(Un)wise - Chapters 1 - 3

Chapter 2

Chapter Two 

I woke feeling rested, but cranky. I wanted just one night without dreams, not that I wasn't grateful for that last dream. At least no one had died. Struggling out of the bowl my body had created in the mattress, I checked the clock and flew into panic mode. Fourteen hours had passed! Too much time in one spot. 

Scrambling to the window, I peeked around the curtain. The sun barely rimmed the horizon. Silence still claimed the morning-but not my thundering heart. My eyes darted around the street, searching for anything out of place. Nothing. I moved away from the window and slid my feet into my shoes. 

Grabbing my bag, I eased out the door. The motel office waited a few feet away. Down the road, several trucks stood in front of the restaurant. 

I hurried to return the room key. I needed a ride. I needed to move. The man from the night before took the key from me and returned the small cash deposit he'd required since I didn't have a credit card. With a fake smile, I stepped back outside. The bus would bring me back to where I started, and I couldn't go back home. I paused looking for options on the very dead street. 

An early riser stepped out of the CCC. A dirty green knit cap covered his head and a brown scarf insulated his neck. Grey whiskers protected his cheeks. This far south winter rarely had a bite, but today would be one of those days. 

He strode to a late model Chevy truck. Rust and mud speckled the back fender, but I didn't care about that. He was just the option I was looking for. Waving to catch his attention, I hurried over to ask if he'd give me a ride out of town. He looked me over, eyeing my thin long sleeved shirt and asked me a few questions about where I was headed. Satisfied with my answer a better paying job in a bigger town, he agreed to give me a lift. 

"In the bed, 'course. Can't be too careful. Sorry," he said, getting into the truck cab. 

I didn't mind the conditions. A ride was a ride, and I needed it desperately. 

Using the bumper, I vaulted into the bed and hunkered down near the cab. As I'd expected, the cold pierced my skin as soon as we started moving. At least, the cold would help keep me awake. 

I dug in my bag looking for something warmer. My hand brushed against a zipper. Carefully, I pulled a hooded sweatshirt out of the grey duffle. I frowned at it, puzzled. It didn't look familiar. I turned it in my hands for a moment before deciding I didn't care. Nothing seemed familiar anymore. I pulled it on and zipped it up. It smelled good, clean, unlike most of what I'd crammed into the bag, and it helped a bit against the wind. 

The panic and need to move calmed as the driver kept a steady speed heading northwest out of town. It gave me time to think. Fourteen hours was crazy long for only one death dream. Since they had started, they had varied little. Discovery, then death. Like an alarm clock, they woke me to the truth: the beasts were coming, and I needed to run to save those I loved. Unfortunately, like those past lives, I hadn't truly believed the dreams until one of those things actually arrived. 

I rubbed my nose trying to warm it. At least I'd gotten away...this time. 

The second dream about the women puzzled me. It was nothing like the other dreams. What did it mean, and why did I dream it right after that man found me? With a sigh, I leaned my head back and stared at the sky unable to answer my own questions. 

I wasn't sure if it was pity or his true destination, but the man drove an hour to the next big town with a bus stop. Discreetly digging in my stash of cash, I offered him a twenty for gas, but he waved it away with a gruff, "take care." 

Looking at the schedule, I studied my options. There were several buses departing within the next hour. Only two general directions, however. North and west. Though I'd tolerated the cold, I didn't want to push any further north in November without a decent jacket. West seemed like a good enough choice.