Throwaway People

Out of Darkness

5:25 PM

Jim and the girls got off the bus at the Dollar General. They crossed Military at the light. Jim noticed the white pick-up sitting on the parking lot. Jim didn't tell the girls about his close encounter with that pick-up. He knew that the driver could see them. Jim hoped that he was wrong, but that man might be a new threat to them.

Key noticed the white pickup as well. She wasn't sure if it was Carlos' pickup, but she was terrified of it. She kept glancing back towards it. She noticed the Jim seemed nervous about it as well. As they turned the crossed 10th Avenue and turned the corner onto Haverhill Key noticed the girl she was sure was Conejita walking away from the towards Cresthaven. Key thought about the card she had. The group foster home they called 'Out of Darkness'. If she could slip the card to Conejita, she could help her that way.

Greenacres Camp: 6:30 AM

It was the third morning since Bobbi had disappeared. Jim had fixed breakfast as usual. He made a strong pot of coffee. Jim had decided that he would accompany them back to the Lost Tea Shop. Instead of just leaving them at the bus stop. With the white truck having nearly run him over, Jim decided to keep a close eye on the girls until he was certain nothing would happen to them.

As they walked down the street Jim didn't see the pick-up. It was possible that it was just a coincidence that the truck nearly ran down Jim twice was parked in that lot, but Jim didn't like it. He parted ways with them after he was sure they made it to the shop and walked in the park for a while next to Intercostal Waterway.

Jim swung back around to the shop. Told Patty and Keyote that he would be hanging around downtown today and would eventually be back before the shop closed.

"What's up?" Patty said. "You are as nervous as a cat."

"There's been a white pickup that's been showing up lately. I don't like it. Keep an eye out for one."

"I know that Carlos, one of Jose's enforcers drives a white pickup, I've seen it around too." Keyote said.

"There are a lot of white pickups on the road." Patty mentioned.

"You'll know this one, it will try to run you over." Jim said. "Or maybe it was just me the guy wanted to run over."

Key had been looking out the window. It was six in the morning. Students were beginning to arrive at the school in buses, cars, vans, and on bikes, skateboards, motorcycles. She watched them as she had a habit of doing. Wondering what it would be like to be down there among them. Knowing that she never could.

Key had the nightmare again. Not the one she had about her mother. It was another one she couldn't remember. She didn't tell Patty or Jim. She didn't want them to worry. Key had tried to use meditation to call it up, only she'd get a headache trying. It was about Bunny or some other girl. It was about the girl's eyes. Key felt the headache coming on, so Key stopped trying to think about it.

3:00 AM

Keyote had stared out of the attic window. She missed Bobbi. The school lights were out. The streets were empty. It was that time that prostitutes headed home. Keyote snuck down the apartment stairs into the pantry and through the office to the courtyard. The big dog Coyote stared at her with his big eyes.

"I've got to go find Bunny. She's all alone out there." Keyote felt silly telling the dog this.

Keyote walked out to the dirt road. She climbed the fence to at the back of the high school. Heading into the back parking area. She headed over to the place she might hide if she was going to hide on the school grounds. Two school buses that were parked parallel to each other near some storage containers.