stop and look at big pieces of metal."
"Noooooo. I'm sleeping." Bronx sighs as he pulls the blanket over him and rolls into a ball.
"Come one Little Man, you can sleep some more later. You sleep more than anybody I've ever met, I think you're good on sleep right now anyways." Pete said poking him.
"There is no such thing as too much sleep. I will sleep as long as the world lets me." Bronx said from under the blanket.
"No. You will sleep as long as I let you. Wake up!!" Pete said snatching the blanket from Bronx and laughing.
"I can't handle this. Happiness never wanted me I guess." Bronx said.
"You're six. You're too young to be this dramatic." I joked.
"You're too old to be.... You're just too old to be." Bronx said in his defense.
"Haha. Whatever you said kid." I said as I laughed. He's something else.
As we drove, St. Louis slowly became visible in the distance. The Gateway Arch stood tall above the rest of the city. What use to serve as a symbol of Westward American expansion, now stands for what humanity use to be, and shows the former glory of our civilization this is long lost. Ironic isn't it? A symbol for hopes and dreams of a better life somewhere else, now only shows what is long lost. However, the original meaning isn't totally lost. We are traveling for a better life elsewhere. Still pretty fucking depressing though.
I drove up to the massive monument and parked.
"Are we ready? I turned to ask them.
"Yup. Let's go." Pete said opening his door, letting the cold in and sending a shiver down my spine.
I stepped out and walked around over to Pete and we waited for Bronx to come out of the car, but he never did. "Come on Bronx. We gotta go." Pete said with the door open.
"No. It's cold and stuff out there." He said crawling to the opposite side of the car.
"Yes. I can't just leave you here. It won't take long." Pete said, climbing into the car and laying in the car with his feet sticking out of the door way. Cute. He soon came out with Bronx in his hands. "Gotcha." He said before setting him down on the cold, frozen over pavement.
We stepped through the snow and walked to the base of the Arch, looking up the entire time. It seemed to get larger and larger with every step.
"You wanna go in?" Pete asked when we got under it.
"We can't go to the top... No electricity." I stated the obvious.
"But the visitor center is still open. The visit wouldn't be complete if we didn't go."
"You're right." I said. Pete grabbed my hand and all I could do was blush and look down at the ground as I took my steps forwards. I looked over and saw him smiling at me and holding on to Bronx's hand. I like this. I feel like I'm part of a family that just took me in with open arms. We descended into the visitor center only to find locked doors. Until Pete kinda... Broke the class doors and we let ourselves in.
"Pete... You just broke into a national monument. That is so illegal.." I told him.
"'Trick... There's no one to stop us or arrest us. Calm your dick." Pete said me.
"It's calm..." I protested as we walked in. As soon as I saw all the pictures and plaques, I let go of Pete's hand and looked around ready to delve into the history. I really do love history. Small history, big history, good history, bad history. Just... History.
"You can go look around, but stay close." I heard Pete tell Bronx. I stopped and looked at every picture of the construction of the arch, read every sign on it. I even stole a mug from the gift shop. Maybe one day I'll drink tea again. One can always wish. I stole post cards, and a little statue of the Gateway Arch, and even a shirt because... Free clothes?
"Are you done taking from the gift shop?" Pete asked me while I was holding a snow globe , causing me to jump and drop the snow glad be on the floor.
"I might be." I said with a smile as I picked the snow globe up off the floor and put it back on the shelf.
"What do you need a snow globe for? Isn't there enough snow for you?" He asked.
"But this snow isn't bad." I said. He grabbed the snow globe and shook it, looking into intently.
"I remember when I was a kid, no matter how old I got, whether I was 8 or 18, I always got so excited when snow would come during winter. My brothers and I would sneak out at night and go in the back yard and have snow ball fights, and build snow men, make snow angels, and try to build igloos." He said with a faint smile still looking into the snow globe. "And those days when they let us stay home from school because the snow was too deep were the best. All the kids on the block would get together and we would have a massive snow ball fight that would last all day. Even when I grew up into adult hood, the snow still excited me. I always felt winter was an 'out with the old, in with the new' type of thing. It felt like the start of a second chance. A chance to shed the old layer and start over with a fresh new one." He put the snow globe back on the shelf, but still stared at it. "But now when I see snow, I feel the exact opposite. I'd do anything to see it gone, and walk in green grass again, and see blue skies. In a way, this never ending winter is the start of a new beginning. The world as we knew it is shedding its old skin slowly, making the moment we are living in now the beginning of the end... But one day, it will give life to something new I'm sure. We just won't be there to see it." He paused. And looked at me. "When I see snow, I see my death." He said quietly, but with deep bitterness. "Winter, and the snow are ruined for me." He said quietly, this time with sadness.
I don't really know what to say. That's some deep shit.
"I always hated winter... So cold and wet... I prefer... Warmer seasons... Because a summer day on Lake Michigan is one of the most beautiful things ever. Winter depresses me." I told him. "And now we are stuck in it."
"Well...." He said grabbing my hands. "There's nothing we can do about it now. Come on... We should get going. Unless there's more things you want to steal." Pete said smiling.
"No. Let's go." I said, leading him out.
"Hey Patrick..." Pete asked panicked.
"Yeah?"
"Where's Bronx?"