Elisabeta

gas

Chapter 2: Gas

The pickup rumbled to a stop as she pulled into the small gas station. Beth shivered as she hopped out of the slightly less cold cab than the air outside, she grabbed her wallet and headed inside the shady convenience store. Her stomach was rumbling and wouldn't stop until she grabbed an over-processed blueberry Danish and shoved it in her face. The convenience store was practically dead when Beth walked in; Beth could hear the low hum of the large refrigerators, the slushy machines, and soda dispensers. She rubbed her cold hands together as she wandered up and down the two aisles looking for something cheap and filling. She grabbed a packaged muffin along with some coffee.

 In the back of her head, she heard the bell chime of another customer entering the store, and she paid no mind to it. She clasped the lid down on the vanilla cappuccino the warmth already radiating into her cold and cracked hands. She would have to sleep in her pick up again; she didn't want to waste the money on a motel room. Beth's light brown eyes glanced up at the stranger as he stood beside her, taking the black coffee from the pot beside the cappuccino machine. She looked away quickly when he glanced down at her, and a sharp annoyed look made her cheeks blush. She hadn't meant to stare. She took her cup and her muffin, grabbing water for the road and went to pay for her things when the stranger from the coffee area cut in front of her. Her brows furrowed in annoyance. Who was that rude? She thought. She was there before he was yet he still cut in front of her.  She didn't say anything as he paid for his things and left the store, she shook her head and set her stuff on the counter. She dug around in her wallet for the correct amount of cash to give the cashier when she was stopped.

"It's already been paid," said the worker behind the counter. 

"Oh," her brow furrowed as she looked around the gas station, did someone do one of the 'pay it forward' things? She took the small paper bag with her food and her coffee," well, thank you," she said, slipping her wallet back in her little purse. 

Beth glanced around another moment before she left the gas station, she walked back to her pickup and got in, taking a deep breath and sipped on the warm coffee. She slipped her gloves back on and gripped the steering wheel. The brunette could get through the night and worry about everything else later. She pulled out of the gas station and went in search of a place to park that was out of the way, but didn't pose such a huge danger. 

She drove around the small town for a while until she parked at a park with a small pond in the middle of it. It was gorgeous in the cruel winter. The water looked frozen enough children would skate on it. She grabbed the comforter from behind her seat and wrapped herself up in it, grabbing the unopened hot hand packet from the dashboard she opened it and held it to her chest. Beth's hand reached up and locked the doors before she laid across the bench seat, closing her eyes. She was so cold; she was worried she would fall asleep and not wake up. She took deep breaths, trying to conserve her energy and heat under the blanket. 

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A cold nose pressed against her hand and a slight high pitched whine escaped. The cold nose nudged against her palm before Beth moved it away.  Beth's ears picked up another whine, and she shifted in her slumber. Something pawed at her one last time before she opened her eyes and let out a surprised gasp. No one should've been touching her; she should've been locked up in her cab. She rubbed her face roughly and looked around. The burnt orange paint on the walls, the generic paintings on the wall. She could smell sterile of the bedsheets. Beth jumped again at the sight of a man sitting in the chair, his feet propped up on the small desk with his eyes closed, a large dog returning to his place beside him. Her breath stopped in her throat as she took in his face, the scar going down his right eyebrow and to his cheekbone. The same blond hair she saw earlier. It was the rude man from the gas station. 

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