The long road ahead made me grateful for what was to come in California. I loved to roll down the windows of the classic Volkswagen my father found at a chop shop. The warm air from the spring sun made me think of things back home. I would soon leave everything I knew behind. It was the place I loved and where people who knew me the most saw me fall on the sidewalk and get back up. It was time for a new adventure. I had to dance. It was my passion. Nothing would ever be more important than my career on stage.
The rugged road finally stopped at an old gas station. There was a rustic sign plastered on the gas pump: Self-Serve. I was too afraid to stop. My engine rattled below to remind me I would soon need gas. I decided to wait and stop at a friendlier gas station.
The early morning dew crept around the bottom of the majestic mountains. The cool and refreshed air woke me up from the long drive. After I put Mariah Carey on rotation and drank ounces of coffee, I wanted to rest my eyes. Like an omen, a broken sign revealed the name of a farm followed by a rest stop.
I knew my beetle had about an hour left of fuel but there was something different about my car today. My car started to rattle and shake nonstop. I gripped the steering wheel and turned it towards the right. I slowly eased off the gas pedal and gripped the failed clutch. My old beetle finally came to a complete stop. The scary ranch I tried to avoid the night before was now in front of me.
I slowly exited my car and slammed the door shut. I grabbed the pepper spray my mother packed out of my crochet purse. I nervously walked down the dark pathway to find a red house at the end. My mind raced to the scenery around me and I began to think of the murder mystery show I watched the other night.
So this is how I die, I thought to myself.
The pepper spray shook between my fingers with each step. I pulled the spray close to my face and tiptoed to the front door. I tried to not make a sound but the porch lights flickered on, off, and on again as the sensors caught each step. To my surprise, the front door slowly began to open as a tall male figure stared at me in the shadows of the entrance.
YOU ARE READING
The Ranch
RomanceToni Daniels traveled across the country to the dance audition of a lifetime. On the way to California, her car breaks down in rural Omaha, Nebraska. With no gas station for miles, an isolated farm gives her refuge.
