SAD DRIVERS (b. hargrove, book two)

BOOK TWO: ACT TWO, SCENE TEN

ACT TWO, SCENE TEN: The Source
"What are you doing here?"

EVERYONE SAT AROUND THE CABIN, waiting on the two girls. El was blindfolded, the television was turned to static, and Mallory sat with her eyes closed.

"Why is Mallory going?" asked one of the group.

"I dunno, because she is?" replied another.

"Does she—"

"Shh!" El said harshly, ripping off her blindfold before putting it back on.

It took a few seconds, but once again, the girls found Billy sitting on the bed. Mallory shuffled carefully behind El, letting her lead.

"Billy," The younger girl stated as they got closer, "I want to see. I want to see what happened."

Billy didn't respond, he didn't even acknowledge the girl. El repeated her words, to no change. Mallory lightly tapped El's shoulder.

"Let me try," She whispered. El nodded, and the two switched places.

"Billy," the teen said, "It's Mal. We want to know what happened to you. We need you to show us."

Everything was quite, but Billy slowly turned to look up at Mallory. Tears filled the boy's eyes and he remained beaten and bloody. That black goo still ran through his veins.

Suddenly, he reached out and latched onto Mallory. The teen didn't think twice until Eleven worried whispered, "No..."

The two girls frantically tried to remove Mallory's arm from his grip, only to give her rug burns and bruises. Eleven whimpered while Mallory continuously whispered, "Billy, please."

Billy jerked Mallory towards him, tears still in his eyes but anger in his face. Eleven moved around to the back off Mallory in an attempted to pull her away from him.

"What are you doing here?" Billy seethed, but it sound more alien than Billy.

With that, Billy let the two go. Immediately, they were falling. Not stumbling, falling. As if the floor beneath them had disappeared.

Images flashed through the girl's minds. A car crash, the sauna, Heather, that tentacled monster, Billy's screams.

Mallory couldn't stop hearing Billy's screams.

She landed on her back with a thud, only to immediately be splashed in the face with... sea water? Mallory quickly got up and searched for Eleven.

"El?" She shouted once.

"I'm here," Eleven replied.

"El? Are you okay?" A voice echoed like God.

"Are you both okay?" A second voice chimed.

"We are okay," Eleven responded once her hand clasped Mallory's.

"Where are you?" That mysterious voice said.

"A... beach." The girl replied. Mallory remained silent.

After some pause, the voice spoke again, more feminine this time, "What else do you see?"

"I see... a woman, I think she's looking at me," Eleven said.

Mallory turned to see the woman come into focus. That figure was so familiar, "Wait... I know that woman."

"You do?" Eleven replied.

"It's Billy's mom. And she's not looking at us, she's looking at...," Mallory trailed off as a young boy ran by here.

"Mallory says the woman is Billy's mom," Eleven said.

"It's California," The voice said again, "It's a memory."

"What's that?" Mallory pointed at the red storm in the distance.

"I think we see it," El said to the outsiders, "The source."

Eleven began walking towards it, but stopped when Mallory didn't move with her. The teen was staring at the young Billy playing in the ocean. She recognized those emotions as the ones he would display in private, with her.

"Mallory, we can't stay here," Eleven said.

Mallory sniffled and wiped a tear she didn't know had fallen, "I know, I'm sorry."

The two walked to the red fog. As they approached, they could see Neil screaming in kid-Billy's face.

"That's Billy's dad," Mallory told El, "A real piece of work."

Finally, Billy ran off, and the two girls ran off after him. The storm worsened, leaving the girls to search for the source of arguing.

"He got to you!"

"Get away! I said, get away!" They could see the memory now. Neil and Billy's mom arguing at the dinner table, a young Billy scrambling to help his mom.

"No! Don't hurt her!" He shouted. His mom merely watched. Then, Neil punched the woman in the face. Mallory could tell this was messing with El, so she ushered the young girl along.

Another memory flashed, one of Billy learning of his mother's abandonment. Then, one of Billy's vicious anger, and another of him meeting Maxine.

A softer, lighter glow caught Mallory's eye. The wind was calm around it, more like an ocean's breeze than a dust storm. Mallory softly nudged El.

"Let's check this out," She whispered, but was already walking toward the calm. El followed. The first words Mallory heard broke her.

"How about that ride, babe?"

words: 773
date finished: 11/15/2022
a/n: sorry this chartered shorted, but i really wanted to get something out to you guys. sorry it's taking so long!!